why i don't like amusement rides with actors in

I've been involved with musical theatre since I was around 6, from being in shows to helping to direct and do technical I've always felt at ease in the theatre, so why is it that things like haunted houses make me feel queasy?

I went to Mount Tibidabo yesterday, a theme park set at the top of a mountain in Barcelona, to get there involved a bus, two trains, a tram and a funicular railway (fun, long, expensive) and it was not a disappointment at all when we did get there, the views where absolutely spectacular and the rides were rather fun themselves.

Anyway, there was an attraction called 'Hotel Kruger', like y'know, Freddie Kruger.  Off Nightmare on Elm Street.  That scary film.  Why warning bells did not go off in my head I have no idea.  After a 45 minute wait we were in, following a rough english translation of "do not touch the actors...they will not touch you...maybe" my knees were knocking and I already did not want to go any further.  But I did.  The first room was a hotel lobby where a terrifying looking man started talking Spanish, meaning I did not have the faintest clue what was going on.  Within thirty seconds Frankenstien had hobbled in and two people in the room were crying, one was a small child and I will leave you guess who the other was.

For a while it was standard stuff like creaking doors and sharp corners and then from out of nowhere the corpse bride is breathing in my ear and I've screamed the place down.  Not.  Pleasant.  It was very much more of the same until we reached a library, and another woman speaking lots of Spanish (more not knowing what was going on), the Spanish family who were going around with us very kindly tried to usher us through the slidey bookcase door first...uh, thanks but no thanks.  We followed them into the penultimate room which was Chuckie laughing and chasing us, lush.  Then a rickety hallway complete with with doorways that opened and slammed and Kruger himself with a chainsaw led us to the exit.

Now, it may not sound scary but I was absolutely petrified and almost asked to leave halfway through.  A similar thing happened once before, I won't divulge as it wasn't quite as bad.  I do think however, that whilst calming down and waiting for my dad and Caitlin to go on the dodge-ems I realised what it is.  The fear of the unknown.  On a rollercoaster you generally know what is going to happen, when I walked into that house I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I don't love surprises either, so I guess it makes sense.

Well that was mildly humiliating but if I cannot make light of my bizarre traits what can I do.  Toodles!