When I first started asking people about Columbia, I asked what the art scene was like down here, and they said it's there but you have to look for it. Well, this little place called the Art Bar had something crazy going on last night, and it was very artsy. It was called “Alternacirc,” as in an alternative circus. There were fire twirlers, belly dancers, hula hoop dancers, a break-dancer, and a poet. There was also a man performing a short story with “magic” and musical accompaniment. It was very interesting. We were able to sit outside and the stage was set up in the parking lot. There was a second show, which was a lot weirder than the first, and the theme was “ghosts.” At one point, women dressed in cloaks came on stage and started spinning hula hoops. Hmmm. It was free.
School has been interesting. A lot of problems that I am not supposed to talk about. But, my City Year team is awesome and we are getting a lot done together. The kids are adorable and they don’t deserve some of the problems they face. I am so excited to start tutoring 7 kids next week! I have my fourth graders in the morning and third graders in the afternoon! I have high expectations for their literacy growth, so let’s get to work.
We were able to meet a few of the team members from last year’s Corps yesterday. They all got along very well, just like our team. They were telling us the ups and downs of our school and how great the people are there. One of the alumni actually still works at the school one day a week with a teacher she bonded with so well last year.
Yesterday was our “Red Jacket Ceremony.” The idea is to dedicate the City Year signature red jacket to someone who was an influence in your life. We each received one with our name on it, and the red jacket is a symbol of dedication to service. When kids see that red jacket, it should be a symbol of hope and progress. I dedicated my red jacket to my Mom and Dad. I realized recently just how important it was to my education to have two loving parents at home. I spoke about how they have been committed to each other for 27 years and they were always committed to Sam, Colleen and me. I am now committed to serve another 8 months to my children and my school and the Columbia community! Watch out world. Oh, the proper way to say “children” in the south sounds more like “chur-in.”
Now I have to tell you about the best place I have seen so far in South Carolina (not that I have been many places). I love Charleston. Planned in a couple of days, this weekend getaway turned out to be quite an experience. Between jumping in the 75-degree ocean to camping on a peninsula in a lake to strolling the cobblestone streets of downtown, I am not sure what my favorite part was. Five of us left early Saturday morning on a 2-hour drive to southern SC. We first checked into our campsite. It was called Lake Aire Campground. We drove through many RV spots to get to the tenting area. Some of the RVs seemed to have been there for months (they had gardens). I had to take the Camry on a little off-roading to get to our campsite…at the very end of the camp. It was the last spot out on a peninsula jutting out into the lake, which was more like a swamp. I wish someone did not mention this, but their definitely could have been alligators in there. We parked and set up our tent. (Thank you to Bridget’s sister’s fiancée for lending us the tent). My top priority for the day was the beach and the ocean so we got ready for a short trip to the coast. We met a couple of chur-in on our way to the bathroom, and they claim to have been living at the campsite for 10 weeks (serial killer’s children? Uh-oh). They had a puppy boxer named Macho who was the most adorable thing since my old boxer neighbor Lily. For the rest of the weekend, we made plans for a dognap.
Anyway, we went to Folly Beach, which we heard was a tourist destination. I do not like to fit into the tourist category ever, but in this case, I am glad we followed the crowds. I love it there. The houses are more like the old houses from OCNJ, but instead of rocks and concrete, they are surrounded by grass and Palmetto trees. People ride their bikes through the street with surfboards under their arms and fisherman line the pier waiting for a bite. One fisherman said it wasn’t such a great day for catching any fish, but the dolphins that we witnessed were having a feast. The waves were really rough and it was awesome to get my feet in the sand again!
After changing from our suits in the local Taco Bell, we made our way to downtown Charleston. We wandered around Battery Park and Market Street, which I did not know at the time, was the previous location of slave trade. The horse-drawn carriages carried couples with fanny-packs around the city, telling them about the history. We wandered, snapping photos. We got a coupon from the campground for a restaurant called Gilligan’s, so of course we went there. We enjoyed some seafood, but we were frozen from the air-conditioning! Luckily, the storm of the day decided to come through while we were eating dinner. We walked some more until dark, and then headed back to the campsite.
This was my first camping experience without an Eagle Scout or even a guy, so we were not the most prepared people. There was a huge puddle in our tent and we brought no dry firewood for our 2-bags of marshmallows. After cleaning up the mess in the tent with our towels, we were determined to enjoy a S’more. Amanda and I met the only other tenting people to ask them for some wood. One lady was so “happy” she even asked us to join her at their blazing fire. We accepted her offer of a couple of logs, but decided to go to our own campsite. Good thing we at least remembered flashlights and matches the night before we left. Now it was time for a S’more. I got a wimpy fire going and we found a few sticks for mallow-roasting. We forgot the gram crackers.
In the morning, we were awakened by splashing noises. My first instinct was of course “alligator.” I quietly unzipped the tent to peer outside. A loud squawk awakened the last sleepers. Five gigantic geese were holding us hostage in our own tent. They barked at us every time they saw our faces. Bridget took the plunge and chased them into the water. They were not very friendly, but geese are better than alligators.
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| There is a couple taking wedding photos at the end of the street! |
Song of the day: "Sunshine Song" by Jason Mraz
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