roll tide! notes from the south
so i'm here in tuscaloosa, alabama attending the wedding of my father's cousin's daughter (so, my second cousin's wedding?) and i haven't been around these parts since the previous wedding (of the other daughter), which was like 7 years ago. in any case, here are some observations i've accumulated during my stay...
good, old fashioned southern hospitality is alive and well. everyone we've met has been very warm and welcoming... even those not related.
the rivalry between alabama and auburn is real... almost too real. my smartass uncle thought it might be funny to shout, "go tigers (auburn)" while in the tuscaloosa city limits. after a bunch of threatening looks he decided to calm down a little bit. also, some stranger told him that people have been killed in these parts for boasting about being auburn fans.
i didn't see any confederate flags waving around, but in the "yacht club" where the reception was held, there was a framed betsy ross flag, with a portrait of general robert e. lee. upon further investigation, there was a whole wall dedicated to the general, including framed quotes and news articles.
no matter where we are, no matter who's around, and no matter what time it is... my father is always looking for a pickup mahjong game.
it's easy to make fun of "y'all", when you're from the north and you don't hear it that often. but when you're in the south, it becomes strangely addictive... and you not only want to hear it, but say it as often as possible.
things move slowly here. all day, every day.
* there were 3 cars ahead of me in the taco bell drive thru... it took us 20 minutes to get through the damn mess.
* i swear that people drive 5 miles below the speed limit... everywhere.
* and don't you dare try to navigate through a wal-mart parking lot. i really wouldn't have minded parking in the farthest possible spot, but i couldn't get past all the cars letting everyone walk by.
appreciate is pronounced up-rish-ee-ate down here.
so i've come to the following conclusion: alabama, or tuscaloosa more specifically, is a great place to visit, and perhaps would be a fun place to go to school. but i need a quicker pace and more grit (not grits... not that i don't like grits, because i do). i like it here, but i'm coming home... soon.
good, old fashioned southern hospitality is alive and well. everyone we've met has been very warm and welcoming... even those not related.
the rivalry between alabama and auburn is real... almost too real. my smartass uncle thought it might be funny to shout, "go tigers (auburn)" while in the tuscaloosa city limits. after a bunch of threatening looks he decided to calm down a little bit. also, some stranger told him that people have been killed in these parts for boasting about being auburn fans.
i didn't see any confederate flags waving around, but in the "yacht club" where the reception was held, there was a framed betsy ross flag, with a portrait of general robert e. lee. upon further investigation, there was a whole wall dedicated to the general, including framed quotes and news articles.
no matter where we are, no matter who's around, and no matter what time it is... my father is always looking for a pickup mahjong game.
it's easy to make fun of "y'all", when you're from the north and you don't hear it that often. but when you're in the south, it becomes strangely addictive... and you not only want to hear it, but say it as often as possible.
things move slowly here. all day, every day.
* there were 3 cars ahead of me in the taco bell drive thru... it took us 20 minutes to get through the damn mess.
* i swear that people drive 5 miles below the speed limit... everywhere.
* and don't you dare try to navigate through a wal-mart parking lot. i really wouldn't have minded parking in the farthest possible spot, but i couldn't get past all the cars letting everyone walk by.
appreciate is pronounced up-rish-ee-ate down here.
so i've come to the following conclusion: alabama, or tuscaloosa more specifically, is a great place to visit, and perhaps would be a fun place to go to school. but i need a quicker pace and more grit (not grits... not that i don't like grits, because i do). i like it here, but i'm coming home... soon.
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