Weekend in Ann Arbor

I've been in Ann Arbor this weekend, the first such two days I've had off for a while. As everyone knows Sunday was the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in NYC. As you can well imagine folks here in the US are focused and reflective on those events a decade ago. Its hard to overstate the profound impact on the American psych the attack had at the time and since.

Ann Arbor is a small university town in the American heartland.

In so far as the State Michigan is concerned, its a town with an uncharacteristic liberal orientation.

I've always been struck by the quiet pride in country in Ann Arbor.

I must have passed the houses in these pictures dozens of times since I moved here as they're within a couple of blocks of my house.

I'd seen the flags before, but on the periphery of my consciousness

They weren't put up in recognition of September 11th, but I guess I only noticed them for that reason.

One of the unusual features of my neighbourhood are gardens that have sprung up in patches along the sidewalk. To my non-gardening eyes, these had been dismissed as an eyesore resultant from poor city worker maintenance rather than dedicated green thumb diligence.

As early Autumn is now upon us, its clear there is more design than chaos in these patches of scraggly greenery.
 

I've provided one of my size 12 shoes to give you some scale.

Quirky place this Ann Arbor.

Not much but rambling today.

Hope all is well with you wherever you may be.

T

Melting in Ann Arbor

Its 96 degrees in Ann Arbor today ( according to the temp gauge in my car anyway) and has been  hovering in the 90s since I got back.
That's consistently hotter than when I was in Singapore or Bangkok last week.
Thank God for aircon!
Rio on Friday.
Love to all
T

SanFran

I was in San Fran for a couple of days and had a little time, but not enough to do the tourist thing.

I did get a chance (courtesy of a willing colleague) to go to the gayest corner on the planet.

Castro and Market street, home of the big gay rainbow flag.

How was it?

Pretty damn gay.

But stylish and full of shops selling hand crafted home furnishings.

We went for ice cream.

Organic of course.

It...was...FABULOUS.

Apart from the neighborhood of the rainbow flag, I was restricted to three or four blocks around Union Square. Every time I go to San Francisco, I'm astonished at the way psychiatric hospitals have been emptied into the downtown area.

Tax protesters rub shoulders with folks who are living in another world and dancing to music very different from the sounds you and I hear.

I don't find this funny, but unbearably sad.

One of the most beautiful and rich cities in the world in the most powerful country in the world seems unconcerned with the fate and condition of its most vulnerable citizens. I admit I grew tired of being followed for blocks by beggars and the inevitable swarm when eye contact seemed like an invitation to relate an improbable and convoluted story of woe.

None of this seemed right in the shadow of Macy's , Nordstrom and Saks.

I suppose given this sad pantomime laps at these shores of entitlement, the story is out in the open and not hidden away in a ghetto or slum.

No one seemed to care one way or another.

Its easy to retreat into a "Its all very sad, but what's mine is mine" mentality.

"The problem is too big and I'm here to work/shop/have my holiday."

"The city should do something about this, its such a shame for the the tourists."

I think its a shame that the great and good of San Fran stare right through the shame of all this.

The mountain of indifference doesn't add up to anything good.

That's it for today.

Greetings from Ann Arbor Michigan.

Cold and small but perfectly formed.

Stay well

T

Charleston South Carolina

I've been in Charleston this week.
Its clean as a whistle, full of southern charm and postcard perfect buildings. It holds a unique place in American history as it's here that the first shots of the civil war were fired and the Confederacy got its start. Houses and buildings from that era are part of the city's appeal.
As is the case with much of the of the deep south , Charleston's history is entwined with slavery.
Over 40% of the 11 million slaves trafficked from Africa to colonies in the americas passed through South Carolina and 90% of those through the port of Charleston. The number of people taken from Africa is reckoned to be 13 million, but such were the conditions, 2 million died enroute to the Americas.
Think about those numbers.
The Carolinas were central to the worlds rice production in their time and this required a huge supply of cheap/free labour. Without Africa slaves the huge fortunes amassed from rice and cotton (in its day Charleston was one of the richest cities in the world) the southern economy would have remained an agricultural backwater. What was life like for slaves in the rice fields?

"Ankle and even mid-leg deep in water which floats an ouzy mud, and
exposed all the while to a burning sun which makes the very air they breathe
hotter than the human blood; these poor wretches are then in a furness of stinking putrid effluvia: a more horrible employment can hardly be
imagined."

Carolina rice fields have been described as charnel houses for African-American slaves. Malaria and enteric diseases killed off low country slaves at rates which are today almost unbelievable.

Slaves were bought and sold in "Slave Mart's" one of which still stands as a museum. Much of the building has been demolished but visitors find themselves standing on the very flagstones on which "human wares" were exhibited and auctioned off.

Strange feeling that.

A colleague of mine who had been in Berlin with me last month remarked that he was struck by the difference in how Europe and the US dealt with their dark pasts. Everyone knows that slavery is part of US history, but somehow the horror of those dark days seems to have been pasteurised from the discussion.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say other than something doesn't feel right.

In order of scale of trafficking, the Portuguese, British, Spanish and Dutch were the chief perpetrators. Africans slavers themselves were the main suppliers though that shouldn't salve the European conscience.

Without demand there wouldn't have been the commerce.

Bristol and Liverpool (by the late 17th century 1 in 4 ships leaving these harbours were slavers) owe much of their historical wealth to the trade.

Portugal relied on slaves to work its colony in Brazil.

Somehow I don't think we've acknowledged this properly.

I don't see how we can ever really atone for what by any standards is a sin of staggering proportions.As you can see Charleston is a pretty city and in my experience very friendly.

I'm in LA after a journey of delays and middle seat misery.

Domestic travel in the US leaves a lot to be desired.
Stay well everyone.
T

Welcome to the BIG HOUSE

I was one of 113,090 people to see the University of Michigan open their 113th season against University of Connecticut.
That's the biggest crowd ever to watch a college football game in the US.
The U of M's stadium is known as the BIG HOUSE for good reason.

The festivities started with a walk of honour by Brock Mealer and his brother defensive lineman Elliot. Brock had his back broken last year in an accident which killed his father and Elliot's girlfriend. Doctor's told him that he had a 1% chance of ever walking again. Today he and his brother led the Wolverines out onto the field. There were people weeping in the crowd.
It was a nice moment.

Americans do these sorts of things pretty well.

The opening of the renovated stadium was a triumph any way you look at it. Marching Band's are a big part of College football. Michigan's band leader by tradition starts the show by bending backwards and touching the top of his head to the ground without leaving his feet.

113,000 people roared approval.

Only in America.

There was a bit of football played today as well.

In case you're wondering, Michigan won 30-10.

The two big stars were named Robinson.

Darnel and.......TERENCE!
Michigan is now my team!

This is post 799.

I find it amazing I've kept this blog up so long.

I have no idea what post 800 will be.

Stay well everyone and have a great weekend.

Love to all

T