Saturday Afternoon Musings

I pulled the kitchen table into the living room, I think I like it better. I had a dinner party type of thing the other night and boy did I ever end up screaming out Mexican folk songs at the top of my lungs and getting twirled around in the kitchen dancing to music turned up way to loud to be still be polite to my neighbors, but it was fun. I actually made my own pizza dough, can you imagine? And yesterday I paid the price for those seven bottles of champagne! I was toxic girl. Just sick…and had to go work and sell 2,500 dollars for the establishment in 4.5 hours…I am surprised I am still alive today! But I am and this Saturday afternoon finds me with a smile. Atlanta is rainy gray today, reminds me of Paris…for as much time as I spend surfing apartments for rent in Paris I must say that I really love my own apartment here. I just wish I had more money to enjoy the neighborhood! What I do have is a membership to the high, and I am going to troop on up there and see the current photography exhibit, right now…

I hope it rains and I get to use my umbrella! That would be so romantic.

Knoxville, Tennessee

No, that’s not where I’ve been. However, The Smokies have been on my horizon. I am still re-acclimating to my wonderful life here in the city that, by comparison, has all of the amenities and glam that a girl such as myself could ever need. That’s right folks I have been in Gatlinburg, TN. And oh what a place that is! We are talking blocks and blocks of trash filled, novelty tourist shops. The whole point of going to Gatlinburg seems to be to shop in those shops. But, I must admit I had fun anyways. I had my fun on the way there in all of the random small town stops we made at antique markets and roadside produce markets. If you could only see the bright yellow, green topped zucchini I bought. It is a real treat. I also had fun in the hotel room, at first thinking it to be the ultimate dread having to share a room with my father, his wife and my little sister. But it actually turned out to be…well, fun. Imagine that. I guess I really have grown up after all. And I believe I've grown outwards, I think I gained about five pounds, but whatayagonnado???
I feel the need to reiterate the southern cultural experience that I just went through. Let’s start with the dialects being spoken. It was so interesting and beautiful and boy was I glad that I knew how to do it too. I was in the in crowd cuz I knew how to speak that way too. But that was only through North Georgia. Next came Tennessee and that was a whole different shtick of an accent. I loved it though, it was kinda wide mouthed, scratchy voiced, a bit faster than Georgia talkin’. Think Dolly Pardon, and if you just can’t imagine that, then follow the link to listen to her voice. http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/sept/parton/
So I assume you’re wondering about the title, Knoxville…well all I can say is that he finally did it, he finally admitted what I knew he knew all along and it sounded a little something like this…
“Damn...my life has been so limited…I’ve only ever been as far as Knoxville”. It was a shocking moment in the best kind of way. Of course I don’t think that about him…I know it’s not true, not equally true as the desperation with which he said it. But what was true is the essence. I wrote it down, in front of him. He let me, helped me actually. I forgot exactly how he said it and he helped me remember exactly what it was…with out asking a single question as to why I was doing that…I guess he knows, probably even wants me to write him down.

Saffron Quinoa

So this morning started off a little rocky for me. Hot streaming tears down my cheeks that felt as though they were the mere echoes of the last few days. Then I went to teach. I had one of those brilliant life moments this morning; such has always been my relationship with sadness…. Anyways as I was hysterically laughing and prompting and joking around with the students I had a realization…I am good at this. Not even because I want to be, but just because I am. It is natural for me. Teaching people, talking about language, and trying to show other adults how to learn my native language while drawing on my experience of trying to learn to forget to think in my language. I always go back to that, I want them to know that I am no sage; I can barely speak “standard English” whatever that is??!!! I definitely can’t write it! SO what the hell am I doing teaching English? I am relating and observing and adjusting my very flexible plans to suit their needs. Today’s class felt like a pinnacle of psychological and linguistic masturbation…meaning, I really enjoyed myself.
This was all followed by an afternoon ride to the DMV for a license renewal…hot hot hot!!!!! I need an air-conditioner to survive this Atlanta heat! That was, naturally, followed by a siesta, a bunch of note printing for my exam tomorrow, a wonderful French chard in a stem less wine glass ☺ and a steaming heap of saffron quinoa. Recipe upon request!