Charleston

I've been in Columbia, SC at Fort Jackson for a whole weeks now. If you want to see where that is you can type, "Fort Jackson, SC" into google maps and probably mapquest too and it will pull it up on the map. Charleston, which I had never before been to (or at least don't remember, if I have) is about two hours away. For the sake of discontinuity, I'll write about Charleston before I write about my first week with the finest Army in America. Luckily I know someone in Charleston, my sister's friend Caitlin.

Before I go any further, I would also like to bring your attention to the "links" tab on the right hand top of my post above the fun meter. If you want to see what I'm up to but are frustrated by my lack of updates, go to Kent's blog, the link is there. I haven't even seen his blog yet because the computers here won't let me view blogs, but from my furtive glances of it I have seen that it has way more content than mine. And I hear there's a video of a guy snoring on there, so you can see and hear the noise pollution I live in. I will also put a link to my picasa page, where I will be adding photos of things like Charleston and anything else I take pictures of over the next year, like (more) camels.

The dock above is actually in Caitlin's backyard, so I was very excited when I showed up, both that I got to sit on a dock and she did not live in squalor. I arrived at about 3pm on Saturday (I'll comment on this in the next post about Fort Jackson). This is Caitlin, she was hoping my Charleston time would be "blogworthy," so I have fulfilled all of her hopes and dreams.

Charleston was a really cool and historical city, but I was able to see a lot of stereotypical "Southern" things too.

One of the first hints that I was in fact in the South (keep in mind I've been literally living in the woods) was a "Piggly Wiggly," actually one was part of my driving directions. If you don't know, this is a grocery store, and apparently not a good one. I did see several children walking around with buckets of fried chicken though, so maybe food expectations aren't the highest.


There was a splendid Wild Animal Expo that was in a downtown park and had free admission. Adjacent to several tents filled with different advocates for the survival, habitat, etc. of birds of prey was a petting zoo style tent with caged, possibly sedated, animals for southerner's amusement. There was even one of those pony rides where the ponies ride little children around in a circle instead of running free, but I mean really, who wants to run free? Except for the little kids I bet most of them probably don't want to be riding a smelly pony in the first place. Michael Vick is himself a proud southerner; he hails from the proud state of Virginia. The only dog fight I saw was between two little puppies, and I think the term for that is more "playing." With proper training, though, they could become champions I'm sure "six-pound killers." PETA must not have heard about the expo, they were nowhere to be found, or maybe they had already left when they were too worn out from the $5 camel rides.

All this talk of the South and I know you're thinking it, but of course I'm not going to leave out slavery. I did visit the slave market but was too strapped for time to see the Confederate Museum. Good thing they were selling "Dead Yankees Tell No Lies" downstairs in the slave market. Unfortunately I didn't get to witness any domestic violence, not even after a night of drinking. Maybe next time I visit I will have to stay longer. There are plenty more pictures on the picasa page. Overall I recommend Charleston, there is a lot of cool architecture and the weather was great while I was there but I hear it's like that a lot.

I almost forgot to mention, and when I say "almost" I mean I forgot to mention, was reminded, and then went back and edited. Caitlin was a good tour guide, but really shined when she gave me what was called the first haircut she had ever given. It was a very good haircut, and I'm not saying that to be nice because I don't do that. It is the first step to me becoming more like George Clooney by cutting my own hair. And- Caitlin helped me along that journey without making me look like a patchy ground squirrel.

Thanks Caitlin!