Birmingham

Hi Jacqueline here again,

Last weekend we visited Birmingham, capital of AL. (Later edit - NOT the capital, but the biggest city, actually I just discovered that Montgomery is actually the capital - not that you could tell, it feels like a small sleepy town). One of the various things we did was to visit the botanical gardens and the zoo. Here is a picture of Boris with his new friend. This particular bird took a real fancy to Boris and licked his face and nibbled on his ear - Boris was delighted..

This is Boris and I hunting for scuppernong berries to eat at the botanic garden. They are like a big grape with a very tough skin. On the way home I found a place that sold them and got a small bucket to make jam. It's great jam, nice and tart, but it doesn't look that good - a sort of dull green colour but it doesn't seem to make much difference to the rate it is disappearing (especially nice on buttered toast).

Birmingham is trying to revive its historic heart - there are lots of great buildings in the old centre but is pretty dead after hours - everyone has migrated to the suburbs and hang out in the malls. B'ham is lucky that the building have survived as it has a real chance to revitilize itself. This was going well until the recent recession hit, but I think there is enough momentum to continue - it is full of character and interest (unlike the suburbs).

One thing that really struck me one the drive (about 2.5 hrs) was the landscape - it is completly wooded the whole way, forest as far as the eye could see in all directions. Some is planted pine forest and other is natural woodlands. It seems strange to me coming from such a pastoral landscape - there are no fields anywhere.

Boris at the Ecological park with skulls of bobcat and a deer (we think). The bobcat is the one with the fangs...

This weekend was football weekend, which was a bit of an eye opener - Rod has some pictures on his iphone so we'll load those up soon and tell you about it. We spent Saturday walking around somewhat gobsmacked at the tailgating, but Sunday we went to the ecological park (a couple of miles out of town) and then on to our own lake down the road. We always enjoy going as it is so peaceful. Boris loves it too, of course, and had some luck with his fishing stick (stick with nylon and a hook). Can't say they were whoppers, but he was proud (and yes, he threw them back).

Boris with his fish (that small blob on the end of the line, in case you were wondering) and Rod with his iphone application which identifies birds and gives their call (lots of fun that)

This last picture is of Lake Chewacla - about 8 minutes drive, door to door, from our place. It looks murky but it is good for swimming - getting a bit cold for me now but Boris is hardy and still goes in. It is in a State Park and is very beautiful (and well used).

Football start...

Hi everyone, Jacqueline here

I thought you might like to see this photo of Boris but you are not to snigger. All that gear cost a small fortune, but Boris is happy. I take him to his practice sessions and so I'm starting to get a bit of a feel for the game (although still only very sketchy in my understanding.)

Since the B Boy hadn't even seen a game of football, last week one of his coaches (there are 4 for his little team of 11 boys - we are talking serious stuff here) offered to take us all to the first game of the season for Auburn High School, and very interesting it was too. The crowd was enormous (there is no way a first 15 match would attract a small stadium full of avid supporters in NZ), but even more surprising was the size of each team - over 100 on each!! When they ran on to the field to fanfare they just kept coming - I don't know how they all fitted in the changing room, I think perhaps it has a tardis-like quality. Although there are over 100 in each team only 11 play at any one time. The game consists of furious action for about 5 seconds then they all stop, (most of the players seem to stomp off the field at this point to be replaced by a fresh lot), then they get ready again and there is another 5 second dash. It is impossible to figure out where the ball is because there is so much action all over the field during the microsecond they are actually playing that there is no way of knowing what happened till it is all over (and someone explains it to you).

I've figured out why the sport is so popular though from a spectator point of view - it is one big social occasion. Everyone mills around visiting friends on the stands, chatting and eating strangely yellow pizza. I don't think anyone actually watches the whole game - it stops so often that once you realise it has started again it has stopped -you blinked and missed it.

The one thing I do realise is that it is no sissy game. They need that protective gear. The idea seems to be to run headlong into the opposition with all the force they can muster, and some of those high school kids are enormous - well over 6 foot and built like tanks. Someone broke his leg in the game we watched and it barely rated a mention. The only thing we can hope is that Boris survives without serious injury.

I bought a scooter - I'll post a pic once I get round to taking one. Not as good as my vespa, but pretty good anyway (Korean make SYM - never heard of it right?)

There is a local fruit here called a scuppernong which is related to the muscadine grape - I found some on our way back from visiting Birmingham (Capital of AL) on the weekend, so I made them into jam. Good eh?

Sylvia, Imogen, I have no problem filling my days - I never seem to have enough time, and I haven't even got a house yet (or garden) or my cooking things... I don't know how I ever found the time to go to work.

Lots of love to you all

Jacqueline

Hey!
I found all your posts. Had been missing them because they were tucked away.
Anyway thanks for contributing to the discussions. Cassandra - good to hear from you and that Europe is living up to expectations. Nothing like a bit of hagiography ... and Sylvia, thanks for sending the gallery and museum material. Jiayang has received it but I've been too busy to look at it. Will check it out this coming week - I've finished writing the first draft of the associated article, and now need to trim a couple of thousand words out of it.
I've a couple of photos of our house, taken from the road. The place obviously need work!
Anyway, Imogen, there's a nice big spare room, and its in a lovely woodsy, scruffy neighbourhood quite close to town, close to lakes and rivers, close to Atlanta.
By the way Sylvia - the Greek Islands are definitely a must see, but are they a must see this time...?
I'm thinking of starting a more general blog for all-comers so that we don't have to invite others to this one. What do you guys think?
XXxDad

Hi - Jacqueline here
I tried to do my own post earlier but failed, so here I am tucked onto the end of Rod's. It has been really interesting getting to know our new environment - I've seen quite a bit of Auburn and the surrounding area as I've been carted around by the land agent. It is actually really very charming. I though it was also very quiet until the students came back. It was graduation last week and all the parents hit town - masses of very shiny SUVs all over the place. Mind you, they also seem to be the vehicle of choice for students too - that and extra large Utes. I thought the Merc was extravagantly large but I now realise it is rather modest by comparison.

While we only have a very skeleton kit in the apartment I simply couldn't resist all the fresh fruit, especially peaches, so I managed to bottle a few and also whip up a batch of peach chutney - don't have my Digby Law with me, but I did managed to find a simple, one pot, receipe on the net. Tasty. I'm looking forward to seeing what come into season next. One of the advantages of living in the South is all the great produce.

I expressed an interest in finding out more about local food to the real estate agent, and the next day she gave me a book of Southern cooking - one of her own that she never uses as she says she simply can't afford to eat in that way (weight wise). A quick look explained all - most receipes start with "take a pound of cream cheese" or involve deep frying. However, it does make a great read - it even includes the receipe for Elvis' favorite foods - fried peanut butter and bananna sandwich - which I won't share with you here, but let me know if you fancy giving it a go (bearing in mind that Elvis died before his time...) The author is Paula Deen who has made her reputation on serving outragously unhealthy food - she has TV shows and is the South's version of Nigella Lawson (without the grace or taste). She recently caused an uproar with her receipe on TV for a ladies luncheon - deep fried hamburger on a sugar doughnut. She's a real southern girl that one! Still tucked in amongst all the fat and sugar there are a few recipes worth trying I reckon. I'm going to try the one for collard greens tomorrow and I'll make some buttermilk biscuits to go with it.

Bed time now. Boris has football trials tomorrow. We brought all his gear yesterday - hellish expensive but he looks hilarious in it all. I'll take a picture.

Lots of love
Jacqueline

We bought a house last Friday. After a lot of looking, we actually found something that we liked right away. No pictures yet (camera batteries are flat). It's a 5 bedroom split level ranch house on 1.5 acres, built in 1967, very "moderne." Quite a lot of mature trees, lots of lawn and a sizeable award-winning rose garden (!) The couple who own it are getting on and are a bit dizzy - they've had it for thirty five years ... and are moving into a retirement village. We take possession on 16 August. So now we have plenty of room, come stay! quite a few other creatures seem to like it too: the owners have all sorts of repellents in their garage: termite, gopher, mole, wasp, chipmunk and armadillo. The rose garden has an electric fence around it to keep the whitetail deer out.

Other events: semester has finally started so I now get to see what kind of students I'm dealing with (much like anywhere else) and what they are capable of. Tomorrow we have the college Convocation (like orientation) - speeches mostly probably (incl. me) and a cook-out in the courtyard of Dudley Hall (our building).

Boris and Jacqueline right now are out buying B's football gear: helmet, pads, longsox, boots etc. We approach this particular activity with trepidation. What can go wrong when you're wearing a helmet, face guard, mouth guard and chin guard, right? Thing is, with Boris, anything can happen. He's starting to get a slight drawl too ...

Since everybody else here has a ute, we're thinking of getting one too. An old clunker kind of ute, for hauling furniture for our house and beartraps and ride-on mowers - that kind of thing. It's funny how they all drive round in great gas-guzzling pick-ups with nothing in the back (except perhaps a couple of military-style rifles in the tool box). Our little hunter talks about scopes, and muzzle-gauge and whether the gun has 'good action'.

We'll get our photos up just as soon as we get some new batteries ...

big game fishing in alabama

Down the end of our road, about eight or nine minutes away, there is a rather gorgeous lake. Last time we went there, Boris attracted attention by catching fifteen (15!) small bass. These are one of the local fish varieties. There are also bream, catfish, trout, crappies (!) and a range of other species, most of which are apparently good eating. We'd been in a Walmart looking at fishing gear, and Boris 'stole' some trace by biting it off a reel with his teeth. He bought a few hooks and then at home constructed himself a makeshift fishing line using a key ring as a sinker and part of a car aerial as the stick on which to wind the line. He found worms in the leaf litter under trees in the forest to use as bait. Well, the lake yielded its young, and Boris unwittingly became the centre of attraction amongst the families picnicking there as he reeled 'em in. He had to give each small boy a turn at throwing the fish back (see photos).
Today we went to another lake up country where there are cabins to rent. We were just doing a reconnaissance trip, and found once again that there are great places to visit which are literally a short drive away. Deer, snakes, scorpions, racoons and woodpeckers ... the good, the bad and the ugly.

If there is actually anyone out there it would be good to get a posting, as right now I'm not sure if the blog is working. Once again - let me know ...

next day

Continuing from yesterday ...
my auburn university email address is . I'll keep the gmail one going for a while but the unitec address should now be considered defunct.

I'm hoping to change the aburn one as well, to something less clinical. Will let you know.

In the meantime here are a couple of images of our car. As you can see its in great condition. We all feel like we are in the Diplomatic Corps when we are driving around in it in stately fashion. Not quite an Audi though Sylvia.

The photos of the car were taken about an hour and a half drive from Auburn, at a park and museum that are a memorial for a huge battle between the government forces and the Creek Indians that used to live all over the southern states - particularly in Alabama and Georgia. This is really the only time I've seen the American Indian population mentioned in a meaningful way. Its like they never existed. African American culture is all over the place - in the media, newspapers, movies, music etc, but absloutely nothing about the indigenous population. I asked one of my colleagues if he thought a Native American would ever be president and he said: You gotta be joking! (Having said that, there are 2 places where you see the Indians: 1) Romanticised in coffee table photo books, 2) in academic books about their history, culture and society.)

Let me know what you think of the blog idea ...
XXX

New means of communication

Thanks to Imogen's wise suggestion I think I've found a better way of communicating with friends and relations. Hopefully it will be easy for everyone to access and use, and easy for me to work with too.

Jacqueline and Boris arrived in Atlanta last friday at about 1am. We stayed at a nearby hotel and went in to Atlanta the next day. Boris was haggard tho'. Utterly exhausted. And jacqueline had spent the flight from LAX to Atlanta throwing up. So we didn't stay long in the big city, but headed back to Auburn. It's great to have them here finally, and we can start making plans for the future.

Monday we looked at some houses, and since then J & B have been orienting themselves in the town, seeing the school, signing up for wireless and other things have to be done in order to get by.

I've posted some images of the kinds of houses we're looking at and a couple of the apartment - it has a bit more furniture now!

Jacquline has come to pick me up so I better go ...
Love from the Bama Boy!