sweet home alabama
4:45 PM 5/25/2009
On the kanji dictionary on my DS, I found a world clock function; it said that it's almost 6 am in Japan. Somehow, just seeing that took me there for a moment. I could see the quiet scalloped rooftops tinged grey and yellow in the early morning light, the slow flight of birds, a few bicycles jingling down the streets. No matter where I am, it's exciting to envision myself somewhere that is completely the opposite. Japan is as far as you can get from Moundville, Alabama.
This is Day 6 of Alabama. We have a small house for the nine of us, in the middle of Moundville Archaeological Park. Our job here is to tear down a rotting boardwalk and rebuild it, to restore part of a nature trail that has been closed for about three years. We've only worked for a day so far, before getting treated to a rainy three day weekend. The few people we've met here have been nothing but warm and hospitable. There's not much to the town besides the park, the bigger neighboring town being Tuscaloosa. Our first two nights here, we went to a nearby diner--- I got grilled cheese on Texas toast, banana creme pie, and sweet tea. The next night, a Native American family who lives nearby cooked us traditional stew and cornbread. So far, life is good here in the South.
Two major perks: a pair of bicycles, and the neighbor's dog, Charlie. Charlie isn't the brightest dog (he's been known to run in front of cars), but he makes up for it in sweetness. He sleeps on our doorway and follows us wherever we go. I took one of the bikes for a ride around the park--- there is nothing better than riding a bike under an endless canopy of trees. I went all the way down to the Black Warrior river, which looks like something out of Lord of the Rings. I hope it doesn't rain the whole time so I can go again and bring my drawing pad.
Some notes about the park itself: Moundville is known for, not surprisingly, its ring of 20 or so giant earthen mounds built by prehistoric Native Americans. Besides the mounds and various pottery shards, not much has been left by the people who lived here. Long time ago though, these mounds were part of one of the largest Native American communities in the US. Being a chiefdom, the chiefs and spiritual leaders literally lived above the others. Around the time the Europeans came to America, the mounds were deserted. Almost every Alabaman has visited the park when they were in fourth grade. Not many have lived and worked here for two months though. If any of you has read "From the mixed up files of Basil E. Frankweiler," I kinda feel like those two kids living in a museum.
It's hard for me to adjust to being back with my old team. I had so many good friends on my shuffle team and I don't feel particularly close to anyone here. I'm more defensive and reclusive, which I think time and fewer rainy days will help fix. Either way, I am crazy excited about flying home this Thursday and spending five days with my family, as well as visiting John in New Orleans over the fourth of July weekend. This spike is going to fly by before I know it, and then I'll be going home for good.
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