blogalicious: back in the land of milk (traffic lights) and honey (cheap Chinese goods)

We are back in the belly of the beast (‘merica)—back into the hustle and bustle of the bay area, which feels so very different from both the MS delta and Costa Rica. For one thing, it’s possible to walk around for 5 minutes without breaking a sweat. Yet, it is also very fast paced, crowded and anonymous. Being away this summer definitely didn’t feel like that for us. As I was waiting for the light to change to get onto the freeway, in order to go to Target, I was filled with nostalgia for Mississippi. Spending a week there did nothing to demystify or take it off of the “future places to live” list. If anything, I now find myself daydreaming about living there, in a big, nice house that costs 150K, down a rural road and in a town with lights that start blinking at 8 pm--in a place where you have sweet tea for every meal and can see the stars at night. Everything moves so slow and deliberately. I'm in love with Mississippi, dammit! (and I never thought I'd be, for it is a forbidden and dangerous love)

On the third day of MS immersion 2013, we went to the Dockery Plantation, which is where Charley Patton (who is considered the father of the blues) was raised. The farm is owned by a family that no longer lives in the Delta and they were going to tear the whole place down (they thought it just a silly “cabin”) before they were convinced by blues aficionados to just leave it as is. It was really weird being in a place where the people who were in charge of stuff (owning land or farms) were so disconnected from the historical and cultural significance of their own places. It seemed like it wasn’t the Deltans who were that interested in the history of the place, but rather many, many Europeans (there’s a hard core base of blues fans) and cultural historians. This was not the only family who just “didn’t see what the big deal was” about the blues (I guess they’ve never heard of the Rolling Stones?). But I digress! Pictures!

There are around 175 blues trail markers (most are in the Delta). The Delta Center for Culture and Learning (from which I now have graduate credits in "Regional and Cultural Studies" (YES! --new 2nd favorite life accomplishment)) puts them up, many through donations (Robert Plant paid for one! as do other famous people that I can't remember right now). The center is headed by an awesome dude who spent 23 years as a biology professor and pioneer in integrating curriculum at the college level. Then he moved to the Delta and is basically the best advocate and spokesperson the region could hope for.

The following four pictures are of the seed storage and dispersal building.

All of the old equipment inside, just waiting for a caper (obscure David Simon reference that I am not explaining).

There was this old gas station at the entrance to the property. They were going to reroute highway 61 through this very spot until they were convinced otherwise.

In the afternoon, we went to the BB King Museum, which rises up like a Phoenix from the town of Indianola, MS. It is an AMAZING museum ($15M to construct and brand new), with so many sound stations and video. I didn’t want to leave and I think it was particularly special to me because I saw BB King perform in Chicago during the 90’s. He has 15 kids and tours most of the year (still!).

General professional and awesome feel of the museum.

Blues musicians made instruments out of basically anything. A diddley bow is a one stringed instrument that was usually the first one picked up by aspiring blues musicians.

This map shows the main routes of diaspora out of the delta (Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City)

Have you ever had chitlins? Being a child of the south, I can say that I have.

They had a replica tour bus, where you could rest and watch concert footage.

On our third day, we also briefly visited the park where Fannie Lou Hamer is buried. It's dedicated to her role in the Civil Rights movement and was very lovely (in stark contrast to the poverty around it in Ruleville, MS).