Hurricane Isaac

  I had considered doing a light hearted piece about the cultural experience I had today of learning how to make guacamole to go with the tacos we were having for dinner, however, considering events happening in this part of the world, that didn't seem too appropriate.

  It has rained here in Atlanta for most of today.  I attach a picture taken from my bedroom window during the afternoon.  Unfortunately, it was difficult to capture how much it was raining.  Now, being British, I am quite used to it raining in August - especially so close to the Bank Holiday Weekend.  In addition, due to my nationality, there is nothing I like more than to moan about the weather.  However, this is different.

  It is very difficult to moan about the little bit of rain we have had knowing how some people are being battered by wind and rain right as I type.  So often we can grumble when the weather isn't quite as we would hope, forgetting that there are often people in other parts of the world suffering so much worse - and sometimes they aren't even that far away from us.

  This leads on to the fact that it is very different actually being present, experiencing the full force of it in a way that TV screens can't do justice.  I remember watching the scenes from Hurricane Katrina exactly 7 years ago and my heart went out to them, but in a way that is different to watching the scenes whilst living in the same country.  I feel the same way about the floods in Thatcham in 2007.  I was in New Zealand at the time and although I heard all about them, although I saw the pictures and film clips, it was different to actually living through it.  There is something about saying 'I was there' rather than 'I watched it.'

  This also made me think that it doesn't matter if it is large swathes of America being buffeted by Hurricane Isaac, or a small town like Thatcham being flooded, when something like this happens it is real people; their homes and lives that can be devastated.  This is not something that can be compared based on the surface area or the number of people affected - a person's home is their home, whether 1 million other people's homes were affected or they were the only one.  The strength of a community is demonstrated by how they react in these moments of crises - regardless of how many people were involved.

  The final thought from this is it reminds me again of the size of this country.  I look at the weather charts and the distance between where I am in Atlanta and where the hurricane is hitting in Louisiana seems not much different to the distance between Thatcham and the Isle of Wight on a British weather map, and the thought that the hurricane was that close was quite alarming.  However, looking on Google I have discovered that it is 472 miles from Atlanta to New Orleans which is the about the same (again according to Google) as going from Thatcham to Dundee!  This creates a very different atmosphere in the country.  When I first heard the news that a hurricane was coming it was alarming - it all seemed quite close and very real.  But people here who aren't from the area currently affected by it seem more relaxed, probably due to the vastness of the country. In Britain I would imagine that something of this magnitude (even if it were hitting Dundee) would still be big news in Thatcham.  We often think in Britain that the various parts of the islands that make up our country are quite separated, and in some ways they are, but coming here has made me realise that we are closer than we think, and maybe that unity is something in need of protection.

  So all that is left to say is God bless all those enduring the hurricane, and may He be with those in the USA and Caribbean who are struggling to come to terms with the destruction that Hurricane Isaac has left behind.

Adventures around Atlanta

Emory Shuttle

Ok - so this may not be as exciting as the title suggests.  However, today was the first time I have used public transport to get from college back home!  Up to this point I have always had a lift both ways from Matthew and Caroline who were driving into college.  Today though, my orientation finished at lunchtime (thankfully for me, after lunch) so I did not want to hang around all afternoon before I could go home, and decided I would get the bus back.  Unfortunately, life is rarely as simple as that.  Although I don't live that far from college there are no direct buses back towards home.  A number of possibilities presented themselves involving combinations of two or three buses and various degrees of walking between stops.  In the end, as it was my first solo excursion out in Atlanta, I decided on the most straightforward.  This meant taking the free (always good) Emory shuttle from college to DeKalb Mall and then crossing over the road to catch the Number 8 bus which stops outside our apartment complex.  Unfortunately, when I arrived at the mall, it was not clear how to find the road I needed to cross.  I ended up walking around the whole of the mall before eventually discovering the correct road.  When I reached the bus stop there was no sign to suggest that the bus I wanted actually stopped there or when the next one may be arriving.  Thankfully, I managed to find a bit of shade in which to shelter as I waited and hoped.  I was on the verge of giving up and going back to the mall to catch the shuttle back to college and wait for a lift, when the bus appeared.  The journey ended up taking 1 hour 20 minutes which, considering it takes only 20 minutes to drive, seemed quite long.  Hopefully I will be able to organise better when I leave so that I can time the connections better.  It may also be that that there are other bus routes which will offer a quicker journey - even if I have to change more often.  It did leave me with a couple of thoughts (which considering this was after a week of orientation, I found quite impressive!).

• So often in towns and cities we presume that visitors and new members of the community understand how our systems work.  We imagine that everyone knows how to get from the shopping mall to the bus stops.  We guess that they already know which bus stops where and when it comes.
• Although British people complain about our public transport system I was surprised by how difficult it was, in a major city, to travel around the city by bus.  In an age when we must consider our environment surely our governments must be doing all they can to make it as simple as possible to travel by public transport.  Having said that, I was impressed by the extent of the Emory shuttle services which do enable people to travel into college by public transport.



An Atlanta bus - in case you couldn't imagine one!

• I was also thankful that I stuck it out at this bus stop because I have since discovered that the last shuttle bus back to college from the mall had already left, and I would have been stranded!

So I am pleased that I have started to make my first forays into and around Atlanta.  I hope as the weeks and months go on, I 'll have more opportunities to explore this city and its surroundings.

First impressions - Food, rain, church and jet lag!

State Flag of Georgia since 2003

So I have finally made it to Atlanta.  It seemed at points like I may not get here but I have.  It has been hard establishing first impressions as I have only been in the country for just over 24 hours, and most of that has been affected by jet-lag.  Getting up at 4.40am in order to catch my flight and then flying for 9 hours is tiring stuff!

  However, after meeting up with Matthew and Caroline (my flatmates), the first job was stopping off for dinner.  They took me to the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Atlanta (www.flyingbiscuit.com).  Apparently a 'must have' experience.  Sadly, due to the aforementioned tiredness, I didn't enjoy it as much as I would usually enjoy eating establishments - definitely a place to return in the future.  Whilst there I did learn, though, that when Americans speak of biscuit, the British would think of it as a scone.  I suppose this is a twist on the whole scone/scon (I know this isn't the correct spelling!) argument in Britain.

Peachtree Road UMC

  After 10 hours sleep and 3 hours dozing I went with Matthew and Caroline to two church services on Sunday morning - and they couldn't be more contrasting.  The first service we attended was Peachtree Road United Methodist Church (www.prumc.org).  This was (by British standards) a huge church.  It had a predominantly white congregation and a well drilled choir.  The service was structured with a mixture of choral pieces and congregational hymns.  It was most definitely a safe space, where visitors wouldn't be threatened and could participate as much or as little as they wished.  However, it was also possible to walk out of the church without anyone speaking to us.

  The second service was at Ariel Bowen Memorial United Methodist Church (no website).  It was not in as salubrious a setting and the majority of the congregation were Afro-Caribbean.  From the moment we walked in (admittedly we were quite early) everyone came over to speak to us.  There was a set order of service which was followed, but there was a far more relaxed atmosphere.  When it came to sharing the peace, the smaller congregation made it possible to speak to everyone.  There was more impromptu involvement from the congregation with calls of 'Amen', and 'Hallelujah' throughout the service.  While it isn't my style, it does suggest a more active participation.  However, as visitors we were also called upon to stand up.  They had taken our names and where we were from before the service began and this was read out to the rest of the congregation.  While the reception was rapturous it could be a bit daunting for unsuspecting visitors!  There was also a choir, but this made up of the children who were enthusiastic in all they did.  It really didn't matter that one child shouted the songs down the microphone.

  So two very different experiences of church, but experiences I hope to have throughout the year.  Both were most definitely worship and enabling for the congregations who were present.  But more in depth analysis may need to be carried out when I'm a bit more awake!  It has been good to start my time in Atlanta in worship and dedicating the time to God.  But now, the work begins - student orientation begins tomorrow.  On the plus side - they provide lunch!      

  The only thing left to say is that, probably in order to help me settle in, it has rained today.  The only difference being that, unlike Britain, I was able to be out in the rain and not feel cold!