For my Yankee Brethren

Just so y'all know - things down south are still bad. Everyone talks about New Orleans, but the whole Gulf Coast region was badly hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita; nine months later - if this is better, I can't imagine what it looked like before.

I know that's a downer... but it's best not to forget.

Today I am going to be one of many bodies creating a live oak aerial art piece on a Mississippi beach to raise awareness. Also, check out some photos of my own taken along Highway 90 in Harrison and Hancock counties.

Peace,
Ali

MIS-SIS-SIPPI

And we're in Mississippi. I am officially living in "The Kill". Work starts tomorrow and it sounds like it'll be a doozy. We've got a lot to do; heck - everyone down here does. My team gets the behind the scenes stuff. I mean, everyone wants to be gutting houses - ya know? - but someone has to organize those volunteers and assess the needs of the community and deal with all the politics: that'd be us.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Peace,
Ali

We work because we want a payday

I'm not sure when, but at some point in the course of this evening what was a nice little bit of music "church" turned into some crazy white guy talking like a stereotypical black Baptist preacher and turning this place into a revival of sorts.

I basically don't agree with a single thing he has said - mostly because he is talking in catch-phrases and circles - but this last thing was so great I just had to blog it: "We work because we want a payday". Not because we have any interest in what we do, but just cause we want reward. This is supposed to be a good thing? and something we seek in our faith?! are you freakin' kidding me! Oy.

"Druggin', crackin' and heart attacking" - apparently downtown Bel Air (holy suburbia, Batman) is turning into a wicked, wicked den of sin... right.

Man, that was fun.

Peace,
Ali

The Hazzards of an Internet Cafe

So, the hazzards of going to an internet cafe with no real work to do - besides uploading photos - is that I spend time going to Google and entering things like "What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?" and pushing "I feel Lucky" which inevitably leads me to www.style.org which is I think now like one of my favoritest sites because it has things like The State of the Union Parsing Tool (which is endless fun) and a breakdown of "detainee" nationalities at Guantanamo Bay (which is endless depressing).

Plus, they're "having a little church" up in here - which is not necessarily what one expects when going to a cafe on a Friday night. Good music though. This place is packed... kind of makes me wand to order something more to warrant my use of the space and internet. But (dangit!) I'm going to take advantage of all the roommate and civilization and black & white people hanging out together time I can get before heading down south.

Wow, Monday.

Peace,
Ali

I heart Ft. Delaware

Fort Delaware State Park is by far one of the coolest projects we have worked on so far. We worked their the week of April 10-13 and then again this Thursday (the 19th), helping them prepare for the upcoming season (they open April 29). Fort Delaware is a fort on the Delaware Rive that was originally a Civil War fort, but was functional up through WWII.

Anyhow, the people there are great to work with, the work is fun and the atmosphere is rich with history. It was a great way to end our First Round up in the Northeast. They even let us shoot one of the big guns (you would probably call it a cannon, but technically it's a "gun").

Some time, maybe next transition, I want to go check them out when they are open for business and costumed up all Civil War like.

I took a lot of photos - you should totally check them out. I love pretty old decaying structures!

Peace,
Ali

Three out of Four Weekends

Somehow 3 out of the past 4 weekends I have been down in DC. First for the peace march then for the Cherry Blossom Festival and, lastly, for the memorial service of Eli Segal (big AmeriCorps founding guy). I got to see President Clinton speak at that last one. Seems like Eli Segal was a pretty cool guy - totally committed to volunteer service.

I digress. This weekend I am not going to DC. This weekend the other teams return! Four are back already and we get another three on Saturday. In about two days the population of this place quintuples. You can feel the energy in the air; I can't imagine what it will be like at the Vous.

I actually am only going to imagine what it will be like, because I will be home cleaning, being on duty and watch Jesus Christ Superstar! Woo hoo!

Happy Good Friday, y'all. (oh, and Easter too ;) )

Peace,
Ali

Happy 2nd (round) Birthday Eagle 2!

Tonight we went to a Baltimore Orioles game - for which the staff of our project sponsored us (tickets and parking and concessions, oh my!). The ballpark does these things called "Scoreboard Suprises" where you can put up birthdays and anniversaries. So, I called in to wish Eagle Two a Happy Birthday. For their favors I gave them those blowy party favor thingies with our second round project info on it.

So here's the stitch:
From the end of April to the beginning of June I'll be working in Kiln (pronounced "Kill"), Mississippi with long-term recovery. It's (of all things) an office job - meant to organize all the organizations and volunteers in Hancock County. We had a team their this last round and the TL says the sponsor is way cool.

So, yeah... that's where I am going. More info later.

Peace,
Ali

Per Request

Sorry the posts have been few and far between lately... life's been busy and internet access has been scant. My website will probably have a lot of new stuff in the next few weeks, cuz starting the last week of April I'll be working Down South. Where and what doing I'll let you know when I know.

Right now I am still working at Phillips and then in a week they start Spring Break and my team will be working at Fort Delaware until our fellow teams return to start transition.

Also, I have a lot of photos to post, but (to get you started) the ones from DC are probably the most interesting.

Hope things are well.

Peace,
Ali