STRANGE DOINGS

Being selected observations & going-ons of Simons first month in Battle Creek, USA.

Zero End April 2010

ABOUT THIS THING

I write this after 4 weeks in the US. Its a first impressions, oh-mi-god-did-you-see-that, brain dump. With photos. All photos taken on a Nokia XpressMusic phone. It is, scarily, the best camera I have ever owned. Depending on the version of pdf reader it may be able to print this as an A5 booklet. I have no idea if it will work at that size, but let me know if you do.

Funny legal stuff: Technically the contents of this document are copyright 2010, Simon Dale, but I give permission for photos and accompanying text to be used in whole or in part as long as I am credited as the originator please. I couldnt stop you if you decided not to give credit, but I like the idea of people knowing where stuff came from. That and I can send Lucas over to eat all your weet-bix with marmite on.

CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS THING CONTENTS INTENTIONALLY BLANK MELANIES TRACK MEET DOLPHINS OF THE LAND ITS A RASSUM-FRASSUM SNAKE! ALL IS REVEALED WARNING SIGNS AMERICAN SUPERHEROES FUNNY STORY/RAT BASTARDS POST FAVOURITE WORD STRANGE DOINGS Obligatory Soundtrack CONTACT DETAILS Inside front This page Over page 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Inside Back Back Cover

THIS PAGE LEFT INTENIONALLY BLANK In case you were wondering.

(Dont Hate Me, please. I cant help it)

MELANIES TRACK MEET

Can you see her?

First moment of Dad-pride experienced while watching Melanie compete at her first track meet. She ran the 100 and 200 metre hurdles. She came 4th in her heat for the 100m but did not place. She had a spill on the final stretch of the 200m and had a wicked graze on her shoulder for a week after. Despite the fall she still managed to come 5th out of 6. The meet was supposed to start at 4.30pm, but ran late and finished at 8.30pm. Lots of inner-city kids milling around drinking gatorade and stomping cleats, waiting for their next event. For myself, my first, and favourite, event was the concession stand where a cup of cheap coffee warmed me up for my second event: sitting on my backside and eating popcorn.

DOLPHINS OF THE LAND

Squirrels are everywhere, mostly active in the morning and the evening. In the long grass they bound and skip as if they were in the water, their coats absorbing the light. When they run their tails stay still and their bodies undulate. I drive Carmen a little crazy as I tear off to chase small mammals across the landscape. I simply want to be their friend. Why cant they understand that?

ITS A RASSUM-FRASSUM SNAKE!

She caught the snake in an old disused playground on Cliff Street. He saw her dart into the wasteland and came out of his house to investigate. They have a shouted conversation across the road. "You from round here? Where'd you grow up girl? I don't recognise you? Is it poisonous?" "I wouldnt pick it up if it were. I grew up here but I've been down south. Lots of snakes down south" I hear all this and more as I'm approaching down the street. When I realise that it's a snake, I ask if I can take a photo. "As long as I can be in it"

ALL IS REVEALED...

...AFTER THE THAW

The local markets make a roaring trade selling these flasks and airplane bottles cheaply to the locals. Everywhere I walked in the first weeks of being in Battle Creek I would see many, many, many of these discarded liquor bottles During the winter months they were all hidden by the snow and ice and its only in the spring that the full extent of the litter can be seen. Its as if someone stabbed a hotel drinks fridge that then staggered across town spilling droplets of bottle blood. This trail marking the passage of its march towards emptiness.

WARNING SIGNS

On my travels around Battle Creek I take pictures of anything that catches my eye. Not many people feature in my photos, simply because I feel a bit awkward asking if I can take their photo, and equally awkward about taking their photo without permission. I love signs, especially warning signs. That poor stick-man. Crushed, shocked, cut and probably worse. The final photo is actually a really important warning. It says Run, boy, run. In Michigan people can take a free right turn on a red light. They are supposed to give way to pedestrians crossing, but like drivers in NZ, if they think they can sneak through they will. I was cussed out in my first week for crossing legally in front of turning traffic and it made me totally home sick.

AMERICAN SUPERHEROES

"The poor men seems to be all in confusion, and don't know what to do. Why children, if you have woman's rights, give it to her and you will feel better. You will have your own rights, and they won't be so much trouble."
The Sojourner Truth statue is on the corner of Michigan Ave. She stands before an amphitheatre as if giving one final lecture. Sitting in front of her the morning of the 27th I felt like a child, and wanted nothing more than to go and take her free hand and walk with her. Sojourner Truth was an ex-slave, an advocate for womens rights and an abolitionist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth Battle Creek takes great pride in having been a stop on the underground railroad, and celebrate the fact tha Sojourner Truth lived her final years nearby. In the city building there is a photo (of a painting) of Sojourner speaking with Lincoln, and part of the highway is named after her. Friendship Park has a ginormous bronze diorama of the underground railroad in action.

FUNNY STORY/RAT BASTARDS

This 'establishment' lies just round the corner from where we live. Intrigued by what the sign actually meant I fumbled for my phone and spent a couple of minutes doing the Australian haka. It didnt occur to me until later that passing traffic probably assumed I was looking for my wallet with the intention of going in. As to what 'American Staff' means? I imagine that, like President Obama, birth certificates were demanded to prove that they were allowed the job. Though, having been unkind, I do like the idea of some KKK redneck being asked by a woman whose family came from Japan in the 1920s and has the broadest Texan accent you can imagine "you the rub-down, honey?" Open mouthed gum smacking seems mandatory in the above scenario. It really is that kind of neighbourhood.

POST

Our house is sandwiched between the Post factory and the Kellog factory. The smell of flavoured cereal frequently wafts over the place and reminds me of the Griffins factory back in the Hutt. I love cinnamon days. The statue of Charles William Post sits looking out towards where his cereal factory is located on Cliff Street in one of the poorer parts of town. Immediately in front of him is a bail-bondsmen, a cash advance outfit and a market that sells Beer, Wine, Lotto, ATM, Liquor. Post Cereals is one of the big employers in Battle Creek and the existence of the factory has helped keep BC going. I wonder what C.W. Post would think today, would he turn his back on the suburban decay he now oversees or would he try and make things better?

FAVOURITE WORD

Hussy is one of my favourite terms of endearment for loved ones who are rarking me up. But I think I like the story behind this Hussey better. It might be hard to read on the photos but Erastus Hussey was a station-master on the underground railroad that ferried slaves to Canada. He was asked if station masters got paid for doing what they did and he said No... we were working for humanity. I like that so very much.

STRANGE DOINGS

I feel a little like the Potawatomi Indians in that Ive into a place filled with strange new buildings full of strange new people doing strange new things. Aside from this sign there is nothing on the streets that refer to an Indian tribe, well, aside from the Casino about 10 minutes drive away. Wikipedia tells me that there are around 28000 members of the Potawatomi today and that Michigan is one of their important areas. It also tells me that they were forcibly removed to reservations (and that those who refused to go stayed in Michigan). Heres to not been forcibly removed by the US government.

THIS IS AMERICA
OBLIGATORY SOUNDTRACK

Not totally pertinent, claims of accuracy disavowed, order of play dubious.

Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin (Mothership Disc 1) Breakfast in America Supertramp (Retrospectacle Disc 2) Kids in America - Kim Wilde (Some 80s compilation I can't locate at the moment) The Queens English - the Mutton Birds (Salty) The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash (American IV- the Man Comes Around) Strange Ritual - David Byrne (David Byrne) Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads (Little Creatures) M1A1 Gorillaz (Gorillaz) Back Water - Brian Eno (Before and After Science) Dont Worry About the Government - Talking Heads (Sand in the Vaseline Disc 1) Secret Agent Man Devo (Duty Now for the Future) The Americans Are Gonna Kill Us -Vorn (Thunk) The United States of Whatever Liam Lynch (Single) Miss America David Byrne (Feelings)

I did this.
Further blame can be directed along the usual channels or sent to:
simondale13@gmail.com