Monday, July 11, 2011

Recap of an Incredible Four-Day Sequence

Hey Y'all,
Wow. I had an incredible four-day sequence of events. All the debauchery and antics I submitted myself to was exactly what I needed to combat my compounding fatigue and boredom. Let me tell you exactly what I did...

To begin with, on Thursday, I went to one of the last remaining juke joints in America--Po'Monkey's. This quaint, little place was situated in the middle of a plant field in RURAL (emphasis on word) Mississippi. There was nothing around it for miles and you had to drive on a dirt road to get there. But the experience was nothing short of memorable. Essentially, this establishment is a bar. You can bring your own liquor in, but you're prohibited from bringing beer. They have beer on the premises for you to purchase. Oh, and did I mention that the building is actually the house of a Deputy Sheriff? Po'Monkey is the Deputy Sheriff. His legal name is Willie Seaberry but his friends and Mississippi locals refer to him as Po'Monkey. It was pretty awesome. I took a group photo with the man himself which can be seen below (he's the gentleman with his hand on my shoulder). The house was muggy and congested though; mostly saturated with TFAers. A lot of people were coming in and out so maneuverability was a bit hampered. But this place is so well known for its rustic appeal that it was mentioned in the New York Times a few years ago. Link can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/us/02jukejoint.html





Anyhow, on Friday I trekked with my Corps to a Mexican restaurant in Cleveland, Mississippi. Food was decent and drinks were cheap. Although, I do definitely miss the authentic Mexican establishments in Southern California (El Sauz anyone?) Afterwards, we went to the Pickled Okra, a country music bar/club, and just danced and swigged more intoxicating beverages. Definite good times.

The next day, on Saturday, I spent most of the day bumming around in the dorms with my soon to be roommates--Andrew Pillow and Marc Palomo. At nighttime, our Corps traveled to a restaurant called "Airport Grocery". The food was delicious and they also had a live a blues band that played some killer tunes. We all had such a great time drinking and dancing (I'm starting to sound like an alcoholic). Seriously, the music in the Delta has grown on me. I'm really going to miss hearing these melodies live. But oh well, time to move on to bigger and better things.

I spent most of Sunday just working on some lesson plans and relaxing. This is the last weekend I'll be having in the Delta. I can't believe this Institute experience is almost over. Just to think that I came here almost 5 weeks ago to begin an intense Teacher training regimen jars my bones. Words can't describe how much I've enjoyed this experience. I can't wait to get to Indianapolis and begin setting up Pnyx, drafting lesson plans, meeting my students, and inspiring the spirit of public service.


I'll post again when I'm in Indianapolis. I wish you all a fantastic week!

With Unwavering Love,
Derik

1 comment:

  1. Wow, that all sounds amazing! So jealous of all the history you get to see! Can't wait to hear how you crack down on the high schoolers. I bet you'd make quite an intimidating teacher ;)

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