So unfortunately my laptop died in Michigan. I am lucky enough to be using a loaner from my workplace, but I need to get a cord for my camera to hook up to this computer (my laptop had one of those little slots for SD cards). Thus, while I wish I could add pictures, those will have to wait a while.
Savannah is unlike anywhere else I have ever been. It is hot as hell (well over 100 degrees with the heat index each day) and extremely beautiful. There is Spanish moss everywhere, and the city is teeming with parks and old-fashioned mansions. It's also teeming with bugs, especially palmetto bugs (basically cockroaches that fly) and mosquitoes.
I feel extremely spoiled here. I'm living in a house with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a huge kitchen, living room, and den. We live on 56th Street, between Bull and Abercorn, which are two of the main streets here. It's a nice neighborhood and we are within a 10 minute drive of almost everywhere (well, Tybee Island is like 25 minutes). We are within walking distance of the library (my housemates and I got cards there our first day!) and of a lot of other interesting places. We're only a couple of miles from the downtown area, which will probably be an enjoyable walk in like December when the temperature is a bit more reasonable.
I'm still trying to figure out Savannah's culture. Everything here is SO slow. I legitimately have to remind myself to slow down every time I'm walking somewhere or talking to someone. The driving is so much more enjoyable than anywhere else I've ever lived, although it's sometimes challenging to see due to the low-hanging trees.
The food situation is pretty funny: I've never seen so much fried chicken in my life. When my community arrived at our house, we were greeted with a typical southern lunch of fried chicken, biscuits, cole slaw, banana pudding, red velvet cupcakes, etc. There's a lot of seafood here (we had an awesome lunch on Tybee Island at the beach on Monday!) and also a lot of sweet tea, lemonade, and "orange drink." My community has been trying to eat relatively healthy, so luckily there's a decent selection of farmers markets where we can get fresh veggies and fruit (especially peaches).
This city is very small, so it's hard for me to understand poverty and crime. The "worst area" physically looks nicer than most parts of Philadelphia, and thankfully I haven't heard anything about violence since I've been here. There seem to be a lot of neighborhoods with rich and poor living practically next door to each other. Everything is very old, so the difference in houses is mostly about how well they have been kept up over the decades. Within the city everyone seems to be black or white; it seems that the Hispanics live outside the city limits, and I haven't seen many other minorities. So basically Savannah is about as opposite of Philly as a city could be. It's obvious that people have a lot of needs that are being unmet, but I guess I'll learn more about the intricacies as my year goes on.
Earlier this week, Regina, Mike, and I went exploring the downtown section of the city. River Street is the touristy area on the Savannah River (which divides Georgia and South Carolina). We got free samples of pralines, ice cream, and caramel popcorn there, which was pretty awesome. There are also a lot of bars and restaurants there, which I clearly cannot afford on my $100/month stipend. Just south is Bay Street, followed by City Market. Again, mostly shops, restaurants, and bars, but at least the area is gorgeous.
I don't think I'll ever get sick of the cobblestone streets, trees, and fountains. And I really like driving through the squares, of which there are 22 in Savannah. You drive around them, kind of like rotaries/roundabouts, except in the middle are beautiful parks, so there's no rush to get to the other side.
I'm getting tired, so I'll update about my work later.
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