So tomorrow we are heading for the mountains and I thought I'd share a quick update on what's been going on over the last few days. As it has been brought to my attention that simply saying that I'm staying with 'relatives' is perhaps a little impersonal, I'll explain further; we've been staying with my English cousin Dan, who lives over here with his American wife Molly. They also have a really great dog called Winston, who is amusingly so named after the former British Prime Minister (Dan is a history graduate and proud Englishman...).
Our days have been really relaxing so far, exploring the local area/mostly getting lost. Actually that may be doing us a bit of a disservice, as we've successfully located the nearest 'Wendys' and pizzeria (naturally). Jack and I have also revelled in our roles as dog walkers, even deciding as fairly as possible to apportion poop-scooping duties by flipping a coin...
We also spent a day at the mall, which was an interesting experience because of the sheer size of the place. Malls are definitely a reference point for us in American culture, and to be honest it was kind of like a mini city, with very kind of shop you could think of.
And the food court. God, the food court. I think it is safe to say I could never live here, as my ballooning waistline will testify...
One recurring theme of this part of the trip has been the food. Dan and Molly have introduced us to some 'proper' southern American food, including 'hush puppies', a fried dough-ball with corn, and (to my initial dismay) BBQ baked beans. Now, as you can imagine this became a major taking point - tomato vs BBQ sauce (not quite Rowe v Wade but still...). Jack is now a convert ( revelling in his apparent new role of 'bean connoisseur') however I am on the fence, still somewhat reticent about the merits of this kin of 'fusion' food. For me, the re-fried beans we ate at a local Mexican restaurant were more successful, but the debate continues.
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