Friday, July 25, 2003 ::: Summertime in the Cap' City
I've been working downtown for the railroad company the last couple days and today I walked down to the Fayetteville Street Mall during lunch. Its an area of blocked off streets in the middle of downtown that is supposed to be parklike and pedestrian-friendly. It looks better than it did a few years ago but still doesn't seem to be clicking with the denizens of Raleigh. The legislature went home a few days ago so that added to the air of desolation downtown.
On the way over I passed the state capitol and of course had to stop and admire the confederate monument. Standing a few yards away were a disheveled and dispirited group of ten or so people holding Liberian flags. I thought, "If you guys are protesting you don't seem very fired up."
Later on, while I was on the mall eating a hot-dog, I saw the Liberian flag crowd had moved over there, their ranks had swelled to about fifty, and they were singing. After a few minutes a big guy stepped to the front of the crowd, and with the most arresting voice I have ever heard, started chanting some African word over and over while the crowd began stamping their feet.
For a few seconds there I felt like a member of the 24th Regiment of Foot at Rorke's Drift must have felt. Pretty exciting for usually sleepy downtown Raleigh.
Current Favorite Talking Heads Song: The Road to Nowhere.
