An Ondo Lady in Atlanta

Well last Monday I set off on my adventures to the USA. Now we all know that America is a very big place what with 52 states and all and my goal is to see as much off it as possible. So I decided that a trip to Atlanta to visit relatives would be a great way to spend the vacation. I missed out on the Olympics in 96 so I guess this trip would be as good as anything. I flew with Continental Airlines with a stopover at Cleveland, Ohio; the plane ride was pretty cool with the small screens on the back. I watched the Beyonce film, Obsessed which was as tedious as I thought it would be and My Life in Ruins which starred, Nia Vardalos who starred in my Big Fat Greek Wedding. The changeover at Cleveland was a tad dramatic mainly because I had forgotten to write down my Uncle’s address so I was subjected to a bit of interrogation from the officials at immigration. After they had satisfied themselves that I was not a terrorist I was let through and made my way to the gate for my connecting flight to Atlanta. I must have looked lost because a toilet attendant asked me if I needed help and escorted me to the gate. On the way she asked me where I was headed and when I told her she gave me a puzzled look. “Where?” she asked. So I repeated what I said. “Ohhhh Aaaaat – laaaan – naaaa!!!,” she exclaimed.

Just over two hours later I was in Atlanta and ready for action. Last year I was in Dallas and Fort Worth which were cities on a very small scale but Atlanta is a very different proposition. The city has an amazing history and has always been the home of the Black middle class and in particular a certain Martin Luther King. It is also where the Black Universities such as Morehouse and Spellman are based hence the fact that the place is dubbed the Black Mecca. Downtown Atlanta is where a lot of things are such as CNN, Coca Cola, Georgia Dome, Georgia World Congress Centre and the Olympic Park. The place is also very easy to navigate because you can walk to most places or take the subway or bus which is called MARTA. Altantans are a friendly bunch and don’t expect to sit down alone for two long because some Southern dude will come marching up to you for a chat. Like I said, people from Atlanta are friendly. Canada and New York beckon next week and I cannot wait to get to Canada because I have been dying to go there since like forever.

Well my blogging will be a bit sporadic over the next few weeks so please bear with me. Updates will be published as soon as I can step to it.