31 Augustus, Newgrange, Newgrange
Gevlieg van Dublin en oor die Atlantiese Oseaan na die Weskus van Noord-Amerika wat oor Kanada ingevlieg het, regoor Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario en af na die Michiganmeer en in Chicago (middel Weste). Newfoundland was heeltemal onbewoonde land. Ek was gretig om te sien dat grond onaangeraak is deur menslike ingryping. Ek wou die natuurlike topografiese kaart sien sonder tekens van menslike lewe. Dit was fassinerend om te sien wat na toendra lyk, rivers meandering, potgate van mere in alle vorms en groottes. Daar was blykbaar baie water wat die smelt sou wees as dit somer is. The lakes were huge from 38,000 voete.
Soos ons oor Quebec beweeg het, het die tekens van grondgebruik verskyn en ek het gevind dat ek die verskillende boerderytegnieke tussen die klein stukke van die Iere en die baie presiese vierkant vergelyk (groter) plots in North America. Toe ons deur stede gegaan het, was die stedelike ontwikkeling omvangryk. Ek was regtig beïndruk om te sien hoe groot Lake Michigan was, 'n yslike binnelandse see wat ek glo veroorsaak is deur die smelt van die gletserys.
Chicago het 'n lowerryke stad uit die lug gelyk met 'n reeks stedelike ontwerpe van middel tot hoë geboue en jou voorstedelike doodloopstraat, hoewel daar vir my gesê is dit is nie tipies nie. The people I am told are very down to earth in the mid west. So that is good to learn perhaps similar to Australians.
Die stadsbeeld in Chicago is omvangryk. As I sit looking out the window from a 32nd floor building. I can see block upon block of city skyscrapers and the architecture I am told is worldclass. One of the media buildings looked like the one out of Superman.
There is a lovely river that runs through the city and it is overshadowed by so many different buildings. Ek het selfs 'n parkeerterrein gesien wat soos 'n heuningkoekbykorf was. Very different.
Ek bly by twee lieflike mense. My nuwe vriende Carly en Ross het my vriendelik toegelaat om op hul rusbank te bly. Ross werk hard in die finansiële area om maatskappye by te staan en Carly is voorheen van die rekeningkundige/werwingsarea, maar het besluit om 'n besigheid te begin om inspirerende vroue bymekaar te bring. Sy is self ’n inspirerende vrou en jy kan die vonkel in haar oog sien, sy is 'n leier en is dapper genoeg om dit te laat gebeur. Ek stel ook belang in hierdie area en het gevind dat ek daaroor droom en geïnspireer gevoel het om op een of ander manier te help. Om 'n verskil te maak verg moed, maar dit is al die op- en afdraandes werd, want ek weet maar te goed. Ek voel dat meer vroue gehoor moet word aangesien die wêreld die vroulike nodig het, meer deernis en idees vir maniere om die samelewing te verander, aangesien dit nie in sy huidige konfigurasie kan voortgaan nie.
Both of them took me out to an area of town whilst they went to the Cubs game (baseball). Ek het in die strate rondgeloop, kyk na die tralies, winkels en mense wat verbystap. I had to concentrate on the traffic flows as it is the opposite to Australia. Ek het die verskillende verkeersligte gesien, die verligte hande en loopseine, the Chicago city police walking around and ordinary Americans walking the streets with dogs and mobiles. This is where much of the world’s aspirations are fuelled, baie nasies wil soos die Verenigde State leef, 'n ontnugterende idee. Ek het na Lake Michigan gestap, this particular part of the lake had a nice park leading up to concrete steps that are quite large, te groot vir die bejaardes om hul pad af na die water te maak. Ek het mense by die water sien sit, bietjie draf met elektroniese monitors (heart rate), baie lyk redelik fiks in hierdie area. I wondered at the pace of life and how important looks are in getting ahead. I saw people on phones, ipods, stap alleen of in paartjies. I saw both African Americans and Caucasians and wondered how they saw each other. I found people fascinated by my accent and I went into a Wholefood store that was environmentally friendly. My gut feeling was we need to go a lot further to become sustainable. This society is still very consumerist and there are many take-aways with throw away packaging. Die VSA het nie verander nie 25 jare steeds dieselfde lewenspatrone. I had hoped maybe they had become more sensitive to the waste, maar dit blyk nie. Hier is ook baie oorgewig mense, sommige oormatig. I also note a level of fear as people don’t make eye contact. I found it hard to find eating places as there were many stores. Ek kan die klem op kleinhandelruimte sien. The sense of capitalism and the signage that expresses achievement I felt were undercurrents here. To be successful is very important yet there are many that fall through the net. That will be an increasing phenomena as the US is in decline.
This was my first glimpse of American society it was very interesting. I found myself getting the feeling I want to go to Central and South America, die natuurlike wêreld roep my. A small walk through the park and some contact with old trees gave me that feeling. Ek voel nie meer ek wil in stede woon nie, definitely that is a change within myself I have noticed.
My friends met me at the railway station and we caught the train back. They kindly took me on a walking tour around the city showing me river walks and giving me information. It was really nice and I appreciated their interest. Ons het teruggekom en ek was weer uitgeput, my oë toegemaak en aan die slaap geraak.
Hoe interessant is dit om in die Verenigde State te wees. Dit is 'n interessante reis....