backlogged update 3

(May 23) After getting up relatively late in the morning, we drove from Ashville to the outskirts of Charlotte, where we would stay. T and P were originally intent on making a stop at one of the horse farms and see if they can get some riding lessons, but we either failed to find the horse farm or found out that the owners aren't in. In any case, sometime in the early afternoon, after checking in at the hotel, we decided to visit downtown Charlotte for a walking tour.

The city isn't all that big. We parked closed to the visitor center and encountered a rather strange (to us) way of paying for parking. We were instructed to find the slot corresponding to the space our car took up by number, and then fold up the bills (we used 5 $1 bills since we don't have a fiver on us) one by one, twice lengthwise, and stick it into the slot. Hanging from the big panel is also a small, rectangular piece of flat aluminum, which we were told to use to stuff the money completely into the slot.

At the visitor center, we found some brochures, and learned about the Gold Rush, which are four inter-city bus routes designed for tourists, and are free to ride (they are pretty much identical to the 'Trolleys' of Chicago, and look just as peculiar [some might say ugly]). P suggested, after looking at the various brochures, that we follow the public art walking tour (which, as we later found out, is not so public after all).

We took the Gold Rush to where the very first item on the tour is... and found out that the building is either being demolished or renovated, and the item is no longer there. Undeterred, we went on to the Odell building where the second and third object d'art were. The second (and hence, the first one we saw) of the public art installations marked the high point of the day, and it was pretty much a down hill journey from there on. It is called "At Peace, At Play". Then we went in the building to admire the Refractive glass panels installed as one of the 'public arts', except when my sister tried to take a picture of it, we were stopped by security guards saying that on picture taking is allowed inside the building... okay, so for a privately owned building it is quite reasonable for them to ask such--so long as where we were standing was not, technically, a public space; the Odell building being the Bank of America office building, sort of falls on the grey area there; but for the chamber of commerce to designate a piece of artwork installed in a private area as public art is just wrong and misleading. Little did I know we were in for even more absurdities.

We visited some more of the sculptures and paintings, some we couldn't find, probably due to the brochure being slightly out of date. But we were generally having a good time. I made a deliberate attempt to stay outside of the Bank of America head quarters where they house some nice murals on the wall, since I just know that no picture would be allowed there anyway.

An interesting sight that has nothing to do with the tour was this water fountain. The foutain was bubbling white. Like bath water. There is also a faint hint of chlorine in the air, but I would not venture a guess as to how the foam came about.

Now, something that really pissed me off. So after grabbing some smoothies as defense against the heat, we were walking up next to the Wachovia center (we didn't know it was the Wachovia center yet) and past the parking garage. We were accosted by the security guard in front of the garage, probably seeing my sister's camera, "I don't know if you folks know about our policy, but there's no picture taking of the building." We were like, what building? He said, "this one". Pointing to the garage and the really tall building on top of it. We said, "fine," and muttered amongst ourselves because that building really is nothing to look at. Then we round the corner and came to what we were looking for: a water fountain installed in the Wachovia plaza with sculptures of kids playing in it. My sister snapped a few pictures, then, noting something out of the ordinary, took this one snapshot of me too: Her instinct proved correct shortly. Those two security guards walked all the way from the Wachovia building, across the plaza, to confront us and tell us that there's not picture taking at all on their property. When asked about their property limites, they said "this entire block."

Now this is just patently stupid. The Wachovia Plaza is open air. And, by most definitions of the law, a public area. The general rule (upheld by several courts) in the US is that photographs are allowed to be taken when the photographer is standing on public ground and taking pictures of things that can be seen from that position on public ground (with exceptions like military installations). Furthermore, as no crime is committed, there is no way for the security guard to enforce the rule of no photography. They have no right to remove us from a public area, and if they try to take the camera or force us to delete the images, it is illegal seizure of private property. Furthermore, even, if as the guards claimed, that the Wachovia plaza is private property, if we would only back up 10 steps and get on the sidewalk, we would be standing in perfectly public area. The fountains and the building being perfectly viewable from the sidewalk, they have no right under the law whatsoever from preventing us from taking pictures while standing there. So what's the point? If I was there along (or just there with my sister), I would have probably put up a fight against that idiotic demand.

Later that evening, on the suggestion of my sister's boyfriend (a NC native), we went to a steakhouse called Beef and Bottle. It is not a particularly noticeable place from outside, and inside is extremely dark. The prices are on the high side, but, boy, that was the best steak I had in my entire life. It was done exactly as I'd like it (perfect medium-rare) and the meat was tender and juicy. I wish I could make steak like that.

(May 24) The next day, we went for a hike at the Latta Plantation in the morning. Later in the day we went to take dinner with my sister's boyfriend's family.

(May 25) After dropping P off at the practice of the dentist she is shadowing that day, we drove off and headed back home. (May 26) Early in the morning, we sent dad on his way back to Taiwan. (May 27) We drove T back to college where she will stay for a few weeks before leaving with her professor to do some research at Woods Hole.

(May 28) S and her family had a Memorial day BBQ: her grandparents were there, so were the SOs of her siblings. Nothing much to point out, I guess. Just some goat pictures. The little one in S's arms was not named then (a new born). It is called Maebe (I hope I got the spelling right). Its mother is Vanilla; both mother and daughter are pure white with blue eyes. (I was voting for calling her Milkshake... alas.) Number 4 is, of course, Maebe. Number 3 is her mama, Vanilla. Number 5 is another rather new addition too, he is Alibi, and his mother is number 2, Lovee (full name: Lover's Nocture). And number 1 is the 70-yr-old tireless patrol of the farm: Lucy the Goose. Another shot of Lovee and her Alibi.