Under construction

Poverty and racial inequality issues are far more prominent in Baltimore, than any other city in which I have lived. Maybe it because it is impossible to avoid as you drive from one yuppified section to another pocket of yuppiedom through some pretty tough neighborhoods. In cities like, Boston, New York, San Francisco and Chicago the stretches of "good parts" are connected so you can go years without seeing any problems.

I went to DC this weekend to celebrate A's birthday. A's sister lives near DuPont circle, and so that is where we started our day. We drank a pitcher of beer outside in an outdoor cafe, watching the white folk walk pass in their weekend dresses and khaki short uniforms. After some time in the Smithsonian, we trekked our way to the Metro to go to the DC Waterfront fish market. All in preparation of a special dinner for the birthday girl.

The joke goes: Two blond girls and an Oriental girl get off the Metro in a black neighborhood....

Actually, since moving to Baltimore, I have not felt as much paranoia as I once did, although in this case the torrential rains was making the neighborhood seem fairly gloomy. A needed a poncho/umbrella so the three of us ducked into a CVS. While A was debating what she wanted, I overheard a pretty awesome conversation.

Touristy old white couple with bags of food:
Excuse me [to a white lady], do you know this area well? We were wondering if that Safeway next door would sell wine. Or of a wine store nearby?"

White lady:
I think the Safeway might have a few bottle of wines, but I would not say it is a good selection. This neighborhood is under construction so there aren't any wine stores nearby. Your best bet is to go to the Harris Teeter[yuppie store of MD, DC, and VA] by Capitol Hill.

I don't know if the couple understood what "under construction" meant, but I thought that was an incredible diplomatic way to put it. I was feeling so superior that I got the code.

I woke up this morning and it was 68 degrees. I could not believe it. So I traded in my car for the bike to go to work. I should point out that my route to work does include some of the roughest neighborhoods in the country. And as I was pedalling through, I noticed a number of boarded up houses and signs that read "house under construction." Guess it really is more of an accurate term than a politically correct one. Guess who is the rube now?