Class Experiences.

In this class we've done so much... My favorite part of this class, so far, has been reading Bastard Out of Carolina. It was such a good book! There was so much in that book where for a second, you're just laughing at them calling themselves ugly, then horrified by what Daddy Glenn was doing to Bone.

All in all though, it was a great book and I really, really enjoyed reading it!

Experience

After almost a semester in this class- as a last topic to our blog- I would like to know each of your experiences in this class. For instance, something you learned about the South that you didn't know or something that you liked learning about in our class. :)

Spring Break

During my spring break, I didn't really go anywhere. I mostly stayed at home, relaxed, went to the mall, and caught up with some movies. Taking that into respect, I didn't get a chance to be exposed to Southern stereotypes. I live in a suburb of Atlanta where Southern hospitality isn't prevalent. Had I traveled to Savannah, Ga, or Charleston, NC, I feel I would have been exposed to it.

I feel that the world is becoming smaller and globalized and it has affected Southern culture. Cities like Savannah, and Charleston are known for their hospitality and Southern charm. It's hard to say their hospitality is genuine. I've noticed that at Waffle House, employees are required to represent that Southern charm; for example by saying, "How ya'll doin'?" In class, we discussed how certain restaurants require their employees to speak in Southern accents. People's lives have become busy and they don't have time to cook, visit eachother, and spend time with family. When Southern hospitality, a stereotype of the South is offered to me, I appreciate it, but most of the time I feel it's not genuine.

Texan Pride...

When I think of the south, my first thought is Southern Pride. If you go to Texas, you see "don't mess with Texas" plastered across, well... Everything. It's on pillows, cards, notebooks, etc. I've heard that they do this in other states too, but I haven't really noticed it. The question was what's the first thing I think about when I think about the south. I think Texan pride. It really stands out in my childhood. Even the kids who were born-and-bread Texans had this innate sense that because they were from Texas, they could get away with saying or doing anything they very well pleased. I always thought it was crazy... Hysterical! that kids who were no older than me walked around cursing and doing things that they shouldn't be just because they were Texans. And this is, Texan Pride.

Spring Break - Waller

During our spring break, did you experience any Southern stereotypes/generalizations? If not, what Southern stereotypes/generalizations did you miss?

During spring break, I visited some friends at Emory in the beginning of the week. They gave me a bed to sleep in and as much food and drinks I could handle. Then, I visited both sets of grandparents. They spoiled me as usual and took me out to dinner at nice restaurants. Finally, I ended my spring break by visiting a friend at UNC. It was a very similar experience to visiting Emory. Throughout my spring break, I experienced the wonderful Southern hospitality, and it was terrific.

Sweet Tea - Waller

I agree with Dimple and Vikrum; Southern food is the first thing that comes to my mind. I always think of sweet tea. Everyone from the South knows that sweet tea can only be made one way: the tea must be warm when you add the sugar. As tech students, we understand why the tea must be warm. When the tea is warm, the solubility of the sugar is higher than when the tea is cold. Thus, the sugar is able to dissolve better, and as a result the tea tastes better. Then, you refridgerate the tea and add ice when served. The common mistake is others make the tea cold and then add sugar. As i explained earlier, this does not work.

The South

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the South is Southern Food just like Vikrum along with the stereotypical Southern accent. The typical meal that comes to my mind is fried chicken, corn on the cob, green beans, and mashed potatoes. I don't know where this image is embedded in my mind, but I'm sure it's an influence of media and living in Southern Georgia for a little while. Either way, Southern food is a big part of the South. Food shapes Culture and the Southern places are known for their food as shown in this article. Another thing that comes to mind when thinking of Southern food is when I see the words "soul food." According to Wikipedia, Soul food is an American cuisine consisting of a selection of foods traditions in the cuisine of African Americans. A few weeks ago, I went to Memphis, Tennessee, for a Society of Women Engineers' Conference and I came across this place:


The place was called Memphis's Best Soul Food. I could not find the place while researching meaning it was a really small, probably family-owned business but I tagged Memphis on the map in case you wanted to stop by. I feel like most "soul food" places are small and family owned. This can be seen in this video talking about a soul food from a restaurant in Lawrenceville, GA.



Overall, I do believe Southern food is one the main things that I associate with the South.