Divine Providence

Photos, photos, photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119082&id=510568119&l=66fd6376b7

And so, dear reader, my time in Winston-Salem came to an end. Sad as I was to leave, the end of the North Carolina experience was also the beginning of The Great Adventure as Rich and I picked up our backpacks, boarded a plane and jetted off to our first stop, the city of Providence, Rhode Island, and the home of my good friend Dr Early.

We spent a week with Regan, relaxing and exploring the city by day before going out to play at night. We managed to cram in a trip to an open mic night at the Everyman Bistro, blues at a biker bar in Pawtucket, dinner in the Italian Quarter, a gig at local arts venue Firehouse 13 and a movie about the wildcard Republican Congressman Ron Paul who ran for President in 2008. The gig at Firehouse 13 was about as good as the open mic acts were abysmal (points for trying, but some performances should not be inflicted on the general public). The headliners were Tallahassee, who use fiddles, double bass, guitars, banjos and piano to create gorgeously mellow indie/country/folk songs you wouldn't expect to hear from a band fronted by a former NFL linesman. For a sneaky listen, follow this link, although it doesn't quite match up to them live: http://www.myspace.com/tallahasseeband The Ron Paul film was fascinating - a documentary showing how his outspoken views on US foreign policy in Iraq, national security, the US Constitution and role of the President gained him an incredible grass roots following in the 2008 election campaign. This footage from a debate between Republican presidential hopefuls broadcast on Fox News (a notoriously right wing US news channel) pretty much sums up his position - if you didn't know better you'd think it was a parody sketch rather than a real televised political debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BB3NrSpRGE

Perhaps the highlight of the week, however, was the day we spent visiting the New England Carnivorous Plants Show (home to a wide array of plants that trap, devour and digest creepy crawlies), before taking waltz lessons at the local Jewish Community Centre. Despite some initial reservations, Rich was soon in his element (well, he smiled a few times) and after a couple of hours we were definitely not completely hopeless. Following our success I'm thinking perhaps some tango lessons in Argentina, maybe a bit of salsa in Brazil... Maybe best not to mention that to Rich just yet though.