I am in Atlanta. The first day here, I got my bearings straight...by finding out where the nearest shopping area was.
Turns out I had to take the MARTA, Atlanta's version of the red rocket. My first observation: the seats are VERY roomy! I guess to support fat booties. You know the South. Grits, cornbread, fried chicken, fried okra and collard greens. LOL. The food is actually really good comfort food. I quite enjoy it.
The shopping was pretty good. Went to the staple boutiques. Though I don't understand womens' obession with Coach here. All the women in their 40s go crazy for Coach. Meh.
I did buy this awesome dress from Zara. I love how our strong dollar makes it feel like shopping here is saving me money!
Yesterday, I picked up Atlanta's version of NOW magazine and discovered this cool area called Castleberry Hill. It's a kinda bohemian, arty, raw neighbourhood that reminds me of Liberty Village. It's like Liberty in the sense that it's was a formerly down-in-the-dumps industrial neightbourhood by the traintracks that has transformed all the old factories into lofts. Anyway...there was an event yesterday where neighbourhood residents opened 8 of their loft spaces to the public for viewing. These people had awesome designer homes! Many of them were artists so their lofts were attached to modern galleries. Sometimes it was difficult to discern where the art gallery ended and the living space began...the spaces were seamless and equally visually interesting. This one loft had a cross-section of an airplane used as a seating area!
I talked for a while to this one artist in his home, and asked what the premise was for wanting to show their personal spaces to the public, and basically the event is to raise money for neighbourhood beautification (tree-planting, landscaping etc.) I had a great time talking with artists and homeowners and designers and marvelling at their loft spaces!
If I had to move to Atlanta, I would definitely move in this neighbourhood. It definitely didn't feel like the dirrrrty south here.
In the afternoon, we went to the Coca Cola museum where I tasted 60 different Coke products from around the world. Europe definitely has bizarre tastes. There was one drink from Italy called BEVERLY. It was soooooo gross. It was this bitter soda water. (sorry Beverly! But I did take this picture for you.)
On the way back to the hotel, I saw people setting up a huge stage in the park. I asked one of the workers what was going on, and he told me that the Dalai Lama is coming! I'm going to go and see him later this afternoon, and maybe come out Enlightened. Hopefully he'll send some good karma my way.
For lunch, I'm going to try and hunt out this Cuban restaurant for some Cuban Samiges....Mandy, I wish you were here. She was the one who introduced me to these AMAZING sandwiches. Apparently, there's this restaurants only a few MARTA stops away from my hotel.
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