An Oyster Roast

One of the great things about Charleston is its seafood tradition. The annual oyster roasts are believed by many Charlestonians to be the only saving grace of the winter months, since they afford the natives with an opportunity to go out, meet people, and stuff their faces with these delectable ocean mollusks.

So what is an oyster roast? It is an event to which you have to come prepared. You have to wear a coat, because it's going to be cold, and gloves, because oysters can cut your hands. You have to possess a "shucker" because some of those crazy little oysters have no intention to be eaten. Essentially what happens is that long plywood tables are set up with two square holes on either end. Everyone stands around the table, shuckers and gloves in hand and waits for the cook to bring out the oysters. They are thrown on the tables by the shovels, freshly boiled. As the steam starts to escape for the bounty of food, everyone digs in. You grab a cluster of oysters and start opening them with your shucker. Then you take the succulent fruit of your labor and enjoy its warmth and goodness before opening another. You throw the empty shell in the square hole, under which an enormous trash can has conveniently been placed. Mostly oyster roasts are social events in which people do not know each other, yet everyone is friendly and conversation comes easy. Once you've had your fill, you leave your spot and someone comes in to replace you. And that's how it goes until the oysters run out or your belly explodes.

What a fantastic Charleston tradition.

Letter to the Editor

Yay! My letter to the editor was finally published in Charleston's daily newspaper, the Post and Courier! You can read it at www.charleston.net

Preserve legacy

We are an inch away from potentially losing a significant part of African-American history in Charleston.
At 22 Elizabeth St. stands the New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church. It is a towering Gothic structure, constructed in 1859, with 20-foot windows, soaring vaults and a 55-foot ceiling.
This African-American church was led by the famous Rev. Daniel Jenkins, the founder of Jenkins Orphanage.
The church carries with it a historical and cultural meaning that far surpasses that of most buildings in Charleston. It stands as a testament to African-American achievement and pride and is included in most black history tours of the city.
Unfortunately for all of us, this structure is about to be converted into a theater.
By doing so, it will not only lose its function as a place of worship, but it will also start to wither away as a symbolic representation of African-American achievement.
It currently stands in the Mazyck-Wraggborough district, a historically black neighborhood, which has in large part fallen victim to gentrification. Yet on Sunday morning, there is nobody in this white neighborhood who does not recognize that this is a black church, and for those few hours of the day, these Charlestonians reclaim their historical presence, reminding the rest of the residents that times change and harmony does exist.
Every day when I walk past it, I am inspired by its presence and aware that I am witnessing living history.
I acknowledge the struggle of African-Americans, who sacrificed so much in a time when most had so little, in order to worship in a place that they could be proud of. It is a place of beauty, culture and history.
We should do everything in our power as a community, black and white alike, to ensure that this rich historical legacy is maintained for future generations.

JESSICA LANCIA

New Haircut (for Mamma)

This is my new haircut. The hair is a little less red now. I hope you can see it, Mamma.

Change

Without a doubt, one of the hardest things in life to deal with is change.
As an aspiring historian, I see it all the time, in resistance to social, political, or ideological movements. But it's also a really hard things to deal with when it comes to relationships between loved ones. Some of the best friends I've had I've lost due to relationships. Whether it was my own, or whether it was theirs. Because whenever two people fall in love, something changes.
Say your best friend falls in love. He's always told you his secrets, called you for advice, and left his phone on for your 2 AM drunken calls when all you needed to hear was his voice. Then he falls in love. And it's like a techtonic shift which causes a rift valley. Slowly, and with time, the rift grows larger. He tells his secrets to her instead of you, calls her for advice instead of you, and switches the phone off because well... c'mon now, we all know why.
And when you fall in love, well, that changes everything. It's been so many years since I've been in love now that it's almost hard to recall what love was, let alone when it died, and yet somehow I'll try.
When you fall in love, all else loses meaning. Everything is less important than it was, and nothing is as important as the two of you. The world could stop, the stars could fall, and all it would seem to you is a spectacle that honors your emotions. And then, it dies.
When love dies, it's always a slow death. And when it's finally over, and you've endured the agony of sleepless nights and dreary days, you wake up to find that nothing is how it was. And that is almost harder to bear than the death of love itself. Because it eats at you, every day. The questions: why did love end? when will it come back? will it ever come back? are like a shadow that follows you around, sometimes invisible because the sun is right above your head, but always there nonetheless.
And what is it that made life hard to deal with? It was the fact that change had taken place. And of course, then there is the obvious irony. Namely, that change is always taking place.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was fantastic. I went to a blues/funk concert at the Pour House with a bunch of my single friends. We danced til we dropped, and I came home exhausted and happy. I really am glad to have such fantastic friends who make me feel so complete in myself and let me realize that I don't need to be with anyone because I have them. It's a blessing of which people are not always cognizant. So this goes down as one of the best Valentine's days I've had yet. No commercialization, no pressure, no feeling somehow inadequate because I'm not with someone, just me and my gals.

Chinese Texts

There is something fascinating about reading ancient Chinese texts. They are so modern; their ideas so relevant. Whether it's philosophy you're reading about, or the art of war, there is a lot to learn from the ancient Chinese. Many ideas that I thought came about with the advent of Christianity -- like "do unto others as you would unto yourself" -- are prevalent in Chinese philosophies which, like Confucious, predate Christianity!! Fascinating, really.

So where do our ideas come from? Did the Christians get them from the Jews who got them from the Chinese?

The more I learn about the past, the more I am able to analyze and understand modenity. And THAT, my friends, is one of the values of studying history.

This week has been hectic and crazy. I have been running around between work, babysitting, classes, homework, and doctor appointments. I had an MRI for my knee, which I injured again. I'm going in to see an orthopedist in a few minutes and I'm predicting the following diagnosis: ACL rupture with meniscus tear. Options: surgery or no sports. I want surgery because I love playing sports, but it is doubtful that my insurance will cover it. Problems that can't be fixed with surgery: knee arthritis which is sure to come as a result of the tears.

So in thinking about my knee I have been pissed off. Not the "why me" part of it - because with the wear and tear I have subjected my body to due to rugby and ultimate, it was bound to happen... but the "why can't I just fix it" part of it. I hate dealing with insurance, being worried about them not covering an expense and just in general not knowing how that system works.

I guess what pisses me off the most is that my body won't obey my will. But I have also been trying to see the bright side. I'm really not in a lot of pain and I do have a significant amount of mobility. Also, my friends have been great and I have spent a lot of time laughing. Yesterday, I cooked up some Indian food for dinner and had three friends over. We sat around the dinner table til late and watched the Duke game. I have been doing my best to escape reality and have managed to suceed at it every day somehow. The next step is just embracing reality, right?

I have class tonight - and I'm turning in my first paper in graduate school. I'm nervous - I hope it will be up to par, that I fulfilled my expectations.

And also, this week I realized something. Amidst all the craziness, hurt, and frustration -- at the end of the day, you are what you have to show to yourself. No big hoopla... no universal truth... it was just something that I don't think I spent a lot of time remembering recently. So it came back to my radar screen. That's all.