This letter was written by General of the US Army C.P. Summerall, who was also president of the Citadel, in response to a letter offering condolences for the loss of his wife. It is so incredibly sad. The letter itself has tear marks on it, where the ink was stained in blotches. I found it in the collection I'm working on for the CofC Special Collection's Library. This letter may not be reproduced.
May 4, 1948
Dear Rabbi Klapperman:
I want to thank you and through you, the members of your congregation and the Jewish cadets and veterans at the Citadel for your sympathy in my overwhelming sorrow. Your tribute to my loved one touches me and fills me with gratitude to you. She was my life and the way is very dark without her. I can seek strength only from above.
Sincerely yours,
C.P. Summerall
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
ADDIS ABABA CITYSCAPE
This is what part of the city of Addis looks like...
Taxi drivers. Note dents on cars-- these guys charge only a few cents a ride, and to know where they are headed, you have to listen out for the guy who is standing with the door open, because his job is to scream it out loud and collect the fares! They randomly stop whenever someone wants to get on, which means swerving from the left lane to the right lane without blinkers, and aggressively getting back into traffic by betting on the fact that you don't want your car to be hit, and theirs already looks like crap.
Traffic jam. These cows are being brought to the slaughter house (you can see its wall on the right hand side) via the main road. Happens all the time. Sometimes one cow figures out that she's going to die and bolts for the end of the road. Then the others follow, and you are surrounded by a stampede of freaked out livestock. 
Traffic jam #2. Sheep use the main road too!
Fruit and vegetable vendor. This lady is laying out her goods for customers; some of the best produce you ever tasted can be found in these ridiculously cheap stands. Just to give you an idea, 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of bananas can go for as low as 3 birr (less than 30 cents, US).
Taxi drivers. Note dents on cars-- these guys charge only a few cents a ride, and to know where they are headed, you have to listen out for the guy who is standing with the door open, because his job is to scream it out loud and collect the fares! They randomly stop whenever someone wants to get on, which means swerving from the left lane to the right lane without blinkers, and aggressively getting back into traffic by betting on the fact that you don't want your car to be hit, and theirs already looks like crap.
Traffic jam. These cows are being brought to the slaughter house (you can see its wall on the right hand side) via the main road. Happens all the time. Sometimes one cow figures out that she's going to die and bolts for the end of the road. Then the others follow, and you are surrounded by a stampede of freaked out livestock. 
Traffic jam #2. Sheep use the main road too!
Fruit and vegetable vendor. This lady is laying out her goods for customers; some of the best produce you ever tasted can be found in these ridiculously cheap stands. Just to give you an idea, 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of bananas can go for as low as 3 birr (less than 30 cents, US).
ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE
Some images that reflect life in the city Addis Ababa.
Poor children get trained early to accost white faces and beg for money.
Man in the north-west side of town.
Woman with her baby in "Piazza" area of town
Taxi driver
Poor children get trained early to accost white faces and beg for money.
Man in the north-west side of town.
Woman with her baby in "Piazza" area of town
Taxi driver
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
ETHIOPIAN LANDSCAPES
I finally downloaded my pictures from my Christmas trip to Ethiopia. Here are some of my favorite lanscapes.
On the way back from Menegesha National Forest
Lake Langano taken from the rim of the volcano
Woman walking to her village in Langano
On the way back from Menegesha National Forest
Monday, May 08, 2006
Hiking Trip
This past weekend Anna and I went on a hiking trip to Jones Gap State Park, which is a half hour north of Greenville, SC, in the Smoky Mountains. Even though we got up at 5:00 am, got lost for two hours on the way there, and almost ran out of gas, when we finally got there, we were not at all tired. We set up our gear, met up with the other members of the Lowcountry Backpacker Association, and were ready to go. It was just breathtaking. Hiking the trail in those gorgeous mountains, with waterfalls everywhere and the only sounds being those of nature and the friendly chatter of our companions, all of the stress of recent weeks slowly seeped out of me, until I was left feeling quiet inside, relaxed, and focused on nothing but the placement of my feet. That night, we built a bonfire and roasted marshmallows, while sharing stories about ourselves... we got to bed late, got up early, and headed out again. This time, Anna and I decided to hike Ravencliff Falls, and because it was scheduled to rain, everyone else decided to go home. So we went on by ourselves, and encountered some of the most gorgeous scenery. The waterfall was huge, and when we got there, we walked over a rickety old bridge and looked down to the valley below. By that time it was raining and the drops felt like a cleanser on my skin, literally washing away every ounce of stress that was left. I don't know how to explain what it was like, except to say that it was "renewal." Anna and I talked all the way there and most of the way back, finally catching up on our friendship that had suffered due to our busy lives. 10 miles later, we reached our car and the hiking trip was over. Wet and hungry, we stopped on our drive home at a small country restaurant, and had the best Southern style buffet I've ever tasted. Then we sang country tunes along to the radio and finally made it home, spent, sore, and incredibly happy.
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