Back from Baltimore

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I’m back from Baltimore. Looked at a room for rent, got some papers from the financial aid office, got lost somewhere in ghetto-land when I walked the wrong way up 25th Street. That was a bit scary. And when I opted to take a bus, some black kids hanging out at the bus stop looked at me weird and told me to “knock it off.” I have no idea what they were talking about.

I was rather glad to return to Penn Station and get back on the MARC train out of there. Baltimore did not agree with me.

The MICA campus, however, was gorgeous. Lots of old buildings dating as far back as 1826. Nice and historical. And the neighborhood it’s in isn’t quite as ghetto-ish as the rest of the city.

(Um, am I allowed to call African Americans “black,” or is it regarded as derogatory? Well, I call myself “brown.”)

Comments

  1. Cypheress says:
    2002-06-14 at 01:24

    HEY! I didn’t know na sa Baltimore ka! How long have you been there? I always had the conception that you were in the Philippines? If you did just get there, how is it? Planning on visiting Canada soon? hehe. Ok well, good luck in finding an apartment ok?

    Corina

  2. Tim says:
    2002-06-14 at 01:46

    I still sort of smile when I hear of buildings being referred to as “historic” in this country. As far back as 1826, huh? Old by our standards. My wife and I met and married in England and the first flat we rented was in an old house called The Bridewell that dated back to the early 1600s. It used to be a prison.

    Sorry if that is snobby but I’m still smiling. :)

  3. Ben says:
    2002-06-14 at 06:23

    Black is an acceptable term. It was going to be branded as un-pc until the afro-carribean community decided they actually liked the word.

  4. Paulo says:
    2002-06-14 at 10:39

    Tim – The early 1600s! That sounds absolutely wonderful! Well, for what it’s worth, my clan owns an ancient Spanish colonial house in a small town in the Philippines which dates back to the 1570’s. My ancestors even left inscriptions carved into the walls showing the exact date when our names changed to “Ordoveza.” Historic enough for ya? ;D