THE FAR EAST AND NATTY BOH

The excuse was Artscape so I raced to it which was a mistake. Wasn’t in the mood for an art fair – bad paintings, generic photos, the only decent things at them are the jewellery. Paid my dues then headed over to Altscape in North Avenue. There was a time when I took a bus to Friends from there – the lunch stand is a florist. While the work wasn’t much better there was an honest attempt.

I wanted to see the cars. The cars that were banned from Artscape as the politically correct thought that only hybrids should be in the car parade. They were to start at the Museum of Visionary Art and end at Altscape.

To-day one of the television channels listed the ten best museums. The best museum was the B&O, the one that caught my attention was the Famous Blacks in Wax Museum. The BMA nor the Visionary were mentioned.

While waiting the desire of flânerie was rekindled by the number 13 bus. Wandered about the area, but it was a short walk the cars and bikes were coming up Charles Street and were awaiting the rest outside the Charles theatre.

A great time documenting them – although I probably won’t use any of them. I was using the point and shoot digital as my mother wanted to see fair but hated it due to the shutter delay. I’ll see what comes out with Joãozão.

I was getting used waiting forever for buses – the number 13 to Canton – so I crossed the street to photograph the North Avenue Motel when it came.

I may have taken this once before, I do remember walking under the National brewery when they were Carling National and brewing Hamm’s. I forgot how far east I was going but it was still the same Baltimore – blighted black and lo and behold – gentrified.

This time there was a slight change until now racial and ethnic lines seemed delineated quite sharply, here in Highlandtown there seemed to be a mixing of peoples. Went to the terminal – spying Natty Boh in the sky, peeking out through alleys - got down and in my excitement left my St. John’s Maple Leafs cap on the bus, raced back but it was gone. Wandered down to the water, three dunks on a pier nodded hello, people fishing, dog walkers.

While it seemed like other parts of Balamer – it was more suburban, no shops, fewer corner taverns, there were places to sleep but nothing else. Unlike Federal Hill, Locust Point or just about any place I have wandered there was no-one about. I wandered the alleys – looking for some Balamer formalism around Brewer’s Hill using the brewery as a backdrop and was about to use a Johnny on the Spot when the number 7 arrived and for once was going to leave immediately.

Preferred Highlandtown and Butcher’s Hill to Canton, more self-sufficient, further from the water but treed and nice.

Passed all the Carsley family haunts. Finally got to see what the area around Clark(e)s Davises was like could I venture out. Upton was frightening – everyone in inner city uniform – overly large trousers with extra large white t-shirts. Ever since private school uniforms have frightened me. It would be a long three block to Druid Hill Avenue.

Changing buses in Sandtown – three blocks from my other grandmother’s last place – I had a strawberry snowball from a stand outside Daisy’s convenience 1824 Pennsylvania and North. Reverted to my northern self whipped out Joãozão and made a snap of her before hopping on the M-3 – breaking the law on the MTA one can only legally breathe.

- what are you going to do with that?
- Don’t know photograph people I speak to. My grandmother lived around the corner in Mount Street, I lived across from Mondawmin haven’t really been back in 30 odd years.
- god bless you.