Memphis and the South: Things I've Learned/ Noted

Hey ya’ll! So it’s going to be a short, simple blog post this week because I am absolutely exhausted from professional development with my school. School starts August 10 in Memphis and I will be teaching Spanish II and Spanish III at Fairley High School. In-service for Fairley teachers began last Thursday (7-23-2015) and runs up until the Friday before school starts (8-7-2015). I have a lot yet to learn as a first year teacher though, so I am grateful for the extensive training I am getting J. I also have drill this upcoming weekend with my new National Guard unit in Brownsville, TN (50 miles away from Memphis), so my weekend is pretty much shot as well. You know what they say, “no rest for the wicked.”

Anyway, I have been living in Memphis for about 2 months now and it really is a unique, peculiar place. I really enjoy the culture, attitude and overall vibe the city gives off so far. It is such a big little city in the sense that a lot of people know each other in one way or another and that is reinforced with its strong community connection and involvement. Since I have been living here for a hot minute (common phrase used in the south that means "a little while"), I thought I would briefly blog about some of the things that I have picked up on and/or noticed so far.

1)      Similarly to the Midwest, one does not enter a room without saying “good morning”………To everyone.

2)      The south is also similar to the Midwest (maybe Memphis in particular) in the sense that it is really inexpensive to comfortably live.

3)    Not everyone from the state of Mississippi talks with a Southern accent. Now if you ask me how, I could not tell you why.

4)      “Junt” is equivalent to a noun. It can be used as a person place or a thing. “That’s a junt” or “He a junt.”

5)      If you don’t know the song “Watch me (Whip/Nae Nae),” you better YouTube it or take your ass back north.

6)      People not originally from the south always joke about using the term “ya’ll,” but it really is a contagious word and a part of southern culture. Live it, breathe it, be it.

7)      There is no Pancheros down here and a minimal amount of even Chipotles. There is however, a raunchy burrito place called Moes, which I have yet to try. If it's raunchy and burrito-y I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

8)      It’s common to be called terms of endearment by people you have never met before or will never see again (baby, honey, dear, darling, and sweetheart).

9)      Waffle House is not the epitome of the south. It’s actually just a really great, greasy place to eat when you’re hung-over.

10)   When someone says “Bless your heart,” they’re not being kind.

11)   When someone says that they’re someone’s cousin, they’re probably just really a close friend of theirs.

12)   #gritandgrind began as a team logo for the Memphis Grizzlies and is now a lifestyle and work ethic of Memphians.

13)   Just because two states are in the south does not mean that they are in reasonable driving distance of each other. It takes longer to get from Florida to Tennessee than it does from Iowa to Tennessee.

14)   Telling people you’re from Iowa is like telling people you’re from Antartica. “Iowa? Is that the potato state?”

15)   Although many people from the south are very prideful of southern history, most people are not, however, carrying around Confederate flags in their back pockets.

There you have it. Since moving to Memphis, those are just a few of the things that I have learned about the city and the south in general. I am sure this list will continue to grow as I become more accustomed to my new home and create an ambitious life down here J. YA'LL have a great day!