Industry and mango

Looks like I haven't posted to the blog in a few days. Apologies to my readers, all two or three of them. Sorry about that, mom and dad. And SHB.

Speaking of SHB, this past weekend I was driving through an area I know she's familiar with, Dearborn and neighboring Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Some weekends I just take off driving with nothing more than a full tank of gas and a book by my side, Global Journeys in Metro Detroit: A Multicultural Guide to the Motor City. (Pick up your own copy here for as little as 40 cents plus shipping.) Lately I've become a real believer in a Detroit worth saving, and this book gives me reason to hope. In it all the ethnic enclaves within the city are laid out -- a real revelation for a Texas boy who didn't even think there were any people, let alone ethnicities, left in Detroit.

I'm still exploring the Middle Eastern areas of Detroit, and that means trips to Dearborn, the "Arab capital of the U.S." according this New York Times article. But of course, not all of Detroit and its surrounding areas are pretty. Take, for instance, the Ford plant in Dearbnorn:


Industrial complexes have always provoked the heebie-jeebies in me, especially when they have pipes big enough to fit a man in, steam and/or smoke coming out of them, and dread-inducing wasteland all around. I quickly drove past this monstrosity and got to my destination, the nicer parts of Dearborn.

I also wanted to mention that a few days ago I bought a mango from Meijer. I've been waiting for it to ripen -- going from all green to a little yellow to more orange -- and in contrast to the gray monotony that is a deep Michigan winter, the color change in this piece of fruit has been something to look forward to each morning. I might even be a little sad when the time comes to eat it.

Anyway, I thought I would share the experience with you, so I placed the mango -- this $1 piece of fruit from Peru -- in my nonstick-coated wok and snapped a picture.