The Accra Wagon

As I walked home from work today I noticed once again just how many varied pieces of art line the route I take. It's not along main streets, but through the Industrial Area, over the train tracks and through the residential neighborhoods of Herzliya. All along the way there are bits of art. There is a lot of topiary (hedges cut into shapes), statues blowing horns, there's some weird shapes made out of old electric posts, and then there is the "wagon city" above that sits on a median between the station and the mall. I've always liked this little mobile city so today I decided to take its picture. I stopped on the walking path, unslung my backpack and took out my camera. As I was positioning myself for the shot, I felt someone walk up. He was a very dark man, a shadow in the bright daylight. Big, but with a huge smile and shining teeth. "Where do you think that city is?", he boomed in English. "I don't know", I replied "it's probably Jerusalem". "No, no, no", he responded, shaking his bald head, "that's Accra, in Ghana. I know, because it's my home". He smiled once more and walked on towards the station. I always liked that rusty bit of iron because it looks real, but not. I never realized that it really says way more, like how we drag our home towns behind us wherever we go in this world.