I finally found a room to sublet, I'm so excited to move to a space that will feel more my own.
I was going to move today but have been delayed by a rain storm. Hopefully it will let up soon. Going to watch a movie in the mean time.
A day in the park
I had a very fun and relaxing day today. I decided to walk down to Audubon Park where I was going to find a cozy spot to read. As I was walking, all I could hear was the sound of the birds chirping. I wanted to take my time and soak up all the quite time I could. During my walk, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, taking in the moment.
When I got to the park, I stumbled upon a lovely pond. I was supposed to be reading but I was to distracted by the animals and my surrounding. I couldn't stop taking pictures.
Living arrangements in New Orleans
When I planned out my adventure in New Orleans, I never expected it to be so difficult to find a place to stay. As you know, I started out at the India House Hostel, which was a lot of fun. From there I went to live in the Marigny (French Quarter) in a shotgun with a girl from Portland, OR. Ayni and I got along great but I just couldn’t get used to the shotgun style. It’s been such a struggle to find a place to live, either it’s too expensive or it’s in the wrong part of town. I’ve been staying in Uptown since May 1st, with my foreman Brian (not real name) and another Habitat employee for the past 3 weeks now.
I love the guys I work with and I am grateful for my curring living situation, but I want to find a place that's more "me" and a little less like a guys' locker room. :-)
Southern Cuisine
In my earlier post, I touched on the food. Just before I left CA in Dec., I decided that I was really going to start watching what I eat and eliminate foods that don’t sit well with me. Moving to the South has made that really difficult. New Orleans specifically is famous for its Cajun style cuisine which is something I’m just not used to. Options are extremely limited when eating out. Standard menu items are usually fried, soaked in a stick of butter, smothered in a thick cream sauce, or doused in seasoning. Although most of it tastes really good, it’s just to rich for me considering that is different from how I normally eat. Also, I know it’s not good for me which makes it really hard for me to try and eat healthy.
I am amazed by all the shocking things I’ve seen on the menu. I’ve seen alligator, turtle, squirrel and possum. But I’ve only tried one. I had fried alligator. It tasted kind of like chicken only a little tougher.
I am amazed by all the shocking things I’ve seen on the menu. I’ve seen alligator, turtle, squirrel and possum. But I’ve only tried one. I had fried alligator. It tasted kind of like chicken only a little tougher.
Grocery stores aren’t the easiest to get to (nothing is really :-)) but I do try to prepare my food as much as I can. I’ve been craving fruit as it’s so warm but produce is really expensive; it almost seems like a commodity around here (except for Strawberries which are grown in Ponchatoula). Preparing lunches for the work site isn’t easy either. I’m still trying to find a balance!
Since being in the south, I have also tried crawfish. Yes, out of a trash can. :-) I was walking downtown and saw an out door cookout of crawfish. The gentleman offered me one to try, and I did. It was kind of freaky!
Working hard
Yesterday was exhausting! I came home had a quick bite to eat and went straight to sleep.
We started working on a wheelchair ramp for a new homeowner who recently had both his kidneys removed.
Here is his story (with minor editing (just names :-))
Sorry it's so hard to read. I will try and get a true copy and not a photo
Back in New Orleans
Just got home from a trip up the coast to Alabama. I'm going straight to bed but will be back tomorrow with more stories and pictures. Sweet dreams!
Drilling in the rain
Today started out nice and dry but by 3:00 PM the rain came down!
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So you can't exactly see the downpour, but you can see it rolling off my arms and legs :-)
A volunteer named Bossy
It’s becoming clear to me that there is more than likely always going to be at least one person on the job site that is a bit challenging to work with.
Bossy (not her real name) came down with 3 other women in her group. It’s my understanding that she was the boss of all of them. And I mean this literally (especially her young intern Jessie (not her real name)).
Adam (not his real name) (a field supervisor) had just finished going over the safety guidelines when some volunteers started to ask questions about Habitat for Humanity, how their organization works and how one becomes a homeowner through Habitat. I was setting up the chop saw close by and Bossy was a little out of the circle, closer to me. She told me, “That’s enough talking, I want to start building.” Then, all of a sudden she interrupted Andrew and told him that no one is interested and that they just want to get to work. This was the beginning of our day on Tuesday.
My days usually start out before any other volunteer now that Brian and I have worked together for so long and he knows my ability. As soon as I get to the site, I am usually instructed to take down all the plywood, plug in all the batteries and set up any saws or other equipment needed for the day. He kind of runs the site and relies on me as his Assistant. It’s strange but for some reason I can’t seem to get out of the assistant role, no matter how hard I try.
Once we got set up and ready to get to work, Brian asked me to show the intern how to use the chop saw. Prior to giving her the briefing about the saw, I asked her if she felt comfortable using it and if she wanted to learn. As I expected, she said yes. All of a sudden, out of no where comes Bossy. She comes up to me and tells me that the intern can’t use the saw. She continues to tell me that she “doesn’t know how to hold a drill right and is always worried about breaking a nail.” (Did I tell you that after this work I no longer have fingernails?)
Bossy, on the other hand is (of course) an "expert." She has put in windows, renovated her house, and has a chop saw at home, so of course she was the more appropriate volunteer for the job.I was really taken-aback by how she spoke degradingly about/to the intern. Wouldn’t an executive woman want to teach and encourage a smart and talented young lady new things? Well, I did. I wanted the intern to get all the experience she wanted, so I politely told Bossy that "I’m going to let her try.”
Bossy had so many other opinions to share throughout the day--so helpful (not) that most of us just brushed them off. By midday, the intern was happily and capably chopping away on the chop saw for everyone who needed wood cut. Luckily for us, Bossy was only around "to help" for one day. Unfortunately, that also meant that was our only time with the intern. I'll bet Bossy told the folks back home that she built the Habitat House--expertly. But the intern and I'll always know the truth.
Bossy (not her real name) came down with 3 other women in her group. It’s my understanding that she was the boss of all of them. And I mean this literally (especially her young intern Jessie (not her real name)).
Adam (not his real name) (a field supervisor) had just finished going over the safety guidelines when some volunteers started to ask questions about Habitat for Humanity, how their organization works and how one becomes a homeowner through Habitat. I was setting up the chop saw close by and Bossy was a little out of the circle, closer to me. She told me, “That’s enough talking, I want to start building.” Then, all of a sudden she interrupted Andrew and told him that no one is interested and that they just want to get to work. This was the beginning of our day on Tuesday.
My days usually start out before any other volunteer now that Brian and I have worked together for so long and he knows my ability. As soon as I get to the site, I am usually instructed to take down all the plywood, plug in all the batteries and set up any saws or other equipment needed for the day. He kind of runs the site and relies on me as his Assistant. It’s strange but for some reason I can’t seem to get out of the assistant role, no matter how hard I try.
Once we got set up and ready to get to work, Brian asked me to show the intern how to use the chop saw. Prior to giving her the briefing about the saw, I asked her if she felt comfortable using it and if she wanted to learn. As I expected, she said yes. All of a sudden, out of no where comes Bossy. She comes up to me and tells me that the intern can’t use the saw. She continues to tell me that she “doesn’t know how to hold a drill right and is always worried about breaking a nail.” (Did I tell you that after this work I no longer have fingernails?)
Bossy, on the other hand is (of course) an "expert." She has put in windows, renovated her house, and has a chop saw at home, so of course she was the more appropriate volunteer for the job.I was really taken-aback by how she spoke degradingly about/to the intern. Wouldn’t an executive woman want to teach and encourage a smart and talented young lady new things? Well, I did. I wanted the intern to get all the experience she wanted, so I politely told Bossy that "I’m going to let her try.”
Bossy had so many other opinions to share throughout the day--so helpful (not) that most of us just brushed them off. By midday, the intern was happily and capably chopping away on the chop saw for everyone who needed wood cut. Luckily for us, Bossy was only around "to help" for one day. Unfortunately, that also meant that was our only time with the intern. I'll bet Bossy told the folks back home that she built the Habitat House--expertly. But the intern and I'll always know the truth.
Back to work
I spent this weekend trying to catch up on work. It's only 9:30 PM here but I think I'm going to call it a night. I'll be up at 5:30 AM and ready to build by 7:00 AM.
Good Night All!
Good Night All!
Wonderful meeting new Volunteers
We have been building in New Orleans East for the past few weeks. We have been on Flake St. most of the time where there are currently 6 Habitat houses being built.
Tuesday was a very fun day (aside from dealing with Bossy :-)). I had a great time with some new volunteers, Jessie, Jim, Fee and Keegan. Jim came down with his best friend, Fee, for her birthday. Fee decided that she wanted to go and do for someone else on her birthday, so they came to NOLA. They built with an organization named “Rebuild” for one day and Habitat one day. Keegan is from Philly and aspires to be an architect. He has chosen to volunteer his time building houses in New Orleans to complete his senior project.
I enjoyed meeting and working with them all. So sad to see them go (Keegan will be here until May 20th)!
Keegan, Brian, Jessie, Jim, & Fee
Brothers of Sigma Chi
Last week we had around 300 volunteers. About 250 of them were members of Sigma Chi Fraternity (Purdue University). Brothers from Sigma Chi come out once a year to help rebuild in conjunction with Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints Quarterback, for you non-sports fans out there), who is also a member of Sigma Chi. Drew Brees was on site on Monday but was too swarmed by press for me to say hello.
Creepy Crawlers
So as I’m sure you can imagine, it is getting warmer and warmer by the day. And in the south, with that comes bugs, lots of bugs. I have yet to see a lot of mosquitoes, but the cockroaches and palmetto bugs are out in full force.
So gross!
So gross!
AmeriCorps Girls
Habitat for Humanity works with AmeriCorps in rebuilding houses. I have met a few people from AmeriCorps, but worked with three girls (Kate, Michala, and Jo (who's not pictured)) for the majority of my time here. Wish they were still here.
Miss you guys!
Kate, Me & Michala
Miss you guys!
Dangerous Streets of New Orleans
I've started writing (on my phone) as the day goes by so that I don't forget/leave anything out. It's a bit dangerous, though, if I'm texting and walking at the same time.
You see, the sidewalks in New Orleans are really dangerous. I've been told that the destruction of the streets and sidewalks is caused by shifting, with New Orleans being built on top of the water the way it is.
Adventurous Day
Monday, May 1st. It was 86 degrees with 94% humidity for the day. It was a long day, full of walking to get some errands done. It was my first trip downtown on the street car from my new place in Uptown. I walked down 2 blocks and then over 3, to get onto the street. Just before the street car took off, I thought I needed to get off as I swore we were heading the wrong direction. I asked the driver if he was headed downtown and he said yes, so we were headed the right direction after all. This just goes to show how I still have no bearing in New Orleans. Everything seems backwards to me.
Once we got to Lee Circle the street car driver announced that he could not go any farther into the city due to the inauguration of the new Mayor. We were told to catch the bus across the street and it would take us to Canal St. Once on Canal St., I went to one of the only two Starbucks (can you believe that!) in the city. After enjoying a vanilla iced doppio and doing a bit of work, I was going to head to my old apartment (which was 2 miles) to pick up a few things. I decided to walk instead of taking the bus so that I could get my workout in for the day. On my way back, I decided to take the bus as I had a few bags and it was really, really hot. I got on the bus and headed to Canal St. I met a man on the bus who was spitting poetry. I couldn’t really understand anything he was saying, but I was able to make out the end. He said, “You’re doing the right thing!”
Once I got to Canal St. I walked up 5 blocks to the street car stop. I waited but the street car never came. After about 10 minutes, a woman came by and told us that the street car was stuck about 15 blocks back due to brake problems. Not knowing how long it would take, I decided to get some more exercise, so I started walking. This time, I had two bags and my purse.
I caught the Saint Charles street car, which has windows that are always open. There is a sign that advises you to keep arms, legs, etc., inside. At one point, I was leaning a bit close to the window (though all my body parts were inside the car) and I almost got taken out by a tree branch. My instant reaction was to say “Oh shit!” I turned around in my seat to see that the gentleman behind me was reading his Bible. Just my luck!
Finally we came to Spruce St., which is my stop. I got off the street car and turned left and walked down Spruce. My place is only two blocks from St. Charles. After about the third block down, nothing looked familiar. I must have gone the wrong direction off the street car. I had to turn around and walk the 3 blocks, plus the other 2, just to get home. Though it was a very adventurous day, I was extremely happy to be home.
Once we got to Lee Circle the street car driver announced that he could not go any farther into the city due to the inauguration of the new Mayor. We were told to catch the bus across the street and it would take us to Canal St. Once on Canal St., I went to one of the only two Starbucks (can you believe that!) in the city. After enjoying a vanilla iced doppio and doing a bit of work, I was going to head to my old apartment (which was 2 miles) to pick up a few things. I decided to walk instead of taking the bus so that I could get my workout in for the day. On my way back, I decided to take the bus as I had a few bags and it was really, really hot. I got on the bus and headed to Canal St. I met a man on the bus who was spitting poetry. I couldn’t really understand anything he was saying, but I was able to make out the end. He said, “You’re doing the right thing!”
Once I got to Canal St. I walked up 5 blocks to the street car stop. I waited but the street car never came. After about 10 minutes, a woman came by and told us that the street car was stuck about 15 blocks back due to brake problems. Not knowing how long it would take, I decided to get some more exercise, so I started walking. This time, I had two bags and my purse.
I caught the Saint Charles street car, which has windows that are always open. There is a sign that advises you to keep arms, legs, etc., inside. At one point, I was leaning a bit close to the window (though all my body parts were inside the car) and I almost got taken out by a tree branch. My instant reaction was to say “Oh shit!” I turned around in my seat to see that the gentleman behind me was reading his Bible. Just my luck!
Finally we came to Spruce St., which is my stop. I got off the street car and turned left and walked down Spruce. My place is only two blocks from St. Charles. After about the third block down, nothing looked familiar. I must have gone the wrong direction off the street car. I had to turn around and walk the 3 blocks, plus the other 2, just to get home. Though it was a very adventurous day, I was extremely happy to be home.
Pretty Tired
I had an exhausting day but wanted to say goodnight. I must get some rest as I have to be up at 5:45 am. Check back tomorrow. I’m sure you won’t want to miss out on reading about the deadly sidewalks of New Orleans and my adventurous day today.
Till tomorrow, sleep tight all!
Till tomorrow, sleep tight all!
Jazz Fest 2010
On Friday I got invited to attend Jazz Fest with a new acquaintance of mine. He works for Shell (Shell is a major sponsor of Jazz Fest). Yes, this was the day after my root canal. All I wanted to do was rest my sore mouth in bed, but Aretha Franklin was performing (I figured she'd be worth getting out of bed for). When we arrived at the fair grounds, we were informed that Aretha had canceled earlier that morning. In her place would be Earth Wind and Fire. I also had a chance to see Kirk Franklin. I even did the electric slide with others in the audience.
Second Line
Kirk Franklin
I was given a ticket for Saturday, too. I saw Emma Thompson, Trombone Shorty, and Pearl Jam!
The crowd
Second Line
Earth Wind & Fire
Kirk Franklin
Emma Thompson Trombone Shorty
Pearl Jam
