It’s a shame I never got to visit New Orleans before Katrina, it’s a really cool city. Granted, I never made it further than the French Quarter, but I still had a fun time. I left Lake Orion Sunday morning and drove until about 11 PM, stopping for dinner at Cracker Barrel in Nashville, TN. Imagine, a vegetarian in a Cracker Barrel! I basically just ate side dishes, but it always seems necessary to stop there on a trip down South.
I made it to the Trinity Christian Community Monday afternoon, where I got settled and did some outside work till dark. I became acquainted with the workers there, then I went down to Decatur St. via streetcar to do some exploring. I couldn’t stay out too late so I went to The Corner on the Square and had fried pickles and red beans and rice and watched the Packers and Seahawks slip around in a snowstorm on Monday Night Football. I was the only customer in there so I didn’t stay very long. But I was advised by a TCC staff member to try the Red Beans and Rice, seeing as how it was Monday. I also noticed fried pickles on the menu and knew I had to partake. Yes, they were delicious, as you might’ve guessed already.
The next morning I met the rest of the “crew” (3 Americorps’ workers) and we helped paint the inside of Ms. Beverly’s house. Not too long of a day, 8 to 5 with an hour break for lunch. That night I went with them to a youth group meeting at their church, where they had various activities planned for the children. Another early night.
Wednesday-Friday morning we worked on gutting a house that had previously been full of water (8 feet I believe). We ripped out all the walls and ceilings, leaving the studs and obviously the floor. It was really a big house. I mean, it was one level but it went two rooms across by three large rooms back. We more or less started in the back and proceeded to the front, hauling all the walls out after we tore them down. We took out everything, counters, cupboards, showers, railings, everything. Thursday morning, before we got started, I walked around the Hollygrove neighborhood that we were working in and took pictures of some houses that were left either abandoned or had the families staying in trailers provided finally by FEMA. I never made it to the Ninth Ward, but from what I was told by different people, it was devastated. That day I ended up going into the attic to knock the remaining drywall down from the ceiling joists. Although it was stifling hot up there in the heat and dust and with my gas mask on, I was still having fun bashing the ceiling in.
Wednesday night I checked out an awesome movie, Deja Vu (which was the first film made in New Orleans post-Katrina), and just drove around getting a feel for the outer-area of NOLA. The last night I was there, Erin, an Americorps’ worker, and I went down to tour the French Quarter a little more. There I was able to see the Moonwalk, Bourbon St., Cafe Du Monde, and had a Huge Ass Beer while we walked around. We spoke with a Pakistani shop owner who gave us an account of his experience during the storm. As we were walking in the rain along the Moonwalk, I spotted a twenty-dollar bill just laying there. I picked it up and asked Erin if she wanted to split it but she said it was Karma that I found it.
One half day of work on Friday and we all went out for lunch at Lebanon’s, a great Mediterranean restaurant on Carrolton St. Then it was time for me to say goodbye. I left that afternoon and drove to Shreveport to meet my friend curstkate for dinner.
After dinner, we stopped and got some coffee and then it was off I went, stopping in Hope, AR (Clinton’s Birthplace) for the night. I had an outstanding time the whole week, and a horrible fucking time driving back Saturday. But I made it, and I’m glad I made the trip. Too bad I wasn’t able to stay and go to a Saints’ game. They had such an amazing year! Good for them, and good for New Orleans, a great city to visit.
