Summer 2012

Five years.  I moved down to New Orleans five years ago.  And now it looks like this chapter is about to end, as I have been accepted into a phd program at the University of Utah and will begin classes in the Fall.  It's a new situation for me. Not inasmuch that I am moving on to something new, because I have moved a ton in my life, but more in the sense that I am leaving a place where I have been so long, a place where I really had built a life.  It seems ages ago that Lauren and I came cruising down here in her Volvo, never having seen the city, and excited to be a part of post-Katrina New Orleans.   It is a crude and perhaps insensitive analogy, but at the time I saw the experience as akin to a gold rush.  There was just so much happening: construction was booming, schools were being re-invented, public and private enterprise both stepped into the eery desolation of the city to create new opportunities.  All this in an atmosphere shaped by quirky yet determined locals and enthusiastic newcomers.

The city underwent many changes in my five years.

Nagin acting like a fool with guns

Changes that, for the most part, I think are in the right direction.  The new mayor is light years better than the clown who was in charge when we moved here in 2007, Ray Nagin.  But don't my word for it, just as U.S attorney Jim Letten who is charging Nagin with corruption as we speak.  During his time in office Nagin became infamous for many things.  My personal favorites are his pathetic performance after the storm when, during an interview, he screamed incoherently for leadership from the federal government when, as the mayor of the city, he was providing none; and his description of New Orleans as a "chocolate city."  His racial pandering was ironic since he was first elected as a "business" candidate supported largely by the commercial interests and only later decided he would attempt to pit the white and black communities against each other.  Current mayor Mitch Landrieu has not done much for the fire department (read: nothing), but overall he is doing a good job getting the city in order.

Neighborhoods have improved dramatically.  Places like the Bywater  and Freret were ghettoes when I moved here; now they are destinations for nights out and the hot spots for both residential and commercial investment.  The drug addicts and scumbags in Bywater have been replaced by young couples, hipsters, and gay men--an upgrade no matter which way you slice it.  And, while liberals in the Northwest might complain about gentrification, it's not their cars being stolen or their homes broken into, so I say if gentrification is another word for a neighborhood improving than sign me up.  Now, I don't want to paint too rosy a picture; the murder rate in New Orleans is the highest in the country, so there is still clearly a long way to go.  But the statistics don't necessarily indicate a general culture of violence, as the overwhelming majority of homicides take place in the ghetto and are revenge or drug fueled.  Overall, the fact that  violence is largely confined to poor areas is not a cause for celebration, however, it is laudatory that honest, hard-working New Orleanians have reclaimed some of the ghettoes.    

New walking path at City Park

Other developments are equally impressive.  Since I've been here New Orleans has been a national leader in school reform.  Dozens of schools have adopted the charter model, hoping that increased independence and accountability will lead to better education for the children.  These changes are controversial, yet it cannot be denied that test scores and GPAs have improved since Katrina.  The jury is still out whether these improvements are due to the merits of the charter school system or the increase in federal spending, but for a city that once dragged along the bottom of national achievement, it is quite an accomplishment to become a leader in experimental pedagogy while simultaneously improving public education.  Although not a "neighborhood" technically, City Park has also transformed.  After Katrina it was left fallow due to neglect and the overgrown golf courses resembled a post-apocolypitc setting of undone civilization.  Because I am an oddball who likes the outdoors I didn't mind this retreat from the urban setting, but even I can't complain about the new lake recreation area, tennis courts, and dog park--a small sample of the impressive growth at the park.  

Importantly, the city's development hasn't come at the expense of the city's unique cultural identity.  New Orleans is still an amazing, authentic place that marches to the beat of a different drummer.  Our lives here blend seamlessly with the myriad celebrations such as Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, and in addition to these two major festivals, various smaller events provide the timeline for the passing years.  Instead of referencing months, as is common in most cities, it is common in New Orleans to hear, "I began working here around White Linen Night" or "We got divorced last year during the Crawfish Festival."  A major part of these traditional events in modern New Orleans are Sundays watching the Saints.  For almost the entire history of the franchise before the storm the Saints were terrible.  It is common knowledge here that some fans would wear paper bags on their heads when they went to games because they were so embarrassed by the team.  With Drew Brees at quarterback and Sean Payton calling the shots the Saints have skyrocketed to become an elite team, and even won the Superbowl in 2009.  The city partied hard that night and continued to do so for basically the whole next year.  I actually worked the night of the game, though, because my buddy from here basically asked me with tears his eyes to work that shift for him because, "Dude, sniff, sniff, I might have to quit the job. I've been a Saints fan my entire life and can't miss this."  

Bourbon Street after the Superbowl

The Saints are a relatively new tradition in an atypically historical American city.  Founded before the United States became a country, the past is alive here like it is in Europe, and that, I think, is what causes people to say they feel like they're not in America when they visit.  Examples of this are found in the architecture, traditional cuisine, pre-automoblie urban layout, and the cultural events that have lasted been taking place for generations.  Because there is such a strong, historically grounded and authentic culture here, New Orleans has not been impacted by the national trends toward chain restaurants and strip malls.  In fact, that is one of the most impressive aspects of the city; the majority of businesses here are independently owned and operated.  It is pleasant to patronize these places, as the goods and services tend to be of a high quality and shaped by the efforts of a local entrepreneur.

Fire in Uptown

My own experience in New Orleans has taken place in the context of all this history and tradition, and I have enjoyed integrating the New Orleanian way of life with my own interests.  Probably the biggest change has been that I drink more.  A lot more.  The city's innumerable events are all lubricated with Abita beers and cocktails.  Some of my favorite activities have been crawfish boils  and grilling oysters.    These are traditional, local dishes that come seasonally.  Oh, and I can't forget snowballs.  Getting a snowball from Hansen's during the summer is a sublime experience.  When not eating or drinking I have enjoyed learning how to play tennis and chilling out on the levy by Audubon Park.  Fortunately, I will still be able to play tennis after I leave, but sunsets at the levy and the great food can't come with me, so that's a bummer.  But perhaps the biggest thing I am leaving behind is the job and my friends I have made there.  Working for the NOFD has been amazing.  The adventure of fighting fires and the good feeling of providing care on meaningful medical calls makes it the best job I could imagine.  I did put in for unpaid leave, so maybe they will let me return after my studies, but who knows?  Right now I can just hope that the remorse I feel at leaving behind a great career will be buried under the knee deep snow at Snowbird.

Amy & John's wedding

Ping-pong at home

Chicken Coop

Beginning of Mardi Gras

Grilled Oysters

Jazz Fest with Nikki 

Goofing off at fire house.

My Captain's tats.  Only in New Orleans.

Master's graduation

Crawfish at the fire house.

Fall 2009

Well, I suppose the biggest thing that happened to me this year was turning thirty. How's thirty? Not as good as twenty. Almost immediately after my birthday God decided to demonstrate to me the unique joys of getting older by subjecting me to a series of injuries. Thanks, big fella. First my knee, then my foot, and to round things out, my shoulder all began to fail me. My invincible youth is now officially over. I curse fast drivers, complain about today's youth, and take naps. Well, at least it's been a good run.

On the professional level, I have moved from working with kids to working with fire. Kids are harder. Now I work for the New Orleans Fire Department as a fire-fighter. In the past I have worked in wildland firefighting, but this is very different. For one, there is a lot of downtime. During this time I wash dishes or go over the truck. Maybe take the aforementioned nap. When we get a fire, however, it is much more technical. Because structures are involved, the visibility is very low and there are more hazards. In wildland fire, even though the fire is much, much larger, the open air allows a less intense experience. All in all, I really enjoy the job.

Still in graduate school as well. My thesis is coming together as well as can be expected. At times I am really excited about the subject, and other times I feel overwhelmed by the complexities. Basically, I am still writing on urban parks and their role in the transition from Victorian to Progressive America. While this seems to be a pretty narrow focus, I found myself compelled to study a wide range of topics in order to truly understand the process. I should be done with the program by June. In addition to the classes I also picked up a gig as a graduate assistant. Mainly that means grading papers. The extra money and the experience have been great.

2009 has been a big year for my family. In early November my sister Whitney and her husband John welcomed Marnie Jean Hupf to the world.(Get a kick out of my sister with her blackberry moments after giving birth. What is the world coming to ?) My brother Peter graduated from business school at the University of Washington. And my twin brother Thomas graduated from law school and has moved to China to be a lawyer. Lauren is still saving the world through her work in non-profit.

Merry Christmas to you, dear reader, and your family. As for me, all I want for Christmas is the Saints to win the Superbowl. Who Dat!

Fall 2008

Another successful season of Big Easy livin'. This Fall was ushered in by my marriage proposal to Lauren in Audubon Park. The park was designed by John Olmsted during the City Beautiful era of the early 1900's. Olmsted also designed the park I played in as a child and the campus for my university, UW. So I guess I owe that guy. I spent a lot of time picking out the ring, but realized just as I was about to propose that I hadn't thought of what exactly I was going to say. Fortunately I had seen enough movies to have a rough idea. With the fateful words "Here goes nothing" I turned the corner from my bachelor days.

A few weeks after the proposal Hurricane Gustav hit New Orleans. This was our first major hurricane, and we tried to be prepared. Because the city is pancake flat, there was no place to put our second car in case of evacuation. Eventually I paid to park on the fourth floor of a parking garage downtown. Also, we were moving apartments at exactly the same time as we were preparing to evacuate. This means moving all the furniture over and then carrying it up to the second floor to protect from flooding. What a pain.

Gustav

Lauren's father researched good information about hurricane-formation. It appears that the strength of hurricanes is largely determined by the length of its time over hot water. The temperature of the Gulf of Mexico can be measured and so it is possible to roughly predict how strong a hurricane will be as it comes to land. Because pollution from the Mississippi has caused a dead-zone in the Gulf, the average temperature has been increasing over the years.

Where a hurricane lands is also becoming more of a science than an art. Data from the National Hurricane Center shows that, more or less, meteorologists can determine where a hurricane will land by a ratio of 50 miles per day. In other words, if the hurricane is two days away they can determine its landing location with a margin of error of 100 miles; if the hurricane is three days away it can be predicted with a 150 mile margin of error. As for Gustav, I didn't want to leave. But since I live with one woman, two cats, and a lizard I was outnumbered and I took my place in the 13-hour traffic jam out of the city.

School began just before the hurricane and ended just a couple of days ago--that's how I finally have time to update this blog. It was a great semester. Coming from the North I didn't learn much about slavery in school. Now I feel that American history can't be understood with taking into account the role of slavery on the economy and culture. I also studied urban history and American history from 1890-1940. Forgive me if I don't go into too much detail on my subjects as I have just finished finals and the thought of writing about them makes me ill. So, upward on onward.

Tennis and racquetball have been my two biggest sports this fall. This is largely by default as the basketball gym at UNO is still under repairs from Katrina. I know, I know it has been three years, but this is New Orleans and things get done when things get done--if they ever get done. I love both of my new sports. The only thing is that they might be too similar. The swing for both sports is distinct and I find myself using a racquetball swing on the tennis court and getting into trouble. But I suppose if that is my biggest problem life is going pretty good. And it is.

Oh, I almost forgot. We took an incredible trip this Fall to Corsica, France. I have been to some beautiful places, and this island is something special. There seems to be the perfect balance between nature and civilization. The hotel we stayed at was made by stones in the 1700's and used to be a goat-herder's home. Along the skyline was visible remnants of fortifications built during the Napoleonic Wars. We had this opportunity because Lauren's sister, Lisa, was getting married on the island. It was an incredible wedding. For any wannabe romantics out there, put Corsica high on the list.

As we head into winter, Christmas is on the mind. Here is my Christmas wish-list for everyone who is just dying to get me that perfect gift:

A's in all my classes
Clay Bennett mistakenly walking into a bar where I've been drinking
The ability to fly

Summer 2008

The end of the school year brought on a new chapter in my New Orleans experience. I wasn't returning to work at ISL the next year so my summer started with a job search. In the end I chose to work for Kaplan Test Prep. It should be a fun and stimulating way to earn some bucks.

There was a lot that happened this summer. On the family side of things we went to visit Seattle. My niece and nephews are getting so big. The boys demonstrated their bravery by licking the trees in the public park. Was I supposed to have stopped that? Also, my cousin Sam came down to visit and we had a great time playing sports, watching the olympics, and getting scared by alligators.

Athletically, I picked up a new sport. Right in the midst of learning tennis I was persuaded to try racquetball. This sport had always repelled me in the past. It just reeked of middle-aged men sweating their fat asses off. That coupled with the attire of headbands and protective goggles was enough to count me out. But, good sport that I am, I agreed to play with my friend Devin once. Well, I love it. I don't think we have played tennis since.

I am still not that good but I enjoy the fast pace of the game. It looks like I am becoming "Sweaty Old Guy Playing Racquetball." I already am the the guy at the basketball court with too short of shorts. Like me, my cousin Sam also really likes racquetball. Not like me, he is pretty good at it. He came to visit and we enjoyed canoeing and watching the Olympics.

What else? I finished watching the Sopranos series. I am embarrassed that I watched that much television, but it was pretty good. That and we welcomed yet another pet into the house, Selah. So we are now a happy family of two people, two cats, and a lizard.

The summer wrapped up with a visit from Gustav. That stupid gust of wind caused me to miss the second week of school and haul way too much furniture up to the second floor. So here we are, in Fall. I wish I had more details to write about the summer but, truth be told, the Louisiana heat melted my memory.

Hornets Fever

May was dominated by Hornets basketball. Several nights a week were dedicated to watching their games. I was lucky enough to attend most of the home games because my neighbor and buddy, Erik, works for the team. For the away games I saddled up at a nearby bar with some buddies. The playoff run was incredible and although we eventually lost to the despicable Spurs, I think the team has a bright future with Chris Paul at the helm.

It was funny for me to find myself becoming a Hornets fan. Since the glory days of Ricky Pierce I have bled the green and gold of the Sonics, but the new ownership and their impending move to Oklahoma City has really soured that loyalty. I suppose having tickets to see the Hornets live helped ease the transition; it was fun to watch the season progress from nearly deserted stands to a screaming sea of orange during the playoffs. Like everything in the Big Easy, going to games is mellow. I can drive from my house and park in my secret spot near the arena in about 10 minutes.

On May 27th I turned twenty-nine. To celebrate, Lauren took me on a fun trip to Pensacola. The beaches here are miles long of white sand and are home to some decent surf. The town itself was a funny mix of beach and hick culture. Picture a good ol' boy in cut-off jean shorts and a camaflouge hat. Now picture him with sandals, Oakleys, and a surfboard. We passed our time here playing miniature golf, racing go-carts and eating at Cracker Barrel.

To wrap up the month, let me introduce you to Ignatius, our new cat. He is black and white and about two months old. My old cat, Killer, was the greatest cat that ever lived, so Iggy has some big shoes to fill. So far, he gains points for being funny and running around the house. But he loses points for waking me up in the middle of the night by scratching me in the face and then running off.

Spring Break and...School?

It's not a good sign when you have to ask yourself, "Okay. What did I do this month?" Unfortunately, my lack of vivid mental images from the month stem from stupidity and not an abundance of nights on the town. And, after a moment of recollection, some important things did happen in April.

I went down to Los Angeles and visited family during Spring break. It had been a while since I had seen my uncle Paul and the gang, so that was great. The highlight was seeing my cousin Jenny ride an orca during a show at Sea World--undoubtedly the coolest job in the world.

My gramma and my cousin Sam also flew down, making this a relatively large family event for us. My gramma has always been independent and bright; she earned a degree in chemistry in an era where serious analytic thinking was regarded as men's territory. Now in her eighties, she is still sharp. Sam and I have always been close friends and we spent our time at the driving range and shooting range goofin' around with uncle Paul.

In addition to the family-time, I made some headway this month on the academics front. I got accepted to the Master's of History program at the University of New Orleans. The school is small, local and seems like the perfect fit. As I did research on the school I learned that the current professors are pretty legit and that there is an excellent pedigree at the school: American History icon Stephen Ambrose taught here. So, needless to say, I am pretty stoked. It has been a few years since the ol' UW and I'm feeling ready to hit the books again. Go Privateers!

Indians, Fish, and Clinton

March has been an eventful month for us. We have both been busy with work and, as always, interesting things have been happening in the city. One of the highlights was the Mardi Gras Indian's "Super Sunday" parade. The Mardi Gras Indians are groups of black people dressed in elaborate costumes in honor of the refuge local Indian tribes offered runaway slaves in the 1700's. Originally these events were violent affairs, a time to establish dominance and territory. Today the confrontation is largely limited to verbal exchanges and competition to see who has the best suit. This tradition is a colorful part of New Orleans's unique cultural heritage.

If you are going to live in New Orleans, you gotta eat crawfish. Lots of 'em. My buddy Devin and I have been feasting on pounds of the little lobster look-alikes. The first step to eating crawfish is learning how to do it. First, you grab the body. Second, you twist the tail off. Third, you pinch the meat out of the tail. Last, you suck the juice out of the head (optional). This ritualized feast is usually accompanied by potatoes, corn, garlic, and/or beans and rice. I am lucky enough to live within walking distance of two crawfish joints: Captain Sal's and The Big Fisherman. If you are planning on coming down to visit, you just might want to time your arrival with crawfish season.

Bill Clinton came to town to continue the development of the Clinton Global Initiative. This organization strives to encourage effective philanthropy. His latest book "Giving" can be seen as a manifesto of Clinton's vision for non-governmental activism. Clinton thinks private citizens are now in a position to enact change regardless of the current political climate. He is right, of course. Social change has historically been enacted largely through individuals outside government, and the technology of today allows us greater opportunity to get informed about and participate in activism around the world.

We had great seats to see him speak. The tickets were free and there weren't any lines; Saint Paddy's day was the top draw that Saturday. Amazingly, there were no security checks. What's with that? Anyway, Clinton was not as good a speaker as I had anticipated. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but there has been a legacy of charisma and eloquence associated with him that led me to this expectation. He did well with the talking points but floundered when he attempted to bring in disparate subjects such as psychology, history, and science to support his message. My hope is that he was preoccupied with not saying anything controversial to upset his wife's presidential bid.

Jean Lafitte National Park

This past weekend Lauren and I went to the Barataria preserve. It is located about a half-hour out of town and is part of the Jean Lafitte national park. There are close to 20,000 acres to explore by foot or canoe and the wildlife is incredible.

During two hours of easy walking we encountered 6-7 alligators, 5 large snakes, several snapping turtles, sturgeons, and innumerable lizards. It was surreal. In all my experiences in the wilderness of the West, I have never been surrounded by such an abundance of wildlife. Although I was nervous about the prospect of encountering alligators, their lethargic attitude put me at ease. I am hoping to rent a canoe soon and explore the areas' waterways.

The park has an interesting history, too. Jean Lafitte was a pirate during the early 1800's. He prospered as a smuggler of goods and slaves. Bayous in what is now the Barataria preserve were his primary routes of transport. His skill and knowledge of the area made it impossible for the government to capture him and he acquired prominent notoriety.

This reputation is complicated with a closer look at the era. President Thomas Jefferson passed an Embargo Act that prohibited trade in 1807. The economy suffered mightily and many smugglers insisted that they were honest businessman forced into an unlawful position through poor governance. Indeed, Jefferson later acknowledged that the embargo had been a bad idea.

Lafitte added further intrigue to his reputation with his actions in the War of 1812. The English offered him significant money for his assistance, but he warned the Americans instead. The army was skeptical and went forward with an attack against his camp. Eventually General Andrew Jackson accepted Lafitte's assistance and his crew's performance at Chalmette was integral to the victory in this decisive battle. Today he is remembered as a mysterious legend. His disjointed legacy as a patriot/pirate is appreciated enough to, well, to name a national park after.

Mardi Gras

Copious ammounts of urine and vomit. Fights. Semi-naked girls and alcoholism in the air. This is the image I was dreading/aniticipating(I'm not gonna say which) before experiencing my first mardi gras. The reality was much different.

We live right off St. Charles, so that means we were basically surrounded by parades for a week straight. All attempts to navigate through the city required a map, a schedule of parades, and we still got stuck in horrible traffic. It appears the best mardi gras strategy for living in Uptown is to buy groceries early and just ride the wave. Consider that week a break from the world. So, what was it like being so close to the parade routes? Pretty mellow.

Our experience at the parades was similar to going to a County Fair. The majority of the people around us were with their families and the atmosphere was friendly. At night it became more wild, but the alcohol consumption still was similar to being at a concert. Now, we didn't go to Bourbon St. Maybe down there all hell broke loose. But I don't really understand how Bourbon St. became associated with mardi gras in the first place; none of the parades go in that direction.

We also celebrated Lauren's 30th birthday. One of her good friends from Seattle, Brooke, was in town. We did the usual dinner and presents but the agreed upon highlight was witnessing a girl-fight in the mall that required police intervention. And, to save the the best for the last, I want to introduce the newest member of our family........

My new chameleon Claudia. This most excellent specimen of nature's creativity has rotating eyes, changes colors, and can shoot her tongue out to catch her food. They say man was made in God's image, but don't you think if you were God you would be able to change colors? Welcome Claudia!

Christmas

My twin brother Thomas and my mom came down to visit us over Christmas. It was really nice to have them here. Thomas gave me a timer for chess, something that-lame as it sounds-is something I've always wanted. My mom gave me...well, my mom tried to dress me up as a sixty-something golfer. Nothing says "I love you" like a Rodney Dangerfield outfit. Lauren got me, in an amazing coincidence, a very nice chess set. Well, I could go on and on about my gifts but I hear that for some people Christmas isn't all about presents. Different strokes, I suppose.

This is a picture of my mom in her new shades. Pretty stylish for 37, huh?














This is my mom, Tom, and Lauren standing at the sight of "Make it Right". This is an artistic fund-raising and development effort by Brad Pitt to rebuild communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. If you see how little has been done in the last two years, it will break your heart.

Only in New Orleans

Right now Lauren and I are both fairly busy. I have signed up for the GRE's at the beginning of January, and studying for that has replaced blogging as my way to waste time. That said, a lot of interesting things are going on in the city that I wanted to share with my family and friends back home.

During a drive through the city the other day Lauren and I noticed that there was a multitude of tents camped out on a city park. Unsure what to make of it, we passed it off as one of the many idiosyncracies of the city. Well, it turns out that this "tent city" is a home of sorts for hundreds of homeless people. Due to the destruction of many affordable housing units during the storm and a dramatic increase in rent prices after, homelessness has skyrocketed. This modern day Hooverville is located right across the street from the mayor in city hall, in a poetic "f*&k you". This story was covered by the NY Times Here.

To add another wrinkle to the homeless situation, the city council is in the process of approving the demolition of four major low-income projects. These are units that are subsidized by the the state and/or city to provide homes for the poor. This juxtaposition of destroying homes alongside rampant homelessness has sparked an intense public protest movement that has included threats to destroy private condos if the subsidized homes are destroyed. CNN has this story, too. Here.


In addition to the tension over the projects, a local scandal over waste management has erupted. Is nothing sacred? The city council hired five companies to fulfill contracts covering designated areas of the city. Well, two of these companies are going to be reviewed for not doing their job properly. Sounds simple enough. But the heads of these two companies are black, so there has been charges of racism and some of the leadership that was present at Jena has threatened action. Racial politics is everywhere here.

The situations are not black and white(pun intended). I do not believe there is blatant racism or predjudice being exercised by the city council. While it is true the projects are being destroyed, they are being replaced with progressive urban planning. The new multi-income units are designed to better integrate different communities in the city.

With the trash situation, it appears that the owners have not been performing their jobs and should be replaced. They argue that the ammount of trash produced is dramatically more than a standard contract because of the reconstruction of so many homes. I was convinced they had a valid excuse, until I read that they are being paid three times more than the average contract. You aren't being paid more to do the same job.

Anyway, all these topics are the talk of the town. It is the first time for me that local politics has seemed so raw and emotional. Just another side of living here. Only in New Orleans.

Meet the Neighbors

After a long day I walked in the door of my apartment and thought "finally, I'm home". And then it hit me: wow, I consider this my home now. During years of 6-month plans, I always had the underlying understanding that the place where I slept was temporary. Now, for the first time in a long time, I am rooted. A big part of this feeling comes from our apartment. At first I wasn't even interested in looking at the place (the rent was too high), but Lauren convinced me to at least give it a chance. We both fell in love with it right away. Currently, the furnishing is sparce. This is primarily because we both like to shop at IKEA and the nearest store is located in Houston. "We'll go next weekend" has been our mantra for the past two months. In the photo, our apartment is located in the upper left.

Another big part of New Orleans becoming home has been our friends. We have been very fortunate to meet some really great people in such a short time. Megan and Amy are sisters from Seattle, WA. Lauren knew them from back home and remained friends with them even after they moved down here a couple of years ago. We stayed at their place for a bit when we first moved. It was the perfect start to our time here. Megan showed us the sights and we would chill and play board games at night. Interesting people on their own, they also form a dynamic duo.

Devin is a friend of mine from work. He is a recent transplant from South Carolina who is great at getting the most out of his experience here. It seems every time I talk with him he is at a Gumbo festival, Gospel performance, or some typically New Orleanian event. In this photo, Devin is showing off his "red beans and rice" Halloween costume.



We also are lucky enough to have become friends with the other people in our building. Our landlord, Jack, is an architect by trade. He has been very nice in introducing us to his friends and making us feel welcome here. Our neighbor Brooke is a lawyer here who has two dogs, Lucky and Brady, that we watch sometimes and are both really fond of. She and Lauren often go on morning runs while I am still sound asleep. We had an impromptu dinner party the other night and all our friends showed up. Literally. In the picture are (seated left to right): Brooke, Lauren, Jack, Devin, Megan, and Amy.

Settling In

Wow. The weather in New Orleans mirrors the culture. There is none of the melancholy "drink coffee or kill yourself drizzle" of Seattle here. Instead, like a Baptist choir, God let's his presence be known through dramatic bouts of intense heat and unbelievable downpours. The picture above was taken from my balcony and the river seen is the street in front of my house. People routinely have their cars flooded and have to just buy new ones. I am in the honeymoon phase of my time here and still enjoy these storms.

Every Sunday in October you can go to Louisiana's Maximum Security prison to see the famous Angola rodeo. Having been to some rodeos in Montana, it is safe to say the horsemanship and overall cowboy skills are not what the crowd comes to see here. Instead, the attraction seems to be watching men with nothing to lose risking their lives for a shot at glory.

The events are comical, and the danger is high. My favorite was when they released a bull with a coin tied to his forehead and then announced that any convict who could grab the coin would be rewarded with five hundred dollars. Dozens of prisoners went toe-to-toe with the bull, with several taking bone-crushing hits. When one of the men got crushed early in the competition, a concerned silence fell over the crowd. Within moments, the announcer hollered "How about them LSU Tigers!" and the spectators roared with approval.

This city is cool. It seems there is always something going on. From rodeos to concerts to film festivals, even this home-body finds himself leaving the cozy confines of home. We are both starting to make some friends here.(Well, I have ONE) The next blog will post some of their pictures. The biggest news, for me at least, is that we recently joined the gym here at Tulane. After over a month of inactivity, this access to tennis, basketball and swimming is a much-needed outlet.

I've tried to carve a personal niche for myself in this city, while remaining open to new things. So far, I have probably erred on the side of doing what comes naturally; reading, sports, etc., but hope to explore other aspects of the city soon. It appears that unless an effort is made, it is quite easy to get tracked into a lifestlye here largely dictated by wealth and race. For living in a city of over 70% blacks, I find myself largely surrounded by whites. And while I don't see myself joining a brass band or dancing to Soulja' Boy anytime soon, it wouldn't hurt to get a little more soul in my step.

Hello Big Easy

Although we have been here only about a month, it feels like a whole lot has happened. I began work at the International School of Louisiana towards the end of August. It is an interesting place to work due to its international flavor. The staff is a blend of French and South American teachers and each student is taught in either French or Spanish. The major challenge seems to be the building's infrastructure. Built in the 1920's, there are major renovations needed to get even the basic facilities covered. The staff is a blend of French and South American teachers. Things have been going pretty well except for one thing: the little kids. On an individual basis, they are charming, but I wouldn't wish a class full of 8 year-olds on my worst enemy(Elton John). I might have made a huge mistake.

Lauren is working with New Leaders for New Schools. They are a non-profit agency that recruits principals to work in poorly performing urban schools. It seems like New Orleans is a great place to be for work in education reform. Before the storm, the public school system here was among the worst in the nation. A silver lining of Katrina's devastation is the tremendous attention now being placed on improving that sad demographic.

The city was a bit intimidating at first. When we drove in on the first night, I felt like I was arriving on the set of Boyz in the Hood. Bizarrely, down the block from the group of kids drinking malt liquor were some amazing old French colonial style homes. As we got our bearings on the city, that trend seemed to continue. The dangerous parts of the city and the wealthy areas are sometimes separated by a single street. The nieghborhood we live in is walking distance from the store, restraunts and pubs. And it is safe. Weird. Describing neighborhoods in the U.S as safe has never occured to me before, but that's how it is here. When you look for a place on Craig's list or whatever, the word "safe" is all over. This, of course, implies that there are plenty of places that are not safe. So far, we have heard stories but have not felt threatened in any way ourselves.

The food is as good as they say it is. I have eaten more pork products and barbeque sauce in the last month than in the rest of my life combined. And the nightlife is great. There really seems to be a "come as your are" mentality that results in bikers and gangsters sharing drinks with yuppies and hippies. Definitely more enjoyable than the "scene" atmosphere I encountered in Seattle. In addition to the food and bars, the idea of New Orleans as a foriegn country emreged in our many talks before we arrived. In a way I can see what they mean, there is a culture here that reminds me of my time in the Caribbean. This is shown in the style of the dress, warm smiles, semi-legal establishments and a general lack of modernity. Although it is hard for me to express in words, I think of the "modern" world consisting of autonomous people efficiently interacting within a framework of legal and moral authority. Here, it is all about who you know and what corners can be cut to best serve yourself and your friends. If there is a problem, either you have friends in powerful places, or you're stuck. Now, of course this description is far too black-and-white, but it gives a glimpse into the idiosyncracies of this unique city.

Katrina devastated certain areas of the city and left others relatively unscathed. Unfortunately, but perhaps predictably, the wealthier neighborhoods were situated on higher ground and therefore the damage was not evenly distributed. For instance, the lower ninth ward, which was heavily publicized during the storm, is virtually destroyed. Still, two years later, the area has seen little improvement. In fact, Gorbachev was recently in the area and declared that if there wasn't change soon, he would help lead a revolution. The area we live in was looted after the storm, but is structurally sound.

Overall, we are still very stoked to have chosen New Orleans as our home. We are slowly furnishing our apartment and are now waiting for our first guests, my mom and twin brother are coming down for Christmas. Not too long after, our friend Jenn will be coming for Mardi Gras. We won't be here forever, so hop on the New Orleans train while you can!