Rebuilding the Gulf Coast

What is New Orleans like Post-K?

2008-06-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

I love that he "can't" answer the questions... but the answer he gives is that much better.

So how do I feel about New Orleans post-K?
It was a gift from heaven.
A gift of truth.
A vision of community so vested in each other that material things mattered noticeably less, & there was that glint in the eyes of complete strangers that told you they were strangers no more.

Life goes on.
New Orleans goes on.
It lives and breathes like a leviathan in the swamp.
Old worldly, decidedly unsober, mannered in it’s own lingo, beautiful, decrepit and wildly free.
I strongly suggest a visit after you get settled in. Let’s meet for coffee, an afternoon snack, an evening cocktail and some late night drinking.
All in a row.
Bring back up, a bible, an airplane bag or whatever puts you at ease.
Let me be one of the many who will graciously introduce you to the most Beautiful Drunken Whore of a City that ever Saved Your Soul.

Just be prepared.
To fall in love with her, that is.
Your gonna be one of us now.
Welcome home, darlin.
We been waiting…

Lord David
Pirate & Artist
Skull Club
New Orleans

Post Katrina Video

2008-05-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

This makes me want to get working on editing a film from the rest of my footage!

If you don't really get why I love NOLA...

2008-02-26T11:27:00.001-08:00

Read this. I love Susanna's description:

You know, I've lived in self-absorbed places (Washington, D.C., New York City, Seattle), but New Orleans is the only one that justifies that world view. I spent a week volunteering in the city at the end of January -- my first time visiting since I was a teenager. New Orleans is a magic place.

I shed my Seattle shell like a fleece jacket and connected with an extroverted version of myself I'd nearly forgotten. The pictures from my trip radiate tiredness and joy. Sure there are problems, but it's a city so what do you expect? That's part of life. I am indeed forever changed by my time in the Crescent City and yeah, I'll be back. Thank you, New Orleans.

great find

2008-02-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

connecting my passions

thank you Susanna!

Video One

2008-02-05T22:28:00.001-08:00

Susanna's Post

2008-01-30T14:10:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of really amazing posts that the team has been adding to the Seattle Works blog. I just read Susanna's and it moved me. As did Bryan's the other night.

They have both put into words what I haven't had a chance to process yet. I'm honored to read their reflections. What an amazing group of people.

Flickr Set

2008-01-29T23:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to my flickr set. I'm having issues with the image sizes, so I'll probably have to upload them all again, but it is late and I don't feel like it.

Seeing New Orleans through new eyes.

2008-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

I've been to New Orleans. At least twice before Katrina. Once when I was in 9th grade or so. Once during college.

I've been to New Orleans. Three times since Katrina. Once briefly before spending time in Biloxi. Once in the muggy middle of summer. And once, just now.

I know her. I've heard her music, echoing through the alleys off Bourbon Street. Past the tourists. Past the locals. Past the voodoo shops and gumbo shops. Down Frenchmen. Beyond the French Quarter.

Her song is sad. When you listen closely, it weighs heavily on your heart. You can't ignore the beauty. You can't stop listening.

She lingers in your mind. The song gets stuck. Like the jingle to a commercial. Like a grade school crush. You'd write her name over and over, with hearts and plus signs. Carved out on Magnolia trees.

I've seen her, but seeing her through their eyes - brings her back again. I can't seem to answer the simple questions right away. Because I've been with her before. But I keep going back. Just wanting to tell her story once more. Wanting people to understand why she cries. Still. Two and a half years later.

Katrina was a bitch. No one questions that. But New Orleans is the most complicated woman in the world. You want to save her, even though she's drowning in her own mess of tears. She never quite learned to swim, but you can blame the Army Corps of Engineers for that. And lousy leaders. Some people say she needs to just drown. You can't save her.

But try telling that to someone who is in love.

New Orleans sways her hips to hip hop, jazz, spoken word, hurricanes, Abita brews, beads, remnants of brothels, rollings sidewalks and lingering notes of legends. She spins in circles when the wind blows. She breathes it in, bursting at her seems.

She is as strong as she is weak. She is falling, slowly, softly. She is full of grace. She is dirty. She is beautiful.

Back - and now the real blogging shall begin!

2008-01-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, I didn't blog too much while I was in New Orleans this time. It was a combination of things, but mostly, once I got behind, I didn't want to take the time catching up - not if it meant missing things while we were there. And it seemed like there was ALWAYS something to do with this group! I have a ton to write, but I decided to just do it in bits retroactively as I process my experience.

The other thing is I decided to really focus on using my flip and documenting a lot of the trip through that medium. I edited some things from the first day and a half and I was thrilled with what I saw. But it also means a huge time investment in the coming weeks as I make a series of short videos with soundtracks, photos, etc. about our experience. I have lots of ideas for themes - Carver Elementary, Mardi Gras Parades, Food!, Having Fun, Sightseeing, Rebulding Together... and it'll be easy to create a soundtrack to it all because New Orleans is amazing when it comes to music. Simply. Amazing.

So, expect a lot of posts now as I begin to reflect. I'll also link to things like this Sheryl Crow video that Trish found. Full of NOLA references:

Nora

2008-01-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

By the way - if you want a more well-rounded perspective, Nora is also blogging.

Sunday

2008-01-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

Today we had a full day off, before we get started volunteering. We all had different experiences - most of us at least went to Cafe du Monde for some beignettes and cafe au lait.

A large group of us left our base pretty "early" (10:00 - it took awhile for us all to gather together)... Our base, by the way, is in a great location - right off Magazine Street, on Napoleon and Camp. Great location. I make the analogy that Bourbon Street is to Magazine Street what Pioneer Square is to Ballard or Capitol Hill or Georgetown. Capiche?

Anywho - we had grandious ambitions of eating at Petunia's, but the line was ridonkulous. So we kept walking towards the river and asked a concierge where we should go. He recommended we go to Johnny's. Talk about great cheap eats. I had grits with butter, a biscuit sandwich with sausage, egg and a tea for $7. All included. Nice.

After breakfast we walked down by the riverfront and then around Jackson Square. I bought a really neat gift for someone special... :-)

Then we waited and consumed goods from Cafe du Monde before catching a cab to Magazine Street. We tried to go to Dirty Coast, but they were closed on Sundays. So we moseyed along for the mile or so back to Napoleon.

Right as we were approaching our place, we ran into a random little parade! Here is a clip from it:

By the way, I'm working on a much more elaborate video with music and stuff from our first day and a half. I just need to get my hands on the perfect song or two to edit it with. It'll be slow and maybe even a tad boring - but fun, nonetheless.

We're here

2008-01-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

Travel went smoothly yesterday. We went through LAX and the sunshine tempted people in the group to go outside, but no one wanted to have to deal with getting through security again. Sixteen people is a large group. We are 75% female - just 4 guys in the group. I have a really great feeling about this group - which is fantastic with this many people.

We did have one little mishap in taking the shuttle from the airport to HONO. We accidentally went to their corporate offices, and not where we actually wanted to be. Oooops. Our driver made one helluva tip. We did take him to the opposite side of town.

Last night our group wandered through the French Quarter. There was a Mardi Gras parade going on, which I managed to miss altogether. We stopped at the Absinthe Bar on Bourbon, ate at the Gumbo Shop, and went back to the Absinthe Bar. Some other folks went to Pat O'Brien's (and I'm sure several other places.) True Madri Gras spirit was happening - beads were flying and the masses were walking Bourbon with their tall fruity drinks - grenades and hurricanes. I stuck to some Abita brew.

Food at the Gumbo Shop was excellent. I have some great little video clips I will try to upload later today. Right now we're going to try to find a good spot for breakfast!

USA Today article

2008-01-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

Interesting article on volunteerism in the Gulf Coast.

The Breach

2008-01-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

I went with some friends last night to see the Seattle Rep's production of The Breach. Susanna found a great 2-for-1 deal in the New York Times, so it was fun to coordinate a small group to go.

First, I was thrilled that I found 5 other people who wanted to go with me. I love going to the theatre, but I rarely end up going. It was nice to have so many people on board and ready for a nice night out.

The play itself is three stories all intertwined. The majority of the story-telling takes place after the storm itself. The three narratives have little to do with one another, but I liked that they chose this format instead of having 3 short plays back to back.

Water is a very big theme in this production - on the set and as a character itself.

I'm curious to hear other people's reactions to the emotional connection of the show. Maybe it is because I have been following the aftermath of Katrina closely, but I didn't really feel like it brought anything new to the table. However, I'm thrilled to see it in production and sparking dialogue about this national tragedy.

I guess I'm comparing it to my emotional response to When The Levees Broke, which I think should be required viewing for all US citizens.

The coolest thing - the Rep is selling art in the lobby after each show, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting New Orleans artists. I didn't buy any and I regret it. Maybe I'll try to buy some local art when I'm down there.

Just a few more days! We leave bright and early this Saturday!!!

[edit!]
Here is an interesting video from the playwrights:

Basin Street Blues

2008-01-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Really cool:

Upsetting News re: Katrina Corps

2008-01-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

The organization I volunteered through last time I went to New Orleans, Katrina Corps, was recently evicted by St. Vincent's - the building that housed the volunteers. You can read more about it here.

I've written to express my support for the organization. Obviously, I don't know all the details of the agreement, but I do know what I saw when I was down there. I experienced and organization that truly had a passion for rebuilding New Orleans. Individuals who were willing to sacrifice other priorities in their life to get the work done. There's so much work to be done and it takes grass roots organizations like Katrina Corps to coordinate volunteers to get it done.

I truly hope the situation is resolved - and quickly!

I'm going back

2007-10-03T12:08:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted this yet - but I'm going back to New Orleans in January! It's through Seattle Works again. Patrick Kelley and I are going to co-lead a group of 12. We'll be volunteering through Hands on New Orleans.

My friend Susanna has already signed up and I'm thrilled to be able to share this experience with her.

It'll be different than the last two times I've been down there. But I'm sure it will create a nice trifecta of an experience. And, as I've said before, it's a situation I've become incredibly passionate about. I can't imagine not going down again.

(but I might try to save up vacation for a non-volunteering vacation after this!)

Tale of Two Cities

2007-08-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Interesting article looking at Biloxi, MS and New Orleans, LA.

via Patrick Kelley

The article also links over to this article.

Both are good reads.

Pissed off yet?

2007-08-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

via Thanks, Katrina

F Bombs to follow

2007-08-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

This is a really great post about the state of New Orleans. Not for the easily offended, but it is straight from the heart.

What celebrity can look like

2007-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Talk about my passions colliding - Green Building and rebuilding New Orleans. I don't get too starstruck, but I think Brad Pitt seems like he genuinely cares about rebuilding New Orleans. So props to him.

Brand Cartoon

2007-08-26T11:15:00.001-07:00

Here's a nice little commentary on the state of crime in New Orleans.

Friday

2007-08-17T23:24:00.001-07:00

Friday was our last day of volunteering. Thanks to a late night out, several of us were really tired, but we managed to finish up some of the trim work we were working on. And we were thankful onhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifce again for music.

Rachel had to leave early - but here's the Seattle Works group with the addition of long-term volunteer, Patrick, at the end of our day:

Lest you forget where we're at:

Thanks to Ahsan's desire to experience some culinary excellence, we had dinner last night at Herbsaint. It is recognized on many lists as one of the top 50 restaurants in the nation.

Here is the menu for the night:

All around, the experience was excellent. I started with some sparkling water:

Then for an appetizer, I had my first experience with frog legs. I love trying new things, but I'm not sure frog legs are for me. They were fried with lots of excellent spice - and were reminiscent of chicken wings - it also made me think of a tougher fish.

For my main course, I had the pork belly with a corn risotto and finely sliced pickled peppers. The pork belly was extremely tender. There were bites that melted in my mouth like butter.

For dessert, I had a glass of a 20-year port and a Chocolate Pistachio terrine with a cherry reduction. It was delightful.

After dinner, we headed to a volunteer party. It was put on at this really cool wine bar in a more industrial part of the city. We went through the building itself into a huge backyard, lined with tiki torches and little white lights.

The music was amazing. The experience felt a little bit underground, and very authentic.

Livin' it up, NOLA style... Who dat?

2007-08-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

After coming to St. Vincent's and resting for a little bit, we began our evening with a couple rounds at the half moon, and then headed down to the French Quarter to Preservation Hall.

The show started at 8:00, so Ray and a few others saved us a spot. We killed a little time at Boondock Saint before heading into the packed music hall.

My favorite song in the set we heard was St James Infirmary. Such a great song.

After a set (and a lot of sweat in that small space) - we headed to Utopia on Bourbon Street. A lot of dancing ensued.

We all had a lot of fun. I did end up talking to one random guy who didn't believe in rebuilding - specifically the 9th Ward. I've heard some people say this because they think future flooding is inevitable. I prodded further, and he thought that it should be rebuilt new, as a "nicer" neighborhood. Basically, he wants to push the poor out. I got pissed at him.

I mentioned earlier that there is all these projects that aren't open. I snapped a shot of them today. Hundreds of them - just sitting there.

They look like they'd be relatively easy to fix up and they would provide a lot of housing. But - at least under the way things are currently run - this won't happen. Lame.

Six Flags

2007-08-17T22:47:00.001-07:00

Since it was a half day yesterday, we decided to tour around a little more to see the damage from the storm. We decided to head out towards St. Bernard Parish and the site of a Six Flags theme park that has been closed since the storm.

The neighborhood we were in was a little more affluent than the lower 9th Ward. It showed that it didn't matter your class prior to the storm - the storm caused damage to everyone. We looked in a house that hadn't been gutted yet. Spencer had met the owner and he was cool with us taking a look inside.

You can see where the water line was across the house.

Mold, like this covered the walls. I don't have a good reference for this, but they've found 39 uniwue types of mold in New Orleans that don't exist anywhere else in the world.

Thursday

2007-08-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Painting continued at John Dibert. Jessica, Chris and I decided to take on one of the first floor rooms. It had been started by another group - although not quite to our... umm... desired level of precision. It made for some work to be doubled over, but you can't blame them for trying. Still, maybe not the best task for the impatient.

Since we had already figured out the little mp3 player trick, we listened to a much better variety of music on my shuffle. I made a playlist that crossed a lot of different genres - trying to play a mixture of stuff people listen to and stuff I think people should listen to. Haha.

It was more blue and more trim.

We had a half day today. Towards the end, the principal came out and talked to us for awhile about the state of the school. He got very emotional, talking about the PTSD he sees in the kids. They're working on getting art therapists into the school to work with the kids. People need to let their emotions process and release. So many of the kids don't see past their current state. They're not seeing that school is their ticket out of the poverty cycle - out of the current state of stress. They're distracted and belligerent because they aren't necessarily dealing with it.

He said that while everyone thought last year would be the worst year, with 300 kids signing up daily, this year may be worse. He doesn't want to turn anyone away.

He showed tremendous appreciation of our efforts, but said that what New Orleans really needs now is awareness that it hasn't folded up into nothing. It s still a vibrant city full of character and culture. Come down to play, if you don't want to make the commitment to work. Come down to tour and eat and drink!

Painting continues at John Dibert

2007-08-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today was more painting at the elementary school. It was a lot of the same stuff. Nini (one of the teachers) discovered that you could plug an mp3 player into the speakers of the computer monitors. I love music - so this made today go by quickly. I spent a fair amount of time crawling up and down a ladder doing some finishing touches to higher parts of room 206:

It's amazing what a fresh paint job can do.

Ahsan, Barclay and Tara also finished up their room across the hall:

Chris kept plugging along in the stairwell:

Brooke continued to rock out on door frames:

And Rachel finished up her two-toned bookshelf:

It's been satisfying to stick with one school this long and take some ownership of what we're working on.

Food!

2007-08-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed yet, I love food. I've been attempting to capture good moments in food this trip.

Last night, we ate at Juan's Flying Burrito in Uptown. I had some Abita Wheat and the Shrimp Juaha Roll: sautéed gulf shrimp, avocado, leaf spinach, salsa, jack, cheddar and cream cheeses all rolled in a spinach tortilla sliced and served sushi-style. Some may have found it average, but it combined some of my favorite things - avocado, spinach and cheese. It was a nice portion and it paired well with the beer.

Not the best picture, but it was tasty.

Afterwards, we went back to the Half Moon and played some pool. Jessica and I beat Ahsan and Chris at pool. Some of the Katrina Corps folks met up, including KC the dog. (KC=Katrina Corps).

I also haven't said much about Mojo's - my daily addiction. Mojo's is a sweet little neighborhood cafe, with a surprisingly broad menu of coffee and tea drinks. They're cash only and serve fair-trade brew. The first morning I had an English Breakfast iced tea, and the last two mornings I've had large iced Yerba Mate. Yummy. It totally gives me the best start to my day. And you gotta love their tip jar:

I'll be totally honest - as grateful as I am for the lunches we are given daily - I have certain "healthy eating habits" that I try to stick to. One of the things I avoid is high-fructose-corn-syrup. I'm sure it's in things I eat and I don't know it all the time - but my commitment is to avoid it if I know it is in the food I eat.

I don't care if other people eat it, but I think it is bad. Here are a few articles to ponder:

http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html
http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/fructose_dangers.html
http://www.femhealth.com/DangersofHFCS.html

The list could go on and on. Anyway - in trying to live up to my commitment, I ended up having a slice of American cheese and a few slices of processed ham dipped in mayo and mustard (I normally wouldn't eat foods quite this heavily processed either, but when you're hungry, you're hungry)

I digress. My point is that I've been very excited about dinner every night!

Tonight we ventured into Uptown - on Magazine. We ate at the Nile Cafe. (Unfortunately, they do not have a website) Barclay and Jessica both had shrimp kabobs - excellent presentation.

Two baskets of pita came out right away, served warm. We ordered hummus and baba ganoush - both were some of the best I've ever had. We also had falafel and fried eggplant. For my entree, I had Kibby - which reminded me a lot of a meat stuffed falafel.

Seriously - I wasn't expecting to be this impresses with Mediterranean food in New Orleans. But it was damn good!

After that we went to the Balcony Bar.

I discovered that Abita has a light beer! The bar had a very cool vibe to it. It was a solid two floors - with three distinct spaces. The bottom had pool tables and loud music. Upstairs was air-conditioned and started our sparse, but by the time we left was hopping. Then there was a huge wrap-around deck. A few of us agreed that a deck like that would be awesome in Seattle - although might not get used year-round.

(A little blurry, but I like this picture)

Finally, a little bathroom graffiti:

The 9th Ward

2007-08-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

After volunteering yesterday, we took a tour of the 9th Ward. I had been there in January, but it still is one of the most significant ways to try to fathom the devastation of the storm. Once we all get our pictures together, you'll have a more well rounded impression of the 9th Ward.

We had some pretty good discussion on the way about the fine line between telling the story of the victims of Katrina - and exploiting them. By taking pictures of people's homes and putting them on a blog - my goal is to show you what it's like down here. And I can't emphasize enough that this is just a sampling. And this is two years later.

At the same time, it is so important to remember that these are people's lives. They're people's homes - often several generations deep.

This is one woman's possessions. While some Katrina Corps volunteers were gutting the house next door, she came home to find her life laid out on her rotting front porch.

Volunteers offered to clean it up for her. But she didn't want it. It was too painful - the memories of her life.

This is the inside of her gutted house.

Her bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since I had been there in January, one thing I noticed was the weeds had grown tall.

When the grass grows, the city often comes and threatens to put a lien on the piece of property unless you mow it. But since many of the residents aren't around to see these notices - they end up losing their houses. Some have friends or family come to mow it for them.

At one point we stopped at a church that has been left as a sort of memorial to how the entire area looked after the water had drained.

On the pews was a dried, cracked version of this. Katrina sludge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We saw where the two places where levee actually broke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We saw the Habitat for Humanity project, Musician's Village.

Lots of colorful new homes. After seeing so much devastation still there, it was nice to see some real, concrete evidence of rebuilding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A memorial:

Second Day of Volunteering

2007-08-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

Today was more painting. I don't have a lot of fresh observations on that. We painted. A lot. Of the same things we painted on Monday. I can say that the second coat goes on a lot faster and looks a helluva lot better than the first. Wow, my spellcheck didn't underline helluva. But it did underline "spellcheck" - apparently it is two words.

Anywho...

We painted a lot more.

What fascinated me most during today was a long session of "absorbing" (it's only eaves-dropping if they don't know you're listening) a few of the teachers (and our very own soon-to-change-life-courses-and-go-that-direction-Rachel and Tony Peloquin, AKA Mr. Quinn. (Refer to two days ago - yeah, same dude)

I don't want to give his whole life story (since it isn't mine to give), but here's a man of integrity and commitment.

His observations run so much deeper than our observations of a school where we're painting some trim. Fun and all, sure - but why are we doing it.

Maybe to make their schools look a little less like prisons?

John Dibert sat in water for weeks after Katrina. Even after initial work had been done, it sat. Rotting in itself. Work was done and it was open in '06 - but barely. It doesn't function like you might thing a school should. Sure, they have kitchens, but they haven't operated since the storm. The desks and books and even some chalk boards are new. Newer than many other public schools' things. But what does that mean?

I have so much respect for the teachers in NOLA and other struggling school systems. (And yes, Seattle is one of them.)

After Katrina there was - and still is - a mentality that blames the President and white America for everything. This mentality was stretching into Chicago, where some of the other volunteers taught. Young children believing that it is a racist society to blame.

People like Troy are evidence that this just isn't the case. It wasn't a specific demographic that was devastated by Katrina. It was an entire region.

That isn't to say that racism isn't a prevalent issue. But you can't blame just one issue.

One thing I learned yesterday was the concept of "wards" and pride in your ward. We've all heard of the 9th ward - but there are 17 wards in New Orleans. People from different wards either like or don't like each other. There are rivalries and alliances. And simple cultural things, like who makes better beans and rice. So imagine you already have these preferences, but its cool because you live near the people in your ward and you go to school in your ward. Then Katrina hits - and you have to live between people from rival wards. And you have to go to school and sit between people from rival wards.

This whole ward division may sound trivial, but we all do it to some point. As humans, we want to connect to a community that's our very own. Family and friends knit together in commonality.

Being all touristy 'n' stuff

2007-08-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Monday night we decided to experience some true New Orleans culture. We started with a restaurant I was very excited to try, mostly because it was something new. It was Coop's.

Amazing food. When I came down here in 2000 and again in January of this year, I ate at the Gumbo Shop. Decent food and all, but it always felt on the verge of being touristy. The staffers at Katrina Corps recommended Coop's. Good call. I had some Abita Purple Haze (tastes just like Ruby's!) and the Coop's Taste Plate.

The taste plate was a prime example of what I am suckered into easily. Seasonals and "samplers." You name it. Beer, wine, cheese, southern food, chocolate. If I can order one thing and it brings me the "best of the best" or "what I really should try" - then I'll order it. In this case, it was a good choice. I love the dinner. Granted, I couldn't quite finish it and gave it to a fellow volunteer that didn't order quite enough. All's well that ends well.

After eating a lot of food, we decided to explore the French Quarter and ended up at the classic, Cafe Du Monde.

I have had beignets and cafe au laits before, so I just had one to make my mark.

Following our attempt at looking like crack addicts...

we took a quick glimpse of Jackson Square from the lookout.

And had some fun group shots as well...

And we hit Bourbon Street, because - that's what your do...

On a side note, Bourbon Street is pretty much the definition of why I avoid 1st in Belltown and Pioneer Square. Especially on a weekend. On a MONDAY night, Bourbon Street wreaks of these similarities. For those who want it, New Orleans has a killer "night life." For those who don't, there are still some killer dive bars, but you have to go OFF the beaten path. You can still find pool tables, cheap (strong) drinks and jukeboxes. You just have to get off Bourbon Street.

A few quick pictures of note:

This was inside of Coop's. Along with a lot of other signs. But this was an interesting one.

For those who dont live in Texas or Nevada - the specifics of "open container laws." This is posted to encourage you to ask for a "to go" cup. This is a novelty to we "Washington-State-liquor-laws-are-some-of-the-strictest-in-the-nation folks.

Many of the t-shirts have political slants. This one sums a lot of my gut reactions up.

First day of volunteering

2007-08-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

The majority of us got up and going this morning between 6:00 and 7:00. Breakfast could be described as Continental. I had toast with PB on it.

We gathered at 8:00 and loaded up two vans full of people and headed to the John Dibert school.

On the way down, a long-term volunteer, Patrick, showed us some of the projects that the state boarded up after Katrina. In their view, they'd rather the people living there not come back. There were even big metal grates over some of them. Do people still live there? Do people want to still live there? It just seemed like such a waste to see these big buildings standing empty. And you can only imagine what's left in them - or what hasn't been looted.

When we arrived at the school, we got a little briefing from Troy.

Troy used to be a teacher in New Orleans. Now he works for the Recovery School District. It was interesting hearing his perspective. He said, "I don't understand how you guys can come down here. I wouldn't. I don't know how you have the heart."

Obviously, he comes into all of this from a very personal and invested perspective. His world was turned upside down by Katrina, and I'm sure it takes it toll and drains you day by day. On both the Biloxi and this trip, I've heard a lot of the staffers/long-termers talk about survival mode. Things aren't back to normal and when you're dealing with these issues every day... I can't even imagine.

He said the best thing we can do is let New Orleans take us in, and tell everyone what we've seen here. That's how I felt about my experience in Biloxi, and that's why I choose to keep a blog. It isn't to toot my own horn and say, "Hey, look at me being all nice and doing kind things for strangers." It's so much more than that. There's a region of this country that experienced such complete and utter devastation - and who talks about it? We get random ticker headlines about FEMA this and Recovery that. But there's so much still left to do. We send billions overseas to fight this war, but what about the Gulf Coast? What about New Orleans? Why is it taking the power of volunteers to get anything done?

300 students a day are registering for school this fall. School will start on September 4th. For awhile, it looked like this school would be K-6, but so many students are registering, it'll have to be K-8. Funding that has helped people who were displaced is going away, so the residents are coming back.

Jessica took notes while he was speaking, and it looks like Troy may be in an interview this week - so I'll keep you posted.

We were chatting with some folks in for a religious conference of some sort. They were asking us what group we were with. When I told them the mission of Seattle Works,

To inform, connect, and inspire people in their 20s and 30s to take action in our community.

they asked why we volunteer.

I had to pause for awhile to think about that one.

They offered suggestions. Is it spiritual? Is it to give back to the community? Is it to feel productive?

My answer, although this is probably something that will continue to evolve over time - is I feel the need to connect with something bigger than myself - to give back to the community. Another thing that I always take from volunteer projects is something learned. I may learn about how a non-profit in Seattle works. I may learn a skill, like how those little price tag things work at Goodwill. Even in the most mundane projects, like pulling Ivy and other invasive plants - I learn how they devastate my favorite parks - and that we won't have the natural spaces in Seattle in 10-15 years that we do if this continues.

I digress. It's an interesting question and one I'll probably come back to. Why are we down here? Why did we use our vacation time to work? Why did we choose this experience?

Whatever the answers, I can't deny that it's a lot of fun. We get to experience the culture and vibe of New Orleans in a very unique way. The people working for Katrina Corps are excited to share with us their favorite restaurants and bars. I think about how I love exploring my Seattle - and I love meeting people who are new to the city, so I can recommend my favorite restaurants and watering holes.

Back to what we actually did today. We painted. I personally painted a lot of blue trim with Brooke and Jessica. Brooke did a rockstar job on this door:

I didn't manage to take pictures of everyone - but Tara, Ahsan and Barclay painted the main walls and ceiling across the hall.

Jessica and I joined up with Rachel to work on a shelving unit. She took a before picture and that's where we stopped for the day, so it'll be interesting to show the before and after eventually.

Tonight we're going to explore the French Quarter. And I'm sure we'll eat more amazing food. My piece of toast and ham sandwich are fading fast.

We're here!

2007-08-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

I woke up slightly after 4:00 this morning to start the trek to New Orleans. I was really tired. Cassie drove me to the airport and I checked in before 5:30. Tara was shortly behind, and then Jessica and Brooke came too.

There was some security breech right before we got there, so the line for security was excessively long. That's why they tell you to get there early, I guess. We were all not-yet-caffeinated zombies.

I got some much needed sleep on both segments of the flight. The travel was pretty uneventful - which is a good thing.

We arrived slightly after 4:00 pm. The heat was overwhelming. On CNN this morning, they said New Orleans would be about 99 degrees. Someone here said 101. Either way, it's HOT.

We all gathered and Iver and Spencer drove us to St. Vincent's, where we are staying for the week. It's an amazing building! It was built in 1866 - and originally was an orphanage. In the 1950's it became housing for unwed mothers.

On our packing list I noticed bathing suits. I thought that was odd, but turns out there's a pool here! That'll be a good way to beat the heat this week.

At 6:00 we had our volunteer orientation. We met everyone who's here for the week and the staffers that are here. We got a sense of what the week will be like - times we go to the work sites, etc.

We got the 411 on good food in the area - we're all really hungry! I had a croissant b'fast sandwich at Sea-tac and we split some nachos in Minneapolis. And I think I ate more than some of us on the trip.

We're in the Garden District near St. Charles and Magazine.

After our orientation, we headed to Voodoo - voted best bbq in New Orleans.

I had a "graveyard" of pulled pork and smoked sausage with a side of mac 'n' cheese (of course) and gris gris greens. It was all very good. I also had a Blue Moon.

We decided to leave the restaurant and head out to somewhere casual, where we could chat some more. We tried to go to Lucky's, but there was a bachelorette party (or something) going on there. Then we headed over to Whisky Dix on the Avenue.

(that's the owner of the bar, grooving to his own little tune. Whisky Dix is a new bar, since Katrina.)

And finally met up with other volunteers at Half Moon.

A few things to note: there are no open container laws in New Orleans. There are a lot of cockroaches this time of year. It is really hot in August here.

When watching Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, they talk about how hot it was during the flooding. I can't imagine being trapped on a roof in this heat. Or sitting in the Superdome with thousands of others. Even as we enjoyed our food and drinks on our first night, these thoughts and conversations are always floating right under the surface.

Less than a week

2007-08-07T12:08:00.001-07:00

This trip is quickly approaching. We had a short orientation at my house last Thursday, where we got to know eachother a little and got some basic questions answered regarding the logistics of the trip.

I guest blogged on the Seattle Works blog. You can read that here. It'll be interesting again to see the different perspectives each team member brings to the trip - through blog posts and pictures.

We leave Sunday morning. I definitely plan to bring my laptop. Otherwise, packing will be really light. It's going to be HOT when we're there. According to weather.com, it looks like it'll be in the 90s with isolated thunderstorms. Which means humidity.

Powerful blog post/National Geographic Feature

2007-07-31T17:44:00.001-07:00

First, I want to draw your attention to some text from a NOLA blogger.

FEMA decided to tell people that their trailers were toxic two years after they issued them. Then, the folks at Peopleshurricane.org started issuing flyers about the Red Cross hiding money and damn near started a riot. Then, the Road Home program started rushing people to apply for assistance after saying it was out of money. Then, the Corps of Engineers said they were not rebuilding the levees for Category 5. Then, the murder rate is climbing and the DA and police department can’t get their act together. Then, there is a teacher and classroom shortage. Then, every week another house on my block is demolished. Then, we have all this stuff to fix with no money to fix it and no time table on when it will be fixed. Then all of our political leaders are crooked or like freaks. That’s when I realized that I am not living in the past. I am living in the present.

Second, a feature article in the National Geographic. Honestly, I haven't read the entire article in depth yet, but I plan to. It was recommended reading from my friend Jaxon, who was on the Biloxi trip with me. It takes a look at the bleak future of New Orleans. According to the article, there are 50-50 odds that another hurricane the size of Katrina could hit the Gulf Coast.

Is it a futile attempt? To go down there and try to make a difference? Is it really any different than living near Mt Rainier, or on a fault line? Or in any area stricken with tornadoes?

I'm going. I think it's a good thing to do. But I still can't help but wonder about the future of New Orleans. What's in store for the Big Easy?

And now, a toast to rebuiling the Gulf Coast...

2007-07-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

So I got this via buzzfeed.

Limited edition vodka to benefit Gulf Coast rebuilding, LA
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY

NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ What's the real taste of New Orleans? The sweet rum punch called a Hurricane? Bourbon with touches of cayenne and absinthe?

For the company that makes Absolut vodka, it's mango with a black pepper kick.

Absolut New Orleans vodka will be introduced Wednesday afternoon at Tales of the Cocktail, an annual New Orleans gathering of more than 10,000 cocktail drinkers, mixers and manufacturers.

The vodka is a limited run of 35,000 cases _ 3½ times the company's total U.S. sales in 1979. That was Absolut's first year in a market which grew $6.4 billion in the last four years to hit $15.7 billion last year.

"The way we're describing it is a fruity vodka with a spicy kick, which is a way you could describe the city of New Orleans," said Tim Murphy, vice president of marketing for Absolut Spirits Co., the U.S. arm of Swedish manufacturer Vin & Sprit AB.

The company tried other fruits, and tried cayenne. But they didn't taste as good, Murphy said. Another important factor was how the vodka is likely to be used in New Orleans, he said.

"It can also give a unique twist to the Hurricane recipe," Murphy said.

Going on sale in August for about $19 a bottle at retailers nationwide, it's expected to raise $2 million for five Gulf Coast charities, which the company says will get all the profits to help rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. Flavored vodka is a fast-growing segment of the adult beverage market.

Company president and chief executive Kevin Fennessey said he doesn't know of comparable charitable products except those produced by Newman's Own, the company created by actor Paul Newman specifically to raise money for charity.

"I'm not aware of anything in the spirits business," he said. "There have been programs where for a certain time they donate so much per case. In this line, all of our profits will go for charity."

The Tipitina's Foundation will use its share on a concert series featuring local musicians, a musicians' co-op in the Lower 9th Ward, and buying instruments for musicians who lost them to Hurricane Katrina, which hit in August 2005, music director Adam Shipley said.

The timing couldn't be better, said Diana Brinson, spokeswoman for Volunteer Mobile Inc. in Alabama. "As time has passed, funding is beginning to dry up. The rebuilding is going to continue for many years," she said.

Hands On Gulf Coast, in Mississippi, the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity also will share in the first of what the company plans as an annual series of limited edition flavors inspired by and giving back to cities.

Flavored vodkas made up 12.4 percent of all U.S. vodka sales last year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. That was three-tenths of a percentage point down from the previous year, and the first drop in their share since 2000, when they made up 6.2 percent of the market.

"We wanted to kind of innovate within the flavored vodka category," Murphy said. The company is also playing on the famous "cities" advertising campaign that started in 1981 with the words Absolut Los Angeles over a bottle-shaped swimming pool.

The New Orleans ad showed the center section of a silver trumpet with bottle-shaped valves. The new bottle has the city's name in red, and bears the image of a red-and-silver harmonica engraved "L.O. Smith Trio" _ a wink and a nod to Lars Olsson Smith, whose distillation process more than a century ago led to the brand's creation in 1879.

Murphy said future city vodkas "will definitely have a charitable aspect," but he wouldn't say whether all their proceeds would go to charity.

Tales of the Cocktail started five years ago to celebrate the first anniversary of a New Orleans "cocktail tour" created by Ann Rogers. From two events and about 200 people it has grown to 75 events; about 12,000 people are expected this year for the convention, which starts Wednesday.

On Friday, Absolut _ a major sponsor of this year's Tales of the Cocktail _ has reserved three hours in the Tasting Room, a new feature at the convention. Attendees can meet company experts, learn about products and _ somtimes _ get samples. Absolut is bringing Jennifer Rubell, author of "Real Life Entertaining," and mixologist Andrea Bearbower to talk about pairing food and cocktails.

I'm not completely sure what to think of it. Does this mean I should try to get my hands on this and have it be my vodka of choice in an effort to support NO? Is it just a marketing gimmick? Will it bring more attention to the rebuilding efforts?

Good news!

2007-07-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

I just found out that bringing a laptop will be fine for this trip. I'm excited to travel for the first time with my macbook!

I also learned that there will be wifi available in the dorms we're staying in - and there will also be free wifi at a coffee shop across the street called Mojo's. I'm sure you'll see a handful of blog posts made from there! :-)

I also found out that we will not be flying any red-eyes. We leave Seattle at 7:00 am on the 12th, and return around 11:30 pm on the 18th. In January we were all pretty affected by the lack of sleep coming into the trip. That may have actually helped us fall asleep in unfamiliar sleeping arrangements... but I think being well rested will be nice.

Take Action

2007-07-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

From my inbox today:
http://act.oxfamamerica.org/campaign/gulfcoastpetition/

Dear Noelle,

Two years after the devastation brought on by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Gulf Coast is still hurting. Tens of thousands still live in temporary housing. Schools are closed. Businesses are struggling.

A lot of people made a lot of promises as the flood waters drained, but these days, the worst disaster in recent US history is barely mentioned by the media or politicians. Continued neglect threatens to leave people more poor and more at risk. With our leaders suffering from Katrina amnesia, the current presidential campaign is our best chance to bring Gulf Coast recovery back into the spotlight.

Tell the presidential candidates to keep America’s promise to rebuild the Gulf Coast.

Oxfam America and a broad coalition of groups are calling on all the presidential candidates, from both parties, to make Gulf Coast recovery a top priority of their campaigns.

We’ll need thousands of people to take action. With your help, we can make sure the new leadership in the White House recognizes that, even though the issue isn’t on the front pages anymore, the recovery is NOT over—and we can’t yet close this chapter of our history.

Click here to tell the presidential candidates to keep America’s promise to rebuild the Gulf Coast.

Thank you for supporting the people of the Gulf Coast.

Tim Fullerton
Oxfam America

Falling in love with New Orleans all over again

2007-07-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our trip, I'm exploring the internet for nuggets of beauty and all things NOLA. The following poem is all over the place. I can't find an author to credit it to - but it sums up many of the amazing idiosyncrasies of New Orleans:

give me a king cake smear
give me a beignet kiss
give me a french quarter morning that looks just like this

give me the endymion krewe
give me the times-picayune
give me a drunk and lazy crawfish boil in muggy sticky june

give me a six pack of dixie
give me some assorted abita beers
give me a city where it only snows once every 10 years

give me a green neutral ground
give me a mardi gras ball
give me a medium rare burger at my grand old Port of Call

give me a glittery drag show
give me the streetcar line
give me the House of the Rising Sun
give me a Tchoupitoulas sign

give me a shrimp and oyster poboy
give me lovebug season in May
give me my New Orleans-
I will definitely stay.

2007-07-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Last week, I received one of the best things I subscribe to - the Seattle Works weekly email. I know, sounds a little cheesy. But it is one of the few emails I get on a regular basis that I read all the way through. I enjoy seeing what's going on. Sometimes it leads me to action. Sometimes I'm just amused by the witty themes Tara incorporates.

This last week, it helped me make a decision.

Since going to Biloxi last January, I've had the Gulf Coast on my mind. Not in a pressing, I-need-to-quit-my-job-and-serve-down-there-full-time way. But still, in a very prevalent way.

I've also been wanting to "get away." That itch we all get to take a break from our routines and have an adventure. But not another weekend in SF or LV. Both fun cities, but I want something a little more substantial. I've even done some research for programs similar to the Hands on Gulf Coast experience.

Then I read this:

** We're going back to the Gulf Coast **

Sunday 8/12 to Saturday 8/18

You wanted another chance to volunteer in the Gulf Coast with us? You got it!

Why are you needed? Before Katrina, there were 128 public schools open in New Orleans. Two years later, there are only 22 public schools open with class sizes reaching 70 students per class. The City Council is expecting thousands of New Orleans to return this summer and we would like the kids to have a school to return to come fall.

Why is this a unique opportunity? During our stay we will be hosted by locals that will do everything with us, from volunteering at the schools to going out to dinner. During the day we will volunteer in the schools, which have still been left devastated after Hurricane Katrina. In the evenings we will experience true Louisiana culture and learn why it’s so important to revive the city. We will be staying 2 miles from the French Quarter and close to great food, music, architecture, and entertainment. Plus, you will be going with other Seattle Works volunteers!

What will we be doing? Helping the New Orleans Recovery School District open 25 more schools by the coming school year - everything from landscaping to painting to setting up classrooms and libraries. Our trip will be hosted by Katrina Corps.

How much will it cost?: $600/person. This includes:
Airfare, Registration, Dorm room for 6 nights (Sunday through Friday night), Breakfast, Brown bag lunch at job site, Two dinners donated by Loyola University, Outing at a local music venue, Transportation to and from the Airport, transportation to and from the job site and Transportation for group outings.

In a manner similar to my reaction last fall when I read about the Biloxi trip for the first time - I immediately sent an email, and followed up with a phone call - credit card in hand.

I know this experience will be very different than my Biloxi trip. I'm excited about that. It will round out my personal sense of the state of the Gulf Coast. It will round out the stories I can share. It will be new people, and new places. Different types of tasks. I could never recreate my last trip, and I would never want to try. This will be its own experience - and I'm open to however this experience plays itself out.

One thing that I do hope to carry over from my last experience is regular blog posting. It helps me process the experience and share it with anyone interested. I'll see about internet access - but I should be able to post pictures and short videos in realtime - now that I have my macbook. I'm not sure whether I should bring it, but I probably will.