Second Day of Volunteering

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

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

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!

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

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

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...

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?