Catch of The Day

Perhaps one of the most fabulous things about Louisiana is the outstanding seafood. While the oil spill has caused multiple fisheries to close, the seafood here is still good and available. Good may be an understatement, it is outstandingly delicious actually. Today my roommate and fellow YAV Lauren and I attended the New Orleans Seafood Festival. There were a ton of restaurants with booths dispensing everything from charbroiled oysters

Oysters Roasting

 to shrimp and crawfish penne pasta. I sampled as much as my stomach would allow and got a delicious snowball (snow cone or shaved ice for my east-coast readers).

We then checked out the arts and crafts merchandise available at various tents. There was some really cool prints of local scenes around New Orleans, and were I flushed with extra cash I would have walked off with a couple of them. I really wanted to be able to post some pictures of the crafts, but most tents were not allowing photography.

It was outstandingly hot but if you could catch some shade, it was comfortable enough to hang around for the live music. I got to hear the musical styling of The Boogiemen and Luther Kent. They were both fun and talented bands, however I must say I really wish I could have caught Rebirth Brass Band (www.rebirthbrassband.com) that played on Saturday.

Rebirth Brass Band

All in all, as Lauren so eloquently states it was a “wonderful jaunt” about the amazing city of New Orleans. Lets remember folks that the seafood from here is not contaminated and is safe to eat, so purchase and enjoy. The people in the fishing industry here need to go back to work, and wouldn't that be what you would someone else to do for you? Hence, my diatribe on Louisiana seafood. 

Peace and Love  

Louisiana Left

There are many things unique to Louisiana for example, the existence of parishes instead of counties. Another gem unique to New Orleans and possibly Louisiana, is the awful fact that you cannot make any left turns, unless you are at a major intersection and even then it may not be available. Therefore you will find yourself making dangerous, haphazard u-turns all over the place. It is possible that there may be enough space between the median for your car, and it is also possible that you will be get rammed at 80 by another car because you could not make your "Louisiana left" fast enough. The traffic in general here is a complete mystery to me. Like the fact that there are cones and such everywhere yet I rarely see any type of construction going on. My roommates and I remain frustrated and terrified while trying to navigate a city that is totally unfamiliar to us.

I am well aware that a lot of this nonsense has to do with underfunded projects and the destruction from the hurricanes. However, the "Louisiana left" has no excuse! Why did anyone find this clever or useful? It slows things down and makes it more unsafe. I can't even park on a specific spot on our street because of the tendency of people to make their u-turn into peoples car and take off.

This phenomenon is beyond on me, and has caused me quite a bit of obvious rage. Hence my diatribe on the infamous "Louisiana left." Despite that I leave you with this readers: "If there was no New Orleans, America would just be a bunch of free people dying of boredom." -Judy Deck in an e-mail sent to Chris Rose

Peace and Love

Wednesday Reflections

We are all sitting around tonight in the Blue House aka Andrew House listening the musical styling of a Mr. Evan Ponder. It is a truly relaxing experience to enjoy his amazing talent, oh and did I mention he baked oatmeal cookies? Be envious. The girls of the blue house are a lucky group.

Last night a few roommates and I went to go experience some original New Orleans jazz, in the form of the Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf. It was life changing for me. I have never been a jazz fan, but the sounds of the Rebirth are like no other jazz I have ever heard. I was dancing and singing so much that my legs ached this morning. I believe they will be having an album coming out sometime in November (fingers crossed).

Even though orientation is over, we have been continuing having meetings here about community, living simply, and spiritual formation. Today we split in half and did a scavenger hunt that Lauren, Evan, and Tasha thoroughly won. I then decided I officially was uncompetitive and rightly named our team “Epic Fail.” We did not actually do that poorly. We simply lacked the appropriate motivation.

That concludes my Wednesday reflections, and stay tuned for more.

Peace and Love.