Flood The Market

Cafe du Monde has now set up shop on the same road I take into work each day. I find that just rude. Cafe du Monde how dare you seduce me each day with a charming building and delicious beignets! I now must overcome the your gravitational pull every time I pass. Alas, I shall win this epic battle against the best thing to ever happen to dough.

Often this is what happens to a good thing. Music/musicians, restaurants, silly bands, and all great thing as they become popular the market becomes flooded with them. That is how political agendas are even executed these days, you take down your opponent by flooding the media with negative ads about them.

This is not going to turn into a one of my political or even religious diatribes. It isn't really going to turn into a diatribe at all. I just want everyone to think about my main idea:

What if you flooded the market with "nothin' but love."

Meaning that what if all the opposing and varied groups of society had "nothin but love" for one another?

Meet Me in The Middle

Currently I am involved in so many things here in New Orleans. I am doing my job at Chinese Presbyterian Church which includes being the assistant Christian Education Coordinator, layout and design for the church newsletter, assisting in special event planning, and a number of other bible studies and side projects. I am also taking one Saturday a month doing community service projects, tutoring through STAIR (www.stairnola.org) every Thursday, and I want to get my church to begin making mats for the homeless out of old grocery and other plastic bags.

Doing all these different things can be totally overwhelming and I often think perhaps I am taking on to much at once. However, I know that at the end of the day while I may not be able to tackle everything I want to, I am doing the most fulfilling work that I have ever experienced.

Today I led Chinese Presbyterian’s Revelation circle Bible study. We studied Rev. 2-3, which is John’s letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. In John’s letter to Laodicea, he calls out the church for being “lukewarm” Christians. This passage really resonated with me in what it means for me personally to be a Christian. So often, I felt that being a Christian was something that I should not make waves about or make others feel uncomfortable about. That is the opposite of what we are called to do, God wants us to have hearts on fire for his word and for him. I would normally shy away from writing a blog so frank about my thoughts on Christ, however I think that the time is now for us not to move forward with intimidation, but with vigor and love.

I want to be an example of a modern Christian working towards creating a community of love and understanding. To do the work for others that I would see a modern day Christ doing. What I ask of my friends and family reading this blog is to meet me in the middle. Find a way in your life to give back to your community and stand up against the ugly we see in our world today.

“Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.” – Revelation 3:13

Peace and Love

I have Stockholm syndrome?

When someone is kidnapped sometimes as a coping mechanism they start to identify with their kidnapper and they call this behavior Stockholm syndrome. Okay, so I have clearly not been kidnapped, however I believe slowly but surely I have come to identify myself as a New Orleanian. I root for the Saints with all of my energy, and take it as a personal downfall when they do not win. My current food of choice is fried catfish and gumbo. Furthermore, I am totally in favor of the drive-thru daiquiris and I cannot seem to understand why other states have not picked-up on this brilliant invention. I do believe that Louisiana is creeping its hooks into me and I am not sure if I should be excited or slightly worried.

On a more important note I recently went to a lecture at Loyola University, called “A Women’s Work is Never Done: Reforming and Rebuilding New Orleans.” It was about the history of women’s work in New Orleans, and the leadership of women through Hurricane Katrina and afterwards. There was woman from the Broadmore community who was a leader in her community before Katrina, and following helped to fight to keep her community and not let it go to “green space.” There is now a new school, library, and community center. There was also another amazing woman from the group Women of Storm. What is truly important about mentioning this woman is her passion towards saving the coastline and wetlands of Louisiana. So to anyone reading this please take the time to "Be The One"and go sign the petition at www.womenofthestorm.net or restorethegulf.com. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU03M7MYvAI (where you watch the video seen above)

I got to recently take a personal step forward towards rebuilding the wetlands through my YAV community day where myself and my fellow YAVs worked for Bayou Rebirth propagating horse grass. The plants we duplicated will be fostered in their makeshift ponds and then replanted into either a bayou or a rain garden ( is a planted depression that allows rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, parking lots, and compacted lawn areas the opportunity to be absorbed). A rain garden has already been created in the Lower Ninth Ward and it is planned to be the largest in the city. 

Take it from a New Orleanian these wetlands and Louisiana in total is worth saving. 

I leave you with a non-partisan battle cry:

"Rebuilding the City of New Orleans is not just good for the Gulf Coast or the State of Louisiana . It's good for our nation." - President Barack Obama 

"It's necessary for every member of Congress to come down here. You can't appreciate the enormity of it until you come down here. We have an enormous long-term environmental challenge here. I am doing what is necessary." - Sen. John McCain 

Peace and Love 

Lost in Translation

All is well in New Orleans and the Blue House. I am getting the ball rolling at Chinese Presbyterian with the start of regular youth meetings, creating lesson plans for Sunday school, and helping to plan special events. It has been great getting to know all the members of the church and learning new things about the Chinese culture.

It has also been apart of my job to give English lessons to some of the Chinese immigrants who either do not speak English at all, or just need help improving. What these lessons have brought to my attention is that as a culture, we need to open our eyes, minds, and hearts to immigrants. Many (including myself) tend to think of immigrants as those who come from Mexico, and South America. However, many different types of people who come into America for jobs and greater opportunities.

We pass over those who look different and speak a different language missing an opportunity to hear a compelling story. I am currently teaching an amazing woman named Chunling who in China was a doctor who worked in a large hospital, however here in America she is making sushi in the local grocery chain Rouses. Her medical degree is not recognized in the US. She is here because her husband is here to do cancer research and while things are not always fair, she is still very sweet and caring.

It is important to keep in mind that when you encounter someone who might not speak the most fluent English that you treat him or her with the same kindness you would want if you were in foreign country. Just smile and try your best to communicate. Maybe even take the time to let them share a piece of themselves, for you to carry on to others. 

Generations of Chinese Women in CPC

Love and Peace

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.