Last year (2011) in July I visited my sister in New Orleans.... I needed to go see her, and go somewhere different.
She was doing an internship there and living in a historic french plantation. This was a perfect opportunity to go see a new place and discover myself. I was not prepared for what happened.
This trip was going to happen. So I flew from CLE to Atlanta to New Orleans. It was very late at night Wed when I reached. The taxi driver I got was Indian (I guess taxi drivers in most major American cities are Indian), he took me straight to my sister's place which was on a strange sounding, lesser street (Kerlerec St) in the French Quarter (between Treme and French Quarter) so it was hard to find. He dropped me off, and I got his number for my ride back to the airport on Sunday, because my flight was at 6 so had to be there by 5 latest.
My sister came out and greeted me warmly, and she took me in to show me the place, and introduce me to all her room mates, the puppies, the roaches and the spirits that resided there. This was the just beginning. There was a man who lived upstairs, rather curious guy, she had two male room mates, and a Deens her classmate from her program in NYC. The set up was strange. She had a huge, high cielinged room to herself, with a make shift kitchen with mini fridge, a dining table with 3 folding chairs, and attached bathroom with a bathtub, but no shower, but a hand-shower. Her room/living quarters were down stairs, while upstairs there was a living room, and a kitchen, and small dining area, and three interconnected bedrooms and one bathroom. It was a strange set up, but it was a very old, well kept place. They were all taking care of a puppy altogether, which my sister had rescued. This was an interesting but warm family they had come to be, just for a summer.
In the morning I awoke and saw the garden for the first time. The garden was lovely, with banana trees, and all sorts of tropical type fauna I enjoyed it for a bit. My sister made breakfast and coffee for everyone and we headed to her work. I was to accompany her and work with her that day. She was interning for Green Light New Orleans (which is a non-profit organization which supplies CFL lights to people who can not afford it, to help them reduce their electricity bills). I was going to go with a few volunteers to help change out a few light bulbs in some houses. The building for Green Light NOLA was amazing, and the director of the organization is a musician. He was very friendly and interesting, also a musician.
I went out to do the volunteer work with Michelle and another girl. They were experts at light fixtures, and changing out all sorts of bulbs. When Katrina was threatening NOLA, Michelle and her family had to evacuate. She was very young, but she remembers she had these new bedsheets that she loved, and had to leave them behind. Everything, their family pictures all had to be left behind. When they came back, their house was destroyed, they weren't covered by insurance, and had no assistance from the government for some reason (I forgot). Some people were just left out, due to loopholes in the law. She helped her father rebuild the house which is why she know knew a lot about light fixtures and house building. She was lovely, smiley young girl! A lot of the houses we went to were in the projects/ ghetto. We got to meet and talk to a lot of locals. They were so nice to us, and it was the best experience I had as a traveler/tourist - to go into peoples homes, help them and talk to them. It was real, and heart wrenching, to see and
That night there was a party at her place and friends from all over were present. Also the lady downstairs was having a party as well. My sister, interned for the lady that lived downstairs in the main part of the house and who also owned the property. So there was a lot of new and interesting people who I met that night. The area that she lived in was not safe at all at night (or even in the day time), so we did not go out that night at all.
The next morning we went to work as well, and this time a whole bunch of us went to help the New Orleans Hornets (the basketball team), and was in a place with affordable living, for senior citizens. It was nice to be able to help the Hornets help people! They were all sincere and got the work done despite a very heavy rainstorm, which got everyone soaking wet.
My sister and I got home and dried up. We were soaking wet and freezing. We had a little fight that evening and she left me in her room. There I sat pitying myself, until I heard a noise. It was then that I remembered there were "spirits" that my sister had experienced, and I was skeptical of, in that house. I was nervous and sat on the bed really wishing she would come back soon and sorry that we ever fought. I don't even remember what the fight was about.
She came back eventually and said we would be going out with one of her friends from new york, who was in New Orleans for a bachelor party. At this point I didn't care, we just had to go have fun. We got ready and began walking down the dark road to the main part of the French Quarter. Before leaving my sister put on her Southern "
Nawrlins" accent, for protection! ;-) It worked! We blended in as locals, although our faces were painted all fancy (she does fancy face painting and it is absolutely stunning).
As we approached the meeting point, she warned me her friend was "interesting", and she hadn't met his friends before, but she assured me it would be fun. So I thought, OK here I go, I must OPEN my mind, (also sometimes social situations make me nervous, anxious and shy. Surprising isn't it?). We met "Sting" as I later nicknamed him, in the middle of some street, he had a large cup of some alcohol with him. Yes the freedom of drinking in public is awesome! Now the REAL adventure begins.
We met Sting and his friends at an apartment they were renting for the bachelor party, which was above an awesome bar, right by the Treme and not too far from the French Quarter and Bourbon street (we later felt the bourbon street was fun, but very touristy and boring). We began getting drunk (my sister has been sober for a year, and stayed sober the whole night, but was the life of the party), and decided to head to some bars, get some food, and go to the infamous
The House of the Rising Sun. Yes it does exist, you just need to ask the right people! This House of the Rising Sun, is a artist/ tree-house community. Just like the Ewok community, they live in trees. It was very amazing climbing up tall trees in the middle of the night. There were, no roaches, and no bathrooms, so you kind of had to pee from up there. We eventually left because there was no beer. Sting and his buddies were awesome, and we had wonderful, inspiring conversations all night.
Somehow we ended up going home, in the almost morning hours. The bar we were at were all pet friendly. How awesome is that!?! Friendly pets, friendly drunk owners, walking around the streets! We woke up and I sobered up. My sister wanted to show me Jackson Square, the heart of the French Quarter. We ate some craw-fish, and I got a few Hurricanes. We wandered around, and bumped into her friend who was a street artist, and we helped him get his art work together. Who also stated that I was so drunk that I was cross-eyed!
Later that day we met a man who read palms, and had some good philosophy to share, and claimed to have traveled the world. We saw a few NOLA weddings pass by, and danced and joined in with some of them! Then headed to dinner - Gumbo and Jambalaya, delicious desserts and more Hurricanes!! Hung out with one of her room mates in a cigar shop, and met up with Sting and the guys. We headed to dinner downtown, and then to the strip clubs. Yes. We went there and hung out with no show strippers = Crystal Clear, invisible Sybil, transparent Patty, see through Sally, imaginary Mary. So then we went and found a real classy-crappy strip club on Bourbon St., and that was went really wild, now all I can say is what happens in NOLA, stays in NOLA!
After this experience we went to a few bars, and ended up talking on the rooftop listening to classics. We had a seemingly non stop supply of alcohol, I have no idea where it came from. Sting and his guys performed a song for the bachelor! I think I was drunk and sang in the performance too! :-P My Bad! Then we headed to Jazz clubs on Frenchmen St. and the live music there, so much to choose from. So much music, so much booze! Wow!
My sis and I ended up home in the wee hours and I had to get some sleep before leaving. I was showering to wash up, but there just happened to be a roach chirping in the bathroom, and flying around! My sister went over board with the spraying and fumigation, and we had to conduct a detour on whatever bathroom activities had to be done, my sister, my mom and I have an irrational fear of roaches. We made it to bed, and in the morning my taxi driver was there! I said good-bye and cried a little, for as of then I emerged as a Tiger. I lose the tigress in me ever so often, but she is there, slumbering.
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| Pet Friendly Bar, great hotel/apartment to rent, upstairs |
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| One of the jazz bars on Frenchman St. |
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| Yummy food by Jackson Sqr |
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| Message! |
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| Green Light NOLA Logo! |
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| Frenchman St |
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| Realizations... and fun with sister! |
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| Sister making breakfast |
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| Puppy |
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| Face painting! |
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| One of the Jazz clubs... |
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| Bourbon or some street or the other! |
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This guy was selling brownies... special brownies? ;-)
My sis enjoys talking to everyone! |
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| Crawfish and hurricanes! |
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| NOLA Down Town |
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| hanging at the cigar store! |
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| Sting and the guys hanging in the tree house. You can kind of see P in the back. |
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| A meditating frog in NOLA |
