Musical rhythms of New Orleans

Reflecting back on our New Orleans community experience, I am thinking about all the ways that we define community … and there are many. There is the community of family, of spiritual dwelling place, of neighborhood, of workplace, and many others. But when I think back on our days in New Orleans, I am struck again and again at the music that resonates through every human pore and building that exists in the city. This music creates a sense of community in its own right by bringing people together to tap their feet, lift their voices, or simply observe. For me, the lifeblood of New Orleans – her steady and rhythmic pulse – comes from the music.

Perhaps it was one too many night on Frenchmen Street, where I was mesmerized by the swinging Jazz Vipers and dazzled by the Cajun style of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, but I know that the musical traditions spill over well beyond this energizing street. I recall the 20s style Cajun music that Austin played in his truck while we created a new garden bed in Hollygrove, the Zydeco tunes that had couples in the 60s and 70s on the dance floor at Mulate’s and Midcity Rock n’ Bowl, and Glen David Andrews getting everyone to second-line at the Hollygrove Center. Each day was a special moment in musical traditions.

When I think of community, I think of a gathering of people for some common purpose – it may be for a short time, it may be for a lifetime, but we come together and lift each others’ spirits – recognizing that our humanity needs others in order to give ourselves meaning. Maybe we get a little dirty, maybe we bang a few nails into floorboards, or maybe we just talk to people about what matters to them. But through it all, we have somehow stepped outside our individual spheres and recognized that there is a greater world around us and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Now how does music fit into this community concept? I realize that we don’t all have the musical talents of an Emily (because she’s pretty awesome), but I think each and every one of us can hear and feel the musical beat, open our eyes, and be swept into a space that brings an awareness of a special time and place. Music can empty out the hardship, breathe new life into weary bones, and feed our souls. When I think back to Glen David Andrews blaring his trombone while the banjo strummed in the background, I can see the grandmothers in the room clap their hands with smiles on their faces, the children run around playing chase, and the rest of us folks bob our heads – what an amazing capture of communal togetherness. It’s so simple, yet so powerful.

Music has roots. Community has roots. And these roots run deep in New Orleans.

"and in the end, the love you take......."

The night before we were all scheduled to fly to our respective homes I caught Joanne wandering through one of the cavernous halls of our Garden District house. She had an uncharacteristically distant look on her face.

I feel a bit awkward with the term "uncharacteristic" seeing as I only met her a week prior to this moment. However, since meeting her, I have come to know this bright and engaging person and in this particular instance her expression struck me as out of the norm.

I asked her if she was feeling down. I assumed this only because I was wearing that same expression on my heart and knew I couldn't possibly be alone. She said to me(or something along these lines) "I am. I am feeling a bit lost. Like I'm getting on a plane to leave home and I'm going somewhere else. I have no idea what I'm going back to."

We had a group discussion about community earlier in the week and again during our wrap up meeting. Some fantastic points were made during both of these sessions. If I may, I'd like to add one more...

These past 10 days have been full of hard work, hard sights, hard realizations about the scope of our national consumerism and the toll it is taking on our environment and people. It has also been equally as full of hard laughs, strong bonds and hard.....HARD partying.

On the one hand, we were a group of people from like-minded companies coming together to help rebuild a city. On the other hand, we were individuals with a wide variety of passions, skills and quirks. There were a couple of occasions where a few of us sacrificed themselves by waving aside their fatigue to help others pursue their passions.

For me personally, a few heroic folks drove me to a club and got lost for an hour just so I could pursue my dancing passion for an hour and a half. One of them was sick and one of them was injured. Did I mention they were my heroes?

On other occasions, folks would surrender their place in the shower line so another could be ready in time to help prepare dinner. (a point Joanne made earlier that week) Some would get up at 5am to prepare breakfast.

And others (Caron, Jennifer and Thao)would spend the duration of the days at the house doing laundry, dishes and cooking so the rest of us didn't have to worry about it.

When Joanne said what she did it made me realize that our little community, if for even this short little while, had become a home to me. Not a house on Fourth Street in the Garden District where we were all stumbling home at 2-3-4 am. Not a group of people from like-minded companies coming together to rebuild a city (though that's exactly what we were). Not just me or Joanne or anyone else by themselves. Our little community became what felt undeniably similar to a home. It may sound a bit cheesy, but to tell you the truth, I really couldn't care less.

This realization spread outward to the people at New Orleans Food and Farming Network, to the Ebarbs, to Miss Aida and her day care center, to Bayou Rebirth. These people opened up their doors, arms, kitchens to us and became an extension of that home.

Indeed. What was I going back to?
What have the people in New Orleans taught me? What kind of communities besides our direct families and friends in our hometowns even comes close to what we shared in NOLA? How can we bring that feeling home and share it with everyone we meet and know and love? How can I perpetuate this feeling of community wherever I go?

I have no idea. But I'm gonna try.

Thank you to everyone.
I have been fundamentally changed.

Coming Home,

Was really great, but that doesn't mean that I don't already miss all of my NOLA folks. When will we see each other again? Maybe never, but still I was so happy to be a part of this experience.

Thank you all for making my stay in NOLA such an amazing one.

~I will never forget you, (especially if you keep in touch)

Ernesto

Getting down and Dirty!!

Wednesday was one of the funniest times that the 27 of us have spent here. We were all a little worried about what "getting muddy" would really mean, most of us have never even been to a marsh,  (or known the difference between a marsh and a swamp) yet alone plant anything on its shores. We were told to dress in clothes that we did not mind getting extremely muddy (and possibly not be able to use the clothes again) I brought jeans and an old T-Shirt. Most others brought work clothes with stains or paint. 

Before we got out to the marsh to do our wetland restoration, we got a short presentation about the economical impacts of allowing our wetlands to slowly be destroyed. It was sad to see projections about what the wetlands might look like in five or ten years if we don't start to prevent what is happening. One way to do this is to plant those wetland plants to keep erosion from taking over more of the land.

The canoe trips were a fun way to relax. None of the canoes tipped over, although we did have a couple close calls. :) We all got at least a bit wet from our amateur rowing, but all in all everyone was happy to just have a day off from all the hard work we had been doing. We did however see an alligator. It didn't bite anyone and just scared a few of us a bit. A couple birds and some small turtles were also around for us to observe.

We had a short lunch a little ways from the bayou that we canoed on, this mostly consisted of sandwiches and left overs from dinners past. (I had some of my food from the morning and so I ate that) There were a few Americorps volunteers that were going to be doing some replanting with us and so we spent some time getting to know them. One of the girls was just out of high school and had decided to take a year off to come volunteer. It was my luck that she was from Oregon and so we talked about Portland and our love for rainy weather. (She was also a fan of wearing many layers)

We drove another half hour or so to just about Lake Ponchartrain. We had a task that afternoon of planting a truckload of plants along the shore of the Marsh and interspersed where ever we could see empty spaces. Everyone had to wear chest high wadders (this was a hilarious sight, I don't actually think anyone can look good in them) that were either wet and muddy or that were a few sizes too big. A few of us grew bums about 4 sizes bigger than we had when we stepped into them. (yes I have pictures)

We were instructed to get dirty, tear the roots of the plants, walk into the marsh, dig a hole and then stick your whole arm into the hole (while holding onto the roots of the plant, mind you this meant that you had to literally go elbow deep into the worst smelling soil you can imagine) and then lift your hand out (which created some pleasent/unpleasent sound effects) and pat the dirt around the base of the plant. After a few minutes of pretending that I could stay clean, I dug deep and crawled around on my knees sticking my had in any hole that I could find. The soil actually felt great (a sort of therapeutic mud treatment that could cost hundreds of dollars at any day-spa) and I enjoyed getting a little....let me rephrase that, A LOT dirty. Walking around in a marsh proved to be very challenging and most of us ended up finding deep holes that left you chest high in that same smelly water.

We finished surprisingly quickly (probably because people were motivated by the idea of getting out of the mud, again I have pictures) and we all changed into slightly cleaning clothes before getting into the vans to come home. I could explain a little more about how this processed happened, being that we were in the middle of a marsh which just means that there was nothing to hide behind or secluded places to change. People got creative in how they got dressed (I changed in the front seat of one of the cars), one of us (I won't go into details of names of identities to protect the parties involved) even got into his skivvies to pose for our calendar titled "the men of the bayou".

Everyone had a lot of fun, it was really great to have a break from some of the really labor intensive labor to have a mud treatment. Lots of bonding happened that day and we were all very energized to go back to work the next day.

Peace,

Ernest0

Tuesday

After waking up early this morning to make breakfast, we all pieled back into the cars to go to the respective projects. A group of about 14 went back to the Ebard’s home. The rest went to a gardening site to plant more food for the communities in Louisiana. Linda welcomed us back with more hugs and this time she snuck in a kiss on my cheek. She is such a happy woman, ecstatic to have so many people helping her rebuild her home. She has on a number of occasions offered several of us a place to stay if we ever are in town and has even asked me to move in while I finish school. 

Linda keeps the groups energy up with coffee and snacks. You can usually find her in the kitchen, dancing and singing to any song on the radio. She is a great dancer and if you walk past her while she is dancing, she usually grabs you and convinces you to do a couple of moves with her.

Today we finished the bamboo floors in both the living room and the kitchen. We framed all of the windows and laid down the baseboard in the living room and kitchen.  The kitchen cabinets were put into place and the kitchen sink went back in. We purchased the countertops and painted the first floor of the house.  The floors in the master bedroom (which for some reason is bigger then the living room and kitchen together, and is about 1 ½ times the size of my apt) 

I wonder what we will accomplish tomorrow.

Ernesto

In the Muck

Do you know the difference between a marsh and a swamp? I didn't until our lesson in wetlands restoration today, courtesy of Bayou Rebirth. Apparently the largest difference is salt. A marsh has some degree of salinity and is affected by the tides, whereas a swamp is characterized by the presence of trees, which grow in fresh water.

Apart from the educational component today, we also had the opportunity to canoe through the wildlife refuge, to muck around in the mud wearing huge waders planting marshland plants, and to cap off the evening with some classic creole food and zydeco at Mulate's.

Today was a great day. It's now mid-week, and it was nice to take a break from our work with NOFFN and Rebuilding Together for a little time outside in the wetlands. It was a beautiful day, and there's something about wearing waders up to your chest and digging around in the swampy muckiness that makes you feel like a kid again! Tomorrow we're back to work again, and I'll be heading off to work with NOFFN again on their farming center in the Hollygrove neighborhood, and spending the afternoon cooking with a local home chef, in preparation for our big neighborhood party on Saturday.

Community

We had a discussion last night at dinner about community. Why its important, what it means these days, how to find it, how to sustain it. It's interesting that within the span of a few short days the 27 of us, from all over the country, from different backgrounds, of different ages, with different interests (yet oddly, all the same political leanings) have come together to create a community of people centered around the idea of contributing and giving back to other communities.

Some of us are here because we want to give back of ourselves after receiving so much. Others are here looking for ways to build community so that those skills can be brought home and put to work in our own hometowns. There's an incredible passion, and a huge source of inspiration present here in New Orleans. Just in the few days our group has been here, we've met and worked with 5 very different and very committed organizations doing work in this city to rebuild and restore the city to something better than it was before Katrina ("Pre-K"). The amount of resolve, love, and community support required to undertake something as large as rebuilding a city and its people is not insignificant, and yet it seems to overflow from every person we've met and worked with in this city.

At the end of this week, I think I'll have a different sense of what it means to be a part of a community, and will have found new ways of thinking about creating and sustaining communities. It occurs to me that being part of a community used to be a given, yet these days its not quite so common. We are often taught to value the individual above all else, and increasingly we live in a world so fast-paced and technologically focused that its easy to get away with not being a part of any particular community. Already this week I am learning that the benefits of being part of a community are too rich and too varied to pass up, And I'm noticing that I haven't been intentionally nourishing my communities, nor helping to build the communities I want to be a part of.

All of this comes down to relationships and valuing people, the stuff of which communities are really made. I think the biggest underlying reason for this trip, and this work, is that we were all brought together by a desire to create a better future for this world. And how attainable this goal seems with 27 other folks by your side, even if our spontaneous community dissolves when we all return home on Sunday. We will surely all carry these lessons about community with us, and the ripple effect of this experience will touch many more lives beyond the work we do here this week in New Orleans, as we come home to our communities as changed individuals.

The start...of the work week.

Today was my day to cook breakfast. With the help of two other folks we managed a good meal consisting of:

A plethora of Buttermilk Oat Pancakes

An overabundance of Bacon Strips

A giant bowl of sliced Bananas and Mandarin Oranges

Buckets of Tofurkey and Tofu-Sausage

Boxes of Annie's Cereal

Pans of Sweet Potatoes and Fruit (leftovers)

Starting at 5:30 am this morning was hard (I had to be up at 4:15 to shower and do my morning rituals) and doing all this without first having coffee was even harder. I am normally a morning person, but not quite to this extent. I've been going strong now for about 21 hours. :)

I signed up for rebuiling duity, working with a local family in getting the first floor of their house into a livable condition. The family came back only days after katrina (the father works for the postal service) and stayed on a cruise ship docked on shore. A few months later they moved into a FEMA trailer parked in the front of their home, but when that was taken away a couple of months ago, they were forced to move into the second story of their home. (At that point the house was still bare (after being gutted) and conditions were very poor. The family even had to hang plastic from the walls and ceilings so that they could cook without debris falling into their food. Their home saw about 8 feet of water for at least 3 days straight and when the insurance company would only cover about 8'' from the ceiling of the first flood (most of the damage to the house happened below that mark) the family was forced to scrape by with what little they could afford. 

Linda (the lady of the house) had so much energy and reminded me of some of the people back home. She was glowing from head to toe. We were instantly informed that we were now her adopted children and that she would take care of us, because now were family. (I almost started crying, to think that a women that had barely met us, she didn't even know our names, was already calling me son made me feel really...WARM inside) Linda explained that we could not leave the worksite because at the end of each block you would only find drugs or hookers, (if we needed any of these things, she would be happy to walk with us to the corner) but that she would be happy to get us/drive us to get anything that we needed. A crew of about 18 (I don't remember the exact number) started working on shutters, doors, the floors in the kitchen and living room, and painting. My team had the kitchen in which we had to lay a sub-floor so that the room was at an elevated level so that the whole floor was flush (or at least as close as we could get it. 

I got to use a number of power tools and ended up having a few special tasks. While we waited for more plywood, a select few of us tackled an even bigger (and at some points nastier) task. A giant pile of garbage had accumulated over what looked like weeks in front of the home and now that a dumpster had been delivered we were to move the pile to the garbage. A few hundred pieces of lumber, drywall, beer bottles and trees later we had accomplished our goal. This gave me an extra boost of energy to get back to work on the kitchen. Seeing this accomplished goal (which took 6 of us on "Team Ernesto" about an hour to dispose of) made me proud that as one person, in one team, I could have an actual impact in the lives of this family. 

Laying bamboo flooring was a lot of fun and after getting over the initial hump of starting the first few rows a sort of assembly line had formed, each person knew their task, each person was comfortable giving and receiving instructions (some more then others) so that we could accomplish our goal. Each person pitched in what talents they had, each person gave what they could and we got a lot more done than I had expected. We hope to have this home completed at the end of our week home. How nice it would be to have their kitchen and home back so that they could have their first REAL thanksgiving in over three years.

Tonight after a lovely dinner a few of us (13) went out to several different bars to check out the live music and culture. The french quarter was great, the live music was awesome, and the people were all so jovial. It was great to see such a vibrant night life knowing all that is happening only minutes from downtown. My night ended well, even after the incident with the drunk man that wanted my twisted fruit Clif Bar. He repeatedly reached for my fruit and made grunting sounds, at which I stood my ground and finished my treat. I think I am now addicted to these yummy servings of fruit. (apparently its not the best thing to replace these with all your fruit servings) I recorded a few minutes of the jazz music, and if I can figure out how to post those I will too.

Now I am exhausted, sick, and excited for tomorrow. 

Until then, Peace.....P.S. OBAMA 08'!!!

Ernesto

Today....

Yesterday we a meeting giving each group the opportunity to introduce themselves to others. It's amazing how similar our companies are. The group gets along amazingly. No complaints from anyone of the 27 living together. We are all very respectful of each other yet you would think we all knew each other for a long time. The jokes keep rolling. Steve's driving, Emily's directions, blazing a new trail, the zoo - everyone is so comfortable with each other. And yes, don't forget those one way roads!! We went to the French Quarter and walked the streets for a while. Went to the Bijou and learned what they are trying to accomplish there. Greta gave us a tour of the lower 9 and upper New Orleans. She brought us to her house which she is currently restoring and told us about her memorial garden she is planting at her grandfather's home site. We learned so much history during these visits and have so many questions as to why...why this is allowed to happen here in the United States.

The devastation here is unbelievable. It makes your heart stop. It's a shame how this country has allowed this to continue. People are homeless, hungry and unemployed. Animals are undernourished as they have no food . Homes that were destroyed still stand. An "X" on a home is defined as such: the top of the "X" is the date they came to the house after Katrina, the right in the "X" is how many animals were found - dead, the left side of the "X" states the group that look into the house and the bottom of the "X" is how many humans were found - dead. The newspapers showed the world that during Katrina the people who had crawled to the roof through the whole in the roof they made to escape the rush and depth of the water. Those homes still stand, the roof with the whole still there - the residents, although very few, tell us the story of the houses that stand and how their owners died. Some people were never found. There is just this terrible sense of devastation. We met "Roy" a happy man as he just moved back into his house three months ago after Lower9.org came in and rebuilt his home. How proud he was although he said the color took some getting used to. Roy didn't mind being photographed and talked up a storm to us about what happened to him on the day the Levy's gave out. He was so grateful to us. He shook everyone's hand - thanking us over and over again. He boasted on how he tries to give back by letting Lower9.org use his shed or his home. Amidst all of this, he smiled brilliantly and with pride that we were here to help New Orleans.

Jennifer passed around a cardboard chart on Sunday morning. Here we signed up for our house duties which we all share. But our real work begins today. This morning we all boarded the vans and headed to our destination of rebuilding a home or working on the farm. I chose working on the home. We met Linda and her husband who spoke to us about themselves and why they were chosen to have their home rebuilt. They were first responders. After introductions, we were given our assignments by Jay - the site manager. The sweat poured off of us. Sub Floors, laying wooden floors, framing windows, painting and caulking - It was amazing how we all worked together as teams. The laughter continues and the friendships build. The work is hard work but ever so rewarding.

At 4:30 we have to end our day and get out of that area because it is unsafe. Crack houses a few houses up. People strolling the streets that can't be trusted. Animals with no homes. You can't ever be alone. I can't believe this is the United States.

Again, the dinner was fantastic. Healthy, organic, and vegan friendly. Emily serenaded some of us. Her voice and guitar playing is breathtaking. She has so many beautiful songs to share. Did a Dylan song "It's all right babe", sent you back in time. For now...

Joanne

Quite a bit of fun today, 

First of to start the day, our wonderful chefs (one of the Cliff Bar folks) prepared us a wonderful breakfast starting with eggs and mushrooms with another baked dish as well as a wonderful salad with fresh mandarins and pomegranates. I had a great cup of coffee with a small glass of Oj and was feeling great by the time we had to meet up as a group. 

By ten O'clock we were all sitting in the backyard of the house. (it was so hot that some of us were hiding in the only spot that was shaded) After a round of brief introductions, each organization got to speak about their company and how they were committed to leaving "less of a footprint" in this world. It was great to hear all of the wonderful work that each company was committed to, and it was also very interesting to see all the similarities that these companies shared with Eileen Fisher. We were all committed to giving back to the communities that we lived and worked in and felt inspired to see so many people, representing so many great companies and being socially and environmentally accountable. 

We spent a few minutes going over some basic house rules (like knock before you enter a bathroom, since none of the doors lock) and received goody bags with swag from Cliff Bar. They gave us all bags, notebooks, water bottles (I used mine so much today), stickers and lists of everyones names and phone numbers. (This proved useful later today when we were missing people at certain points throughout the day)

After this "house meeting" not only did I feel even more like I was in the Real World, but also I felt more accountable and knowledgeable about the work that we would be doing in the next few days. I was amazed by all the planning that must have gone into make this week happen and I am so happy that I can just sit back and let others do all the work (I do this kind of work in most of the volunteer projects that I coordinate back home.) I am truly grateful for all the work the Cliff Bar folks have done to prepare for us to be here. From the house we all got a in depth tour of the areas affected by Katrina. We visited places like the lower nines and got to see first hand, the kind of power mother nature really has. Most of the homes that we went to were still broken down and only a few looked like they had been fully restored. The worst part was when we drove into the lower nines and got to see where the worst of the storm hit. This part of town was were most of the low-income populations lived. It was segregated and most of the population is this area was black. Most of the homes in this area did not exist and instead all that you could see where solid cement foundations and steps and occasionally some remanence of a home (Like a mail box or a bathtub). 

It was hard to drive down so many streets, some of which didn't even have street signs, or traffic signals. Fire hydrants were broken, roads were littered with potholes and we even got to see large pieces of debris sticking straight up in the middle of the street. We were told that so many of the houses had been picked up and swept away and that only a few months earlier there were still houses in the middle of the street. Most of the homes in this area were uninhabited and it looked like an abandoned city. A few people had moved back and rebuilt how/what they could. Tall grasses now grew where only months before 2 or 3 story houses once stood. 

The water/wind damage was more intensive then I had thought and almost found myself crying at a couple of the locations where we stopped. We did feel hopeful about this tour though because of the guides we had. One woman was a volunteer (and has been in NOLA for about 9 months) for an organization called "lowernine.org" A non-profit organization that with a team of volunteers (a group that is constantly changing) rebuilds homes to working conditions to get families that have been misplaced, back into NOLA. Our guide had so much knowledge about NOLA's history including the gentrification of certain areas after Katrina. She taught us about the Bayou and its significance to the people of the lower nine. (I took plenty of pictures that I will post later)

After spending an hour or so at the Zoo for Swamp Days(we got in for free when I bribed the manager with our sob stories and Cliff Bars, thanks Cliff for saving the six of us the 12.50 entrance cost) we ended up back at home with just a few minutes for me to change before we went to dinner.

We had dinner (true Creole cuisine) at a local non-profit restaurant that takes 12 youth (all of which have had issues getting a job or extreme troubles affecting them) every 6 weeks and trains them in food handling, customer service and food prep. All the employees (except for the teacher) were youth age men who served our meals and acted like waiters at a restaurant. I was surprised by their talent after only 4 weeks. The organization takes these "at-risk" youth and places them in jobs, or encourages them to attend school after the 6 week training. Dinner was amazing, Sausage and chicken gumbo, a shrimp dish in a great sauce and some kind of blueberry cobbler. Our night ended with some of us taking politics in the tv room of the house while watching a new show hosted by D.L. Hugely on CNN. 

Until Tomorrow, and more pictures,

Ernesto

Great people...great minds...great stores...

Excellent dinner last night - great chefs and hosts. Great stories of mud flats, brothers, sons and sisters. Lots of laughter. Everyone finally arrived and we sat and talked about days to come. There's the buzz of excitement of all working together. The house is huge and purple. Two houses together as Ernesto states. Met people from Annies, Cliff Bar, Numi Tea, Seventh Generation.Timberland and of course us from Eileen Fisher. Had a great discussion on Timberland boots with everyone's views. Walked some of the blocks and down Magazine St. passing the voo-doo wedding house. Excellent decor! Some stores vacant, streets and sidewalks are buckled from roots of trees - no one knows if it's from Katrina or just age. The homes are beautiful. Some are kept, some vacant, some need lots of work. People just sit on corners or on their stoops. We walked for coffee this morning seeing the Sunday worshipers in their best duds. Must be a hospital near by - Lots of people in scrubs. Breakfast is about to begin, then off on a tour - kick-off dinner tonight. For now....

My first post, and first impressions

I arrived at the house a little while ago. After brief introductions (I have to admit I already forgot everyones names, except for Tan, her name is unique enough that I can remember) we took a short tour of the house. Its actually really two houses, but they are joined, but also separated... it's actually hard to describe. there are a total of 10 bedrooms (or what we are calling bedrooms) each room with two, three, or four beds. Some of the rooms looked finished and have decorations, others still look like they are being worked on. There is a great big balcony that wraps around the entire front of the house, a beautiful view I am sure, if only we could go out there (there are handmade signs at each of the entrances to the balcony stating "do not go on the balcony, its dangerous") I imagine I would be okay if I walked out there on my own, maybe ill convince someone else to test it out for me. 

The house looks old. Its vintage charm actually makes it quant and cozy. The dark wood floors compliment the wood trim all around the home. The is however a sort of wet dog smell to some of the rooms. I'm not sure if it is the carpet, or maybe its molded wood, whatever it is, I am sure that the heat tomorrow will just make it worse. I can use it as an incentive to spend less time in my room and more time running around town and hanging out with the folks from 7th generation, Cliff Bar, Annie's & of course Eileen Fisher (my personal favorite)

My favorite thing about the house though (apart from the antique furniture) are the super high ceilings. I didn't measure, but I imagine that they are at least 15 feel ceilings. Great for making you feel big and powerful. 

The conversation in the back yard has been great. Some of us are helping the cooks, (the smells are great) others are telling jokes of wearing women's clothing late at night. Its been great to meet some other EFers and the folks that we will be working with. Tomorrow is a day for adventure and more bonding.

Until tomorrow,

Ernesto 

The French Quarter, Cafe Du Monde, Big Easy....get ready

Okay so as we all know, I think its safe to say we are definitely in "countdown mode"! I'm sitting here at my desk thinking about the last minute packing details, the plane ride (which I have to admit I'm not a flyer), but most importantly the new journey on which us first timers are about to embark. I have fond memories of Louisiana in Baton Rouge many many moons ago, and visited New Orleans just months before Katrina hit. I stood at the edge of Lake Pontchartrain, which was then "the calm before the storm". I actually bent down and put my hands in this magnificent body of water, just to prove I'd been there. It's funny how nature can be be so wonderful and welcoming one minute, and remind us of her fury the next. Louisiana is a place of beautiful people, a mix of intriguing culture, music, and most of all good ole "Southern Hospitality". I am glad to be a part of this life changing experience, and glad to see that even years later after the devastation, "People still care", people want to make an impact, and people want to help their Southern neighbors. To all those coming together in the next 48-72 hrs, I don't even know you , but can't wait to see you.....and welcome your fearless spirit, with the need for change! T @numi over and out!

NOLA, here we come…

I'll be in New Orleans in 38 hours, not like I’m counting. I can nearly smell the fried food, hear the jazz bands, see the unpronounceable street signs and feel the effusive hugs. I can’t wait! So, last year I fell in love with New Orleans. It was one of “those” that started as a crush and turned into a love. Something I was ready to commit to. I was fortunate to work alongside 10 Clif Bar employees in Musician’s Village (you can see photos from the trip here) last year. We partnered with Habitat for Humanity and learned how to operate the sawzall, build stairs, plume windows and work as a team. After 10 days, we left with new friends and new perspectives. It was amazing to learn about this rich culture and at the same time, learn about the tragic response. Hurricane Katrina remains in the form of spray paint on the buildings, an infrastructure in disarray and hope among the people. There is still work to be done.

I'm so grateful for this opportunity and just want to get there already!! I can't wait to meet those of you I don't already know, and really get to know those of you I already know.

My prediction: it’s going to be great

can I have this dance?

Hey folks!

Being the dance-fanatic that I am, I decided to get a bit familiar with the New Orleans social scene. Luckily there is a local Cajun-Zydeco dancing venue right in our little town of Berkeley. Live-band, local brews, what's not to love?

So, I drove my timid self to Ashkenaz Community Arts Center at 8pm last night to check it out.

I have to say that, after the initial "what the heck am I doing here" jitters and the introductory lesson, I got a bit swept up in the collective excitement of the regular dancers and the live music.

Everyone was extremely friendly and open to giving tips on this energetic dance form.

Below is a great video of a brother and sister dancing in their kitchen.
This gives a fun introduction to Zydeco dancing.

yay! :-)

Goin' down da banquette to Tchoupitoulas for a sno ball n muffuletta

In just two weeks, we'll be on the ground! So hard to believe. As promised, below is some more NO-speak for us to try out. Can you put together a fully-loaded sentence AND have it make sense? Let the games begin!


Banquett (ban' ket): Sidewalk--French meaning a small bank along the road

Calliope Street (Cal' i ope): (The ope said like rope--no "e" heard) Don't ask where "Cal-lie-o-pea" is, nobody will understand what street you're looking for!

Cajun (kay' jun): French Acadians that settled here from Canada

Camelback (cam' l bak): A single row house with the back half made into a two story. The front section remains a single.

City that Care Forgot: A nickname for New Orleans

Creole (cree' ole): Descendants of French, Spanish, and Caribbean slaves and natives; also come to mean any person whose ancestry derives from the mixed nationalities in the Caribbean.

Crescent City Connection: Twin bridges connecting the Eastbank with the Westbank

Dressed: Sandwiches served with lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise--"the works"(And, of course...the way those with class catch their Mardi Gras throws!)

"Fixin to": About to

Flambeaux (flam' bo)

Gallery (galllll rreeeee): Balcony--walkway outside of homes on the second floor

GNO: Greater New Orleans area


Hi-rise: Anything above sea level! - (just joking--with a bit of truth!) The elevated interstate roadway.

Makin' groceries: Buying groceries

Metairie (Met' tree): A suburb of New Orleans--between the Airport and New Orleans

Muffuletta (Moo Fa' lotta) and a lotta it is!: Super-large, round, fat sandwich filled with salami-type meats, mozzarella cheese, pickles, and olive salad

Neutral Ground: Median or grassy area between the paved areas on a boulevard
pantry (pan-tree)cupboard

Shot gun: Usually part of a "double"--a single row house in which all rooms on one side are connected by a long single hallway--you can open the front door and shoot a gun straight through the back door, without hitting a single wall

Sno-ball: Shaved ice (nearly powder) served with flavored syrups.

Tchoupitoulas Street (Chop a two' les): Interesting street name .... one of the trickiest to pronounce - and spell!

The Parish: Louisiana has Parishes not Counties, but this often refers to Chalmette, a suburb outside New Orleans.


Uptown (uhp' tawn): Area "upriver" from the French Quarter

And finally....
Yat: Standard greeting--("Where yat?" is "Hello, how are you doing?"). Also can be used the neighborhood where the term is used.

Taken from: http://www.experienceneworleans.com/glossary.html#1

'Trouble the Water'

A few weeks before I knew about this opportunity, I saw a documentary called 'Trouble the Water.' I would recommend it to everyone! It consists mostly of footage taken on a personal video camera by a woman who was forced to ride out the storm with her family in their attic because they had no car and there was no organized transportation to get them out of the city. It is a very real and moving picture of what it was like for those that had no choice but to stay.

I look forward to meeting everyone!

Hope in New Orleans

Abashedly, I admit that my knowledge of New Orleans pre-Katrina centered mostly around jazz, Creole food, and Mardi Gras. Since Katrina, I have learned so much more about the city and its nuances - in particular, the socio-economic divide that exists, and which has been further exacerbated by Katrina's devastation. Even with what I have learned, though, I know it's nothing to what we'll learn when we get out there in a couple of weeks. An article from yesterday's SFGate gives a perspective on what has changed - and not changed - in New Orleans since Katrina. And while it's light in content, I thought the series was a worthwhile, short read.

Through all the bits and pieces that I have read in recent weeks about New Orleans, I am struck by the ultimate message of hope that rings through. It reminds me of the time I lived in Johannesburg for a summer working on HIV/AIDS issues. Even with all the sadness that surrounds the issue, the people I met exuded strength, hope and kindness. It was a poignant reminder that there is so much more going on than the surface permits us to see - I just had to dig deeper to find it. I am sure that we'll find similar stories when we're in New Orleans in a couple weeks. I can't wait to meet some of the locals, to meet Loran and Linda, to hear their history and hope, and to bring those stories home.

Where are we going again?

As a bit of a dabbler in languages (decent amount of French, a lot more Spanish and I can understand my dog and cats fluently), I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the common catch phrases thrown about in the Crescent City and to try and ascertain a few of the rules of pronunciation. Just as it's a nice gesture, when traveling to a foreign country, to learn at least a few of the basics so that your first experience in a new place isn't to stare at someone blankly, so is my intention to arrive on November 1 with a couple of mental notes on local-speak tucked into my pocket.

So, that leads me back to..."Where are we going again?"

Sure, it's easy enough for me to type "New Orleans" but a heck of a lot trickier to actually pronounce it.

As I'm sure you all know, New Orleans has been shaped by a myriad of influences: Creole, Cajun, French, Spanish, Caribbean, Northern US, Southern US and the influx of transplants from around the country and world. A virtual jambalaya of people, so to speak. It's generally acknowledged that there are close to 100 different ways that locals pronounce the city's name. This leads me to believe that there's no absolute right, but there are some preferred ways and definitely a couple of WRONGS. And they are:

New ORLEENS - I'm from Boston and whenever I hear someone say "I'm going to pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd", it smacks me in the head like a Tedy Bruschi tackle - tourist. Such is the same with this pronunciation. Don't even say it as a joke.

N'Awlins - Imagine the scenario...You're at the watering hole on the corner where all of the locals hang out. The crusty old barkeep throws at you, "First time in N'Awlins?" and you're tempted to mimic him back, like you're being trusted with a secret code; that you're one of the gang. But according to several sources on the subject, "The fabled 'N’Awlins' is used by some natives for amusement, and by some non-natives who think they’re being hip, but actually I’ve come across very few locals who actually pronounce the name of the City in this way."

Now, erase those from your brains forever. On to a few of the preferred or at least more common pronunciations:

new OR-lans

new OR-lee-ans

new AH-lee-ans

nyoo AH lee-ans

Hope this was helpful. See you all in....the Big Easy.

Next blog on NO-speak: "What is a Yat?"

Go Community

How exciting to watch (and be part of) the evolution of Clif's 2080 program--from the early days of contributing the equivalent of one full-time employee (2080 hours) to our local community (no small vision) to a multi-company venture combining the energies, people power and good of several companies and extending our reach even further. In Good Company New Orleans--what an excellent way to embed ourselves in the idea and practice of community.

My first visit to New Orleans was in 2000. I was competing in TaeKwonDo at the national AAU tournament. I decided to make a vacation out of it, extending my visit and bringing mom along. We had a fabulous time exploring the food and music scene. One of my favorite days was spent walking the Garden District--I'm a big Anne Rice fan and had to see the neighborhood depicted in so many of her novels first hand. We had a great lunch in a little cafe focused on natural food (can't remember the name). I was thrilled to hear that our In Good Company lodging would be in nestled in the heart of the Garden District!

The Big Easy!

I was thrilled to learn that I was picked to visit New Orleans with the "In Good Company" group in early November. I thought about our group and the good that we can bring to the city of New Orleans and it's community, and how we can lend a helping hand to all we have contact with. I am excited to visit "The Big Easy" even though I know there will be nothing easy about our trip as we will be working hard for the bettermeant of New Orleans. New Orleans has a lot to offer and I am truly excited about a couple of things. I look forward to helping out the people and community of New Orleans while visiting Bourbon St, listening to Music, eating Gumbo and Muffaleta Sandwich's and seeing the SuperDome. I will be posting blogs in the future about the very distinct and popular New Orleans style cuisine and what foods we will be tasting down in the "Big Easy".

It's All Good

I am so moved to be part of the innagural year of In Good Company. What a special opportunity we have to meet good people, to hear good music, to eat good food and of course do good things. Can't wait to meet every one. See you in about a month!!!

books books books

One of the many things that I am most looking forward to about living and working in New Orleans for two weeks is being immersed in one of the richest, most culturally inclusive musical environments in our ginormous U.S.of A.

I have to admit, aside from a few famous names like Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino and a love for Blue Music, I don't have much knowledge about this cultural medium of New Orleans.

So, where oh where to start gleaning?

At the first meeting Caron and Jennifer mentioned that one of our New Orleans veterans, Tom V., had some great insight to share. On top of that, being one of the most experienced members of our company band made soliciting him for coffee a no-brainer.

Yesterday, I headed out with Tom to hear some stories and reap some musical inspiration. The more he spoke the more I wanted to hear. He loaded me up with CDs, a couple of books and I walked back to my desk with a stack of material I only hope I can make a dent in before we leave.

I've already cracked into one of his favorite books called "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" It's a collection of speeches, essays, stories, poems and recipes that provide a detailed (or as detailed as you can get about something so esoteric) account of the side of the city that most tourists never experience. One of the things Tom mentioned is that there is a soul to New Orleans that you can feel when you navigate the smaller, more local music venues. Even though I've only read the preface and part of the first story, "Do You Know..." seems to have already solidified his sentiment.

I haven't gotten very far in this book yet, but I highly recommend at least the first 10 pages :-)

If you're interested in learning a bit more, here's the link:


Next on my list is "1 Dead in the Attic"

A Teachable Moment

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE August 17, 2008 A Teachable Moment By PAUL TOUGH Hurricane Katrina wiped out the New Orleans public schools. It also created a rare chance to build a system that might solve the biggest problem in urban education -- how to teach disadvantaged children.