Thursday, October 30, 2008

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

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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! :-)

Monday, October 20, 2008

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

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

'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!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

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.


Wednesday, October 1, 2008

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?"