All Things French (Quarter) and More
Author’s Note: The following events were written as they were occurring. As such, they were written in the appropriate tense at that time. The following events occurred on January 6, 2019.
After a restful night’s sleep at the Hotel Saint Pierre, my roommate and I woke up, ate breakfast, and packed our things. We checked our bags for storage with Hotel staff and a couple other students and I explored the French Quarter. We visited the French Market where some of my classmates found Mardi Gras parasols and New Orleans shirts for bargain prices. I was in awe at the different booths of people selling various items, such as stoneware glasses and bracelets with every name imaginable! After spending time at the French Market, we briefly explored Jackson Square and headed towards Reverend Zombie’s House of Voodoo. One classmate purchased a Voodoo doll representing loyalty while I found one representing Capricorn energy. I guess that reveals my sign but oh well, Google has all of my personal info anyway! Another classmate joined us and we all headed to Clover Grill, which was ranked best diner in the state of Louisiana. I ordered a Chicken Fried Steak sandwich which was super good! Even though I’m one step closer to having a heart attack, I plan on going back for another one sometime during this trip. We headed back to our hotel just before 11:00 AM where the entire class met with a representative from Rebuilding Together, a non-profit which specializes in repairing homes for those with low income, veterans, the disabled, and the elderly, and spent an hour learning more about the organization, the house we would be working on, and what we will be doing.
Rebuilding Together (RT) is similar to Habitat for Humanity, but instead of building new homes from the ground up, volunteers repair homes for homeowners who can’t afford to. RT has been around for 30 years and has chapters located across the country. Their New Orleans chapter is one of their most experienced chapters; they constantly rebuild homes affected by Hurricane Katrina up to this day.
Our representative informed us that we will be working on a house belonging to a Veteran in the Seventh Ward, which is not too far away from the French Quarter. For privacy reasons, I will NOT be posting any identifiable pictures of the home. The veteran has lived at this home for over 30 years and, as with many New Orleans families, has been passed down this home for generations. They plan on passing the home down to their children as well. The home needs new window frames, siding, and window glazing in order to help the Veteran save money on heating and cooling bills.
Our class and I will be working with expert AmeriCorps volunteers to repair the home. We will get opportunities to saw wood, paint side panels, replace windows, and perform various other tasks. We will likely learn how to use different tools and some important life skills pertaining to repairing a home. I’m super excited to have an opportunity to not only make a difference in someone’s life, but to learn various new skills and get messy. I am nervous though; the inner perfectionist in me is worried about messing up. I’m also worried about not knowing what to do or being unable to help out. I’m sure everything will turn out fine, but I also know that I need to improve on my leadership skills in order to become an effective leader, but that’s why I’m taking the class!
After our time with our RT representative was up, the class and I boarded a private van for a tour of the city of New Orleans. Our tour guide Joseph did a phenomenal job of sharing with us the history of New Orleans, ranging from the single-family homes on Saint Charles Avenue to the more recent aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Along our tour, we visited Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3 (yes, there’s three of them) to learn about New Orleans burial culture. To put it simply, bodies are buried above ground in tombs which stay in their respective families for generations. Whenever someone dies, the old remains are pushed back into a hole in the tomb while the recently-deceased are placed along the now empty shelf. This cycle continues for generations. After our brief stop at the cemetery, we visited the City Park, home of an Art Museum where King Tut was put on display in 1977. While we were at the park, my classmates and I climbed on this one tree and made some unique poses (Sorry, not posting identifiable pictures of anybody). Once we got back in the van, we crossed the London Avenue Canal and visited a small information center created by a woman who lost her home to Katrina. This small center is built on the former home’s foundation and factually tells the story of Katrina and its aftermath. We were near the place where the London Avenue Canal burst when the storm surge hit, resulting in flooding of parts of New Orleans. We were approximately eight feet below sea level at this point. Once we boarded our van again, we drove along the coast of Lake Pontchartrain, a lake so massive you’d think you were at the ocean! We drove past the Southern Yacht Club, the second oldest such club in the United States, then headed to Saint Charles Avenue where the city’s “old money” live. Having an address on Saint Charles is so prestigious that homeowners have been known to rotate their homes so their fronts face the iconic street. We drove by Xavier University, Tulane University, and Loyola University. We then drove by some notable houses, such as the one where General Robert E. Lee died, Sandra Bullock’s house, the house where Nicholas Cage once lived, and others belonging to other historical figures in the city. We then concluded our tour back at our hotel where we retrieved our bags and moved down the street to the Saint Jude Community Center, where we will be living for the next five nights.
The Saint Jude Community Center (SJ) was established in 1983 to help feed the needy, provide adult education classes, psychological services, and a place to stay for those visiting New Orleans to do volunteer work. The facility has dorms segregated by gender, showers, and provides us with lunch (we brought our own supplemental items for the first two days of our work). This year, we are one of four student groups staying at SJ for volunteer work with organizations such as RT and others. We met students from Pennsylvania on our first night.
After settling in, the class got dinner at the Gumbo Shop near Jackson Square. Most of us ordered either Seafood or Chicken Gumbo, which is a creole dish consisting of meat, rice, okra, and other seasonings. It was cheap and delicious, and it currently takes my pick for best dish I have had in New Orleans. After finishing dinner, the students watched the Joan of Arc parade. This parade told the story of the life of Joan of Arc, who conquered Normandy and was burned at the stake for heresy. Saint Joan of Arc was born in Orleans, France and was burned in Rouen France. I actually visited the sites where she was imprisoned and burned in Rouen back in 2015. However, I enjoyed the parade and their creative way of telling her story and her eventual sainthood.
We then met back at SJ for a trip to the local Wal-Mart. This store in particular played a role during Hurricane Katrina, which I will find out more about in the coming week. Due to some slip-ups on my part, I purchased some sheets, towels, and toiletries in order to stay fresh and comfortable while at SJ. This works out as I plan on donating my bedding items anyway.
Well, I’m really tired and I have an early day tomorrow (even though this was most likely published after the fact). Let’s see what Day Three brings.