A volunteer wrap-up

An experience I won't forget

I was not sure what to expect heading into this trip.  All I knew about NOLA was that it is the headquarters of blues and jazz music, they love their sport teams, and they love to eat BBQ and shrimp. But after spending a week here volunteering, touring and experiencing the culture I see that there is so much more to NOLA than the three things I mentioned. 

Helping to reconstruct a home for a family has truly been unbelievable. The house that I worked on was in the Upper Ninth Ward of the city. The family lost their home from Katrina and haven't been able to live there since then. The house belongs to a woman named Elizabeth and her two teenage daughters. While this was one of the nicer neighbors in the area, it was still hard to see that. Destruction and poverty constantly reminded me of where I was.  While taking a break from working on the house, I watched this young girl, her son, an older woman (perhaps her mother) and her boyfriend I assumed all from afar. Here was a girl no older than 17 with a 3-year-old toddler running around and a her stomach fully expanded for another child on the way in a couple of months. They were all hanging out on a street corner in the middle of the day which probably meant that they were drop-outs because it wasn't later than 1 p.m. Seeing that family broke my heart. I began to feel so bad not only for the child but for the poor girl that is going to be a mother of two.  I just felt as if she'll be stuck in the same bad neighborhood for the rest of her life raising her two kids, and perhaps even more trying to make ends meat. I hope that I am completely wrong about her, but I just have an itch that I am not. 

From the teenage pregnancies to the new skills that I learned while rebuilding a house it all was so incredible. I learned everything from caucking a bathtub, to trim around the living room.  I also learned how to drill in studs to hang blinds. I bettered my touch-up painting skills and I learned how to stain wood floors. Lastly, I learned how to mud a house thats right I officially can dry-wall any house for the rest of my life. With the dry walling also comes the skill of sanding which I also mastered.  Texturing wasn't my strong suit, but I learned how to texture walls to make them smoother. 

With learning new skills came confidence for myself. Sometimes I feel like I am worthless when it came to fixing and learning new home improvement skills. But now, I feel like I could do so much. I liked how hands-on I was this week and I really took a moment to learn.  I sat back observed, took criticism, praise and advice. I didn't let my ego and pride overtake my education for the week. I truly feel as if I am growing as a human and as a woman. Sometimes I let me pride overtake an opportunity to learn new things. 

Friday involved seeing a house dedication which made it all worth while. We dedicated a house to Darlene Huber whom lives in St. Bernard another neighborhood community. This community was hit the hardest of any other one during Katrina. Houses were either completely submerged or 3-6 feet covered in water. Darlene's house was around six feet underwater prior to the rebuilt. Could you imagine your home being under six feet of water? I saw pictures of her home right after Katrina and it is shocking. We sang Amazing Grace, and said a few prayers. She received gifts from different churches and one just happened to be from Corvallis. Apparently a group from Corvallis and other parts of Oregon came a few weeks prior to myself. 

Coming down to NOLA to volunteer was an absolutely amazing experience. Today was such an emotional day.  I have truly seen how wonderfully gracious people can be despite how much money they have.  A family that received their home back last April came by the Project Homecoming Office to drop of a Christmas gift of $1,000 to helping another family have enough funds to finish their home. A $1,000 from a family which doesn't have too much extra money laying around. That is a lot of money for them to donate and they did it because they care and because they were so touched with how their home turned out. That is why volunteering is so important because you get to experience and see magic happen everyday. 

This week has been absolutely fabulous. I have learned so much about myself, about my future and about others. I have eaten some amazingly delicious food including boiled crawfish, rare at this time of the year, red beans and rice and of course some gumbo and BBQ! 

I will post some photos this week when I am back in Salt Lake. 

The house next to Elizabeth's has been vacant since September 13, 2006.  Mold was like an organism and rapidly expanding all over the house.  The house's exterior made of vinyl was completely falling off and being replaced with mold. All of the windows were broken and the door was boarded up.  While all the homes must of looked like this after Katrina it is still so sad to see how many houses still look this way. I asked Mark if he ever thought that New Orleans would be completely rebuilt and he said no. 

Sunday: Tamara and I walked all around New Orleans today, literally. We started our journey at that big street market downtown.  It reminded me of Pike Place Market in Seattle but with less food vendors and more art work available for sale. The market also featured live music which is a must in New Orleans. We walked around for a bit checking out different vendors.  

Next we ate Beignets which are famous down here. Beignets are like doughnuts expect even sweeter. Each Beignet has about a pound of powdered sugar on it and they are served with coffee and whole milk. I personally thought they were a bit too sweet and after eating just one it made my stomach hurt a bit. 

I saw some statues of the great Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.  The south loves their Civil War heroes. 

Next we walked down St. Charles Ave in the French Quarters which features old, traditional and historical homes. Most of them have been around since before the Civil War and were southern plantations at one time or another. The designs of some of the homes were incredible. Designs from a corn-detailed fence to different shapes carved into the wood exterior of the home. Some homes had towering porches that would extend all around the home while others had 8 by 8 shutters around the windows. I saw Anne Rice's old home and Nicholas Cage's new home. 

We continued our journey to the art encouraged and unique Magazine Street. This street was all local.  Local stores, restaurants and bars all engrossed in one street. If you are an antique lover like myself than this street and town is for you. I saw some of the coolest antique whilst searching different stores. The street's nickname could have been "thrift store mania" because it all featured four or five different thrift clothing stores. I ended up buying this awesome street car t-shirt there. 

Lastly to wrap up our day Tamara and I stopped by a dive bar and had a drink while we sat outside to rest our tried feet and waited for Mark to pick us up. Sitting outside on December 13th is pretty amazing considering it was 20 degrees and snowing in Salt Lake. 

Tomorrow is my first day of volunteer work and I am so excited. I love construction work and I cannot wait to dive right into a project.

GOODNIGHT! 

My first full day in the City of Jazz!

New Orleans Day One:

  

This city is so magical and I simply cannot get enough of it. Today Tamara, Mark, Jordan Delaney and I all went to the Freret Street Market which goes on during the first Saturday of every month. Since it is the holiday season, the Market went on the first two Saturdays of December. I was fortunate to be here to see it. This is a real local market, it is not in any tourist books nor is it really targeted for tourists.  It is all about the locals when it comes to the Freret Market, the "Frestive Market" as it is called during the holiday season. This market features four lives bands because it goes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Most of the bands have some Jazz or Blues influence to them with a bit of rock mixed in. 

At the market, you can buy Aibeta the local beer brewed right in New Orleans for $2.00 a cup. Not only is the beer inexpensive but it is pretty tasty and you get to keep the decorative plastic cup. The Market also features local artists whom bring their art to sell. Local restaurants also come and bring vast amounts of different local food favorites to each Market. Today I ate bbq shrimp and grits mixed in this creole sauce. It was so delicious, I am drooling just thinking about it. 

 

People walk around the city with a cup of beer in one hand all day long. I find this lifestyle fascinating considering I live in a place in which I have to buy a membership to any place that serves alcohol. Drinking is just a way of life here.  

Tonight we went to The Gumbo Restaurant which is a Creole Restaurant. Creole came from the French, Native American and African Americans whom all came to New Orleans back in the day. It is a sauce that tends to be rich in flavor. It can be sweet, thick and spicy all at the same time. 

After the restaurant we went to Preservation Hall a Jazz Club for all ages that has been around since the early 1900s. The Hall has live music every night including its own "Preservation Jazz Band, whom we saw tonight. This band had so much sole and were so good it was hard to leave. 

Tamara, Mark and myself continued to walk down Bourdin Street where we saw a whole slew of Santas. Some were Pirate Santas, while others were Naughty Santa, and Big Foot Santa. It was quite entertaining to see about a hundred Santas all walking down the street together getting drunk. I also went to observe the different bar scenes which was cool to see. 

Lastly, I got my BEADS! I waved to a lot of people, flirted with the men and smiled to get some. I feel as if I truly experienced the bead side of New Orleans. Tomorrow is some more sight-seeing and new adventures then it is off to work! 

I am dead tired, good night world!

My flight adventures to New Orleans

Flying to New Orleans today proved to be a lot more fun then I thought. It actually was one of the best flights that I've ever had. After feeling a bit stressed about trying to find a person to take me to the airport, my friend Eddy came through.

On my first flight from Salt Lake to Vegas I sat by an older couple whom were full of energy and ready to party Vegas style on the plane. The husband had just flown in from Hungry and then was on another flight to Vegas with his wife for a weekend getaway. He was hunting Boar whilst in Hungry. They are Utahans like myself. Wow, I guess I can actually say that being that I have a Utah Driver's License. They live 15 minutes outside of Park City. Anyway...I closed my eyes at the start of the flight and woke up just in time for the flight attendant to ask me what I wanted to drink. I replied "orange juice please," the husband then opened his mouth saying "we are all having screw drivers, I am buying you want one too?" My inital reaction was it's 9:45 in the morning are you crazy? But then I thought "hey its 9:45 in the morning, why not have a screw driver?" So he ordered me a screw driver and we all sat drinking our vodka and orange juice talking about hunting boars in Hungry and Pearls. It was quite a party indeed. They went on to have two more screw drivers and I decided one was plently at that time of day.

My next flight from Vegas to New Orleans was also a pretty good time. One of the flight attendant's was re-writing Christmas Carols to the theme of Southwest Airlines. She must of sang six different songs with the theme of Christmas, Southwest, New Orleans and the passengers on the flight. At first it was a bit too much, but by the third song I was into it just like everyone else. The people a few rows down from me started a rhythm section and had the whole entire flight clapping their hands to the beat. It was a bit humerous to see. No screw drivers on this flight, strictly ginger ale.

After three hours and twenty minutes later we landed in New Orleans. I waited for Tamara Sell, my old high school teacher to pick me up. Tamara and Mark (her husband) moved down to New Orleans to help out after Katrina hit. Mark is the leader of Project Homecoming a volunteer organization that helps to re-build people's homes that were lost during Katrina. His staff has currently built 13 new homes. Tamara teaches at the school that both Delaney and Jordan, her two girls go to school at.

Tamara and Mark have an Ameri-core employee living with them in the basement. His name is Andy and he is from Philly. He has been living and working with Mark and the Project Homecoming for a year and a half now. Andy loves living and helping out down here. He is 23 like myself and a pretty fun guy. I am going to hit the town with him and his friends later tonight!

Well, that is all I have to say at this moment. I will update you all in the next few days as well as load some photos. I have to get to building a ginger bread house now with Delaney!

GOODNIGHT from New Orleans!

Five easy steps towards a healthier planet

I was given a great book called the 1,001 Ways to Save the Earth and it is absolutely an amazing book. 

So I am going to share five of the simplest things anyone could do everyday! 

1. Less speed, more food...driving 50 mph is 25% more fuel-efficient than driving at 70 mph. 

2. Donate your weekend shave...save on water, foam, by giving up your daily shaving ritual at the weekend. A little bit of facial hair is sexy on a man anyways.  

3. Baking soda is wonderful!  Forget about the fancy cleaning products: for one they are expensive and secondly they tend to kill some of the natural germs that are needed to help us keep up on our natural defenses.  Baking Soda is inexpensive and it makes a great all-purpose cleaner, scouring powder, polish and fungicide. Whatever is left you can do some baking with!

4. Extremely Cool: Keep a pitcher or bottle of tap water in the fridge. This will help to limit the amount of water wasted waiting for it to come out of the faucet. 

5. Be a smart cook...cooking meals from scratch is a healthier, and more energy-efficient option then buying processed foods, or takeouts.  You can save even more energy by not slaving to the cookbook. If you turn off the oven 10 minutes before the time stated in the recipe, the residual heat would continue to cook the meal. 

So there are five easy steps that we all can do to help reduce our CO2 composition and make our planet even healthier. It's easy steps like this that will really save our planet. Together we all can make a difference.