First Weekend in NOLA

I absolutely love the city of New Orleans because of the sense of community. Half of the people in New York City are not as half as friendly as in New Orleans. These friendly people are not only in the party crowd, but in many other places as well. Bourbon Street is astonishing for the first couple of times you walk the street, but can get tiring. Conversing with the general public is always the best part of visiting a new city in my opinion. Whether this conversation is inside a Bourbon Street club or in the bathroom line at Cafe Du Monde, listening to new perspectives in new accents is always fun. If you can’t find yourself connecting with the residents, yelling a string of “Roll Tides,” “Geaux Tigers,” or “Who Dat” is always sure to get a reaction.
Aside from the fun new experiences and people, I can take a new perspective when learning about Hurricane Katrina in a hands on manner. Visiting the Lower 9th Ward, Bayou, Levees, Upper 9th Ward, and the Garden District allows me to compare the different areas. When I watched Spike Lee’s documentary, I learned that the Lower 9th Ward was hit the hardest from the hurricane, however, the reality of the situation was not fully grasped until I sat on the edge of the Bayou and levees. Imaging an extra 11 feet of water flooding the entire neighborhood is positively insane. When I saw leftover stairs and foundations, everything really hit me. Families used to live in that house and use those steps daily, with mothers and fathers relaxing inside while dogs slept on the front porch and children ran around in the yard. Real families used to use those steps- families that are now spread all around the country working in an array of new jobs. I’m really excited to start helping!
One thing that really got to me was the criticism of the “Brad Pitt houses” (as we call them). This man is doing a great deed by buying lots to build structurally sound houses for a hurricane and selling in back to residents cheaper than what they would usually cost. I understand that he is selling the homes back rather than donating them to families. He is, however, allowing his effort to go further and build more houses by selling the houses rather than purely donating. If he did not want to help and just wanted to make a profit, he could go to a million more extravagant places in the world. He is not making a profit but rather getting some money back from the extremely expensive builds in order to continue his relief efforts. The fact that individuals must help rather than the government funds disgusts me already- please don’t criticize the individuals that only want to help.