New Orleans – Thoughts

I am sure you have noticed, gentle reader, that there is little mention in this blog about Katrina or the aftereffects. I didn’t take any pictures of any of the disaster sites or the tours available (which I found rather morbid). As you fly into the city, you see this bright blue everywhere. At first you think they are swimming pools, with the sunlight reflecting, giving a bright blue. Then you think, wow, thats a lot of pools, then you realize its actually blue tarp on roofs, trying to stop leaks. They are everywhere.

As you drive towards the French Quarter, you notice help wanted signs… everywhere. Even Mickey D’s is offering almost $10.00 a hour plus a $250 a week bonus. You want to go to a resturaunt, there is no waiting. No lines anywhere. Everyone is grateful to see you and conversations about life is easy to start. Most diners close at 9 and some are only open on the weekends. Many shops are closed and when you peer into the window, its bare, even the store fixtures are gone. Everyone wants to tell you about life here and often the term “post-katrina” passes their lips. New low value on their house. How many FEMA trailers are on their block. Articles in the local paper about how to “pimp your FEMA trailer”. How the rents have tripled since there is not enough places to stay. How choices in food are now limited and that is the reason why they dont have blueberries and how sorry they are for that. Through this all, they still smile and say things are getting better and they are gratefully you are here. I feel grateful that they are here as well.

One shop I went to a lot, the clerks there told me business is about 1/5 of what it should be and they are down to 8 employees when they should normally have 16. At night when you walk past the bars, each place is only about 1/5 full, yet the music is still loud and the band still full of vibrant energy. New Orleans was terribly damaged by the 2 storms, but it is still lovely, the people still cheerful, the history intact. It has survived.