Impressions of New Orleans

2013-01-01

Busy few days here! It’s been a good time. The city itself is far more interesting to me than the particular adventures and entertainment. What stands out to me:

Bourbon Street really is something else. I’ve explored a full seven blocks of nonstop bars and restaurants catering to every type of person out there, and these places just don’t shut down. 2:00 in the afternoon on Sunday, the street is filled with people partying away. 6:00 AM, people are still out, stumbling home. Large sections of downtown are littered with beads every night. They’re permanently entangled in all the trees, fences, utility poles, etc. There’s a definite stench of stale alcohol and urine that can be hard to look past at times, but it’s still amazing to see. People who have been to Vegas tell me this is easily three times crazier.

I never quite realized how unexaggerated ebonics is in the media. I feel like I’m watching the movie Airplane sometimes. Everyone is friendly and fun, and I mean absolutely no disrespect, but whether it’s in a casual environment (“can I please have a number 10 with a coke?” - “Mmmm hmmmmm!”) or at the hotel lobby (white doorman “Good evening, sir” / black doorman “Hey my man what’s happenin’?!”) most of the black people I met have a style of communication remarkably distinct from my own.

On that note, although they do say “black”, they also mix in “people of colour” a lot more than I ever hear back home, and I’m pretty sure that it isn’t used to encompass any groups that “black” doesn’t?I hate tipping economies, and tipping is absolutely everywhere here. I ordered fried chicken from a fast food place. Tip jar at the till, and a second tip jar at the food pickup. And when I didn’t see it, they pointed it out and asked. Another time, at a formal dinner, I commented to the waiter that the food and service was excellent this evening, and he replied “Lay some love on me, brother!” which I’m honestly still only assuming was a request for a tip, and not a high five?

The “deep south” accents are fairly rare and not from around here. The only pair I asked about their accents said they were from South Carolina. There was one girl serving sandwiches at the golf course that did manage to inject three y’alls into one sentence though - “hey y’all, y’all need anything before y’all finish up?” (or is “hey y’all” its own sentence? Caitlin Keenan?)

I felt like suuuuuch an asshole when we had police escorts shut down several city streets for our float parade to head down to a dinner venue one evening. I can only imagine my reaction if I had to wait for something like that in Terrace :/

Weather: while apparently most of the state was hammered by the forecasted thunderstorms I was warned of, it hasn’t been bad here. A steady 21-26 degrees the whole time. But it’s been remarkably humid. The air practically clings to your skin. You’d think it would be unbearable, but the humidity was immediately joined by incredible winds, especially considering our downtown location that must shield us from the bulk of it. The wind keeps you comfortably cool.

Food: honestly, I think it’s overhyped. Popular choices include jumbo soup, jambalaya, anything with pecans, oysters, crawfish, bread pudding. The pudding is good, oysters are good cooked, pecans are good. Crawfish are just not worth all the trouble (and are also not fish - pretend I knew that). Jambalaya, I’ve honestly had better in my slow cooker at home. Jumbo soup, surprisingly bland! A lot of it is quite bland actually, and I’ve been eating around!

Sub-note: creole food consists of the more urban recipes and frequently contains tomatoes. Cajun food is more country style and doesn’t. That’s all I can really gather there.

I’ve been to three seminars and one tour that have desperately tried to explain the term “creole” to me. Best I can do, it refers to anything that’s part of the constantly evolving New Orleans melting pot. Historically that pot was a lot smaller, and so it’s usually just meant everything except the immigrant-of-this-particular-generation.

New Orleans is sometimes called Nawlins in the same way people ironically call America “MURICA!” or Australia “straya”. They also love the abbreviation NOLA for New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s on loads of touristy merchandise.

NOLA has had a lot of outside attention throughout its existence. It and its inhabitants have usually been looked down upon as lazy and debauched, but its value as the port joining the Mississippi to the Atlantic has made it too valuable to avoid. Of course early settlers had no love for native Americans or imported slaves, and each generation of immigrant resented the next. Religious conflicts led to underground religious practices, chiefly voodoo, and an underground lifestyle lent itself to underground entertainment industries considered sinful by the Catholics of the day. Combine the exotic, scandalous entertainment of the area with some of the days rougher immigrants and a steady supply of sailors looking to let loose, and you have the perfect environment for the nightlife that persists today.

It was pointed out to me that Jazz is the result of African energy with European instruments. Makes sense.

Old, old wood and brick buildings survive to this day. The style is unique and appreciated. Balconies and galleries (big balconies supported by pillars leading to the ground) are a practical necessity for every home on some blocks. McDonald’s even renovated an old church in one area to ensure they favourably blended in with the city architecture!

Voodoo-inspired dancing featuring a lot of drums and a snake!