Crescent City: New Orleans, LA

[LCHIEN]

Hello from New Orleans, AKA Big Easy, Crescent City, NOLA.
I've been here three and a half days now and I must say it doesn't feel the same as pre Katrina. The food's still good and a most of places in the French quarter are all open. The crowds are way down and the spirit of the people working here are even more resigned than before.

Tonight I talked 3 of my coworkers into taking the trolley that runs down the river side from FQ to the convention center after dinner. So far I've been on it three times and have seen 2 other passengers. So tonight we wait for a while and one comes the opposite direction. It's empty and we ask if we can get on and ride to the end (not that far) and come back. He says he'd have to charge us twice. Another one is on the way back he says. So we wait some more and still no trolley so we leave. shoulda just let us ride for one price. The service is sullen and poor.

My friend who sets up convention booths says the help is equally poor at the convention center.

But, if you like NO, there's short lines and no waiting (well no lines anyway).

[cabinetman]

My first trip to the FQ, NOLA, was when I was a kid, my parents and sister, and I had never been there before. Two memorable events happend. The first one was when my sister and I went to an arcade, that had an antique shop next door. My parents went there, and my sister and I played some of the equipment. I say equipment because I got involved with one that got me in trouble. After about a half hour, we all gathered back together and there were remarks about an impression line around my forehead and over the top of my nose. I couldn't tell them it was from a girlie striptease viewer that I plugged all my change into.

The second, that I still laugh at is the night we ate at Commanders Palace restaurant. Don't know if it's still there. They served the rolls in a basket that we were told was made from bread. When the waiter walked away, my father who was a jokester took the basket and took a bite out of it to see what it tasted like. I don't think it was supposed to be eaten, and he said it wasn't that good.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[LCHIEN]

it was on the national news, Commander's palace just reopened last Sunday.

[gaj1967]

In my first post here I want to thank you LCHIEN and any other's that might have visited New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit. Plus anyone who might have donated tools, services, food, money, etc. to help out. The city IS coming back and it's going to take some time but feel free to come and visit. Like LCHIEN said, the lines are shorter and the service might not be great but it's still a nice place to visit.

Thank y'all again,

[Hoover]

It must be difficult dealing with the problems the people of New Orleans, have dealt with the painful recovery of such a wonderful city. My heart goes out to you!!

[gaj1967]

Thank you Hoover. I'm doing ok myself. Others aren't. I had just moved into this house right before the storm hit. We still had some stuff on the first floor of the apartment to move out plus the second floor but we had what we needed to live in the house while we fixed it up. Since the apartment was in Jefferson Parish (right next door to Nola) we only had minor flooding since the flood pumps were shut off there. I tell ya what, a foot of sewage water sitting in an apartment for a few days during the summer leads to mold all the way up the walls. Luckily we only lost the desktop PC and some stereo equipment. TV and TiVo were saved. Anyway, we were lucky. My childhood home was completely flooded along with everything I knew as a child.

I heard about an old coworker who lives in St. Bernard Parish (which was flooded by storm surge coming up the Miss. River Gulf Outlet, thanks to the Corps of Engineers). Right now his house is a completely gutted except the bathroom. He's staying in a trailer/camper he bought that's sitting on his neighbors slab. He keeps the bathroom fixed up like it's in a sealed house. Better than using the camper bathroom I guess. He's still not sure what to do with his house 18 months later.

I kind of look at my situation as a blessing. Yes, I lost some stuff ( a couple thousand dollars worth I guess) but I'm alive, I have a place to live, a better job (old boss was way overworking/underpaying me after the storm, etc. As long as you don't see pearly gates things can be a lot worse.

For some pictures of the damage around the area go to http://www.nola-stuff.com/coppermine/index.php I'll get the apartment photos uploaded one day.

[leehljp]

I had a taste of NO today. Cafe 'du Monde has a chain of stores here of all places. Just a month ago, I found that one is only about 20 minutes from where I live. I knew about ones in Tokyo, Osaka and even near Hiroshima, but it took me neary 3 years to find the one here.

Had some beignets and chickory coffee this afternoon.

My wife was born in NOLA and her parents were from there, and we also lived in the Houma/Thibodeaux area for 5 years before coming to Japan, we knew all the "good" places to eat - outside of the regular traffice areas.

Thanks for the update on NOLA.