An update.

Hey. I should update this thing. I haven't forgotten about it, it's just become a little less relevant since I'm no longer in New Orleans.

But just because we're no longer there doesn't mean we're no longer involved. So I'll tell you a bit about what we've been up to.

I went to my old high school on Tuesday to give a presentation about the current situation there, and to encourage people to volunteer. I talked to about 150 to 160 students in all. It went surprisingly well. The first presentation was a little difficult, not knowing exactly what to say and how to phrase it without just ranting, but as the day went on I refined my speech and by the end I think got the message across well enough. The teachers were all very supportive and even chimed in with their own anecdotes or observations. A few students came up to me and asked where they could learn more to volunteer or what they could do to help, so I guess I did my job.

In other news, we are planning a Rebirth Week here at Occidental. It will be the last week of February. Malik and Brandon have both agreed to come out and talk, which will be amazing. We also have a few students (myself included) putting up photos in one of the campus dining halls, the Cooler. Justin is even ordering 90 pounds of crawfish to boil and serve to the school in celebration of the week --- not sure exactly how he'll manage that, but we'll see...

Last week I was fairly depressed, the most I've been for months and months, and I can't help but think New Orleans had something to do with it. Being back has been a very isolating experience in some ways. But, I think things are finally getting back to normal, for the most part (which is good in some ways, bad in others --- it bothers me to think that I'm back to being complacent.)

That's about it. If anyone still reads this, thanks for checking. I'll keep you updated if more comes up.

Wasteful things.

Today I jogged an 8 minute mile comfortably. I know that's not exactly something to brag about, but it shows I'm in better shape now than I used to be. Usually it would take me 10 or 11 minutes at minimum. That's what New Orleans does for you. (And may also be the reason for the ugly bronchal cough that followed right after running.)

It's also made me extra conscious of being wasteful. Back at Common Ground, we wouldn't toss away our plastic forks and plates --- we'd wash them, rinse them in bleach and hot water, and rinse again, and they'd be like new. The thought of throwing away my plastic fork after dinner tonight just seemed absurd. But, a lot of things we do are absurdly wasteful. I guess I should get re-used to it.

Recent New Orleans news.

HANO wants residents out of St. Bernard.

"HANO's security department, limited by financial constraints in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and already tasked with protecting residents in reopened developments, should not be forced to devote scarce resources to clearing unsafe, damaged developments of alleged violent offenders and others who have been encouraged by Mayday NOLA, Mr. Jukali and/or plaintiffs' counsel to trespass onto the site and damage property...."

Read more at Justice For New Orleans:
http://www.justiceforneworleans.org/index.php?

Many NO residents considering leaving since the Saints' defeat.

After Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans had to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and try to accentuate the positive.

Now they are having to do it all over again, after the fairy-tale run of their football team, the New Orleans Saints, ended at the weekend - just one match short of the Super Bowl.


The Saints' defeat saddened the already-suffering city
The Saints' run - the best in their 40-year history - brought a real sense of focus to the city.

It dominated the local headlines and provided a welcome distraction from a crime wave which has seen nearly a murder a day in the city, since the New Year.

Time and again, I heard people say before the game: "If it wasn't for the Saints, I might have left."

So what now?

One sporting defeat won't create an exodus, but it is not hard to find people in New Orleans who are considering leaving the city.

read more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6293083.stm

Together again.

The Whoxy kids met up again for the first time since Saturday at Genaro's house tonight. It was wonderful to see each other again, and it felt like it had been eons since we were together in New Orleans. The reunion was needed; for most of us, meeting up again was more important than returning to school. We had bonded so closely during those three weeks, and if the meeting is any indication, the bonds will not be breaking any time soon.

We squeezed together in the warm living room and talked about the problems of returning to the clean world. Some of us still can't sleep in beds; Justin prefers his sleeping bag, and Ian said that Peter, who wasn't there, sleeps in the tent he had brought to St. Mary's, and takes baths because he was so used to bathing at the Womens' Center. Some of us have difficulty getting back to the world of academia; others are happy to be back and feel fortunate to be learning. We all shared feelings of anger and impatience and don't care much for material wealth anymore. We are all having difficulty finding worth in some old friendships. There's some guilt in being back (though as Kai reminded us, feeling guilty helps no one.) Three weeks away from our old world is enough, in some ways, to turn us away from it altogether.

The course may be over, but the activism is not. We are all set on going back. Some during Mardi Gras, some during spring break, some during summer. Brandon and Malik might make it out to California to give a speech or two at our colleges, which would be amazing.

We may have left New Orleans, but New Orleans will not leave us.

How it feels to be home and away from it all.

I've been home for a few days now, and the emotions have been mixed. As the plane touched down I felt happy to see the beautiful cliffs and sun of Santa Barbara, but as I got off the plane that all sort of drained away. I could barely speak or look anyone in the face. This continued for most of the day. Conversations became flight or fight and I had to struggle to keep silent or keep in place. All I could do was think about New Orleans, and the thought that troubled me most was that while I was thinking about it, the majority of the people in America are not.

But sleep does miraculous things to a person, and after a good night's sleep I'm feeling a little better and a little less detached. Even, in a way, looking forward to the semester. I guess it's nice to be back to some familiar things here.

It's just difficult to remember that I had a life before New Orleans, or that I'll have one afterwards.

Photos: Miscellaneous.

This is the last batch of photos.
As usual, you are welcome to use them if you would like, just credit me.
Thanks.

Photos: Abandoned School.

click to make larger