Art in the City of New Orleans

I found this local artist in the French Market. I was walking around on my free day when I came upon his art and it caught my eye. I was mesmerized by the detail that he has put into his 3D pictures. The artwork is all made from either wood, which was hollow and dry or nut shells that a squirrel or other animal had broken open that he has found while hiking around the world. He used dried leaves that were unique in shape and took them home to preserve them in a way where they wouldn't fall apart. Not one of the pieces that he has used has been altered in any way, he collects all of the pieces that he can and if it doesn't fit for the piece that he is making he waits until he finds a piece that fits. He will use a wood stain to color some pieces if he needs to but he tries not to use anything that is not natural.

Mr. Ozyenginer is originally from Turkey and moved to New Orleans about 15 years ago with his wife and they love it here. He told me that he travels quite often which is how he finds all of the materials to  make his art. I asked him if he has a gallery and his response was "he loves the open air of the market, and wouldn't like to be stuck in a gallery". This man is so talented and to me when walking through all of the art studios I kept going back to his work and I couldn't stop thinking about how much I loved his art.

I like this artist so much because I can picture this gentleman hiking with his wife, because both of them are retired. This is a man who has found something to do outside while getting exercise and travel at the same time. He brings home unique items from the earth that he doesn't have to spend money on and creates something so unique from it. There are so many retired men and women who sit around and don't get exercise and this man is getting exercise and making art that brings life to others at the same time. I believe that his work tells a very unique story. Depending on what piece you choose the story that it tells is that he has put in travel, time, and the love of the art to make a piece that is special to him. When you look at each one of his pieces you can tell that he has put in a great deal of time and love into his work. When you look at an artists work you want to know that they have put time and love into their work. You want to know that they love what they do and that there is a story behind why they do what they do. I couldn't stop telling him how much I loved his work and how talented he was and for the most part there is a part of me that wishes I had a small amount of talent that would be able to think of something like that where someone loved the work that I did.

How has the city spok to me through Music

New Orleans has spoken to me through its music. I absolutely love listening to music and music has been something that has been in my soul all of my life. When I was young I started loving music because parents were very much into listening to music, especially my father. Jazz music is the kind of music that when it plays you can feel it deep down in your soul.
As I have walked the city of New Orleans I have heard to many styles of music, so many genres of music along with so many different people playing the music. There were even young children playing on top of 5 gallon buckets with drum sticks practicing throughout the streets and they were having a great time making a little bit of money for themselves. One of my favorite experiences was the day that we stopped to listen to our tour guides cousin play. As we walked up she was finishing a song and immediately smiled as we came upon her and recognized Milton (our tour guide, her cousin) he introduced us all and she decided to play something special for us. When the Saints go Marching in.
The start of the song was light and as it began to accelerate my body began to react. As you could see the sun was shining and it was absolutely beautiful weather but the hair on my arms was standing up as high as it possibly could as she hit those notes on her clarinet as high as they would go. The raw talent or this family and you could see that music was inside of her. The pure talent and the love for the music and to entertain makes the people in the streets want to stop and listen. Yes you see the buckets and some would see this as panhandling but I see this as tipping a great waitress who has given you amazing service. Going to see a concert and paying hundreds of dollars to be entertained, what is the difference because the pure talent is just on the street as you shop, as you have lunch, dinner or drinks. This is a city of raw talent, they aren't hiding behind something that makes their voices sound better or acoustics that enhance anything that they are playing this is the talent that God has blessed them with and what a beautiful gift that is.

New Orleans speaks to everyone at some point through its music. I would have to say that it spoke to me in different ways. As I visited the Jazz museum music spoke to me historically. The early start of Jazz in NOLA began with Charles "Buddy" Bolden. Buddy was a cornetist who's music became legendary throughout the dance audiences (especially at funky butt hall). After Bolden, bands competed for the "ratty" music market.
Bands became popular which included string bands, led by violinists and by the turn of the century both brass marching bands and string bands were predominant. These usually contained a cornet, clarinet, and trombone with a section of guitar, bass, and drums which made for much more excitement. Walking the streets of NOLA you could find all kinds of musical entertainment which could be one solo singer or musician to an entire band.
One thing that I did learn on this trip was that Louis Prima is the one who sang the famous song in the movie The Jungle Book "I wanna be like you (The monkey song)" ! I had absolutely no idea.

Last Day

Presbytere is the building on the right of the St. Louis Cathedral

Super dome where everyone took refuge after Hurricane Katrina

My favorite place in the French Quarter would be the visiting the Presbytere and the Hurricane Katrina memorial. I would have to say favorite place very lightly because it was not something, I would say would be memorable in a joyful way but memorable in a way that awakened so many emotions. I would recommend everyone to come to New Orleans at least once in their lives to walk through this powerful museum that they have put together to provide you with an experience with which you will be able to put yourself as close as you’d ever want to be without actually being in a hurricane so you can try to imagine what it was like. I felt the emotions of uncertainty as I heard the news announce the weather that was coming, that uncertainty turned into anxiety as I saw the news announce that there was a hurricane coming and that anyone that could should get out of New Orleans. Those that couldn’t get out because they had no way of getting out because they had no transportation or nowhere to go were stuck, I began to cry for them. The poor, the elderly, those children where are they supposed to go, what are they supposed to do? Throughout the museum all you could hear was the winds blowing loudly and the rain, so much rain. The depth of emotions I felt listening to the calls to 911, the stories of survival and the stories of heroism hit me in my heart. In the end of the museum you could see the structural explanations of the levee and why it couldn’t hold all of the water and why it broke loose causing all of the flooding in the 9^th district. What could have prevented it and what they have done to rebuild after the hurricane. It was very moving to hear and see how many people came from all over the world to help with the cleanup and the rebuild after the hurricane. Of course right after the hurricane hit there are things that didn’t go so well and New Orleans did not get the help that they needed as quickly as they needed to that would have saved quite a few lives and homes and in the museum this is brought up in many different ways which is why everyone should visit this museum.

WOW what a day

My absolute favorite part of today was being able to tour the Old Ursuline Convent Museum. Walking through the gates of the convent was the maze-like rows of bushes perfectly trimmed with concrete walkways throughout. There was a wrought iron gazebo in the left corner in which an old stone bench sat in front of.
As you open the heavy wood door your eyes immediately get drawn to the beautiful dark wood winding stairway. This stairway is the original stairway that was in the building in 1751. This stairway being that old looked to be in pretty good condition but was blocked off and we were not able to use them. It was pointed out that the stairway did not have any support system also which is very unique especially now. Next to the stairway was an old original grandfather clock

Original Stairway

Original grandfather clock

When we stepped inside the church where mass would take place it was absolutely breathtaking at the altar. The alter kept your attention as you had so much beauty to take in you were absorbed in so many textures, colors and figures that it could possibly take you several minutes to see everything there was to see. For me, who is not familiar with the Catholic religion, understanding the reason behind the placement or the reason behind the exact symbol in ones hand was a bit overwhelming to remember from one statue to another because there were so many symbolic reasoning's for each detail put into the making of the alter which was made specifically for this church.

This is made from gifts given of members of the church many years ago. It is 100% 14K gold and very valuable. At the end of every day it is lowered down into a vault for safe keeping.

As we are ending our trip in NOLA I have began reflecting on my trip a little more and thinking about how the city has reflected on me. I keep thinking about last night and the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Joan of Arc sainthood and also welcomed the start of the carnival season in New Orleans. To be able to be here and be a part of this wonderful celebration was such an honor and so much fun. The preparation that was put into this parade was unbelievable and to think that parades like these happen quite often in New Orleans is crazy. This is definitely quite the party place.
Joan of Arc was named the "Maid of Orleans" at age 18 she led the French army to victory over the English at Orleans. She was captured a year later and burned at the stake by the English and their French collaborators. She was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint more than 500 years later on May 16, 1920.
The video I chose to share with you is only a very small portion of the parade, which was approximately an hour long parade. In the parade they handed out all kinds of things to the guests watching the parade. We received cards, books of matches, coins, scrolls, letters (which I have pictured), some received wooded swords, and many other things that I didn't see but were given out. I was given the sealed letter because when the guy coming around was yelling to the crowd I was the one yelling back and he heard me and was impressed (go figure)! This was a very memorable and fun experience today that I will never forget and so glad that I got to be a part of.

This was the young lady who played Joan of Arc in the parade

My free day

Today was the day I got to go exploring on my own and I will say that Marie Laveaus Authentic shop was on the top of my list. Voodoo is something that I find absolutely fascinating and when I stepped up the two large stone steps into the shop my eyes were overwhelmed at what I saw. I wish that I could have taken pictures but I will try to paint the picture for you the best that I can. Everywhere you

looked in this shop you could see something that was sewn together, carved, and had taken possibly hours to make.
The memorial to Marie Laveau was beautifully put together in remembrance of her. Anyone who wanted to could leave tokens of appreciation around the memorial and there were many things around it. It was adorned with money, a playing card with hand written notes on them, candles (some that were real that had been lit and some that were flame less), there were bracelets with beads, and necklaces with crosses on them and lots of flowers some that were fake and some that were real and they had let die.

In the back room there was a door made of heavy wood decorated in beautiful tapestry where they were doing readings. The door was shut and you could feel a sense of power coming from that door, this sense was felt throughout this entire room. It wasn't a sense of evil which I believe that some feel voodoo is, it was a sense of peace, a sense of welcoming and a sense of the rid of evil. I felt very safe in this place and I didn't want to leave.








 

The piece I purchased was my favorite piece in the entire store It is Bells and Chimes and they are used to drive away negativity and evil spirits and to bring good energy.















As I explored the city today on my own I was in awe of all of the talent that is here. I met a local artist that takes things from the earth as he travels and makes them into art, i met a woman who works with leather to make the most beautiful jewelry and a gentleman who takes stones and wraps them in wire to make rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings to whatever style you like. You hear music wherever you go and if you are hungry there is any type of food you would like to eat within walking distance. The city of New Orleans is ALIVE! I would have to say that is my word for NOLA and that may be a bit of an understatement. The people here are not judgemental of one another they enjoy life and they live life to the fullest. If they are someone who lives on the streets they find a way to try and make it by using their talents to make people laugh or they play music on the streets to get tips. Yes there is a lot of poverty and quite a bit of homeless here that beg for help and money, which I feel is terribly sad but you will find this in many places.


If I learned one thing it would be that I love the history of NOLA and the trip that I have taken here and what I have learned but I don't know if NOLA is a city that I would come to vacation or come back to. If I was traveling through I would absolutely stop to listen to music and have dinner at a few restaurants but now that I have experienced NOLA I would be satisfied not returning. But I had the best time with the best friends.

Hurricane Katrina

The feelings that overwhelm you when you hear of a state of emergency in another state are of such sadness for them but you become so thankful that it is not happening to you and you begin to pray. I knew of the devastation that Hurricane Katrina had done to New Orleans and my parents were ones who had come afterwards to help in the rebuild of the Gulfport area with a young adults mission trip.
This morning we visited the Presbytere which is in the French Quarters.

The opening of the museum set the stage for you to experience the moments as they happened to the people of New Orleans. The news cast of the weather was on the television and I felt as though I was on my comfortable couch eating my dinner watching the news with the anticipation of the storm coming in. My heart was beating fast and I even felt the anxiety as though I was reliving their fears. The further you got the worse the weather was getting the the louder the sounds of the storm over the speakers could be heard. As we turned the corner all you could see was water everywhere, winds blowing everything over, cars in the ditch. The sounds were loud crashing waves of water, and the whistling of very fast winds blowing so fast that there was no way that anyone could be in this storm and survive. If you closed your eyes for just one second you could only imagine what the people of New Orleans were thinking. Praying for their lives as Hurricane Katrina was taking everything they owned and possibly worked hard for.




As we sat and listened to the stories of those who were saved by heros who were risking their own lives to help others I had a lump in my throat as I fought back tears hearing the cries for help of those in need. To hear this man tell the stories of his heroic measures that he took to put himself in harms way to help those with whom he didn't know gives this world such hope.

 If you can imagine having to see garage doors with spray paint written out with how many dead bodies how many dead animals and instructions on what to do and not to do with them.
Things that were found floating in the water were children's teddy bears, outfits, and shoes of children. So many belongings that the people had lost that we all take for granted.

The Three Hour Tour of the City

When we think of visiting a city and all of its history most of the time we don't think of visiting a cemetery. Cemeteries are to us a place of mourning, a place that we would much rather forget about than go to. Here in New Orleans a cemetery is a place of celebration, a place that is not hidden but is the complete opposite. To describe your resting place after death there is no choice whether to be buried or not because burial is not an option here in Louisiana.

As we began to tour the historical St. Louis cemetery No. 1 the main thing I noticed was the frailty look of the tombs. The majority of the tombs were white in color but the paint has chipped away from them from age of from quite a bit of vandalism that has happened over the years.

As you look at the tombs you will notice that they are all made of heavy stone and some of the tombs have multiple family members buried in the one tomb. In the picture you will see that it has one to three openings depending on how the family wants the tomb to operate. When the family member dies the coffin is placed into the tomb and as the sun heats up the tomb the body will decay. Years after, or once the next family member dies that body is pulled out and the bones of that family member are put in the bottom of the tomb in a bag in the corner of the tomb which is how they are able to house so many in one tomb.









The famous Marie Laveaus Tomb is the most visited tomb in New Orleans. They believe that she is buried in the tomb on her husbands family which is said to house over 85 bodies buried with Marie Laveau. Guests of her tomb will place tokens and gifts around her tomb all the time such as tokens, bracelets, flowers and some have even tried to write on her tomb but now that they have locked up the cemetery and only allowed tour guides in this has stopped them from writing on the tombs.

We were able to go on a "Cuisine Tour" today which was quite a treat! This tour brought about quite a sensory overload. We started this tour at a restaurant called Tujague's Restaurant which is New Orleans second oldest restaurant and was established in 1856. Here we were able to have a broiled beef brisket slider which have been Tujague's trademark dish since opening. I would have to say that this was one of my favorite on the tour. The sandwich was small but hidden inside of this small bite was so much flavor your mouth was having a party with every bite. I was immediately hit with horseradish that gave it the perfect amount of burn that horseradish should give while the brisket was cooked perfectly so that it just melted in your mouth which was creole horseradish sauce. Along with this the lettuce and tomato gave the sandwich the perfect little crunch and coolness to the sandwich.

My second favorite on our stop was when we went to Arnaud's classic creole cuisine in the heart of the French Quarter.  We had Shrimp Arnaud boiled gulf shrimp marinated in Arnaud's famous Remoulade sauce served over chopped lettuce and sliced tomato and it was served with a side of turtle soup. I tried the shrimp first and was surprised because I wasn't expecting the shrimp to be cold but I loved the cold with the spicy combination. The shrimp was so incredibly good that I could have eaten an entire meal of just that. It had just the right amount of spice on it and it wasn't something that was a burn spice it was a flavorful spice. This is the spicy that I like. On to the turtle soup, now I am not too adventurous when it comes to any kind of things like turtle but I thought because we are on a cuisine tour I am going to try it. As I grabbed my spoon I decided to go for it and take an entire spoon full instead of just a small portion of it on my spoon. As the soup hit my mouth there was a surge of different flavor going through my mouth and I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed the taste. Most would probably respond with the saying "It tastes like chicken", but I don't believe that I would say that because this soup had enough different spices that brought out the unique flavor to where I would not say it tasted like chicken. It was very good, perfectly seasoned and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

When you walk into this establishment you walk into the casual restaurant Remoulade which is like walking into a casual family friendly atmosphere, it reminded me of a 50's diner. The walls and seats were all red and white and the floors were tile or vinyl. As we made our way through the casual dining area we went to the back of the restaurant to Arnaud's. It was a completely different experience within a distance of 30 feet. Within that 30 feet there was a whole new room filled with beautiful crisp white table linens folded neatly with the most beautiful shiny silverware and bright white plates on the tables. The chandeliers hanging from the ceilings were dim which allowed you to look at them for longer and take in their beauty. The walls were covered with pictures of the original owners who have since passed away and the current owners who have kept it such a success.

Along with the beautiful dining rooms available at the restaurant upstairs we were able to see the Mardi Gras museum of Germaine Wells who was the Mardi Gras Queen 22 times. This was a site to see and wanted to share some pictures of this museum.

The unbelievable detail and uniqueness to all of these dresses and to know that they were all handmade is more impressive.

Day One

My very first time taking an Uber before was an interesting experience. With an almost 50 pound suitcase, a good size 31 bag full more clothes and shoes, my cpap machine bag, a backpack and body pillow and blanket I had quite a bit of what I would call crap to shove into a car so my roommate and I decided on an XL caravan to Uber us to the hotel. This trip, which was a mile, cost us just about $10 which was well worth it because if I had to walk this mile with all of this luggage I guarantee the homeless on the way would have been happy with the gifts that I would have been gracious enough to give them. The Uber has been requested and it says that he is 4 minutes away, this is way too convenient. The ap shows you where he is, what type of car he has, his picture, everything you need to know about the driver. Above the drivers information is a map of where he is exactly at and his little car driving on what street. I'm telling you it's quite the experience. So, he arrives and he flies in parks in the middle of the road, because everyone else and their grandmothers are getting picked up also, gets out of his car to help us and we are drilling him about his name who he is here to pick up and of course he doesn't know my name so he then goes back into his car to check because I won't let him take my luggage until he knows who he is picking up (safety first). Finally, arriving back with the correct name we proceed with lifting not only 1 almost 50lb suitcase into the trunk but two, in which he has to put down seats to fit them. The ride was a bit on the quite, and awkward side but we made it safely. "You can't be too careful these days", she says. Gotta love this girl she's about as cute as they come.



The sites, the sounds, the smells are all unbelievable in The Big Easy as we begin to take on the town this evening. We are going on a Haunted Tour of New Orleans with Ina. Ina was the absolute best tour guide we could have had because of her knowledge and her ability to keep us engaged with her upbeat personality.


I would have to say that one of my favorite things on the Haunted Tour was the Touch Down Jesus. This was named Touch Down Jesus after the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl. Now the story behind this is that there used to be trees behind the statue before Hurricane Katrina and after Hurricane Katrina took out the trees behind the statue which caused the shadow of Jesus in what  looks like him holding up his hands calling a touchdown! 


The history of New Orleans is without a doubt something that makes this city amazing. There are stories that lead back to the 1700's where laws were put in place that still live today. The art of this city amazes me and even though you will see so many homeless living and breathing throughout the streets you will also see so much talent. So much energy and among this energy there is so much life. Those that may not be able to live lavishly or even live very well still live! They live through music, they live through art and they live through the love of this city.

The beautiful St. Louis Cathedral at night! This was our first night in New Orleans

The Train Ride

Outer Journey

As I packed up the last of my bags and said goodbye to Dexter (my 106lb German Shepherd baby) I began to get a bit anxious at the fact that I was leaving for a week and leaving my 20 year old son in charge of what I feel is quite a bit of responsibility. I place my large suitcase, my carry on bag, my large fuzzy blanket and body pillow and my backpack full of snacks, medicine, my laptop and chargers into my snazzy white challenger and as I sit in the drivers seat I take one last deep breath before starting it up. Right before I back out of the driveway I look up at my house and of course I see my sweet furbaby peeking at me under the blinds as to wave goodbye :(
The drive to the train station was long as I drove by myself. The radio station playing Christian music as I talk to God asking him to watch over us all and ensure that we are safe.
Once I arrive at the train station it is all very new to me, it seems dirty and unsafe. I drive up the wrong way into the bus terminal and was quickly approached by two men who smelled of marijuana and booze tried to lean in my cracked window to advise me to move quickly and go around the building. As I finally found the correct place to park I found friends to help me carry my luggage into the terminal. The first floor was were people sat and waited for the bus, this floor seemed to have quite a few people who seemed homeless because they were either sleeping on the benches or their hygiene was not the best. The chairs were metal and hard which seemed very difficult to sleep on but if you have nowhere else to sleep this may be your only option. As we got to the second floor, which was the train station the atmosphere was different.The smell was better, it was cleaner and there was no one there sleeping or lounging waiting around. This is where we waited until we got to board the train. From when we checked our luggage, which was 8:30 p.m. we had to keep ourselves entertained until we could board the train at 10:30 p.m. This could have been the longest two hours since waiting for paint to dry in my bedroom. We were all tired and anxiously awaiting a trip we had all been so excited about.

Finally, it is time to board the train! We are all in a line with our carry-on luggage, looking like newbies with our pillows, blankets and loads of carry-on bags. Looking at the train it looks just like what it would look like in the movies, the conductors in their hats directing the guests to which car to get on as the smoke from the train billows out from underneath the train just like in the movies. Once inside the train we find our seats which are very roomy, unlike in an airplane, there is plenty of leg room. The seats were quite close together but there is much more room then on an airplane and there is no armrest in between one another to separate to two of you. Once we placed all of our belongings above us I pulled out my large gray fluffy blanket, a black smooth bubble eyed well fitted eye mask that was perfect for blocking out the light that lit up the train car and my life saving cpap *wink* and tried my best to get some sleep. The rocking back and forth of the train and the sound of the train on the tracks was soothing and could be the perfect sound for a sound machine. I couldn't sleep very well because to me the seats were not comfortable at all, I am tall and the seat didn't allow me to stretch all the way out. I enjoy curling up a little and because I am a bigger woman if I would have curled up I would have used my classmate as a body pillow because of the seats being so close together. So I had to sleep on my back with my knees slightly bent and my feet were sometimes on the floor, which for me is not comfortable. So I fully took advantage of the many opportunities I received throughout the entire train ride to take as many naps as I could.

After approximately 17 hours of sitting on a crowded, hard, uncomfortable train seat anxiously awaiting our arrival, like I was going to Disney World as a child, it was time to finally meet the city of New Orleans.  Waiting for our uber you could hear the sounds of the city already. The music, the excitement and the fast pace of the city life. You could feel yourself holding on tightly to your belongings as you knew who to watch as they came a little too close to you, it became quite apparent that they could smell the newbie travelers quite quickly.

Inner Journey

I have been anticipating this trip and wasn't really worried about any of the drive over to the station, the possible wait time or the train ride but I was completely surprised at what I actually felt when it came down to it all. I got more nervous the closer it came to leaving my house, the closer I got to the train station the more anxious I got and as we got settled on the train I was not as comfortable as I thought I was going to be so it was a very long ride. Sometimes when you expect the best of the best it doesn't turn out to be as great as it seemed to be but I made the best of the situation.

Outer Journey

I have pulled out my suitcase from the garage, but I am unsure what exactly to put in it because I am definitely a procrastinator! I know what I am supposed to pack and have my list but won’t be able to actually be packing until Wednesday evening. I just received my poncho, which is blue with white polka dots, and fanny pack in the mail yesterday that I ordered from Amazon because of course I waited until the last minute to order those also *procrastination*. I’m guessing you see a pattern with me already here (giggle). To be honest I am still debating whether to take a fanny pack or a backpack with me. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I haven’t decided which bag that I am going to take on the train with me because I really would like to take a larger blanket but I don’t think that a larger blanket is going to be practical to take on the train because I also have to take my cpap machine with is a clunker. I have done quite a bit of research for this trip, but I didn’t want to do too much so that I could be a bit surprised as I go. I feel that I am prepared for the class and the trip and I will have my things together in time to meet everyone in class on Thursday morning.

Inner Journey

Where has the time gone, it felt like I just signed up for this class yesterday and now we are leaving in three days! I am very excited to go on this trip to New Orleans. I believe that this trip will be interesting, educational and could be a bit challenging. I will start out with the challenging part. I believe that the trip may be challenging because of all of the different personalities of the students that are going to be on the trip together. There is a wide range of ages of students and knowing a few of the students a wide range of personalities that we may find interesting being together for this short amount of time. When researching New Orleans, I have found so many interesting things that I am looking forward to experiencing. The cemeteries, the cuisine, and the culture. I honestly cannot decide what I am most excited about. I am overly excited about the educational and cultural experience that this trip will bring. I took this class because I needed the elective course and I decided to take the travel course because who wouldn’t want to travel to New Orleans!!!!! I am most looking forward to learning all about the history of New Orleans and the religious aspects. This is why I chose to do religion for the travel guide. I am a very religious person and believe in my own higher power and thought it very interesting to learn more about what powers New Orleans culture focuses on and why.