Funerals, Part One

I've only ever been to one "traditional" New Orleans funeral, and that was of my best friend's mother, who died of lung cancer, back in the summer of 2009. She was buried near City Park in Lake Lawn Cemetery and since the funeral I have not been back to the standing grave where she was laid to rest. However, I remember the services very clearly.

Ms. Biffy, as we called her, had been diagnosed with lung cancer the day before Christmas in 2008, and she spent the next six months trying chemo therapy and wearing oxygen masks. However, she passed away in June 2009 and the services were held in New Orleans and Metairie, where she had lived with her husband and two children. The wake was one like I had never before witnessed. It was held at Lake Lawn and there were well over a thousand people there to pay respects to her. It was a beautiful occasion. There were visitors from all over the state (due to the Katrina diaspora) whom I had not seen in years and have not seen since.

The funeral mass--she was a well-to-do Catholic woman with good standing in the church--was held in St. Ann church in Metairie. The church was packed with weeping witnesses. Her husband wrote a eulogy which he was unable to deliver and so had a family friend deliver it instead. It was beautiful.

After the mass, everyone followed the hearse to the interstate and to the cemetery where there was a standing grave labeled "DeBuys." I think the worst part was watching them push the coffin into the tomb.

I mention this funeral because I will be going to another traditional Catholic New Orleans funeral tomorrow for my great-grandmother who passed away around noon last Wednesday. This one, however, I'm expecting to be small, as she was well into her eighties when she left. My grandparents have set up donations to animal hospitals for the funeral, as my great-grandmother was a fond lover of animals, even after she developed Alzheimer's. She was known to collect stray cats and let them wander through her house, and her favorite dogs were Schnauzers, whom she often overfed and didn't bathe. However, she was a wonderful woman with a big heart, and I am sad to see her go.

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Traditional New Orleans graves stand above ground, due to the fact that it floods here quite often. During/after Katrina there were a great many corpses which had been unearthed from their graves because of the excessive flooding.

Traditional NOLA architecture

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New Orleans and Louisiana is architecturally different from any other region in the Untied States because of its early identification as a French colony. This identification brought different influences into what was mostly a British colonized country. But, the most important influence that impacted how French colonists should make their houses was the weather. The Louisiana climate is never too cold, usually too hot, and always too humid.  What did this mean? For many for many colonies this meant High ceilings and large windows.

 

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The housing format was also adapted to better fit the environment. The Anglo style houses of the British colonies did not work well in the humid region, so the French immigrants used shotgun houses, which was common in the French settlement of Haiti.  Shotgun houses are homes that have rooms created one after the other to let the air roll through the house and make a comfortable breeze. This design was originally from West Africa. The rooming situation may not have been very private, but the cool air was worth it.

 
If one looks at the picture above one notices another peculiar aspect that makes the New Orleans area housing unique from most of the other areas in the state. The raised platform. New Orleans is below sea level which makes flooding a huge issue in the area. Raised houses are crucial. Since the aftermath of Katrina, people are raising their houses more than ever before. This is a major architectural change New Orleans is experiencing in the 21st century. The Architectural difference in New Orleans is just one of the many ways the city and state differentiate themselves from the rest of America.

St. Louis Cemetery #1

The "Real" Marie Laveau Tomb

Voodoo Priestess/Mambo Marie Laveau is supposedly buried in the St. Louis Cemetary #1 located on the corner of St. Louis Street and Basin Street. Several cemeteries claim to be the home of her tomb but this one is "the one" according to the lovely tour guide you see below. He explained that people thought she was buried in the tomb you see labeled as the supposed tomb but really it was just a name plate added to the tomb of one of her dead husbands. The tour guide also then told us that she was really buried in the tomb on the right and several of the people I was with claimed they could "feel her presence" when they touched the tomb. As you can see in the picture on the left of the "real" tomb there are many marks of XXX. Though this is illegal it is said that if you do so and make a wish she will grant it for you and you go back and circle your 3 x's. 

Maintenance man gone tour guide

Supposed tomb

XXX marks the spot... 

New Orleans being how it is, does not allow for bodies to be buried below the ground because we are below sea level and it just doesn't work out too well. That being said, our cemeteries are above ground and consist of tombs instead of headstones. Since the bodies are put in tombs there are no coffins so the bodies are placed in the tomb and is sealed in there for one year and a day. Because of the humidity and heat the tomb acts as a natural crematorium and the body is reduced to bones which can be pushed back to allow for another family member to be placed in the same tomb. 

From within a tomb

Jackson Square

Jackson Square is one of my favorite places in the French Quarter. There are always so many different artists around the square selling their different works of art, each one with their own style and subject matter. Once upon a family weekend I was expecting to show my parents around the usual Jackson Square but as we walked up the usual street performer "stage" was taken up by some sort of statue. When I saw that it was a giant Dracula statue made out of Lego's I immediately said "only in New Orleans" and began to cherish my new city even more than before. Where else could I see a giant Lego Dracula in front of a Catholic Church?

Frenchmen Street!

 Frenchmen Street never ceases to amaze me, no matter how often I visit, and last night was no exception.  The vibes that the street and its culture give off are indescribable!  There are musicians and acts on every corner, and music clubs lined up down the street.  The first street performance I came across was a group of kids who liked to call themselves, "The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels of Nola".

Their performance was so inspiring, because you could tell they were doing it out of pure passion.  Most of what they were playing was improv too!  Afterwards, I talked to the banjo player and heard his story.  I told him that I also played the banjo and he told me, "that's amazing, never give up no matter what.  So many people have given me hell for following my dreams, and I almost gave up.  Keep practicing and do it for the music and I know we will end up fine".  This moment will definitely stick with me for a long time and pretty much sums up frenchmen street as a whole.  Everyone who performs, creates, and sells their artwork on this street does it for the love of the arts.
A few other great parts of my night were seeing an amazing banjo player on the street, going to the art market, and catching a jazz set at Maison!!!

Hare Krishna Temple

If you want a really interesting experience you should check out the Hare Krishna Temple on Esplanade Ave.  Every Sunday they hold kirtan (which is like a church service) at 5:30pm. Then followed by an arati (a lesson). Then at 6:45 they serve prasadam (which is the best Indian food you will ever eat!) at no cost. Be sure to leave a donation though.  The people there are incredibly friendly and welcoming to visitors. The service is fascinating (I won't give it away) and the food at the end is delicious.

Blues and BBQ!!!

    On Sunday I had the pleasure of going to the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival in Lafayette Square Park.  For a fairly small park, the festival, along with it's crowd, packed a punch!  The atmosphere was upbeat, fun, and rich with New Orleans culture.  Stepping out of the car I immediately was drawn in by the wonderful smell of the different local food vendor's specialties.  I myself enjoyed a delicious BBQ pulled pork sandwich from The Joint, a local barbecue restaurant that has been in top 10  BBQ lists in publications from Bon Appetit to Zagat.
    While I enjoyed some of the best BBQ that Nola has to offer, I laid down in the grass and enjoyed some blues music with my friends.  One of my favorite acts of the day was a fellow named Ironing Board Sam who got his name by improvising; using an ironing board as a stand for his electric keyboard.  Sam moved to New Orleans in the mid 1970's and has been making great blues music as well as inventing things such as the button keyboard here ever since!  Sam is known for designing his intricate stage outfits, and wore an eye-catching gold suite on Sunday.  Although not originally from New Orleans or even the state of Louisiana, Ironing Board Sam might as well be an honorary Nola native.  He sang many songs about his love and spirit for the city of New Orleans, such as "Come to Mardi Gras" and "Orleans Party".  Listening to him perform on stage with such passion for his craft and the city of New Orleans was a defining moment for me, as I too started to feel such a strong connection to the spirit and the culture of the city.  For a man in his mid 70s, Sam played with the energy of a 20 year old!  He was a master of the keyboard and piano, and his perfectly imperfect vocals gave me the chills.
    Another great part of my day was walking around and looking at the different local artist and vendor booths.  I bought some CD's at the music exchange booth, which boasted a huge collection of local music, as well as well-established bluesy music acts.  The art work at the different booths and tents was fantastic.  One woman's art particularly stood out to me (picture shown above).  She used vibrant colors  in her pieces that depicted local descriptions of all things related and associated with New Orleans.
    I had a great time at the blues and BBQ festival and I will definitely go back again next year!  It was a perfect introduction to New Orleans culture, and although it wasn't a huge festival, it definitely left a big impact on me!  I think everyone needs to venture out and experience the art, music and food that make up New Orleans' unique and crazy culture!

Super Jam at The Maison

 Whether you play an instrument or not The Super Jam at the Maison on Frenchman Street is definitely something to check out.  Every Monday from 10pm until around 3am musicians meet up and play music consisting of mainly funk, soul and blues. If you're going to play get there early so you can get your name on the beginning of the list. That way it's not 1am when it's your time to play.  There's no cost. So, if you want to sit in or just listen there really is no excuse not to go.

New to the City

So I know I may not be the most knowledgeable about New Orleans, because I'm new to the city.
I can look around and say it reminds me of home, but I'm new to the city.
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I tried to pretend to be a native, but I'm new to the city.
If I tried to be the tour guide and showing people the best spots in the city and downtown, I would be lying to everyone on that streetcar because I'm new to the city.   
When people talk about Hurricane Katrina, and how it broke homes, and lost everything they ever worked for, seeing people struggle and suffer in unimaginable ways I would pretend to relate all I want, but I'm new to the city.

   As I roll through the city of New Orleans, whether it be on the St. Charles street car, on the Tulane bus, or hanging out in the city in the car, I wonder what this city looked like in 2005. I don't think I could imagine what the city looked like during Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath afterwards. To see homes dismantled, families separated, monumental places destroyed, and one of the most underrated cities in the country under water, I would never be able to see it in person. As the natives tell me that the city had to be rebuilt from the bottom back to new, I couldn’t see the city in shambles and non functional since its so live and visited on the daily. A place so happy and friendly that outsiders feel at home more than a tourist. As I look around, I couldn’t have imagined seeing water washing away people from the place people travel just to feel like nothing could ever go wrong. My heart goes to those who lost everything or anything at all from this detrimental event and that are still being affected by it. But I can’t relate because I'm new to the city.

Mother's Restaurant

This weekend, I went out to lunch with my roommate and her family and we decided to go to Mother's Restaurant. Mother's is a very historic place in New Orleans and easily became one of my favorites. Normally it's super busy but we got lucky because there wasn't a long line outside.

Mother's opened in 1938 and during WWII, it became the main place to hang out in New Orleans. As we all know, Hurricane Katrina & Rita devastated New Orleans even though it didn't directly pass through the city. Mother's was able to survive the hurricane with only minimal roof damage. On October 15th, the restaurant reopened it's doors to the public and even though their menu was shortened due to lack of ingredients, they were still able to provide some comfort to the returning locals.

When I went, I ordered the Crawfish Etouffee. "Etouffee" in French literally means "smothered" and the crawfish are basically smothered in a delicious broth with rice and spices. This is one of my favorite dishes in New Orleans (I love it even more than gumbo!) and after I finished, I realized I should've ordered more than a cup of this. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is visiting or living here.

Loyola Jazz Musicians

Great Egret

I saw this bird roaming about this afternoon. I think it must have flown across the street from Audubon Park. I tried to get a good picture (obviously didn't as you can tell).  From what I read online it's a Great Egret.  Great Egrets can be found here in Louisiana year round.  They have long black legs and a yellow bill. Egrets feed on fish, frogs and insects and are known to make a "kroow" sound. Here's a link for more about the Great Egret. http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/30/overview/Great_Egret.aspx          All info obtained from link above.

Family Weekend

This weekend was Family Weekend for all Loyola students. My uncle, aunt, and their three boys came down to see me. Guess where it rained all weekend, that's right, New Orleans. Thank you, mother nature.

On a brighter note, I was able to show my family around New Orleans.  It was hard for me to show them only a few landmarks when there is so much to show people in this beautifully cultured city. There's the  French Quarter, the French Market, the old architecture, all of the cemeteries, Audubon Park and Audubon Zoo, the list could go on and on. I decided to show them what I first saw when I came to this city - Bourbon street, Cafe Du Monde, and the French Market.

Now, I had to be careful and make sure that the little ones were shielded from scarry Bourbon street and all the horrors that come with the journey down that lovely street. Wouldn't want them scarred for life... So, I decided to take a picture down the street, just to show them what they were missing. To my surprise, there wasn't as many scantily clad ladies on the street. Thank god...

My cousins loved all of the brightly colored neon signs that were all along Bourbon. The three boys liked the voodoo store that was on Bourbon. All the trinkets looked pretty authentic, opposed to the souvenir stores with the crazy colored 'voodoo dolls' and 'spells'. Unfortunately, I couldn't snap a picture because there was a very important ritual going on. But the boys were able to take a piece of New Orleans back with them to Texas. And I swear when we walked out of that shop, we all had the munchies...

On to Cafe Du Monde. This place is probably the worst place in the world. It's a trap for the senses. If someone told me I could never have anything from this wonderful place I would actually cry. I can't get enough. Neither could the boys, or my uncle and aunt. I bet if we were there for another hour, we could have eaten 5 orders of those delicious beignets and that chicory coffee...Oh god that coffee. I could sing songs about that coffee. No one in my family could drink that completely black though...way too strong for me, way too strong for my uncle. It could probably clear the sinuses and shock you out of a cold. Thank you for milk and sugar. 

The French Market. Best. Place. Ever. Sort of. It has food, beverages, trinkets, odds and ends, do-hickeys, jewelry, doo dads, thing-a-ma-bobs, pretty much anything you could think of. Unfortunately for my family, we just missed the market. We were too busy checking out all of the interesting souvenir shops and locally owned stores that we didn't make it down there in time. Oh well. guess that means they will have to come another time.

Hopefully they will come back. There's still so much to see.