Another day has come and gone and as I type this piece up, I look back and can't believe just how quickly it has gone by. After typing last nights Blog, we had another reflection component, and it was pretty phenomenal to hear about some more of their thoughts. One of the more entertaining pieces was 2 of the young ladies telling their story about our stop by the Walmart on the way back to our lodging from the build site. While they were in line, they were chatting with an older gentleman from the area that was just ahead of them in line. As they finished with their conversation and he finished with the cashier, he then looked at the girls and said to the cashier "I'll be taking care of their bill as well, it's the least I can do to thank you for your help".
How bloody cool is that!
We got the news that Canada beat Russia! YA BABY!!
On another note, today's build went well. We finished putting up all the walls as well as the plywood. In addition, we finished the front porch and a monster sized beam that acted as the roof support above the porch. (this was a very interesting piece of the project; those beams can be quite long in length and HEAVY) The interior walls have the framing up and we took some good photo's of some of the students sitting on a cinder block in what is going to be the bathroom, pretending to be reading a magazine. Sweet! The weather today was around 16-18 degrees and SUNNY. Everyone is applying aloe gel like it's going out of style.
The most interesting piece of today was on the drive home from the building site. We asked the bus driver to take us through the 9th Ward, the areas of New Orleans that experienced the most damage during the disaster. What we saw here was astounding. The area of town is east of the French Quarter and really not that far from there, but the difference of damage is almost unbelievable. The neighborhood, from what we saw is predominantly black and the damage that still exists is impossible to hide. Countless houses are still collapsed, horribly damaged, rotting, and water marked and yet still, there are people residing in the unit. There are still the "X"'s used to identify houses that had been searched, as well as the numbers that indicated how many were rescued or how many bodies were in there to be retrieved by a specific unit responsible for collecting the dead. This portion had an expected dramatic effect on the students. (and Colin, myself and the driver) We didn't have a chance to get out to take a walk, and to be honest, I almost felt guilty to be driving through the neighborhood as though we were on a safari and these PEOPLE that were lining the streets or front porches, were staring at the bus as it slowly made its way along its path. Many of our students initially had their cameras out, and wanted to capture the moment, the experience, and share it with their friends and family, but you could see many of them affected in a similar way.
It's not all dull and dreary, there have been many homes that have been restored, but there are so many, SO MANY that are still in the same state they were years ago, the few weeks after the storm rolled through.
Colin and I chatted with a local man last night as we got directions to the area, and you could immediately sense the passion the man had in regards to the subject of the effects of the hurricane as well as the political parties involved with the "rebuilding efforts". He must have went on for about 10-15 minutes about the plans by the "higher powers" to "white wash" the area of town, forcing the blacks that left, to remain away, and making life so miserable for those that returned or stayed, that they'll eventually leave on their own. I'm not in a position to make any valid arguments one way or the other, but I don't think it takes much more than common sense to realize that if this long after the initial damage, so many properties still remain in such a decrepit state, something isn't adding up.
This evening some of the students went down to the French Quarter to see some more of the always entertaining sights, and I took about 20 of them to a Cheesecake Restaurant in the Garden District (not far from where we're staying), and the owner of the restaurant came out to introduce himself to the students and thank them for their efforts. He also gave me his card and his office number and told me that if we bring a group next year, be sure to call him beforehand, and he'll be sure to set up a complimentary dinner in one of his private backrooms. Very Cool dude!
Oh ya, I forgot to mention this earlier in the week, but there is also a Naval base/training facility near bye, so every morning for about 30-60 minutes, you can hear and see countless fighter jets streaming along the skyline! This was even more remarkable today seeing as the sky was nothing but breathtaking blue and the sun was blanketing us with its warmth and beauty.
That's about it for now. One more day of building tomorrow, where we're going to present "Andrew" (our boss at the build site) with a Canadian Flag with each of us signing and thanking him for his PATIENCE, knowledge and brilliant sense of humor while guiding us through the project. We'll then present the representatives of the church with a similar gift before we load the bus Saturday morning.
I may not get to Blog tomorrow, seeing as Colin is taking a group of students to watch the Hornet's game (NBA game) and I'm taking the rest to see some additional sights in the French Quarter, so if I don't and you've been keeping up to the blog, I hope you enjoyed it.
I know I did.
-Curtis
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Building Has Started!
Well, we’ve started, and what a start it has been. Yesterday and today were the first 2 days of the building for our group and what an incredible start! We arrived to our location, which was a plot of land in a small area just outside of downtown. Habitat (the organization) has been fortunate enough to grow at quite an alarming rate in this area, and their ability to mobilize so many volunteers at once and put them to work has been astounding.
As we arrived yesterday, the Habitat representatives gave us, as well as two other groups that are here, a tutorial on the history of the organtization, the impact they are having on not only this community but many others around North America and of course SAFETY. The morning tutorial was colder than many of the students expected, infact both mornings have been down around 9-11 degrees at the start of the day. Not cold, but drastically different than our day of Swamp Touring and Bourbon Street! We were soon sent down the street, at my surprise and delight, as an entire complete group on one project; the construction of a house from the ground up! The only thing that was done when we arrived was the foundation and some floor trusses. We were soon broken up into a variety of teams on a variety of projects, ranging from the construction of portions of walls, cutting different lengths of wood, unloading delivery trucks, making countless mistakes and as the day moved forward, basking in the eventual afternoon sunlight.
I was really impressed with how the gentleman that was the “Boss” for the job kept everyone pretty much doing something at some time. I was even more impressed with how the students that found themselves without a task, would soon find themselves cheering on one of the others in the team: “Ya, Hammer that nail baby, hammer the life outta that nail” (occasionally other choice words have been inserted...especially when someone hits their thumb with a hammer). They’ve been hilarious, absolutely hilarious throughout the trip, even though we’ve been keeping them quite busy. We get up around 6:00am and grab breakfast in the church. We also have some of them volunteering to work on the “Lunch Chain”, making PB & J brown bag lunches, with snacks and fruit. At the sight by 7:45 for a quick start, and there until 4:00pm.
Yesterday they completed the floor and a majority of the walls. Today we almost completed putting up all the walls of the house as well as most of the plywood type of material on the outside. He (the boss man) thinks we should be able to finish getting the roof on by Friday (I’m sceptical but I love enthusiasm and challenges!).
We had our first verbal group reflection component of the trip last night, and though the students were a little bit slow (some were probably still a little shy) to get started, once the ball was rolling, the response was relentless. They are truly thinking about the big and small picture here. Many of them are vocalizing thoughts of the “impact” and “residual effect” of their actions and their experience and many of them are thinking on multiple levels. This for me is the apart I enjoy the most.
As for me and my thoughts, aside from my direct involvement with the students and observing/monitoring their experience, much of this trip for me brings up so much of what I noticed during my extended period of time down south. It really is a world away on so many different levels, but just the same on so many others. In my mind, The same holds here just as it did in Chattanooga, and just as it does in Niagara…. The importance of family is fundamental. A “healthy” family is even better, but the importance of family is monumental. Infrastructure and community support are next. When that goes, so too does any chance of the youth that may be without the first item, family, to have a chance of succeeding.
These people that I see walking the streets, these people that I look at and automatically say to myself “that’s shitty”, are the same as I saw so often down south and the same as the one’s I see alone in Niagara. They look as though they are without life. Without hope, without happiness, without anyone that loves them, unconditionally. Without purpose or drive. They look sad, alone, dirty and scared; and that’s just flat out shitty.
I think that makes me more sad than anything else I see down here. It makes me sad that the people in this neighbourhood don’t even clean their yard. I mean seriously, how unhealthy (and this could be taken in terms of health applied to “family”, “maturation”, “self respect”, “mutual respect”, “love”, “education”, “opportunity”, etc ) is one person, that they can’t even clean up the trash in their yard. We’re not talking a house here or a house there, it is relentless, and it truly is sad to see.
Lack of school support? Lack or absence of family. Lack of coial support? Lack of opportunity? Lack of proper child rearing? Lack of religion? Lack of self respect? Excess of alcohol? Excess and availability of drugs? Or maybe so much of one is tied into the others, and the fact that there are so many of the components far weaker than others, or entirely absent, that the chance for success is infact hopeless? Maybe everything and anything is and does set them up for failure and they truly do have no chance. In any case, this makes me, as it does everytime I place extended thought towards the topic, very sad.
I use this in conversation with student's. I'm open about my own sadness and frustraion, and though I see many try to overcomplicate their answers with long drawn out philosophical statements, I opt to simplify it. "Does it really make a difference Curtis" one of them asks....."Well it sure doesn't hurt" is my response. "And in my mind, things that don't hurt, help. In some way way and in some fashion. And the more help we have in this world, the better off we'll all be".
I know it can be easy for me to focus on all the sadness I see around here, but then I look at the students, or the people walking by on the street, or the young lady in the stores at the cashier booth, and when I see their reaction when hearing what we're doing here, it reenforces; if it doesn't hurt, it helps". With the look on each of their faces, you can bet your ass, it's helping.
Take care.
-Curtis
As we arrived yesterday, the Habitat representatives gave us, as well as two other groups that are here, a tutorial on the history of the organtization, the impact they are having on not only this community but many others around North America and of course SAFETY. The morning tutorial was colder than many of the students expected, infact both mornings have been down around 9-11 degrees at the start of the day. Not cold, but drastically different than our day of Swamp Touring and Bourbon Street! We were soon sent down the street, at my surprise and delight, as an entire complete group on one project; the construction of a house from the ground up! The only thing that was done when we arrived was the foundation and some floor trusses. We were soon broken up into a variety of teams on a variety of projects, ranging from the construction of portions of walls, cutting different lengths of wood, unloading delivery trucks, making countless mistakes and as the day moved forward, basking in the eventual afternoon sunlight.
I was really impressed with how the gentleman that was the “Boss” for the job kept everyone pretty much doing something at some time. I was even more impressed with how the students that found themselves without a task, would soon find themselves cheering on one of the others in the team: “Ya, Hammer that nail baby, hammer the life outta that nail” (occasionally other choice words have been inserted...especially when someone hits their thumb with a hammer). They’ve been hilarious, absolutely hilarious throughout the trip, even though we’ve been keeping them quite busy. We get up around 6:00am and grab breakfast in the church. We also have some of them volunteering to work on the “Lunch Chain”, making PB & J brown bag lunches, with snacks and fruit. At the sight by 7:45 for a quick start, and there until 4:00pm.
Yesterday they completed the floor and a majority of the walls. Today we almost completed putting up all the walls of the house as well as most of the plywood type of material on the outside. He (the boss man) thinks we should be able to finish getting the roof on by Friday (I’m sceptical but I love enthusiasm and challenges!).
We had our first verbal group reflection component of the trip last night, and though the students were a little bit slow (some were probably still a little shy) to get started, once the ball was rolling, the response was relentless. They are truly thinking about the big and small picture here. Many of them are vocalizing thoughts of the “impact” and “residual effect” of their actions and their experience and many of them are thinking on multiple levels. This for me is the apart I enjoy the most.
As for me and my thoughts, aside from my direct involvement with the students and observing/monitoring their experience, much of this trip for me brings up so much of what I noticed during my extended period of time down south. It really is a world away on so many different levels, but just the same on so many others. In my mind, The same holds here just as it did in Chattanooga, and just as it does in Niagara…. The importance of family is fundamental. A “healthy” family is even better, but the importance of family is monumental. Infrastructure and community support are next. When that goes, so too does any chance of the youth that may be without the first item, family, to have a chance of succeeding.
These people that I see walking the streets, these people that I look at and automatically say to myself “that’s shitty”, are the same as I saw so often down south and the same as the one’s I see alone in Niagara. They look as though they are without life. Without hope, without happiness, without anyone that loves them, unconditionally. Without purpose or drive. They look sad, alone, dirty and scared; and that’s just flat out shitty.
I think that makes me more sad than anything else I see down here. It makes me sad that the people in this neighbourhood don’t even clean their yard. I mean seriously, how unhealthy (and this could be taken in terms of health applied to “family”, “maturation”, “self respect”, “mutual respect”, “love”, “education”, “opportunity”, etc ) is one person, that they can’t even clean up the trash in their yard. We’re not talking a house here or a house there, it is relentless, and it truly is sad to see.
Lack of school support? Lack or absence of family. Lack of coial support? Lack of opportunity? Lack of proper child rearing? Lack of religion? Lack of self respect? Excess of alcohol? Excess and availability of drugs? Or maybe so much of one is tied into the others, and the fact that there are so many of the components far weaker than others, or entirely absent, that the chance for success is infact hopeless? Maybe everything and anything is and does set them up for failure and they truly do have no chance. In any case, this makes me, as it does everytime I place extended thought towards the topic, very sad.
I use this in conversation with student's. I'm open about my own sadness and frustraion, and though I see many try to overcomplicate their answers with long drawn out philosophical statements, I opt to simplify it. "Does it really make a difference Curtis" one of them asks....."Well it sure doesn't hurt" is my response. "And in my mind, things that don't hurt, help. In some way way and in some fashion. And the more help we have in this world, the better off we'll all be".
I know it can be easy for me to focus on all the sadness I see around here, but then I look at the students, or the people walking by on the street, or the young lady in the stores at the cashier booth, and when I see their reaction when hearing what we're doing here, it reenforces; if it doesn't hurt, it helps". With the look on each of their faces, you can bet your ass, it's helping.
Take care.
-Curtis
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
New Orleans: Complete Day 1-Sight Seeing
Wow, a simple 3 letter word that I truly believe encompasses so much of what this city and surrounding area has to offer. The day started with a quick bus trip to the area marshes and swamps for one of Southern Louisiana’s finest “Swamp Tours”. As the team broke off into groups of 8-15 for each Air Fan boat, we headed out on our way. As I watched the “Captains” of each of the crafts approach us, I was deliberate in watching the ways in which each of the student would receive them. They were your very stereo typical looking gentlemen from the deep south, classic camouflage clothing, strong accents when engaged in discussion and a rugged, yet handsome look that many would strive to exhibit, but came so naturally to each of them.
The tour lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes, seeing a variety of alligators, turtles, flying types of fish and some of the most glorious landscape one could lay an eye on. Though the obvious components of the tour were nothing short of breathtaking, the most remarkable component for me was the narration provided by our captain during the tour. He would drive for 10 minutes, then talk for 15, drive for 10, talk for 15, and in each of these 15 minute portions, so much of him, so much of his pain, so much about his neighbors, was revealed with overwhelming clarity and strength. He was a young man close to my age, that I fear many at first glance, would never perceive as the way he portrayed himself once engaged in his discussion. His love for his community, the effects of the oil industry on his world in Southern Louisiana, environmental impact of the exact same thing, his knowledge about the ecosystem in the surrounding area, his ability to convey the pain his neighbors struggle to bear, his frustrations with government, with people in his community, with big business and irresponsible neglect of mans impact; he simply left me wishing I had a chance to sit down with him on one of the docks we saw around the surrounding area. Nothing but him and I (perhaps a few of my buddies that also enjoy this type of discussion), a case of our finest cold beverages and TIME, and pick his mind for hours.
We then headed back home to shower and get ready to go to the French Quarter for the students to get a chance to see some of the sights and then have dinner and hit a haunted story tour.
As our bus entered Bourbon Street, every student that was present was forever changed by the EVRYTHING that is this area. We were dropped off by the water for the students to get a chance to see a nice Market Area, get some cool souvenirs, see the Mississippi River (which is far larger and moves much more rapidly than I expected), then head down Bourbon Street for the sight seeing. This street is absolutely wild! I loved it and I can’t wait to come back again (when I’m not responsible for the safety and enjoyment of fifty three 19-24 year olds). There is anything and everything. Cool architecture, energy from everyone, culture, history, entertainment, bars, restaurants, shops, souvenir shops, porn shops, gentlemen’s clubs, apartments, hotels, horses, cool little scooters, people just cruising around on their road bicycles, people walking around EVERYWHERE with their drinks in their hands. Signs that read “HUGE ASS BEER Available Here-$2.00”. EVERYTHING!
We had “Gumbo” for dinner in a cool courtyard where three old fella’s were playing live Jazz on a warm evening in February…Incredible.
After dinner, we had a guided tour of the area with a local company that specialized in the Haunted History of given buildings. Though I’m not a huge fan nor am truly moved by these stories, it was cool watch the students. Their really is some very interesting history to the area.
As we headed home, spirits were sky high and I was excited to get the team to the build sight the following day.
The only downfall happened just before bed time. Three of our students were in the church right next to our apartment hostel (the church that owns the property we’re staying in) and another one of our students came running into our unit (each unit has around 11 of us in it, on cots and bunk beds). “Curtis, Alegra needs you over at the church, she said it’s an emergency”. I whipped on my shoes and ran over to the church (takes about 5 seconds from door to door). Turns out they had witnessed a couple of the locals involved with a disagreement outside, and our students perceived the situation as one of the gentlemen holding up the other one for his personal possessions. The police presence has been very strong here, and even the pastor has said times can be challenging, but the young ladies were a touch shaken up from the incident. Colin and I (the 2 responsible for the student’s during the trip) had to act pretty quickly and ended up meeting with each unit of students as a group to deescalate the situation (students can tend to exaggerate and the story would soon be labeled the “Great Heist of New Orleans 2010”) before it got too out of hand. All in all it went as well as I think it could have. To be honest, ironically, it has helped reinforce so much of what we have discussed in some of the Reflection components of the trip, and many of them are growing right before our eyes, and for the moment, seeing the world differently, viewing it less selflessly, understanding just a little bit more from a perspective they may have only seen on the movie screen before this.
None the less, an unbelievable day.
Talk to you tomorrow.
-Curtis
The tour lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes, seeing a variety of alligators, turtles, flying types of fish and some of the most glorious landscape one could lay an eye on. Though the obvious components of the tour were nothing short of breathtaking, the most remarkable component for me was the narration provided by our captain during the tour. He would drive for 10 minutes, then talk for 15, drive for 10, talk for 15, and in each of these 15 minute portions, so much of him, so much of his pain, so much about his neighbors, was revealed with overwhelming clarity and strength. He was a young man close to my age, that I fear many at first glance, would never perceive as the way he portrayed himself once engaged in his discussion. His love for his community, the effects of the oil industry on his world in Southern Louisiana, environmental impact of the exact same thing, his knowledge about the ecosystem in the surrounding area, his ability to convey the pain his neighbors struggle to bear, his frustrations with government, with people in his community, with big business and irresponsible neglect of mans impact; he simply left me wishing I had a chance to sit down with him on one of the docks we saw around the surrounding area. Nothing but him and I (perhaps a few of my buddies that also enjoy this type of discussion), a case of our finest cold beverages and TIME, and pick his mind for hours.
We then headed back home to shower and get ready to go to the French Quarter for the students to get a chance to see some of the sights and then have dinner and hit a haunted story tour.
As our bus entered Bourbon Street, every student that was present was forever changed by the EVRYTHING that is this area. We were dropped off by the water for the students to get a chance to see a nice Market Area, get some cool souvenirs, see the Mississippi River (which is far larger and moves much more rapidly than I expected), then head down Bourbon Street for the sight seeing. This street is absolutely wild! I loved it and I can’t wait to come back again (when I’m not responsible for the safety and enjoyment of fifty three 19-24 year olds). There is anything and everything. Cool architecture, energy from everyone, culture, history, entertainment, bars, restaurants, shops, souvenir shops, porn shops, gentlemen’s clubs, apartments, hotels, horses, cool little scooters, people just cruising around on their road bicycles, people walking around EVERYWHERE with their drinks in their hands. Signs that read “HUGE ASS BEER Available Here-$2.00”. EVERYTHING!
We had “Gumbo” for dinner in a cool courtyard where three old fella’s were playing live Jazz on a warm evening in February…Incredible.
After dinner, we had a guided tour of the area with a local company that specialized in the Haunted History of given buildings. Though I’m not a huge fan nor am truly moved by these stories, it was cool watch the students. Their really is some very interesting history to the area.
As we headed home, spirits were sky high and I was excited to get the team to the build sight the following day.
The only downfall happened just before bed time. Three of our students were in the church right next to our apartment hostel (the church that owns the property we’re staying in) and another one of our students came running into our unit (each unit has around 11 of us in it, on cots and bunk beds). “Curtis, Alegra needs you over at the church, she said it’s an emergency”. I whipped on my shoes and ran over to the church (takes about 5 seconds from door to door). Turns out they had witnessed a couple of the locals involved with a disagreement outside, and our students perceived the situation as one of the gentlemen holding up the other one for his personal possessions. The police presence has been very strong here, and even the pastor has said times can be challenging, but the young ladies were a touch shaken up from the incident. Colin and I (the 2 responsible for the student’s during the trip) had to act pretty quickly and ended up meeting with each unit of students as a group to deescalate the situation (students can tend to exaggerate and the story would soon be labeled the “Great Heist of New Orleans 2010”) before it got too out of hand. All in all it went as well as I think it could have. To be honest, ironically, it has helped reinforce so much of what we have discussed in some of the Reflection components of the trip, and many of them are growing right before our eyes, and for the moment, seeing the world differently, viewing it less selflessly, understanding just a little bit more from a perspective they may have only seen on the movie screen before this.
None the less, an unbelievable day.
Talk to you tomorrow.
-Curtis
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Kentucky to New Orleans...
Today started with the bus being loaded at 7:15am and on the road at 7:30. Relatively common travels across the Kentucky border and into beautiful Tennessee. We made good time until through Tennessee, with many of the students taking a break from the movies/cards/socializing, to get some photo's as we passed through Nashville.
As we crossed the border into Alabama, the students had their first opportunity to visit a classic Southern American Truckstop (a "Loves" for those that have come across one). They were amazed at the variety of items you could buy there, items ranging from a new antenna, NASCAR jacket, movies, milk, chicken, glass figurines, post cards...the list seemed to be endless.
We hit the road again, with a stop at another gas station outside Tuscaloosa, Alabama. At this point a large portion of the students decided to hit a Subway; this is when things got a little interesting. Seeing as the size of the group was as large as it was, and this particular store wasn't quite prepared for the onslaught, halfway through our line, the gentleman working at the counter slowly placed his work item down, took off his shirt and said "f*** this, I'm outta here". Things got sorted out, but I don't believe the lady that was sharing the shift with him, was very pleased at all.
On another note, some of the students tried classic Southern Fried Gas Station Chicken, and they LOVED IT!
As we went through Mississippi we came to a truck stop about an hour outside New Orleans. We got the students out for a quick restroom break, and many of them were in awe with the Rebel Flag and the smoking being allowed in the food service area.
Approaching New Orleans, a thunder storm started to roll in as we came closer to the city. To be honest, this looked pretty amazing. We passed the home of the Super Bowl Champions and got off the highway turning onto St.Charles St. This is an old street with a collection of charming buildings along the way....it really is hard to imagine as much water here as there was.
As we approached the church, it was immediately evident our neighborhood wasn't in the best part of town, but as we got acquainted with the host guests, they assured us that the "locals" are grateful for the efforts of those that have been coming to the area to assist in the rebuilding efforts. This was said, mind you, not long after he told me to make sure the students stay to this one side of the street, avoid that end of the neighborhood and that years ago, you wouldn't be able to find a single white man walk these back streets....closed minded? fear? racism?...I'm looking forward to speaking with more people to get more of a sense of such an item.
Anyways, we got our rooms set up, dinner was served and now we're hitting the sack. The student's spirits seem to be in a great place, even though the accommodations are minimal at best. They truly seem to be here for the right reason, and that's pretty cool. Tomorrow they have a day to take in some of the sights, then Tues-Friday will be working on the houses.
That's all for now, I'll try and get something up for tomorrow!
Take care,
Curtis
As we crossed the border into Alabama, the students had their first opportunity to visit a classic Southern American Truckstop (a "Loves" for those that have come across one). They were amazed at the variety of items you could buy there, items ranging from a new antenna, NASCAR jacket, movies, milk, chicken, glass figurines, post cards...the list seemed to be endless.
We hit the road again, with a stop at another gas station outside Tuscaloosa, Alabama. At this point a large portion of the students decided to hit a Subway; this is when things got a little interesting. Seeing as the size of the group was as large as it was, and this particular store wasn't quite prepared for the onslaught, halfway through our line, the gentleman working at the counter slowly placed his work item down, took off his shirt and said "f*** this, I'm outta here". Things got sorted out, but I don't believe the lady that was sharing the shift with him, was very pleased at all.
On another note, some of the students tried classic Southern Fried Gas Station Chicken, and they LOVED IT!
As we went through Mississippi we came to a truck stop about an hour outside New Orleans. We got the students out for a quick restroom break, and many of them were in awe with the Rebel Flag and the smoking being allowed in the food service area.
Approaching New Orleans, a thunder storm started to roll in as we came closer to the city. To be honest, this looked pretty amazing. We passed the home of the Super Bowl Champions and got off the highway turning onto St.Charles St. This is an old street with a collection of charming buildings along the way....it really is hard to imagine as much water here as there was.
As we approached the church, it was immediately evident our neighborhood wasn't in the best part of town, but as we got acquainted with the host guests, they assured us that the "locals" are grateful for the efforts of those that have been coming to the area to assist in the rebuilding efforts. This was said, mind you, not long after he told me to make sure the students stay to this one side of the street, avoid that end of the neighborhood and that years ago, you wouldn't be able to find a single white man walk these back streets....closed minded? fear? racism?...I'm looking forward to speaking with more people to get more of a sense of such an item.
Anyways, we got our rooms set up, dinner was served and now we're hitting the sack. The student's spirits seem to be in a great place, even though the accommodations are minimal at best. They truly seem to be here for the right reason, and that's pretty cool. Tomorrow they have a day to take in some of the sights, then Tues-Friday will be working on the houses.
That's all for now, I'll try and get something up for tomorrow!
Take care,
Curtis
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day 1: Bus Travel to Elizabethtown, Kentucky
A day that started at 5:35am, rising to what is always a pleasant scent; fresh brewed coffee that started on the "Automatic Brew Timer" (an invention worthy of Nobel material). My colleague picked me up at home and we made our way to Brock's campus. Everything began wthout a hitch. To everyone's amazement, the bus driver actually was spot on with his ability to locate our pick up point! We loaded up, handed out our T shirts to the students and hit the road. Not even an hour later, we hit the Peace Bridge, entering into the good 'ol U.S. of A.
Predictably, they asked our bus to pull over to be inspected. All 55 of us filtered out of the burly machine and made our way into a small room, where each of us had a nice face to face meeting with one of the US Customs finest. Everyone went through with remarkable ease, everyone that is except for one. One of our finest student leaders seemed to forget to shave. In addition, he was simply oozing the scent of happiness when he had to get up at 6:00am that morning. He stands about 6'4", at the current moment has some "longer" hair, and was born in Poland. His face to face interaction wasn't quite as pleasant. All in all, a success.
3 hours later, our first restroom stop (we "recommended" all #2's be saved for rest stops), then back to the bus.
Several more hours after that, we stop for lunch, and then a few more after that, many of the students are getting their cameras prepared as we fly through downtown Cincinatti. Those that are sports fans get a chance to see the Bengal's and Red's stadiums. Those that simply enjoy a sight that leaves you saying "Damn, that's cool", take an extended look out the window as we cross over the river, leaving Ohio and entering Kentucky. I've done this portion of the drive countless times, and if you ever have the chance to be heading along the I71 or I75, and going through Cinci, enjoy this piece, it truly is a remarkable view of the transition of landscape from what I see as the endless bore of Ohio to the beautifully renovated downtown Cincinatti, and into the start of the foothills of Kentucky.
Not even a couple hours after that, we arrive at our hotel. Dinner at a cool restaurant, where we were treated with wonderful hospitality and back to the hotel for a quick swim (aka, a battle royal, indoor frisbee, water polo type of game). 6 back scratches later and a half gallon of Kentucky's Chlorinated Best, and onto the computer for a quick moment to summarize the day.
Movies watched on the bus, from those that weren't chatting away, playing cards, or reading Cosmo; Invictus, Taken, Old School, Friday Night Lights, and Juno.
Card games taught to some students: Euchre and Hearts. Some I won, others I lost.
Food ate: Whopper Jr, Fries, Tuscan Penne with Shrimp (even though I ordered it with chicken; it was mouthwatering by the way), pretzels and a granola bar.
That's about it for now. We're back onto the bus at 7:15am, and should be in New Orleans in the evening.
Take care ya'll! (only appropriate, seeing as we're in Kentucky)
-Curtis
Predictably, they asked our bus to pull over to be inspected. All 55 of us filtered out of the burly machine and made our way into a small room, where each of us had a nice face to face meeting with one of the US Customs finest. Everyone went through with remarkable ease, everyone that is except for one. One of our finest student leaders seemed to forget to shave. In addition, he was simply oozing the scent of happiness when he had to get up at 6:00am that morning. He stands about 6'4", at the current moment has some "longer" hair, and was born in Poland. His face to face interaction wasn't quite as pleasant. All in all, a success.
3 hours later, our first restroom stop (we "recommended" all #2's be saved for rest stops), then back to the bus.
Several more hours after that, we stop for lunch, and then a few more after that, many of the students are getting their cameras prepared as we fly through downtown Cincinatti. Those that are sports fans get a chance to see the Bengal's and Red's stadiums. Those that simply enjoy a sight that leaves you saying "Damn, that's cool", take an extended look out the window as we cross over the river, leaving Ohio and entering Kentucky. I've done this portion of the drive countless times, and if you ever have the chance to be heading along the I71 or I75, and going through Cinci, enjoy this piece, it truly is a remarkable view of the transition of landscape from what I see as the endless bore of Ohio to the beautifully renovated downtown Cincinatti, and into the start of the foothills of Kentucky.
Not even a couple hours after that, we arrive at our hotel. Dinner at a cool restaurant, where we were treated with wonderful hospitality and back to the hotel for a quick swim (aka, a battle royal, indoor frisbee, water polo type of game). 6 back scratches later and a half gallon of Kentucky's Chlorinated Best, and onto the computer for a quick moment to summarize the day.
Movies watched on the bus, from those that weren't chatting away, playing cards, or reading Cosmo; Invictus, Taken, Old School, Friday Night Lights, and Juno.
Card games taught to some students: Euchre and Hearts. Some I won, others I lost.
Food ate: Whopper Jr, Fries, Tuscan Penne with Shrimp (even though I ordered it with chicken; it was mouthwatering by the way), pretzels and a granola bar.
That's about it for now. We're back onto the bus at 7:15am, and should be in New Orleans in the evening.
Take care ya'll! (only appropriate, seeing as we're in Kentucky)
-Curtis
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Day Before Departure
For those that don't know, we have been in the midst of planning an "Alternative Reading Week" for students in residence at Brock. This is the first time in school history that an initiative like this has been offered exclusively to "Residence" students, and it's been an initiative that was received by the students with a remarkable amount of enthusiasm. The goal of this little bad boy ("blog") is to attempt to post some items throughout the week for anyone that finds they would be interested.
Well, the day has finally come. All the hard work and preparations are just about finalized and we had our final meeting with the group of students last night. 53 VERY excited people that can't wait to get started with the Habitat for Humanity adventure. The final presentation we gave them was focused on the socio-economic status of the New Orleans region as well as some additional reminders. We load up the bus tomorrow morning at 06:40, and should be on the road by 07:00. We'll be driving until we hit a small town called Elizabethtown, in Kentucky. We'll be in a hotel for the night and then back on the road on Sunday, arriving at the All Saints United Church Sunday evening, where we'll be greeted by the host members of the church. I'm not sure when we'll be able to gain access to computers while down there, but I'll try and post some thoughts as often as I can.
Hope all is well. Talk to you soon!
-Curtis
Well, the day has finally come. All the hard work and preparations are just about finalized and we had our final meeting with the group of students last night. 53 VERY excited people that can't wait to get started with the Habitat for Humanity adventure. The final presentation we gave them was focused on the socio-economic status of the New Orleans region as well as some additional reminders. We load up the bus tomorrow morning at 06:40, and should be on the road by 07:00. We'll be driving until we hit a small town called Elizabethtown, in Kentucky. We'll be in a hotel for the night and then back on the road on Sunday, arriving at the All Saints United Church Sunday evening, where we'll be greeted by the host members of the church. I'm not sure when we'll be able to gain access to computers while down there, but I'll try and post some thoughts as often as I can.
Hope all is well. Talk to you soon!
-Curtis
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