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
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