New Orleans Creoles . . .

Hello All, I'd like to focus my blog on certain 'Color Issues' that either I or some of my family members have faced.

To begin, I would like to restate that a general New Orleanian definition of the word Creole is a person of mixed colonial French/Spanish and African American decent. I could be wrong here, but I think establishing a clear meaning of the word is important. I mean, creole isn't specifically limited to those things, but those things are essential to being a 'Créole.'

Before I begin, I would like for you all to know that I am in no way, shape, or form approving or disproving anything that was done or said; instead I am simply relaying the information as I know it. It is not meant to be offensive, and if it is, I do apologize. As Doctor Hunt said, Créole's come in all different shapes and sizes. Most Creoles are probably slightly darker than me, but there are many who look 'white' (as you would say.) Most Creoles usually know one another. (A good indicator is a French last name :) ) Dr. Hunt in class, for example, mentioned Mr. Baque (a friend of my family). His family owns a fantastic restaurant by the way. Anyway, as we talked about in class, when race was a fundamental element of one's social status, Creoles stuck with their own kind. This means that although they were 'black' on paper, creoles didn't associate with blacks. My grandparents have told me a number of stories when they were at nice, Creole parties as the blacks waited outside the gates. Again, although technically black, 'Creoles' didn't want to be a part of the socially low class, the blacks. Because of Creole's not being completely black, not only were the whites distanced from the Creoles (who were lower than them), but the blacks also distanced themselves away from the Creoles. Many blacks, because of witnessing that Creoles had an easier life, distanced themselves from Creoles. So, the Creoles, as I stated before, really had no other option but to stick with their own kind.

Here is one story I can think of in particular. My cousin's dad is a very light man. He is very 'good hair' (remember, this means a comb can pass through it easily. Like I said, even today, Creole's still ask about 'hair.' When my cousin told his mom he was getting married, she first asked "Who is She?" and then "How's her hair?" I know it sounds silly, but it's part of what makes 'Creoles' special.) Getting back to the story, if you saw my uncle, you'd probably mistake him for white. Anyway, my uncle had two brothers and one sister. Because of the difficulties that Creoles had to deal with in real life (remember, legally the were 'black'), two of my Uncle's siblings passed for white. They felt that the pressures of being Creole were difficult because they would be treated as blacks, so they moved away to another state. My uncle refused to do that. He felt that it would only be a lie. This caused his 'passing' brother and sister to completely distanced themselves from my uncle completely. Several years ago, my uncle's brother died. Because the children CONTINUE to pass for white (to this day) and they know my uncle doesn't, they refused to invite him to their father's funeral. I know it sounds very 'petty' if you're white, but being a Creole really was difficult in those times. I mean, if you saw you could have a much easier life by pretending to be something, wouldn't you take it? Many Creoles did this to protect their families and make their lives easier. Obviously, this didn't exactly thrill darker skin Creoles.

Here is a video that I thought was awesome! Please watch it as this really drives home what a Creole is!



Before ending, because we talked about Catholic Saints in class, I'd like to show you the first Creole Saint. I think she's fascinating.



Henriette Delille

Born in New Orleans in 1812 by mixed parents, a free person of color. By 1836, she had inspired a group of women to assist the sick and dying, to feed the hungry, and bring the word of god to the uneducated people among her.

That same year, she wrote the simple prayer that guided her life: "I believe in God. I hope in God. I love and I want to live and die for God." By 1841, this group of pious women was both encouraged and recognized by the Church. The Sisters of the Holy Family trace their official origin to the following year.

By 1851, Henriette Delille had personally purchased a home where these women could live in community and further their ministry. At her death in 1862, Henriette Delille was known as one "who for the love of Jesus Christ had made herself the humble servant of slaves."

I'd like to share some other stories with you in class (even my own personal experiences). Also, I'd like to show you more pictures of my family. I feel that I did a bad job in only showing you my mom's dad's family. So, on Tuesday, Dr. Hunt has agreed to let me show you some more photos.

I hope you read my article and if you have any comments, please leave them. I'd be very interested in hearing what you have to say.

I remain,

Your classmate, André L.

Mardi Gras Madness

I am exhausted, I have lost my voice, and I have a cold. Overall I’m pretty miserable, but it was so worth it.

Mardi Gras so awesome, but my favorite parade by far was Zulu. Mardi Gras Day in itself was ridiculous. Waking up after sleeping for two hours was so difficult, but fortunately we drove most of the way there, rather than walking all the way down to the intersection of Jackson and St. Charles. After we met up with friends, we stood there for a WHILE and waited for the parade to start. We coped with the cold by moving around a lot and huddling together, our neighbors elected to drink the cold away. Only in New Orleans is being plastered at 8AM socially acceptable.

I liked Zulu the best because it had a totally different atmosphere to it than any other parade. People were just acting differently. At one point the parade stopped for a while and a woman in the parade had some beads I wanted, so I just walked up and asked for them. To my surprise she said yes and struggled with them for a few minutes. When I asked if she needed help she said cheerfully, "Oh yeah baby, it's because I'm tipsy!" There was just so much more interaction between the crowd and people in the parade.

My favorite part was how crazy people were getting about the coconuts. Originally coconuts were thrown because they were much cheaper than the expensive glass beads that most other parades were handing out. It wasn't until 1940 that people began draining the juice and decorating them like they do today. People were INTENSE about getting coconuts. At one point, a little boy next to me almost got hit by a float trying to get one. For his safety, I offered to put him on my shoulders and after about 2 minutes, he had so many toys and a beloved coconut. I was getting really discouraged and then I looked up and someone was passing down a coconut! I don't really remember how I got it, but I was so excited.

It was a great first Mardi Gras. It was nothing that I expected, but all that I hoped for.

Gumbo, A lil bit of everything

I'm allergic to shellfish. The smell alone is enough to make me nauseous. Ironically, seafood gumbo is a family favorite at my house. Every Christmas my mother, grandmother, and aunt gather around my stove and dump every shellfish known to man, in a huge pot. In addition, they add hot sausage and chili log (don't ask), okra, and a million different peppers. Or at least this is how I imagine the gumbo is prepared. I know the ingriedients just not the recipe. The reason why is because I am allergic to shellfish. So I sit alone in my room, huddled by an open window (in 27 degree weather) waiting for everyone to finish cooking, tasting, eating, enjoying the gumbo.

I find it annoying that eveytime I announce to a New Orleanian that I am allergic to shellfish, they ask "what are you doing here, then?" Well I thought I was here to recieve an education. And I guess I have. One thing I learned is that there are many ways to make gumbo. Not just the nauseating shellfish-okra variation I'm accustomed to. To my surprise, I learned that there are gumbos that don't even have seafood at all! So apparently New Orleans does smile at the seafood-intolerant like myself.

The concept of tasting the gumbo has been lurking around in my head for a few days now. I asked a friend was there such a thing as a chicken gumbo, and her response was that there are as many gumbos as there are ways to make them. Looking at how clueless I was, she further explained that gumbo is a lil bit of everything, so yea I could have my chicken gumbo. When I think about it, I relate gumbo to the people of New Orleans. The natives I've befriended include, a half Palestinean, a half Filipino (both mixed with black), many full blood Creoles, a couple of Hondurans, just to name a few. Where I'm from the people aren't as diverse. The people here make the pot of gumbo that we call New Orleans such a rich and flavorful place. Tourists come from all over just to get a taste of this city. Before I couldn't, wouldn't look at a pot of gumbo without getting sick, now that I live in one, I'm finally ready to taste it.

week after mardi gras = no good

I have come to the conclusion that the week after Mardi gras is depressing, it could even be considered worse than the week after Christmas, my birthday or Spring Break. The Mardi gras season was so fun, at times overwhelming, but just a blast. Now that it is over, I need to get back into school mode which I never had time to do after winter break with the Super Bowl madness then straight on to carnival season. I feel as if I have a way easier course load this semester, but I find it harder to complete my work to my full potential and at my normal academic schedule. Getting out of bed too is a task in itself; I have become too fond of the snooze button in the last couple of weeks. I realize however, its time to get down to business. Party time is over and now, a month and a half after the semester technically started, is the time to get back into school mode. A little late perhaps, but very necessary none the less. I have been going to the library and doing my homework but I find myself sometimes wondering what “productivity” feels like anymore, something I was so good at last semester (I blame my new addiction to the show “Weeds”). Besides my energy, motivation and drive being drained, my bank account is as well. This city and all of its great culture, food and activities is amazing, but it takes a toll on my cash flow. I consider myself a severe food fanatic and can never say no to a good meal and commonly splurge on food. I love going out to new restaurants and venues but I am running out of money, despite what feels like constant babysitting (remember, I LOVE kids). So yesterday, I drove down good ol’ Magazine Street and applied to two jobs and got a call, while in our class actually, saying I got a job at Reginelli’s! I am so excited to start (tomorrow) and to indulge in the deliciousness at a discount (let’s be honest, all of the money I make will be put back into Reginelli’s when I buy everything on the menu). This week feels like the first week of school for me, and I actually look forward to a long night at the library and a long night of work!

NY Times Article on Colorism

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LinkedinDiggFacebookMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink By SHANKAR VEDANTAM
Published: January 18, 2010
Cambridge, Mass.


Mirko Ilic
LAST week, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, found himself in trouble for once suggesting that Barack Obama had a political edge over other African-American candidates because he was “light-skinned” and had “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” Mr. Reid was not expressing sadness but a gleeful opportunism that Americans were still judging one another by the color of their skin, rather than — as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose legacy we commemorated on Monday, dreamed — by the content of their character.

The Senate leader’s choice of words was flawed, but positing that black candidates who look “less black” have a leg up is hardly more controversial than saying wealthy people have an advantage in elections. Dozens of research studies have shown that skin tone and other racial features play powerful roles in who gets ahead and who does not. These factors regularly determine who gets hired, who gets convicted and who gets elected.

Consider: Lighter-skinned Latinos in the United States make $5,000 more on average than darker-skinned Latinos. The education test-score gap between light-skinned and dark-skinned African-Americans is nearly as large as the gap between whites and blacks.

The Harvard neuroscientist Allen Counter has found that in Arizona, California and Texas, hundreds of Mexican-American women have suffered mercury poisoning as a result of the use of skin-whitening creams. In India, where I was born, a best-selling line of women’s cosmetics called Fair and Lovely has recently been supplemented by a product aimed at men called Fair and Handsome.

This isn’t racism, per se: it’s colorism, an unconscious prejudice that isn’t focused on a single group like blacks so much as on blackness itself. Our brains, shaped by culture and history, create intricate caste hierarchies that privilege those who are physically and culturally whiter and punish those who are darker.

Colorism is an intraracial problem as well as an interracial problem. Racial minorities who are alert to white-black or white-brown issues often remain silent about a colorism that asks “how black” or “how brown” someone is within their own communities.

If colorism lives underground, its effects are very real. Darker-skinned African-American defendants are more than twice as likely to receive the death penalty as lighter-skinned African-American defendants for crimes of equivalent seriousness involving white victims. This was proven in rigorous, peer-reviewed research into hundreds of capital punishment-worthy cases by the Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt.

Take, for instance, two of Dr. Eberhadt’s murder cases, in Philadelphia, involving black defendants — one light-skinned, the other dark. The lighter-skinned defendant, Arthur Hawthorne, ransacked a drug store for money and narcotics. The pharmacist had complied with every demand, yet Mr. Hawthorne shot him when he was lying face down. Mr. Hawthorne was independently identified as the killer by multiple witnesses, a family member and an accomplice.

The darker-skinned defendant, Ernest Porter, pleaded not guilty to the murder of a beautician, a crime that he was linked to only through a circuitous chain of evidence. A central witness later said that prosecutors forced him to finger Mr. Porter even though he was sure that he was the wrong man. Two people who provided an alibi for Mr. Porter were mysteriously never called to testify. During his trial, Mr. Porter revealed that the police had even gotten his name wrong — his real name was Theodore Wilson — but the court stuck to the wrong name in the interest of convenience.

Both men were convicted. But the lighter-skinned Mr. Hawthorne was given a life sentence, while the dark-skinned Mr. Porter has spent more than a quarter-century on Pennsylvania’s death row.

Colorism also influenced the 2008 presidential race. In an experiment that fall, Drew Westen, a psychologist at Emory, and other researchers shot different versions of a political advertisement in support of Mr. Obama. One version showed a light-skinned black family. Another version had the same script, but used a darker-skinned black family. Voters, at an unconscious level, were less inclined to support Mr. Obama after watching the ad featuring the darker-skinned family than were those who watched the ad with the lighter-skinned family.

Political operatives are certainly aware of this dynamic. During the campaign, a conservative group created attack ads linking Mr. Obama with Kwame Kilpatrick, the disgraced former mayor of Detroit, which darkened Mr. Kilpatrick’s skin to have a more persuasive effect. Though there can be little doubt that as a candidate Mr. Obama faced voters’ conscious and unconscious prejudices, it is simultaneously true that unconscious colorism subtly advantaged him over darker-skinned politicians.

In highlighting how Mr. Obama benefited from his links to whiteness, Harry Reid punctured the myth that Mr. Obama’s election signaled the completion of the Rev. King’s dream. Americans may like to believe that we are now color-blind, that we can consciously choose not to use race when making judgments about other people. It remains a worthy aspiration. But this belief rests on a profound misunderstanding about how our minds work and perversely limits our ability to discuss prejudice honestly.

Shankar Vedantam, a Nieman fellow at Harvard University and a reporter for The Washington Post, is the author of the book “The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives.”

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The Amazing Creole Culture

I thought today's class on the discussion of race was very interesting. Dr. Hunt brought up a lot of things that I often think about, such as "if you were born in a certain place, what are you considered?" I also was amazed to find that their are people who still pass themselves off as a different race; I recently did a paper on "passing" in the cyber-world, but I had no idea it was still (even though not that big of an issue today) going on in the physical world.

I also enjoyed hearing about some of my classmates' backgrounds. I, personally, think the Creole culture is fascinating. I have a few friends who are Creole and I love hearing stories about their background and family. One of my closest friends (who is Creole), not to long ago, revealed to me that she is a descendant of Marie Laveau. I was shocked, creeped out, and amazed all at the same time. She told me that I was the first one she shared this information with because she didn't know how other people would react. I tried to remain calm to make her feel better, but I wanted to jump out of my seat. Growing up in Louisiana, I always found Voodoo very strange and I tried to stay far away from things that surrounded it. I never really researched anything about it, but I think I should so that I won't pass any false judgement on it.

I really can't wait to learn more about the Creole and Voodoo culture. I think both are somewhat misunderstood by many because they have no ties to it.

My same friend, also recommended a movie to me called The Feast of All Saints. It was originally a book by Anne Rice about the free people of color (gens de couleur libre) in New Orleans. I thought it was a great movie that really tied into parts of our discussion today.

Here's the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNUPpSLLLpQ

Though it was only my first Mardi Gras, I was fortunate enough to accompany several of my friends to the Endymion Ball at the Superdome. I had no idea what to expect, my mind was blown from the second I walked through the door. The colors, the energy, the outfits. Just watch the video....

To be honest I was extremely nervous for Mardi Gras to come about.  I felt that almost everyone related me going to school in New Orleans with this specific time and I just was so unsure of what to expect.  Whenever anyone would speak about this week they would just reiterate the famous line "It's a marathon not a sprint," and with already being confused, this one liner did nothing to help.  The upper-classmen I am friends with never really told me what I would be in for, but with my roommate being fully stocked with Camel Back backpacks, lounge chairs, coolers and a full array of different red green and yellow tops I felt I was completely unprepared.  However, As Callie stated in post below me, It was very different than anything I assumed.  It could be the areas me and my friends chose to hang out in, but It was a lot more behaved than the pictures the media had put in my head.  I thought it was going to be thousands of teenagers only, drunk out of their mind, partying till all hours and just absolute chaos.  Although some of those thoughts were in fact correct, it was a lot more tamed. 

 I had such a great time, I only wish the weather was a little warmer.  I made it to most of the parades, Endymeon and Muse being my favorites.  Friday night the brisk wind made it a little harder to enjoy because everytime I jumped and waved for the beads I felt my fingers were breaking when catching. I loved when walking around I would see so many people I knew which is not common at parades especially at parade as crowded and popular as Mardi Gras.  Saturday was my absolute favorite day!  The weather could NOT have been prettier!  It was so sunny and warm and it just provided the perfect atmosphere.  The group I was with walked all the way from campus to Canal Street and although looking back, and the feeling of my thighs the next morning, made me aware it was long and extreme, at the time it seemed so quick and easy.  Endymion was worth the long walk, and if it were tomorrow I would do the same.  I got so many beads and the floats were incredible!  It got a lot colder as the night progressed and although the throwers of this parade were SO AGGRESSIVE, I had such a good time.  I loved all the festivities that Mardi Gras entailed such as the house parties, the late nights, the different outfits, the spirit, and overall the fun everyone seemed to be having.  It was such a great time and I felt so privileged to experience such events.  I was upset I was unable to see so many of the people we spoke about in class like the Mardi Gras Indians and the Bones Men.  But I did see many great costumes, intricate floats, and  had an experience I will never forget. 

My Mardi Gras...

I had an awesome Mardi Gras. I imagined it to be completely crazy, with boobs everywhere and all the other stereotypical aspects associated with Mardi Gras. Thankfully, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I saw more of a family oriented side of it than I had expected. The highlight of my long weekend was Saturday night. After spending my day at very culturally rich places across New Orleans that Professor Hunt recommended (I’m not being sarcastic, I went and heard live music and everything at Jazz places and ate at a few very authentic restaurants), I was at a lovely establishment on Broadway commonly called “the boot”, some of you may have heard of it. When I turned around four of my best friends from home, twelve hours away, were standing there. It was a complete surprise and all of my friends from Loyola knew about it and were treating me so weird all day because they evidently knew it was nice to figure out why. Another highlight was when I was at Endimiyon on Canal street, I caught the huge beads bigger than my fists (maybe I am easily amused but I thought it was exciting). On the LONG walk home from Canal street, I glanced down at my neck which was coated with beads (almost to the point of strangling me) and wondered why the heck people, myself included, value these so much and get so excited about them. Throws like beads have been around since the 1800’s when floats traditionally threw things like bon bons and other candies. There isn’t much reason as to why other than it enables the crowd to be interactive rather than just watching the parade go by; it brings an entirely new level of entertainment to the audience. The most prized throw in the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans is the Zulu coconut and after that is a shoe from the Muses parade. Neither of which I caught. The most valuable lesson that I learned over this long weekend is that Mardi Gras is not a totally immoral event and can be celebrated by all ages. The picture above I took and thought (and my friends thought this was creepy of me to take but I asked the parents and they were just so cute) that it shows how Mardi Gras is a fun but tiring time to all ages .

Poetic cultural crossroads

I just remembered a story that happened during Mardi Gras that I had to blog about before I forgot about it because I think it attests greatly to the racial diversity of New Orleans. And as Dr. Hunt said today, this incident is one that I really cannot imagine happening any other place than New Orleans. So it was Saturday night and I had gone to watch the Endymion parade in Lee's Circle and it was such a poetic scene. I was standing on a fence with the big pillar statue in front of me, and behind that was some hotel, I think it was called Hotel La Cirque, and as night fell, I noticed how the hotel had made use of its outdoor lights and projected various images of happy and unhappy faces using the three Mardi Gras colors: purple, green, and gold. Besides that, I could see the parade coming 10 minutes before it reached the part of the street right in front of me. But next to me, unfortunately, was a partially tipsy and maybe horny elderly couple which was a little disturbing. I became a little annoyed by all the beer cans flying to the ground and the savage yelling. But on the other side of me, I met an Arab student who had brought his friend from Palestine to New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras. The friend could not speak a work of English, so the student translated and it was so interesting learning about his culture back home and the stark differences with New Orleans, but also it was interesting to see his excitement at this festival, foreign to both him and to myself. Just before Endymion reached us, a black mother approached the fence with her baby daughter looking for a spot to watch the parade and she struck up a conversation with the Arab student and his friend. Apparently they hit it off well because the very next moment I looked over, the man who knew no English was playing with the little girl as if they had known each other previously. And after yet another glance their way, I saw him holding the baby as if she were his own daughter. Not to sound cheesy or anything, but it was actually very beautiful. Amid all this drunken revelry and noise and free love were two individuals who had never before experienced Mardi Gras, and who could not communicate properly in the common language of every other member of the Endymion audience. And both had the largest smiles on their faces. I thought how a lot of what people do during such parties provides temporary, fleeting happiness to escape from the harsh realities of real life, but what I witnessed between this Arab-speaking young man and this still teething African-American baby seemed to provide genuine, truly memorable happiness. And in front of us was a group of young men from Canada, and every time they caught a string of beads or a sparkly light-up goody, they would not hesitate to give it to either this foreigner or this baby. Three very distinct cultures overlapped all because of Mardi Gras; Mardi Gras was a reason for people coming together and sharing a common experience, besides families barbecuing on St. Charles or sororities taking a trip down to Bourbon Street. The memory made by that encounter was the best birthday gift I could have asked for because I could never have witnessed such a scene in Colorado, to be honest. And all of it is due to Mardi Gras. Poetic, right?

Fat Tuesday Experience

Hello, I will briefly talk about what I did on Fat Tuesday. I woke up at around 10 o'clock and immediately left the house with my family. We caught up with our other family members, who camp out every year in order to reserve us a sport. We caught most of Zulu, Rex, and the Truck parades. For my family, we usually bar-be-que and just talk about funny stories. This is really the only time of the year I spend time with this side of the family.

All of the little kids were so excited as the people on the float were throwing lots of trinkets; however, the most exciting part for us was the great music. Hearing the bands play in the parades was a lot of fun. Everyone was 'second lining' throughout the day.

In the end, after the parades, we all went back to a cousin's house. On the ride there, we actually got into the conversation of 'what does it mean to be a 'Creole.' As I stated before, my family believes that a Creole is someone born in New Orleans and has Spanish/French and African American historical roots. Once we arrived to my cousin's home, we talked more, ate, and just had a great time.

Hope you all had a wonderful experience also!

Best,

--André

The Muses Parade

The muses parade is an all female krewe, who throw out girly things like shoes and mirrors and purses. The muses are greek goddesses who were said to give inspiration to artists, poets, philosophers and musicians. They are daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne and they were born at the foot of Mount Olympus in Pieria. Zeus was the king of the gods and Mnemosyne was the goddess of memory which is where their name comes from. Their name means memory or a reminder since back in the day poets didn't have any books to read, they had to rely on their memory. Throughout history the exact number of original muses was lost, starting with one, then three, and now nine. The muses are named: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania. These muses and the celebrated muses among the women of the float, and they annually select an "honorary muse" from the community. Music, museum, and the word mosaic all come from the "muse." The muses worked closely with schools and education, and many schools recognized them. Any place that was dedicated to the Muses was called a mouseion, which comes from the word museum. The god of music and harmony, Apollo, was their leader and earned the name musagetes. They sat by Zeus's throne and sang to him and to other great heroes.

Mardi Gras: a marathon, not a sprint

I am so glad that Mardi Gras is over. Don't get me wrong, I had such a great time but I am so exhausted. From parades to walking basically across the whole time to staying up late (or all night), I don't think my body could take anymore. 

My best friend from home who now goes to school in Washington, DC came to visit and celebrate carnival season last Friday. Friday night after I picked her up from the airport, we got to see that last bit of Morpheus then Muses. We got some sleeping masks from Muses (which can be seen in the pictures). While we were walking around that night, we ran into some people from Charleston that we knew. We didn't even know that they were planning on coming, so it's funny that out of all the people on the streets during Mardi Gras, we randomly saw two that we knew. 

On Saturday morning, I went to Isis and Tucks and had an absolute blast. We made friends with all of the oldish people that had a site next to my friends and played with their kids, ate their food, and drank their beverages. After those two parades, we ended up walking back to my sisters' house on Broadway (where we stayed over the weekend) and took a nap. We missed Endymion due to extreme lack of sleep, and I heard mixed reviews from people about that parade but I still really want to go next year. Saturday night, I unfortunately had to expose my friend to the disgustingness of the Boot. She really wanted to go at least once while visiting because she had heard many stories about it before. 

Sunday night I went to Bacchus and loved it. I can't even remember what I did that night (not even in a drunken way, just because I did so much this weekend). But my Monday and Tuesday were soo much fun. I made it to Zulu and Rex on Tuesday after not sleeping at all on Monday night. Zulu was so cold that I hardly got to enjoy it because I was so miserable. But after it warmed up a little bit and I got less tired, I had a blast at Rex. Rex ended up being my favorite parade of the weekend, and I really hope that I can make it there every other year. 

On Wednesday when I woke up, I had the stomach flu. It was a miserable way to end a great Mardi Gras weekend. 

Mardi Gras Fever!

So...yea this was my very first Mardi Gras! I was excited, a little peeved about parking, but definitely ready for Fat Tuesday. My weekend started on Saturday with one of my friend's birthday dinner at Houstons. We ate ridiculously over-priced food and then prepared to head out to The Republic, on South Peters off Canal. What should have taken 15 minutes ended up as 2 hours. Thats how long we were stuck in traffic because of a parade. For 2 hours we roamed around downtown New Orleans stuck in Jaguar driven by an unexperienced and nervous newbie. When we made it we got turned away because of our "under 21" status and were forced to retreat to The Boot. Yay us... :-( Sunday and Monday my roommate and I were marooned on campus because St. Charles had been taken over by parades. We're pretty lazy so going to see the festivities was out of the question.

Tuesday was what I had been waiting for. I figured all the other parades were small compared to what would happen on Mardi Gras. So I woke up at 6:22 am, ran downstairs to great my cousins from home and waited for a friend to lead us to the pararde. Claiborne was backed up so we ended up on Canal. Wow! It wasn't even 9 am yet and the street was packed. Around 10:30, Zulu finally came around and we rushed to the barricades to see. It was AWESOME! I didn't catch that many beads because a crazy old lady in front of me was fighting people for them. What I did catch I gave to a little kid who had none. Eventually I gave up and just watched the floats pass by. The costumes were fantabulous! Feathers, animal prints, wigs, masks, everything!

Pardi Gras

I had been looking forward to this Mardi Gras since I moved here in August--it would be my first Mardi Gras as a citizen of New Orleans. I had visited family many times for Mardi Gras, but this time would be different. It certainly was a different experience, and surprisingly enough, I missed the old Mardi Gras. It had always been about getting together with family, eating a ton of great food, and enjoying the parades. My first college Mardi Gras was much more stressful--to get anywhere near the festivities we had to walk at least 2 miles in windy, 30-40 degree weather. Once the parades were over, everyone wanted to go downtown, so we had to search for a cab. 10 bucks and 40 minutes later, we were downtown. While everyone else is excited about the massive party on Bourbon Street and getting completely wasted, I can't help but think "How the hell are we going to get back?" After about 3 nights of this routine, it gets extremely old. One can only be asked to show boobs for beads so many times before it stops being funny and just starts to become creepy and annoying. As lame as it may sound, the day I looked forward to most was Sunday. On Sunday, my aunt had her annual Mardi Gras get together on Fourth Street, a block up from St. Charles. My mom was there, as well as all of my cousins, aunts, uncles and some second and third cousins from my mom's side. My cousin's husband's family was also there. It was perfect--just like it used to be--great amounts of delicious food, a guaranteed up-close spot on St. Charles, and the best company one could ask for. I brought my roommate and another very good friend of mine.

Lauren with my Aunt's doberman, Atticus.

Me and the two friends I brought, Kristen and Lauren.

Me and my roommate, Lauren.

This is my cousin Grant, and everyone in the background is also a family member.

Mardi Gras Is Not Just A Day, But A Season

Finally, Mardi Gras is over. And I am honestly lost for words. Going to almost all the parades, I was struck by the irony of it all. The exuberance of the beads contrasted with the streets absolutely filthy with trash and beads; the individuality of the crowds cheering for beads, and the unifornity of the marching bands; and the wild revelry of the whole season contrasted with the day after Mardi Gras with the solemn penitence of Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. And watching all the people yelling for beads constantly reminded me of the scene in which a mother bird brings food back to the nest and all the little chicks bob their heads up and down in hopes of receiving some worms, or in this case, strings of beads. Yet by the end of the festivities, it just became too overwhelming. Sure, I'm glad I experienced it and know what it's all about, but I really began to miss my home. Maybe it was because I didn't have my family and high school friends to share this experience with. And I was left disappointed not being able to see even one Mardi Gras Indian and also waking up at 6am Tuesday morning to attend the Zulu parade and not being able to see it, later realizing it started further down St. Charles than the other Uptown parades. All in all, I am thrilled I had the opportunity to be here in Nawlins for this post-Superbowl victory Mardi Gras season, but to be honest, I am ready to return to the routine of school.

A Busy Busy Mardi Gras

Over the Mardi Gras break, I went to several parades. That Friday night, my cousin and her family came from Texas to stay at my house to experience their first Mardi Gras. We went to most of the parades on Saturday and Sunday, but I liked going to Endymion. Since it was my cousin's first Mardi Gras, she was extremely hyper. She was constantly jumping up and down, screaming like a mad woman, and waving her hands excessively hoping to get the attention of the float riders so she could catch the beads she really wanted. After experiencing her first parade on Saturday, she wanted to come back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.Endymion

Krewe D'tat

On Monday, I did not go to any parades because I went to my grandma's house to celebrate the Vietnamese New Year (even though the New Year was on Sunday). The image below is a picture of red envelopes. On the New Year, I would get these red envelopes from my aunts, uncles, parents, and grandparents. Inside these red envelopes was money which they considered to be lucky.

Usually on New Years, for my family, we eat dinner and then all the women and children leave so the men can begin their nightlong gambling. While the men gamble, the women would sit in another room where they just eat the desserts of the new year and chat. For the children, they play this gambling game called bau cua ca cop (the image below). It is a game in which children use quarters to play and they place their quarters on the animal they wish to bet on the board. There are three dice and on the dice are pictures of the animals from the board. When the dice is rolled and whoever bets his or her quarter on those animals that appeared on the dice, he or she will collect the winnings.

My First Mardi Gras!

I had been looking forward to Mardi Gras ever since I was accepted to Loyola last year. Although I didn't know what to expect, I got a glimpse of what Mardi Gras would be like last week when I went to celebrate the super bowl win downtown and attended the saints parade. After those experiences, I knew I was going to have a great time celebrating Mardi Gras, which I definitely did. 

I attended parades on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday all of which I really enjoyed. My favorite ones were Muses and Zulu. I liked Muses because of the creative and girly floats and throws they had. I liked Zulu because the people in the parade were so into it and they were having a great time, which made me have a great time. I became obsessed with catching as many beads as I could, which also made it a lot of fun. I also loved how people were going crazy for the coconuts, I didn't get one unfortunately. Another thing I especially loved about all the parades were the bands and dancers. In DC, where I'm from, marching bands are not a big deal at all. I had never seen flag girls and baton twirlers before, I loved watching them. 

Another aspect of Mardi Gras that I loved, besides the parades, was the atmosphere in general. I loved walking down Saint Charles and seeing families, fraternities and sororities, friends, and neighbors setting up their spots and socializing. It made me wish that I had grown up in New Orleans and experienced Mardi Gras as a kid because it seemed like so much fun to sit out with your family and friends all day cooking, eating, singing, and dancing. It made me really wish my family could have seen it, I know they would have loved it. Although they weren't here, I sent them all my pictures because I figured that would be the best way to describe Mardi Gras since it is kind of unexplainable to those who haven't experienced it. I am really glad I did and I can't wait to do it again next year!

No Mardi Gras for Me, Unless You Include the T.V.

This year was a very laid back one for me, in terms of the Mardi Gras festivities. I just wanted to enjoy time with my family and friends at home. I did manage to catch some of the parades on t.v. though. After the amazing Saints' Parade (which I did attend), I became all partied out. Maybe next year I'll be more energized to get out and have a good time.

it's here!

I have been checking my facebook, which happens quite frequently during "studying," and have been noticing that a lot of my friends from St. Louis (which is where I am from) have put their statuses as "St. Louis for Mardi Gras" or "Mardi Gras 10 STL" and so on. While I am excited for them to have a good time at home, I can't help but to selfishly think how much more exciting and Mardi Gras-ish my weekend will be. :) I know that it is rather cruel to be thinking about how much more fun I will be having, but I can't help myself. I of course have seen St. Louis prepped and ready for Mardi Gras and the spirit down here in New Orleans exceeds that of St. Louis' spirit by many moons. Although I should have been concentrating on school these last few days, I can't help but to be distracted by all the fun pre- Mardi Gras activities that are going on here. Yesterday as my friend Chelsea and I were driving down St. Charles, we were admiring all the decorated houses and ladders set up along the sidewalks. It was then that it really hit me that Mardi Gras is ACTUALLY here. Since she is from Louisiana she has experienced Mardi Gras numerous times. However, I was telling her that I have been looking forward to this weekend since I decided to go to Loyola. Of course I wanted to come to Loyola for the school and the city, but naturally Mardi Gras was always in the back of my head too. Mardi Gras is finally here and I am ready to celebrate it the right way: the New Orleans way!

Mardi Gras Plans

Hello all, I will mention some of my Mardi Gras plans this weekend.

First of all, tomorrow (Friday), I will be going to the Zulu Ball. It's my first time ever going. I hope that it will be rather fun. For those of you who don't know what the Zulu Ball is, it's simply a ball that Zulu throws every Friday before Mardi Gras. At this ball, everyone must be dressed in very formal attire. The men wear tuxedos while the women wear beautiful dresses.

My step-father, Christopher Honoré, actually designed and drew the 2010 Zulu Poster, so they invited us to the Ball. My parents have gone before, but this is my first time. I hear there will be great music, great food, and just a nice crowd.

Here is a picture of the poster:

You can actually see the main characters of Zulu, spoken about in the video Dr. Hunt made us watch, in the poster. If you'd like to hear an explanation of the painting, just click the link below.

Click Here for Video

than this, I plan to go to my cousin's party on Orleans St. for Endymion. Endymion has always been a favorite of mine. There are always so many people at the parade and are willing to do anything for a pair of beads. Besides enjoying the spectacle people make of themselves, I enjoy the general ambiance of the event. It's very fun.

I think it will be a good carnival season for me.

Hope you guys have a good one,

--André L.

Super bowl and the parade

Drew wouldn't sign his autograph unless someone flashed him

(Super Bowl Sunday) drunk driver, had just hit someone's car and was no where to be found

Hitchhiking back to campus

Mardi Gras

I've never been to a Mardi Gras before, so I'm not exactly sure why it's so important, however I assume it has a lot to do with the unity of the city. Mardi Gras brings people together, to celebrate.

After Katrina, while everyone was still devastated, and the city still in ruins, Mardi Gras brought everyone together. People celebrated being alive, being back in their city, and the lives of those who had passed on. That Mardi Gras may not have been the craziest, or the happiest, but it helped many people begin to overcome the travesty.

Mardi Gras is all about tradition, and however most people don't know the background of each float, or every costume, the traditions have been pasted down for years. Mardi Gras is important just like Christmas is important. It's tradition, it's fun, however most people just go along for the presents/beads or the booze.

Who Dat Fever

This is probably the best time to be in New Orleans because of the Superbowl victory and the Mardi Gras festivities. And I must admit I have gained more and more love for this city this month than all last semester, but Nawlins continues to bewilder me. I specifically avoided watching the game on Sunday for various reasons. My French teacher last semester jokingly chastised her students for going crazy in support of the Saints when we are not even from here. And a classmate in my Spanish class mentioned how bandwagon fans irk him. I didn't want to be ecstatically in support of the Saints just because everybody else was. Sure it is a good excuse to celebrate, but I can be honest and say the Superbowl victory meant very little to me compared to natives. And my friend from Metairie even threatened me with exile outside the state of Louisiana for not showing enough support, but then she understood my reasons. And did anyboy hear who won the mayoral elections last Saturday? There are probably still people living here who don't know who won. Mitch Landrieu happened to win, but the Superbowl victory outshadowed the elections. I am just in love with this city but it never fails to make me wonder.

whooo0o0o DaTttT NAtiii00nn!

I  I cannot believe the Saints won the superbowl!!!!! Oh my gosh! I am not even a big football fan, and can not tell you what half the calls and players are doing, but however I do like the whole idea of football.  I like watching it and seeing true fans faces when their team scores or passes up a potential shot.  I like that football as do other sports, bring people together and allow them to be happy and cheer for the same thing.  I think its so amazing how the Saints a team that was never considered a competition in the least went from the bottom to the top.  They could not even get people to go their games if the tickets were given away for free and this year it has been nearly impossible to afford to buy tickets to a game.  They had never been to the superbowl, and the first time they go, they end up winning.   It was just so amazing, and the fact that after Katrina and all the bad things the city has been through, to have a win and something so fabulous happen was/is just unreal !  When they won I felt my eyes filling up and I have only lived in New Orleans for such  short while and don't even pay attention to much sports, it was just all the happiness taking place around me.  Every person was going wild and just so happy, I cannot even explain the way it felt.  I wasn't even planning on going out after the game but I am so happy I did.  It was history, and something I will never forget.  Downtown was incredible.  I had such a great time, came home with a good billion beads, and am just overall so happy I was able to experience something like I did.

first mardi gras! wooohooooo

I cannot even wait for Mardi Gras!  I am not sure what to expect but I know it will be absolutely insane.  I feel like it is never ending fun and I just cant wait to live it.  I like that in class we spoke about all the history of Mardi Gras and the meaning behind it.  I know now to look out for the Mardi Gras Indians and I’m really excited to see them!  I’m hoping I wont be too tired and can make it all the parades, especially because this will be my first one.  I love beads and plan to catch a billion!  Im counting down the days and cannot wait to go to the first parade.  All of my friends and family are so jealous that I am  able to experience all of this, and wish they could be in my shoes.  I cannot wait for Thursday to come and know I will have an absolutely fabulous time!

rawr

I have been so frustrated with balancing school work with all the craziness that has been taking place.  I never understood how people could fail out of school, it seemed like you have a duty to go to your classes get somewhat decent enough of grades and just graduate.  I have never had to try really hard in school but still did well. However, now with Mardi Gras, the never ending parades, the Saints winning the superbowl, it seems nearly impossible to get anything productive done!  All of my work keeps coming, as does all the fun things spring semester has to offer, and I am just so torn.  I cannot even believe we are almost at the point of midterms?! I keep feeling like we just started classes.  I wish that while all of this was going on, the teachers would recongize and cut their students some slack.  I just want to be able to have some time to get my life together and bring my social as well as academic life together and balanced.  

roaddd trippppp

This past weekend Emily, Callie, and I took a road trip to Sewannee, Tennessee to visit some friends.  We were so excited to get away for a weekend right before all the craziness of Mardi Gras was to begin.  All of my friends at other schools take so many road-trips to see each other and we decided this weekend would be a really fun time.  We  had so much fun!  I had never been in the car for more than 5 hours, and thought I was going to go crazy before we even arrived, however it was not bad at all!  We had so much fun on the drive up and it was so great to see so much of the country, I had never seen before.  The only Southern states I have ever visited or been to are Florida, New Orleans, and South Carolina (which according to many true southerners are not the real south.)  We passed through Alabama and Mississippi and many other places I had never been to before!  It was so much fun just seeing the country and so different to see how so many other people live.  There were so many animals, and farms, and beautiful houses, like broken down cottages, it was all just so different.  When we got to Sewanee it was so cold and snowing, and ugh! I though I was going to freeze to death!  I hate the cold and was wondering why I would have ever decided to drive 7 hours to freeze?  However, we had such a great time, and although I would never ever want to go to a school in such an empty area, I can definitely respect all the beauty we endured and had seen.  The 7 hours flew by so quickly, and I am so happy we decided to make the trip!