LOUISIANA

OH LORD.

im in hell right now. sitting in the tulane library, writing some emails and surrounded by pure nastiness. To my left is an angry guy who keeps banging on his keyboard and spontaneously shouting out bursts of "fuck!" "piece of shit" and "goddamn!" To my right is a guy who is wearing bright orange glasses and finds it delighful to burp, fart, guffaw and just generally be obnoxious and all around erratic. damn my stupid non-functioning laptop!

So i went to a presbyterian church today and listened to the sermon which talked about a city of broken hearts, broken dreams and despair. it was semi depressing and the message was a bit ambiguous but the jist was that there is little than we can do and we just have to wait for Christ to come to this world for redemption, as God shall "transfigure and not abolish" the hell-ridden world in which we live. hmmm.. interesting.

we went to a pretty delish eatery following where they serve real lousiana food: we're talking gator burgers, crawfish, 'po boy sandwiches and the quintissential new orleans dish, Jambalaya (yes, that deserved a capital). i ordered the latter, but of course, and it was finger lickin' good. reminded me a bit of paella for some reason. yesterday was even better at Camelia's grill- mexican omelette and fucking-so-mouth-watering-good-it-should-be-illegal pecan pie, drizzled over with hot, melted butter right in front of our open-mouthed faces by the snap, crackle and pop jivin', southern-as-can-be top chef Marvin who commanded with exultation, "Buttah love, baby, say it now- buttah love!!"

god, new orleans is fucking spectac. this city is just JIVIN'. there is so much 'tude within these city walls; it teems with life and the people are just about as nice as can be. i can see why people adorn their cars with bumper stickers reading: "New Orleans: Proud to call it home". And the houses are majestic and imposing: just drive down s. carrollton ave, home to the millionaires and billionares of new orleans, plantations, damn near, lined up along the streets with their enormous front lawns and columns reminiscent of greek and roman flying buttresses. cross broadway and enter Magazine St., the brilliant ave flooded with light and smells and sounds, anxious to greet many a happy traveler...

it's pure medieval, in a way, reminiscent of an era far removed but not forgotten- the old colonial South, preserved in its culturally rich embryonic sac of fluid...like it or hate it, new orleans is perhaps the rome of our times, a city built upon another city, an enduring civilization that shall surely rise and fall like the other greats, but will never be any less venerated or cherished...

snap, crackle 'n' pop,
im out like a gator,

j9