so this past spring break i went to new orleans with the twins to help out and there really was just so much to see, learn, and bring back. i remember at certain moments, like when i hadn't showered for 3 days, i thought about how nice it would feel to return back home. but as soon as i was at the airport about to depart new orleans i realized that i really didn't want to leave. when i was there my whole heart and mind was in that city and i had so much more perspective. i didn't let the things from home hold me down nor did i worry about the yesterdays and tomorrows. either way, i think the current reality of new orleans will surprise you as much as it did me...i just had no idea that things would be as untouched as they are being that katrina hit more than 7 months ago. devastating is the best word to describe it. it describes the condition the hurricane left the city. it describes the living situation. it describes the effect it had on all the people who lived there. but the thing that gets to me most is that after talking to the very few people who have returned to their homes is that after everything, they are so optimistic and grateful for the life they were given. they don't talk about having to rebuild their whole life...they talk about how the birds are coming back, how you can see green again, how life is coming back into the city. like i said - gives you some perspective. i wish i was better at sharing and explaining the experience...but yeah...i do want to share some pictures from my trip:
@ the airport after arriving waiting for ariane's lost luggage
i wouldn't have gone without these girls
 
first view of the living quarters (we got there around 10ish i think)
during the day
"i love sleeping on a black trash bag!"
ariane and surime coincidentally found out that some of their friends from uci were planning on driving to new orleans the same time as us and the trip wouldn't have been the same without them. they rented a 5 seat suv for the trip (haha..there were 7 of us) and without them we probably wouldn't have gotten to see the french quarters. it was really great meeting them and getting to know them in new orleans...i just kept thinking...wow...what an amazing way to get to know someone
that's all of us having dinner on our first night there
clockwise: ariane, eric, me, mark, jake, morgan, and surime
hahahah some seriously funny moments with this group
the gang in our gear in front of mr. gettridge's
so new orleans is divided up into wards...kinda like how california's divided into districts...and we were in the ninth ward which is kinda a bad neighborhood. there's the upper ninth ward where we stayed and there's the lower ninth ward where the damage was/is really severe. these are pics from the lower ninth ward in the neighborhood we did work in:
 
 
 
you can't see it cuz i shrinked the pic...but it says "RIP We Love You Dwuane"
 
 
 
to this day there are no public schools open. so even if people did want to return with their family...their kids would have nowhere to go to get an education. common ground, the group we worked with, is trying to open up martin luther king jr. school and so we did our first day of work there. the school still had all the desks, school supplies, toys...everything...but it was all covered in mud...books were water soddened still...big and little things were strewn and stacked...it was honestly so surreal. we basically just worked on emptying everything out of the classrooms. we did a group of maybe 7-10 per classroom and it took all day to finish just one room because it was just a disaster area. i mean...since everything was still soaked in water...one textbook would be really heavy...haha or maybe just for me...
this is one of the finished rooms
in front of a church that a few of the residents are trying to rebuild...i really like this picture cuz there are just so many different things to notice
the highlight of the trip...why i think we were there...was working on this one man's house. he's 83 and his name is herbert gettridge....he came back by himself to rebuild the house he built for his wife who he's been married to since he was 15. and all he wants is to fix it so he can bring his wife home. it's the sweetest thing. i mean...he's 83 and all but he moved better than all of us.
 
his house survived really well...i mean look at the house to the right of his...his neighbor who was trapped on the roof for 2 days said that everything except for the very tips of mr. gettridge's house was submerged under water.
this is his neighbor's house that literally lifted and is hitting his now...look at the chair stuck in the pillar
as the water rose...residents started going upstairs into their attics...a lot of people died because as the water rose even higher into the attic there was nothing they could do to get out...mr. gettridge's neighbor had tools in his attic and was able to cut a hole in his roof to get out...if you look at the upper right corner...on the brown roof...you can see the hole
 
the boys working hard
the girls: morgan, me, ariane, and surime in the back
love the feeling of this pic
that's mr. gettridge
 
morgan, surime, and ariane gearing up
getting ready to get our hands dirty
that's ariane...you can tell she's smiling
driving around
haha so the people in common ground...were...well hippies...and eric really wanted to fit in...so he rolled a blunt
after 3 days, we took our first shower...look how happy we are
so the first day we went into the bathroom and there were hella signs saying "LICE OUTBREAK"....haha...UHHH....not okay...and like i said...lots of hippies...meaning lack of focus on hygiene + lots of dreads. this is us getting checked before we leave...lice free (:
when i started this post i was just planning to put pictures and no captions but i guess not...haha. i thought everything would be somewhat okay by now...but things are far from okay. there's so much work to do and not enough people to do it. i know that it's hard to find the time...and the money to get there...and it's not a simple decision to just go...but if you do have the means...i think it's a great effort to be a part of. me and the girls are thinking of going back...i'm not sure when...but hopefully we'll find a way. sorry this was so long...i just really wanted to share these pics.
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pics from surime and ariane's weeklong birthday celebration:
officially 21 @ midnight!
guess who got a puppy?! that's baylee (: he's half shitzu, half bichon frise (half asian, half french just like the twins)
 
bought them their first legal drink @ dinner on tuesday (:
 
good deal....me and the girls @ their bday party @ fox
chelsea and jeremy flew over!!!
surime and manny look crunked....haha
hahaha had to put this pic cuz surime looks so...happy...
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hahaha....so....i'm proud to say that i am part of the CHAMPION chicken mcnugget-off team
we may be little...but watch out....
yum yum says viv
hahahaha....grand total of 22 boxes
CHAMPIONS
oh man....haha that's digusting
formals 2006:
crossed a little!!....the best little too
vivian and her date, daniel
me and some of the rho girls....congratulations rho class (:
haha i think this pic is adorable
lil sis and dp...the youngest guy there
yay...part II...lil sis, grand, and me
me and kimster
jess, mimi, gel, and me in the bathroom
 
CHA CHA!!! that's my lil sis in the exact spot i was...i love it
with yoey
w/ my roommies for the night
the OG date
oh my little got very drunk that night....hahah
btw....did i mention that my little is pledge of the year (: completely deserved
the betas who think i'm mean....haha....and ms. christine
lovin the little
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