The last two days have been AMAZING. I have to start off by saying that the people of New Orleans (or Nah-Lens as they would more likely call it) are some of the genuinely nicest and most considerate people I have ever met. Today we were posing for a picture in the French Market on one side of the street and the person in our group taking the picture was standing on the opposite side of the street. Each and every car that was about to drive past stopped and waited for us to take our picture rather than block the view. I am astonished that all of those people would pause their Monday morning schedule to allow some tourists to take a photograph. But that pretty much encompasses how people are here: easygoing, optimistic, happy.

The influences of the French and Spanish on the French quarter are completely visible as you stroll the streets: iron balconies, wooden shutters, little ceramic tiles painted with the street names. It's easy to feel like we are in another country... And I LOVE touristy things. Eating cafe au leit and beignets while sitting in Jackson square listening to jazz in the background and taking in the gorgeous view of St. Louis cathedral was literally music to my ears. Not to mention everything we learned existed from a sweet gentleman named Barry at a legitimate antique shop, including a vampire hunting kit, a cigar that belonged to Winston Churchill, and pieces of furniture much too intricate to describe (think downtown abbey/ Marie Antoinette details with secret compartments). And the FOOD! My mama would be proud. I can officially say I've tried alligator meat (aka chewy chicken)!!! Next on my list is gumbo ;)

Basically, what I am trying to express is that New Orleans is a rich city, in its people and its culture/ history. But it still needs a LOT of help. Apart from the beautiful things we saw today, we also saw homes that were boarded up, frames of houses that had to be gutted out completely. It's hard to imagine that the entire city was a sea of water after Katrina. It's a stark contrast between the bustling French quarter and streets just a few blocks down that are lined with houses in crumbling conditions. A "for sale by owner" sign on one drove home the fact that someone owns it and used to live there, and the impact of Katrina is likely still affecting their lives. This is why we are here. I can't wait to serve wholeheartedly tomorrow on our assignment and discover what else we can learn.