Today was a great day spent in downtown New Orleans, in the French Quarter. We started off the day going to a Katrina Exhibit. This was a very eye opening experience. I will be honest, before coming to the museum, I did not realize how much of a disaster Katrina really was and how much damage it had caused. Hurricane Katrina happened when I was younger and I think that when such a big disaster like that happens when you are little, you don't really know too much about it or understand what is going on. So walking into this exhibit was very surreal to me and I learned a lot. I really liked how you could listen to people that were actually there, tell their stories, express the emotions they felt, and the experiences they had to deal with. I could not even imagine going through what those people went through or what they felt. I wouldn't even know how to deal with a situation like Hurricane Katrina.
I really enjoyed the exhibit because it shows you how it really was when Katrina hit. There was a big blown up journal on the wall from a man during the tragedy and it was really interesting to read his daily writings and how he was feeling during this time. One of the things that really made an impact on me was towards the end. There was a video of some of the people and they talked about some of the things they went through. Some had moved away, some were evacuated to different places, some lost loved ones, etc. Just watching the video, I could feel their emotion and their pain from this horrible disaster. But that is not the part that impacted me. Even though Hurricane Katrina was such a devastating, negative natural disaster, the people of New Orleans made it a positive thing. They turned tarps and other materials into dress up clothes and made it fun. On each of the little stories and information boards inside the exhibit they ended with some sort of humor which just shows that every negative situation can be made into a positive one.
After going through the exhibit, I realized how much pride the people of New Orleans have for their city. It was amazing to see that families that had been gone for 5 plus years after Katrina, moved back because New Orleans is their home and they wouldn't want to live anywhere else. For me personally, if something like that were to happen in my home town and I had to move away, I'm not exactly sure I would want to or could move back. I have a lot of respect for the people here and how they have evolved from such a horrible thing. They are continuing to grow in their community and have a good time. Which leads me to the second floor of the exhibit. The whole second floor was all about the culture and history of New Orleans. Mari Gras is such a huge celebration and I love how the city still celebrates after Hurricane Katrina. It just proves my point to what I said earlier, how people are still going about their daily lives, keeping old traditions, and staying positive. Even though there is still a lot of construction that needs to be done in New Orleans, I don't think it will ever be the same. After a big disaster like Katrina, it kind of puts a dent to the city but that doesn't stop it's people from doing their thing.
The second part of our day was spent walking around and exploring the French Quarter, which was an amazing experience. From trying a shrimp poboy sandwich and hating it, to eating the delicious beignets, it was all a good time with the group. Just walking around the streets seeing the people, and feeling the energy, made it a great day. I loved all the jazz music and all the people playing different instruments on the streets. The little houses and apartments up and down the streets were so beautiful, I have never seen anything like them. I really liked their Spanish architecture and all the different colors. I personally love to people watch, so walking down the streets and seeing all the different people in this culture was such a good experience. So many different lifestyles and personalities. When we made our way to Bourbon street, I will be honest I was a little surprised. I had heard from friends and family that this particular street was a little on the dirty side and smelt horrible. I believe the "smell horrible" was an understatement. The smell was awful, but you got used to it. I still loved getting the experience walking up and down the street seeing all the fun shops and places.
Overall, I had a great time today walking around the French Quarter with the group. I think we all really enjoyed it and I think we each learned something that we didn't know about New Orleans. This trip has opened my eyes to so many different things and it has seriously been life changing. I'm so happy I got to have this experience and glad I got to make a difference in the community of New Orleans. This will definitely be a trip I will never forget!
P.S. If any of you reading this entry have not been to New Orleans and have not had a Shrimp poboy sandwich....make sure to ask the waitor/waitress if the shrimp is ground up or not and if it is, that is a BAD BAD thing. Trust me. Been there done that. :)
Katelyn Sanchez
No comments:
Post a Comment