“Year by which New Orleans is expected to be rebuilt at the current pace: 2028.”

Wow. This info came from McKinsey & Co., but I wonder what standards they were comparing this to. If “rebuilt” means to the standard that the city was before Katrina, I think we’ve already hit that mark. Before Katrina I had to boil the water before drinking it, and a large portion of the buildings were vacant. Actually, now, there is a lot of stuff going on in terms of funding and help and that. You can get free health care here. You can get free mental. I think you can even get cheap dental. Art is everywhere. And, on any given day, you can probably find a free meal. It’s still hard to get housing, but that’s always been a wrangle here.

If we are talking about rebuilding to the standards of a World Class City like London or Paris (and I DO think that New Orleans is one of America’s World Class cities), then I think 2028 is just about right.

“The New Orleans region is benefiting from two factors relative to the rest of the country,” said Michael Hecht, chief executive officer of GNO Inc. “First of all, we are historically counter-cyclical. Secondly, we are benefiting from the consistent investment of millions of dollars into our economy.”

Most of these jobs are specialized in Healthcare, Enegery, IT, etc., but it is looking good for NOLA.

Anyone care to weigh in on what it’s like on the streets?

The Light is Brilliant at Colton School

Still homeless, we’ve been staying in the Bywater, house sitting with two slightly traumatized rescue cats. Moving around from neighborhood to neighborhood, I’m beginning to formulate ideas about what constitutes a “good” neighborhood. Certainly the less crime the better, but other things are important too. Like shopping, and art, and coffee.

I mean shopping to live, not shopping for therapy. There are no major markets in this area. There are some smaller places like Hank’s Supermarket that sell canned goods, and liquor and ding dongs, but if you want to do proper weekly food shopping, you have to walk into the Quarter to Rouses or ride the Louisa bus up to the Winn Dixie.

That’s why the Bywater Farmer’s Market is so important. This market goes every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Holy Angels on St. Claude. We got 4 medium sized locally grown yellow squash for $2, which I think is pretty cheap. Other vendors were selling homemade pesto, fruit and veg and drinks. The market is really small, but look, if you are growing spices or tomatoes or you can pickle okra like your maw maw, you can sell stuff at this market. You can maybe even swap. And, that’s where things get interesting.

Local farmer’s markets are really important. They help the local economy, they are good for the environment, and they can save shoppers a lot of money. It’s a win/win. And, as an aside, the Market Association is trying to get 5 people together so that they can start a FREE yoga class during the Market. I am all about the free, so I’ve already signed up. Email info@dnmc.org to put your name on the list too.

The P.1 exhibition at Colton School on St. Claude was next on the agenda. Fireworks, massage chairs and nuclear bombs, the art was quite impressive. The building was impressive as well. The light is brilliant (see above), and it’s a stunning location. Drop in if you get a chance. Even if you’re not into art, the free massage will do you some good.

Texture of the Bywater

One of the glass-is-half-full things about being homeless* is that we get to live in a lot of different neighborhoods. The week after next, we’re staying in the Bywater. Yesterday we walked down there from Canal Street to check it out.

My college boyfriend used to stay in the Bywater when we were students at Loyola. I was living in Gentilly and would make the drive from St. Cecilia to my Aunt Velma’s nearly every night. Velma was old, white and working class New Orleans. She warned me about the “coloreds.” She said I had to be careful.

But, yesterday, we walked up Royal Street busy with funky cafes, Ironworks and artist studios. I had to look up the term “gentrification” because I’m not exactly sure if that’s what’s happening to this neighborhood. Some parts have been cleaned up and artified. There’s still a lot of rough texture, though, abandoned buildings and senseless murders.

A lot of people that we meet encourage us to move to the Bywater when we get off the homeless boat. Many of these people are white, educated, professionals who came down here post Katrina to volunteer. They fell in love with the city and the neighborhood they were helping to rebuild and stayed. One woman told me that her windows are screwed shut. That she would love to open them during this fall weather, but she’s afraid. I wanted to tell her that we did just such a thing 20 years ago at an Uptown dinner party, and two kids came in with a gun and took our cash, our jewelry and our pecan pie. The fear can take you to horrible places.

As we walked up St. Claude Ave. after dark, I felt a little afraid. But what I felt more was a sense of freedom. There is nothing like walking through a neighborhood at night to make you feel alive. We passed some amazing locations for our film. People, mostly black people, were sitting out on their stoops, hanging around, enjoying the evening. (Here’s one difference between the blacks and the whites in New Orleans. Black people say “hello, how  you doin’?” to strangers passing by their doorstep. White people don’t.)

I’m thinking long and hard about the old fear these days. It’s not so black and white. It has something to do with freedom, but I can’t really work it out yet. It has something to do with responsibility. Since I’ve come home to New Orleans, I’ve met people of many races, many religions and of many classes. I have been treated fairly and respectfully by every one of them.

New Orleans is a lovely city without fear. But, beware that chilly side. It will seduce you too.

*Patrick has asked me to footnote any mention of our homelessness with the fact that we have been homeless by choice since July 23, 2008. It is a somewhat experimental lifestyle, one of the aims of which is to limit our impact on the environment.

Mayor Ray Nagin cuts the Ribbon

Having run out of the free American Spirits from the Voodoo Fest, I needed a distraction. I decided to check out the ribbon cutting ceremony of Prospect.1 New Orleans at the Mint.

If you haven’t heard, Prospect.1 is “the largest biennial of international contemporary art ever organized in the United States,” and it is happening over the next three months throughout the city. All of the venues are free and open to the public (to which there is free transport), but you can read all about it on their website here instead of me reinventing the wheel.

The ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches were interesting. The mayor, of course, was there. He is charming and good looking, and this could not have hurt his political career at all. This is the third event I’ve been to in as many weeks where I’ve been close enough to the mayor to rub elbows. It’s weird and would never happen to me in London. It reminds me of how small this city really is. Also in attendance and speaking were: New Orleans City Council President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, District B Representative Stacy S. Head and District C Representative JJ Carter. I have to admit that I don’t know anything about local politics, but I intend to start my research now. In my day as a student in Louisiana public schools, we were taught a lot of Louisiana history. But we were taught nothing about Louisiana government, which, as you know, is different from the rest of the country.

After the ribbon cutting, the Rebirth Brass Band began to play accompanied by the New Orleans Ladies Buckjumpers and we paraded to the New Orleans African American Museum where Whole Foods had put on a pasta spread. Yay! More free food.

Some video below, but warning: this was taken with a very skittish N73 mobile phone and I tripped at the end.

Yeah, this reminds me: I really need an iPhone and free phone service. Anybody? Anybody? I can make it worth your while.

Yesterday, a little old lady came to the door to talk to me about the Jehovah Witnesses and Jesus. I’m OK with this as long as I can talk about politics as well. I asked the lady if she was going to vote. She said she had already voted…for Jesus. She told me that the bible told her that God is above all governments and that he would save her. I told her that old joke about the guy who was drowning in the ocean. A boat came by and asked if he needed saving. “God will save me,” he said. He told that to the next boat and the boat after. Then he drowned. When he went up to heaven, he asked God why he didn’t save him. God said “I sent you three boats. What more did you want?” “What if Obama is the boat?” I asked her. “What if the world is still messed up when he gets in?” she asked in return. Fair enough. But, I still think everyone should be voting.

I like the Quakers. Their Friends Committe on National Legislation promotes responsible, peaceful policy. They also write really good letters, which I have been know to copy full text and send to my representatives in the big house. You don’t have to be a Quaker to agree with their stand on the war (war is not the answer). Their other  remits include equality and justice for all, fulfilling every person’s potential and protecting the Earth. Oh my. They sound like socialists.

While we’re waiting to interview the blind boys, Patrick gets to chatting with the security guard about politics. He is a moderate Muslim and is extremely well informed on all of the issues. Patrick asks if he’s going to vote. “You’re too late, brother,” he says. “I’ve already voted.” This dude is the first Muslim we’ve met here. Back in the UK there is a large moderate Muslim population, and one of our best mates from film school is Muslim. (I’m sure that by writing this, I will be put on some list that will prevent me from flying, buying groceries or voting in future elections.)

We get to interview the lovely guys from the New Orleans Bingo Show, and catch a bit of their third show. Then we rush off to catch a bit of Cowboy Mouth and interview Fred LeBlanc and Regina Zernay. They are  hilarious and have a lot of fun with the interview. It doesn’t occur to me later that I met LeBlanc back in 1984 when we were both youngsters. I had gone to see Dash Rip Rock at Jimmy’s. It was still a young band, so they mingled with the crowd after.

Lastly, we barely catch Irma Thomas’ last song. After, she does a great interview. She looks awesome, “sweat and all.”

Our day is finished, and we should try to see the last of the bands. But we are so exhausted that all we can do is abuse the free PlayStation games and drink the free booze in the VIP Lounge.

Stopping for a Wee in the backstage Port-o-Loo

On the second day of VIP Voodoo Festing, I finally make it over to the Smokers’ Lounge set up by The Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (American Spirit). I’m not really supposed to be smoking, but I figure, if I do, it might as well be American Spirit.

Our mate from New York wanted to have some real New Orleans cooking, so we stopped by the Voodoo Eats vendors and got some chow. He got BBQ Shrimp. Some people claiming to be locals tried to convince him that he was eating crawfish. They said that it was too late in the season for them and then proceeded to eat half of his shrimp. I would have intervened, but I was too busy chowing down on my shrimp tacos. But, I ask you, what kind of local would mistake shrimp for crawfish?

First on our musical lineup was Lil’ Wayne. We thought we might hang out in front of the stage, but we could only get half way up. The crowd was so thick that we couldn’t see anything, so we decided to go back stage. Security was  a combination of military, New Orleans po-lice, and Lil’ Wayne’s own crew who were, by far, the tightest of the bunch. They were only allowing hot girls on the actual stage. Being young and cute, Delilah made it up there and chatted with Lil’ Wayne after. I hear he’s quite the ladies man.

The rest of the afternoon was spent running around getting interviews. We kept bumping into people we knew, which was weird as there were so many people there. Saw Chris who was there chaperoning his 16 year old. He said he had seen The New Orleans Bingo Show and they had changed his life. This group has such an amazing sound, and their lyrics are gritty poetry. The multimedia experience that is their show “includes original black-and-white silent films, aerialists, dancers, ingénues, clowns, audience interaction, bingo games, slapstick comedy and shady characters who remind you that every stage door opens into a dark alley.” They are playing one more time at 2:00 p.m. today. Do not miss this show.

As darkness arrived, dudes pushed portable disco machines throughout the festival, and a marching brass band played up and down the streets drawing crowds of dancers and strippers. We made our way over to the Loa Lounge to see NIN. We were quite amazed at the tunes Trent chose to perform. It was challenging stuff for a festival venue…more suitable for an intimate listen through head phones while floating in a water tank. But that was what was so cool. Who else can perform this kind of magic?

I thought it was gonna be a nightmare to get a taxi, but as we made our way out onto Marconi, Ken James, owner of the New Orleans Jazz City Tours, was cruising by and offered to take us home. Ken is also a sax player and a wonderful conversationalist. The ride home was chilled, and he told us to call him whenever we needed a taxi and couldn’t find one. I would highly recommend him: jazzcitytours2@gmail.com.