Checking In From New Orleans
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Hola, Kelkians! I hope that all of you are doing well. As the title of the post indicates, I'm in New Orleans. I've been here for 4 days now, and it's been an interesting experience so far!
I'm currently staying in the Upper 9th Ward of the city. The drive from the airport to the place that I'm staying showed me a glimpse of what I was to witness in person. Buildings are still deserted, some haven't been gutted yet, and the city is just in bad shape. Of course the Bourbon Street/Canal Street area is up and running, but other areas are just so quiet and desolate. I'm currently staying in an old Catholic school building that has been transformed into a communal living space. There are about 150 people staying here. Everyone is responsible for cleaning and helping out with security and kitchen duties. It's not the cleanest of facilities, but I'm just grateful that I have a place to stay free of charge.
It was difficult getting used to the heat since there is no air conditioning in the building. The weather in Louisiana is very hot and humid, so it can get really sweaty (and smelly)! We sleep on cots in an old classroom...there are 13 people sleeping in my room. I was excited since I got hot water in the make-shift showers today! Although it's hot outside, it's nice to have some warm water to scrub the dust and soot away.
My particular group is responsible for gutting houses in the Lower 9th Ward (the hardest hit areas). We work 6 days a week doing so. It's really tough work and even harder with the heat. The houses we enter have not been touched since Hurricane Katrina...nearly a year! So we have to wear protective equipment: suits, respirators, goggles, gloves, boots. We start off by moving out all the furniture, carpet, and everything else. It's left in a pile on the curb and street (since no one really lives in the neighborhoods anymore and not many cars traverse the streets). Then we have to tear down all the walls and ceilings. This is my favorite part since you get to swing away with a crowbar...get rid of some anger and aggression (j/k). The next step is to tediously pull out all the protruding nails from the wood beams. Finally, we have to sweep up and clear out the house, leaving just a skeleton inside. It took us three days to finish one house...and tomorrow we will start a new one.
What was really nice about the whole experience is that we were able to meet the home owner. She was an elderly woman who had lived in the house for 30 years. Her children grew up there and her grandchildren were living there with her when Katrina hit. She told us some stories, shared memories, flipped through a photo album we were able to salvage, and thanked us. It felt really nice to be able to help her out. She was such a sweet woman, and I hope the best for her in the future.
I've gone on long enough, but I'll leave you with a few photos that I took. Though I'm not around the blogs and podcasts for a while, I'm still thinking of you guys. Drop me a comment or e-mail and let me know how you are doing...since I get a few opportunities to check my e-mail. I'll try to update again sometime soon.
This is the street we were working on. Some of the houses were already gutted, some still need to be. The vehicles have been destroyed and just sit there until the city picks them up.
This is the house were gutting. People had come by previously to clear away a pile of trash that was about the same size. But this isn't even half the trash we ended up with. Wood panels, dry wall, and other debris were added to the pile the next day.
This is the kitchen after we removed everything. The worst part was moving the refridgerator. It still contained remnants of food that had been sitting in it for almost a year. It turns into a black sludge that smells horrid! 
And this is what it looks like when it's all done!
posted by em @ 5:03 PM,
Session 10
Friday, July 14, 2006
I know it's a little late, but it's still Thursday in a few time zones! Hope you enjoy Session 10. Patriotic and shit? What's happening to em...she needs to take a break.
posted by em @ 12:32 AM,
A True Friend
Monday, July 10, 2006
Well, I did it. I finally came out to a good friend of mine. It had been eating me up that I hadn't told her. We've been friends since high school, and she probably knows more about me than most people in my life. We always talked about our hopes, dreams, insecurities, problems, fears, and everything else. So it was tough holding back on her and not telling her what has been happening in my life. We try to catch up on things every weekend, and lately I found myself not having anything to say because the events of my life have been so gay.
Needless to say, she took it very well. She said that it didn't matter, that it didn't change things between us, and that she supports me. It was great. Even though we don't live near each other any more, I can still count on her. She even said that she had wondered about it through the years. Whenever we would talk, she noticed that I hadn't talked about boy crushes, boyfriends, etc. But she didn't give it too much thought since we were both friends with the little rugby player, who was giving off more of the gay vibe. =)
So we ended up talking for hours about this and that, and it felt comfortable. She isn't one to judge, and I'm grateful that she's such an accepting friend. I don't know why I had been so scared to tell her all these years. Maybe I just didn't want to lose her as a friend...but that wouldn't have happened. Ahhh...the overdrawn fears we have within ourselves.
We did discuss the parentals. She knows my parents and knows just about all the arguments and issues I've had with them over the years. She advised me not to tell them yet, which I hadn't planned on doing anyway. She said to wait until I have finished school, found a decent job, and moved far (FAR) away. Sounds like my plan. Nonetheless, I'm glad that I have taken another step in this course leading me out of the closet. It feels good, and it's a little brighter when you're closer to the door....I recommend it to others!
posted by em @ 8:18 AM,
New Look
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Ok...so, I've been working with this new blog template for a while now. I think it's all in working order. :)
Let me know what you think!
posted by em @ 1:11 PM,
Session 9
Thursday, July 06, 2006
It's still Thursday....so an all new podcast! Session 9, full of pointless rambling and some music for ya!
posted by em @ 10:46 PM,
Did You Have Fun?
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Hope everyone had a rockin' 4th of July. Here's a pic of the fireworks in DC. Have a great day!!!
posted by em @ 10:42 AM,