The NOLA

Alright so I first wanted to apologize for the scatter brained last blog entry! Haha clearly I am having a great time but so much has happened in the last week I cannot even get it all straight in my head. But I'll try to stick to one or two topics per entry now.

I think you have heard a good amount about my wonderful comminutty and I haven't really started work yet (the center will open back up on Monday so I will update you then) but I can fill you in on the city so far. New Orleans is like no other city I have ever seen before. First of all the locals call it NOLA and have the craziest sence of direction I have ever heard of! If you look on a map the city is not set on a north south east west axis... It is called Uptown (which is basically west) then Downtown/Buisness district (south east and a bit north) towards the Mississippi river (basically west south and east) and finally towards the lake (north). What would be the east to west streets curve up in what looks like a smile. The people here are so friendly and inviting but the city has the funniest ways of doings things!

Driving here is similar to the europeans method of driving: cazy, dangerous, and makes no sence but they drive much slower (therefore slightly safer). Speaking of safety, the more dangerous parts of the city have been pointed out to us but so far I have felt fine everywhere I have been. There are a lot of rundown houses, and damaged buildings but the next street over might have some of the most beautiful homes I have seen. So it's a mixed city although you can deffinetly find the segregation between some parts ofthe city. We are living more on the border of the nicer/richer area and the not so nice areas. Although most of us are working in the downtown and business district areas which look shoot like downtown LA but more spread out. I am slowly starting to figure out the city's lay out an how to get around.

Yesterday we as a community all went grocery shopping and tookthe bus there and back which was an adventure but we figured it out and were pretty proud haha. We have set up a cooking schedule and are having a good time cooking for eachother and cleaning up together. It was a long day for a lot of people yesterday, being that the first day is a lot of information all at once. So it was really nice to all sit down to dinner, talk, and enjoy eachothers company :)

The last thing I want to tell you about is that it is hot here! It was about 93 today and I have no clue how crazy the humidity was! Now I'm not complaining because suprisingly I have been able to handle it. Man I sure do sweet a lot though: like a lot a lot. What a surprise, have you seen dads running shirts what he comes back in the moriNg?! If Annie an I decided to ride our bikes in the morning I'm posative that when we got to the HTC it would look like someone dumped a bucket of water over me. Bu I would fit in with all of the homeless guests we have so maybe that would be ok, haha. We have been taking the bus so far and that is working out much better just as long as we don't get off to early, which we did this morning and had to walk 6 More blocks. We learned! The HTC is an outdoors center so it will be tough with the extreme heat an then extreme cold but I'm getting used to it and have faith that I can handle it! It will be an adventure :)

Hope everythig is well with all of you!
With Love.