bryanjazz

Got back from New Orleans (to Houston) just yesterday. Will write about that more later. Below is the post I wrote in Baton Rouge Sunday night, before I lost internet access because of the rain. The rain causes so many problems down here...folks just learn to live with it. We are still learning to live with "Katrina"...

Spending few days down here in Mexico, north of the border...or as most Americans affectionately know it, Houston. This is the city to which my mom relocated after Katrina. The city and people of Houston have been very generous to the evacuees. Many have been fortunate to find housing, and several businesses and organizations have provide clothing and furniture. My mom has a nice two bedroom apartment that is partially furnished. This is good, because she lost most of her belongings which were in a ground floor apartment in New Orleans. We're en route to New Orleans now to see what we can recover. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

So this is my first visit to the region since Katrina. It's also my first visit to Houston. I like it. The people here are friendly in that Southernly hospitable way (like folks greeting you when they pass...of course, that could be the influence of all the New Orleans folks here now, LOL). And there is a huge, delightful Mexican influence in the culture. From the plethora of Mexican eateries to Latin music blasting from car stereos, from Spanish signs and language spoken everywhere to Fiesta. Yes, let me tell you about Fiesta. Fiesta is a supermarket chain specializing international and especially Spanish foods. It offers a full range of standard American food store fare, plus a complete selection of Mexican baked goods, prepared foods, frozen foods, and all of the Goya products for which one could search. Plus fresh produce, meats and seafood. All against the backdrop of Latin music. It's awesome. They also sell clothing, liquor and jewelry. I'm hooked!

Houston is large and sprawling, and I have spent much time driving on highways between relatives in different parts of the city. Fortunately, I like to drive. Especially since as I write this, I'm in Baton Rouge...

Me & MomAs I mentioned above, we are going to New Orleans to see what we can salvage. My mom's been once already for a brief visit to survey the damage. Fortunately, it appears as though her area received only about 3 feet of water at most. Not enough to destroy everything, but enough to cause major damage. We'll drive in early in the morning. It will be my first visit to the city of my birth since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc nearly 3 months ago. Everyone says "get ready...but you can't really be ready." This salvage operation is a perfect excuse reason for me to go down there to satisfy my curiosity. Like many others of the New Orleans Diaspora, I want to see for myself what has become of my birthplace...what has happened to home. A home which, because of my own history, I still have/had so much to look forward to learning. To be sure, "home", in our minds, is always a construct of our imagination, based on experiences and selective memory. Yet there is usually a geographical location with which to connect it. Even if the house may be gone, the neighborhood is still there...or the city. Where is home now for New Orleanians?