Happy Mardi Gras everyone!
For those of you who do not know, Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" and takes place the day before Ash Wednesday. I believe most people think of beads, parades, and alcohol when they think of Mardi Gras. Me personally, I think of New Orleans.
The first and last Mardi Gras in New Orleans I ever went to was the last one before Katrina hit. I am extremely disappointed that I haven't been able to visit New Orleans since. Aside from Boston, NYC's West Village, and Seattle it is one of the few cities I've been to that instantly felt like "home." I spent my dreams wandering down the streets of the French Quarter (AKA the Vieux Carré), remembering the sights and sounds of the shops and jazz clubs, the taste of beignets with cafe au lait, shrimp creole, and clove cigarettes.
I also remember someone pointing the levees out to my friends and me, saying that "If a Category 4 storm hit...." Oh, the sadness once those words became prophetic later on that year. I gave financially to the Red Cross a number of times since then on behalf of Katrina's victims--ALL of them, not just in New Orleans. A friend of mine in Mississippi discovered the joys of having his own life ripped away from him during that storm as well. Many people wondered how people would be able to move on, let alone be able to have Mardi Gras parades ever again.
Hence why I found it so uplifting to discover that the parades were still held the following year and the subsequent years to come. Mardi Gras is for celebration--and not just flashing your tits for beads. :D Although, I confess I did my share of that during my stay for the sake of "tradition". I also have precious little in the way of modesty!
Here's a fun link on Mardi Gras in New Orleans: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_Mardi_Gras. At some point I plan to revisit the city, especially since so much of the city's money comes from tourism. And gods, do I love New Orleans!
If people know of good, reputable websites and organizations to help rebuild New Orleans and help the people who are still being affected by Katrina, please send them my way and I'll edit this post to include them.
Edit: here's a link for my vegan jambalaya recipe, made easy: http://adriannebrennan.livejournal.com/72744.html
Love & Magic,
-A
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Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Happy Mardi Gras!
Posted by Unknown at 11:01 AM
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4 comments:
I would so LOVE to go to this beautiful city someday!
Ohhh you should!! And have some beignets. Gods they are soooo good, especially when warm and fresh and with coffee. Oooh.
I have always wanted to celebrate it the way it should be beads and all.....It's been a wish to go to New Orleans and have a blast
You should!! It's really not terribly pricy. I was an idiot along with my friends and decided to drive down there straight from Boston. We figured we'd save on airfare and it'd be fun. Me, I love to travel...but some people didn't comprehend that taking shifts didn't mean waiting until you were falling asleep behind the wheel to change!! But I digress...
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