Saturday, April 2, 2011

New Orleans: The People

I'm going to conclude with the final  article in my series on New Orleans:  The People

Where to begin in describing the people of New Orleans?  Edgy, flamboyant, artistic, distinct, multi-cultured, and southern.  Everywhere you turn your head in New Orleans is bound to reveal a unique personality that captivates and intrigues.


























First stop: The French Quarter. Yes, this is where the famous beignets and cafe au lait can be found. In addition, loads of people watching can be discovered here as well. There is a distinct festiveness about the French Quarter. It is the haven for tourists and they do flock here by the bus loads.

If you look past the flocks of beer toting tourists looking for a wild time,  you can pick out the real city dwellers going about their daily lives.  The sites, the smells, the sounds are all so varied and wonderfully blended that each section of the market tells a different story.  


Sure, there are the hundreds of trinkety Mardi Gras baubles to mark the trip.  T-shirts, beer mugs, and hats are stacked everywhere.   If you look just a bit deeper, though, some of the market's treasures can be unearthed.  I have a collection of antique Chinese snuff bottles.  I found three fabulous ones to add to my collection.

And, yes, I just couldn't resist this little voo-doo doll.   The little tag says, "Will work against any unwanted negative entities."  What a hoot!  Where shall I put her?  I thought about a guest bedroom.  Hmmm...probably would slightly unnerve  my guests so I'll have to find the right spot.


Street performers are on every block and around every corner.  Saxophones can be heard wailing their soulful tunes.  Horse-drawn carriages are winding their way in and out of the tiny streets lined with wrought-iron balconies.  Artwork is lined up all round Jackson Square in front of the St. Louis cathedral.


The food is indeed delicious.  I'm not a big Muffaletta sandwich person but I'll grab a seafood Po-boy sandwich any day.  Look at this sweet couple.  He is staring intently at some artwork hanging in Jackson Square.  He is so absorbed in appreciating and studying the painting.  She is winsome and carefree, relaxed and dreamy in her feminine floral dress.  Her heavy boots, however, add that urban grittiness to her style.


After leaving the tourist-laden French Quarter, the kids and I drove over to a local farmer's market that my friend recommended.  It is called "The Green Market" and she said we would find more of a local market here more unknown to tourists.  We loved it.  It was a tiny market but instantly upon arriving, you could tell its where the locals shop.  I loved the casual air of these two people.  They were simply enjoying their day and in no rush to go anywhere.



I admired this girl's vintage purse.  I also liked her knee-length skirt with the husky boots.  I could never get away with this in my suburban neighborhood.  I have to chuckle at the thought of me traipsing in Kroger looking so urbanly outfitted.  If I lived closer into the hub of Houston, however, yeah, I would go for it.  

We sampled some yummy cornbread, noticed the tomato jam jars, and wished we could take home some of fresh pink shrimp.

The people of New Orleans are probably the most unique bunch that I have seen anywhere in the US.  And I have lived in NYC!  You know they must be a pretty special lot when one of the tourist attractions is the local cemetery.  
























This is the St. Louis Cemetery of New Orleans.  Because of the marshy earth, tombs are mounted above ground with elaborate carvings and dedications to loved ones.  This is a very unique sight in the US and another facet of this city's unique heritage and religious history.
























The pace of New Orleans is different but difficult to pin down by description.  It is laid back, carefree but festive and jovial.  Life is celebrated for the now.  Death is celebrated for the future.


My kids and I enjoyed staying tucked away in an old house off of the beautiful Esplanade Ave. in this dynamic city.  It was a unique experience for sure.  I enjoyed noting their observations of so many social economic levels of society intermingling one on top of the other.  It made me realize how suburban we have become in our daily excursions on the edge of Houston.

We strolled up and down the streets noting the evidence of destruction by Hurricane Katrina on one block and the hammering and restructuring of homes on another block.  This city is determined  to pick itself up and move on.  There is a saying often used and re-used in Louisiana.  It is "Laissez les bons temps roulez".  It means "Let the good times roll".  That is a perfect phrase for this city shouldering heartache and resurrection.  I have no doubt that good times will roll again.  The city captivates, slightly disturbs, wickedly amuses, and gently tickles all of the senses of travel and cultural diversity that make it so great.


PYAZ KI SABJI


Ingredients:
Shallots (baby onions) ..... 1 bowl
Tomato puree .................. 2 tbsps.
Besan .............................. 1 & 1/2 tsp..
Asafoetida ..................... a pinch
Turmeric powder ......... 1/4 tsp.
Cumin powder .............. 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder ......... 1/2 tsp.
Star anise ................. 1
Black cardamom ...... 1
Saunf .............. 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds .... 1/4 tsp.
Methi seeds ..... 1/4 tsp. (fenugreek)
Cloves ............. 3-4
Cinnamon ...... 1 inch piece.
Salt
Oil

Method:
1. Peel the shallots, sprinkle salt and set aside for 1 hour.
2. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the shallots.(about 4-5 minutes)
3. Dry roast the besan. Crush the spices a bit in the mortar and pestle.
4. In a pan take a little oil and add the asafoetida and crushed dry spices.
5. When they leave an aroma, add the shallots and saute for a minute. Then add the tomato pulp and the dry masalas.
6. Mix well and add the roasted besan and stir until blended.
7. Add a cup of water and simmer for a few minutes.
Garnish and serve.

Momma Daisy Loves This

The Interweb Tubes are a wondrous place.

Things That Make Me Smile

Old friends from high school. Despite my best efforts at being unbearable, some of them have put up with me.

Soccer And Deliberate Practice

So I finished the book Talent is Overrated wherein the wonders of deliberate practice are described in great detail. I've begun to apply it with my daughter's soccer workouts and after only 4 sessions, we've seen great results.

I started by watching her carefully at her last game. I noticed that she frequently shanked the ball badly when it came across in front of her, left to right, perpendicular to the direction she wanted to kick it. I took 100 pennies, 3 cups and we went down to the local handball courts. There, I rolled the ball in front of her, left to right, and her goal was to kick the ball into the handball court so that it didn't hit the side walls. We used the pennies and cups to track reps, hits and misses.

On day 1 we did 76 reps and day 2 we did 58 reps. Her success rate was about the same each day, but her misses were closer on day 2. On day 3, we did 75 reps and she did significantly better. At her team practice that day, every part of her game seemed better.

Today we started a new skill - tapping the ball out in front of her with her left foot and then kicking it with her right. This is another skill she'll use over and over in her games. We did 50 reps with right footed shots and 50 reps with right footed passes and by the time we were done, her footwork was right on the money. In the past, her plant foot was all over the place and she had the tendency to pull up after she kicked instead of following through.

Tomorrow is her first game since we started deliberate practice. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure we'll see a big improvement in her play and also be able to pick out some new, basic skills to work on next week.

i have to handle this emotional feelings wiser.

i selalu buka blog, nak type separuh je, padam balik... berjuta lemon kali dah jadi. sebab nak cakap n tulis banyak benda lepas tu tataw nak mula dekat mana.

eh 1st of all i would like to welcome a new reader of my blog - Mr Mohd Amin. ABAH STALKER! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA... malu lah saya. tahu tak malu segan gila tak tahu nak tutup muka dekat mana sebab last-last abah juga yg akan saya jumpa bila saya nak itu ini, dan nak mengadu itu ini. sungguh la abah tak da kerja pergi google nama aqilah! :P oh abah, ada beberapa benda abah perlu tahu. *selalu abah baca blog bila anak dia bukakan je, ni dia dah pandai google sendiri dkt office*

sy = saya.

pftttt = mengeluh atau menganjing diri sendiri.

:P = tanda jelir lidah ye abah!

:D = tanda sengih nampak gigi. HAHA

;') = tanda terharu!

btw = by the way


well, based on the tiltle above, yes i have to handle 2 kids on my own which are sugar & pepper. Ya Allah tuhan je tahu bertapa sayangnye i dekat depa. mereka terpaling handsome, kacak, comel, gebu, semua semua lah. sanggup i tahan bersin hari-hari semata-mata nak peluk cium mereka! ;')

selalunya depa je lah yg teman dkt rumah ni bila semua orang tak da. btw, sebenarnya semalam mengigau-ngigau pepper mati. WAAAAAAAA. i terjaga sebab i menangis dalam tidur tu, i menangis betul-betul. kiranya ada air mata, i tengah tersedu-sedu, sebab tu i terjaga.

SUGAR - tak perlulah gojes nak mati rase nak lepok lepok kan.


PEPPER - suka urut, suka hidu kembang kempis hidung. hahahahahaha.


actually, hari ni mereka berdua dimandulkan. which is called tasi / kasi. tak sure. teruk gile kan, yar, i know. huhu. and and, i nangis dari semalam, sampai hari ni tadi sebab risau nak mati. sabar je lah. ni pun nak nangis lagi sebab tengok sugar & pepper mamai2 sebab kesan ubat bius. lembik je lagi, makan pun tak selera. harap-harap cepatlah sembuh plz plz plz. :(

lepas tu hari ni supposed to be jumpa namin. tapi dia demam sampai kena buat blood test, lagilah i risau nak mati, emosional tak tentu. namin kalau demam, memang teruk. oh ye abah, namin tu nabil. hua3. hua3 tu gelak ye abah. nasib baiklah tadi petang i dapat jumpe gf i, nangis depan dia, and cerita itu ini dengan dia. lega sikit. naiya! iloveyou lah naiya. i msg dia suruh dia dtg rumah. naiya datang 2 jam pun jadilah. thank you so much gf!



oh by the way, faris baru balik dari Taiwan & Hong Kong kan. i nak pilih keychain pun lebih setengah jam cuz semuanya cantik-cantik! :D thank you brother!



oh ye, last post i ada cakap nak kemas bilik sikit kan, sebab faris nak balik. ni lah guest room yg kecik, i kemas. sekali die tidur guest room yg besar sebab nenek i tak de. memang sabor je lah kan. huhu.

and, i would like to thank everyone who always listen, whenever i need somebody. whenever i was at the bottom. those who near or far, i appreciate every single one of you. thanks love!


20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Growing up, this was one of my favorite movies. It inspired me to take up sailing, snorkeling and keeping aquariums. I just watched it last night with my daughter. It holds up wonderfully well. Despite being made in the 1950s, the special effects are quite good and the scenes with the submarine are excellent. James Mason as Captain Nemo is terrific.