Monday I went to the mall and bought things, spending too much money but finally finding skinny jeans that fit me well, thank you America. I bought jeans because I figure, in New Zealand it's not as if it's going to be cold, but it will be colder than here! Also, clothes as cheap as hell here compared to home, it's hard not to buy them all. Abercrombie jeans are $10 right now, considering buying some and sending them home - $10!!! That's like, 7.50GBP... craziness. Pure craziness. So I ended up buying jeans, a shirt, a vest top, and 3 t-shirts (it was 3 for 1). I'm going to have to send some stuff home for sure but whatevs.
Tuesday was a brilliant day. Whitney picked me up after class about midday and we hung out at hers for a little while whilst we waited for Ashleigh. Also took a trip to Houma's 'ghetto', ha! Only to buy batteries... Oh we also stopped off at a thrift store, where there was some really lovely white furniture that I wanted. We all know my issue with white furniture, I just love it. So Ashleigh turned up and we left Whitney's for New Orleans. Ashleigh knows so much about things, she's a really good tour guide, I was impressed!
The first thing we needed was food. Obviously New Orleans has everything, but the girls suggested sushi and I thought since I'd never had it, it would be good to try. Yep, I came all the way to Louisiana to try sushi. We went to this little place just around the corner from where we parked and the menu confused the hell out of me. Whitney and Ashleigh ended up picking what I wanted to eat, not only because I didn't know what I was ordering but also because you guys at home know I have issues deciding what to eat. I ended up having California rolls, salmon and avocado and another one I can't remember. Two of them were cooked fish, for the first try, but one of them wasn't. Ashleigh and I pretty much ended up sharing each others anyway so I ended up eating the raw stuff too, and it wasn't terrible. The bit I wasn't ken on was the texture, but once you get past that it was good. I really did have trouble with chopsticks though. I could have cheated and asked for cutlery but I was determined, although it made for very messy eating and Whitney and Ashleigh taught me the best they could. Anyhow, sushi gets a thumbs up from me.
The next thing we did was to go ride the streetcar down into the Garden District to look at all the pretty houses, and there really are some beauties.
Riding the streetcar was fun and cheap - only $1.25 per person one way. The only downside to it was that it was hot as balls outside and of course no AC in the streetcar, but we managed. A certain way down we decided it was too hot, got off and began to walk back whilst waiting for the return streetcar. There must have been 2 or 3 Universities or colleges that we passed on the way, as well as a big park with lots of people running an stuff in it. How people go for a run in this weather is beyond me. We were all getting pretty hot by now, and missed one streetcar cos the guy was a jerk and didn't stop for us. When we did get one it started getting a little crowded because people were coming out of school and work.
Next we took a walk by the Mississippi River, and it was so big. The vastness of things in America is still wowing me. By this time a few tramps had started emerging... we also saw two rats, ew. Can't believe I didn't see any rats in New York but I did in New Orleans. We walked past a big river boat, which was all lit up and looked fantastic. Whitney told me her Dad used to play on riverboats a lot, and the music coming from the boat was gorgeous. At this point we took a mini-break in the car to re-do hair and enjoy the AC for a few minutes before heading to the Pirate Bar!
On the way there, we passed a big cathedral which is there from when the Spanish were around, New Orleans has a lot of cultural history, a lot. We got to the Pirate Bar where the speciality is absinthe. This, England, is not absinthe as we know it, this was an art and the real thing. I don't know how much I can remember of the story that the lady behind the bar told me, but man did she know her stuff. She told me the whole history as she poured the absinthe through a sugar cube placed on an absinthe spoon, into the glass. She'd placed a green light under the glass so I could see the residue at the bottom which looks like fairy wings - hence the name the green fairy. She then set the whole thing on fire! This was my favourite bit, and she said it didn't need to be done but she liked it too. Then to finish, she opened a little tap and slowly let ice water drip into the glass over the sugar cube, dissolving it. The parts of the history I can remember is absinthe being used for everything from birth control to headaches, pain relief in childbirth and everything else because of the woodworm in it. The reason that absinthe can have hallucinogenic qualities if drunk in excess is that the chemical woodworm has a very very similar make-up to that to THC, which we all know is in cannabis. I think that's all I can remember now, except that is it a sipping drink, not to be a shot! This lady really knew her stuff, I was impressed. Started feeling nicely drunk here, I'd already had a Corona in the House of Blues, and a pina colada with an extra shot from a daiquiri shop, and I am a cheap drunk.
When we finished here we headed over to Bourbon Street, past the big statue of Jesus that projects a really creepy shadow on the building behind him. Also Ashleigh pointed out he's missing a thumb, lost it in Hurricane Katrina. The light's on Bourbon Street were amazing and so pretty. Had a drink a couple of places, listened to a band for a while in a place that was doing 3for1 drinks. After wandering for a bit, dropping into a couple of other bars, seeing police on horses, a guy dressed like a monster and a hooker we headed down to a bar which I think Whitney said was the oldest bar? Anyhow, there was a guy playing a grand piano in there and he reminded me of my big brother, Allan so much. Made me a little sad, I haven't heard from my brother since I left England and I miss him so so much, he is the most important person to me in lots of respects. So this guy was amazing on the piano, that's true, but Allan would have blown the place away with his talent and his charisma when he plays. The guy that was playing was good though, and he played some Beatles when I asked him to play something British. Some 'I am the Walrus', which actually reminded me of Allan even more because it's one of the first songs I remember singing with him when I was a kid and he absolutely kills it. Drank some more, and was told that the bartender found my request for SoCo, sour mix and water (the closest I can get to SoCo and lemonade) very weird. Managed to spill my whole drink right down myself at one point, because I have brilliant co-ordination obviously. The bartender saw, found it so hilarious and bought me another one for free because I'm pretty! No, I actually think it's because I was soaked and he felt bad for me. We spent a lot of time there. It was so nice to sit around the grand piano in the candle-light, listening to good music with good people - another 'this is why I'm doing this' moment.
We left there and went to Cafe de Monde to have a sort of donut covered in sugar (goodbye diet...) which was so so good. Then it turned out they only took cash and none of us had any! This started about 45 minutes of drama where Whitney went to find an ATM, but the closest one was broken. We were worried about her being gone so long so Ashleigh went to get the car but then Whitney turned up. Ashleigh went to get the car anyhow and we eventually found an ATM... all over $4. The journey back consisted of having a good bitch, which I'm not gonna lie is something I enjoy occasionally.
I am a convert, I love New Orleans.
No comments:
Post a Comment