http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/us/14justice.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&hp
READ IT!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
ONE WEEK LEFT!!!
For the past week, I have felt like I am ready to go home. I've been mentally checked out, primarily because I haven't really had ANY days off since I've been down here. I live at the school, so my job has become a 24/7 type of deal, as opposed to when I house-sat for a staff member. That means, whenever there are any problems, I can't just hangout in my room, I have to solve them. If there is an intense discussion going on, I'm kicked out of my room because there aren't really any walls.
I guess I can describe my new (and by new I mean the past week or two) living conditions. I am now on the upper floor of the building, which is nice because I have my own space. I have my own room, and I don't have to deal with the 35 volunteers that come in and out of this place at any given time. However, The room doesn't have a screens, so I have to choose between being EATEN ALIVE by mosquitoes or sweating in my sleep. There isn't really a wall between the bathroom and my room, just clothes and some shower curtains. It's a little awkward, but I can deal. Sometimes I think that living at Carleton, with some of the most awkward people in the world has desensitized my awkward-radar. Or maybe I'm just kidding myself.
I've felt cranky and frustrated, because I find that the volunteers aren't really doing anything to my satisfaction. They mess things up, or don't know what to do, or they get bored and go inside. Perhaps the most frustrating part of it all is, I used to be one of them. I had a higher work ethic, but I still didn't know what to do. I think that what this place needs is a revamp in the work schedule structure. There need to be scheduled breaks and rotations so that everyone remains engages. It would be nice if it reflected more of a Youth-Adult Partnership, instead of the shoddy communication that is going down right now.
Because Brennan, the farm manager, has been gone the past couple of days to evaluate the property up in Hammond, I've been left down here to held execute the list of things that she left for us to do. In other words, I and one other intern (who just arrived this past week) had to run this joint. IT WAS SO STRESSFUL. It was challenging and it was hard, but at least we go a whole lot of work done. A lot of the work was centered around making the space look incredible, for the Will Allen event. Will Allen is the man who essentially STARTED urban farming:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984949_1985243,00.html
He is going to come down to OSBG in early August, and see what we're all about. I think that there is potential for us to create some sort of partnership, but at the very least there is a LOT that we can learn from this man. My personal goal in regard to farming to to get this place looking as INCREDIBLE as possible. I want all rows planted and healthy. I dream of an OSBG world without weeds. I want the tools/wood shed to be organized and beautiful. Sadly I won't be here to see him, but I will do all that I can to make this place look great!
On the non-farm front, regarding the partnership with Dulac, here is what I have to say: Since the interns and I left Dulac, we've been talking to some of the staff about what we saw and they are really excited about creating a partnership between OSBG and Dulac. However, right now the staff is stretched pretty thinly, so the interns are the ones that will be doing a lot of the initial foundational work. We want to be sure that the Dulac Community has an interest in partnering with OSBG, so we would like to start canvassing the neighborhood to see if they are interested, and to get an idea of what they think that partnership would look like.
In order to do this, we were needed a BUNCH of information. Things like:
* The best way to ensure the largest volume of responses. We were thinking about going door-to-door, hanging out at the Center, or even leaving surveys for people to complete.
* If going door-to-door is the best way to get in touch with people, what areas of the neighborhood are more densely populated?
We're also applying for the Crescent Foundation Grant for Environmental Work (or a title that approximates that). Tomorrow, the letter of intent is due, so much of the past two days has been filled with composition of the letter and a LOT of editing. (I'm so thankful to all of my Carleton professors for challenging me to write WELL! It's such an important skill to be able to convey ideas explicitly and concisely!)
We're trying to get the foundations down and turn over something more substantial to the OSBG staff before all of us leave in the fall, so there is some sense of urgency. Quite a few of the other interns have already left, and I leave in 6 days (Not counting today....but who is counting anyway?)
Because of all this, I find that my mental energy towards this place is BEING VAPORIZED! I need a vacation; at the very least, I need to get out every once and a while and not be trapped in the building. So, I've been checking out the parts of New Orleans that are much more geared towards the more cushy side of life. The other night, I went to eat at a place called Hare Krishna's. It's a temple located in New Orleans, but every Sunday they have a free vegan meal. I was absolutely in heaven. I was so happy that I even tried to eat beans (my mortal enemy).
Another night, I rode my bike into Frenchmen Street, and checked out the music scene a little bit. Pretty much all of the cheapest/free musical shows are in bars, which is unfortunate. I'm under 21, so I wasn't really allowed into many. Luckily, there was a bar that had an 18 to enter, 21 to drink policy so that I wasn't completely missing out. In some ways, riding my bike around here brings up images that I've seen in anime. A bunch of young people riding around on their bikes alongside railroads and levees, with the summer cicadas chirping along to the whirring of pedaling.
Maybe not.
Anyways... I have to think pretty seriously about whether or not this is a program that I would recommend to Carleton. On one hand, this has been one of the most meaningful ways that I could have ever spent my summer. I have been challenged every day here on an emotional, physical and mental level. My way of viewing the world has undergone entire shifts, and my constructed reality will never be the same. I don't mean to say that I've been brainwashed, just challenged to think critically. Everyone who works here has strong opinions, and I recognize that I may not agree with their opinions fully, or think they're too close-minded. Despite that, it has provided me with food for thought. On the other hand, it takes a very specific kind of person to flourish here, and by 'here' I mean the program and the city. I'll probably have to return to this question once again after I've had a while to unwind and process my experiences. I want to have enough time to think about things more deliberately.
I guess I can describe my new (and by new I mean the past week or two) living conditions. I am now on the upper floor of the building, which is nice because I have my own space. I have my own room, and I don't have to deal with the 35 volunteers that come in and out of this place at any given time. However, The room doesn't have a screens, so I have to choose between being EATEN ALIVE by mosquitoes or sweating in my sleep. There isn't really a wall between the bathroom and my room, just clothes and some shower curtains. It's a little awkward, but I can deal. Sometimes I think that living at Carleton, with some of the most awkward people in the world has desensitized my awkward-radar. Or maybe I'm just kidding myself.
I've felt cranky and frustrated, because I find that the volunteers aren't really doing anything to my satisfaction. They mess things up, or don't know what to do, or they get bored and go inside. Perhaps the most frustrating part of it all is, I used to be one of them. I had a higher work ethic, but I still didn't know what to do. I think that what this place needs is a revamp in the work schedule structure. There need to be scheduled breaks and rotations so that everyone remains engages. It would be nice if it reflected more of a Youth-Adult Partnership, instead of the shoddy communication that is going down right now.
Because Brennan, the farm manager, has been gone the past couple of days to evaluate the property up in Hammond, I've been left down here to held execute the list of things that she left for us to do. In other words, I and one other intern (who just arrived this past week) had to run this joint. IT WAS SO STRESSFUL. It was challenging and it was hard, but at least we go a whole lot of work done. A lot of the work was centered around making the space look incredible, for the Will Allen event. Will Allen is the man who essentially STARTED urban farming:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984949_1985243,00.html
He is going to come down to OSBG in early August, and see what we're all about. I think that there is potential for us to create some sort of partnership, but at the very least there is a LOT that we can learn from this man. My personal goal in regard to farming to to get this place looking as INCREDIBLE as possible. I want all rows planted and healthy. I dream of an OSBG world without weeds. I want the tools/wood shed to be organized and beautiful. Sadly I won't be here to see him, but I will do all that I can to make this place look great!
On the non-farm front, regarding the partnership with Dulac, here is what I have to say: Since the interns and I left Dulac, we've been talking to some of the staff about what we saw and they are really excited about creating a partnership between OSBG and Dulac. However, right now the staff is stretched pretty thinly, so the interns are the ones that will be doing a lot of the initial foundational work. We want to be sure that the Dulac Community has an interest in partnering with OSBG, so we would like to start canvassing the neighborhood to see if they are interested, and to get an idea of what they think that partnership would look like.
In order to do this, we were needed a BUNCH of information. Things like:
* The best way to ensure the largest volume of responses. We were thinking about going door-to-door, hanging out at the Center, or even leaving surveys for people to complete.
* If going door-to-door is the best way to get in touch with people, what areas of the neighborhood are more densely populated?
We're also applying for the Crescent Foundation Grant for Environmental Work (or a title that approximates that). Tomorrow, the letter of intent is due, so much of the past two days has been filled with composition of the letter and a LOT of editing. (I'm so thankful to all of my Carleton professors for challenging me to write WELL! It's such an important skill to be able to convey ideas explicitly and concisely!)
We're trying to get the foundations down and turn over something more substantial to the OSBG staff before all of us leave in the fall, so there is some sense of urgency. Quite a few of the other interns have already left, and I leave in 6 days (Not counting today....but who is counting anyway?)
Because of all this, I find that my mental energy towards this place is BEING VAPORIZED! I need a vacation; at the very least, I need to get out every once and a while and not be trapped in the building. So, I've been checking out the parts of New Orleans that are much more geared towards the more cushy side of life. The other night, I went to eat at a place called Hare Krishna's. It's a temple located in New Orleans, but every Sunday they have a free vegan meal. I was absolutely in heaven. I was so happy that I even tried to eat beans (my mortal enemy).
Another night, I rode my bike into Frenchmen Street, and checked out the music scene a little bit. Pretty much all of the cheapest/free musical shows are in bars, which is unfortunate. I'm under 21, so I wasn't really allowed into many. Luckily, there was a bar that had an 18 to enter, 21 to drink policy so that I wasn't completely missing out. In some ways, riding my bike around here brings up images that I've seen in anime. A bunch of young people riding around on their bikes alongside railroads and levees, with the summer cicadas chirping along to the whirring of pedaling.
Maybe not.
Anyways... I have to think pretty seriously about whether or not this is a program that I would recommend to Carleton. On one hand, this has been one of the most meaningful ways that I could have ever spent my summer. I have been challenged every day here on an emotional, physical and mental level. My way of viewing the world has undergone entire shifts, and my constructed reality will never be the same. I don't mean to say that I've been brainwashed, just challenged to think critically. Everyone who works here has strong opinions, and I recognize that I may not agree with their opinions fully, or think they're too close-minded. Despite that, it has provided me with food for thought. On the other hand, it takes a very specific kind of person to flourish here, and by 'here' I mean the program and the city. I'll probably have to return to this question once again after I've had a while to unwind and process my experiences. I want to have enough time to think about things more deliberately.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Just Under TWO Weeks Now.
Today there is a barbecue at the school, and all the neighborhood is invited to come in and check out what we're doing. You would think that I would be too busy helping to organize, but I've found that I can't stand to be helping the volunteers that come down. They create organized chaos, and get underfoot when I try to do the farm work. Therefore, today is a chill day for me. I'm taking this opportunity to write out all the things that I've been feeling, but don't have the time to write about:
So, I've been here for a while, just over three weeks with just under two weeks to go. It's not at the end of the trip, but it's kind of incredible how fast the learning curve is down here. I was recently working alongside one of the volunteers that came down here and I had an interesting exchange with them. We were seeding, which has since become my absolute favorite aspect of farm work, and they asked how long I had been down here. I told her that I'd been down here for just a couple of weeks, and she said, "Wow, I for sure would have thought that you've been here for at LEAST a month or two."
I was a little bit shocked at first, but then I thought about my position from her vantage point. I was essentially running the sprout workshop; I directed people as to what they should do, why they should do it, and what the outcome of their work would be. It would seem to her, who had almost no knowledge of the farm, that I had a complete understanding of what was going on down here-which is FAR from true. But I have come a long way from the shipwrecked girl that arrived as. It reflects the general approach to life down here, move fast, learn and adapt quickly, or you will be left so far behind.
I've noticed down here that people have knowledge and the ability to do things that is far beyond my scope of understanding. For example: The other day I was told to pry the signs off of one of the hoop houses (where sprouts are placed until they are ready to be harvested). I spent at least an HOUR trying to pry the damn thing off and was met with limited success. Another person came over, and pried all the signs off in under fifteen minutes. People down here can make something from nothing; they can take a broken house and build it back up with almost no money. It's an ability that is almost terrifyingly powerful. I can only imagine the potential that people like that have, and what they could accomplish given a first-rate education and an opportunity to let them shine.
Perhaps I should explain what I mean when I say opportunity; life in this part of the country is tough. In fact, it is more than tough. I've decided that the South is a scary place, and I do not feel safe. I walked into this neighborhood with a false sense of security, thinking that things down here can't be 'that bad'. That isn't true. This neighborhood, which was once a regular, middle-class neighborhood, is filled with violence. When I was down in Houma, there was a shooting near the school and someone was killed. Now, there are t-shirts in the neighborhood that are posted around the school with a very disturbing image and message, referencing the person that was killed. In the most twisted way possible, there is something comforting about this situation: I am NOT a part of this neighborhood, and nothing that goes on down here involves me. No one has a problem with me, I'm not involved in any groups, gangs, or families in the area. This is not Rwanda, the violence is not random or based on ethnicity. That's good for me, but what about the children that live in the area who have to grow up in this type of environment...
The NY2NO students that are here are also from Philly, and yesterday I had a really scary conversation with some of the students. They were talking about their neighborhoods in North and South Philly and all the, pardon my language, shit that they have seen and have been through. They were talking about shootings that they had actually heard about, or been present for. One of the students was talking about how someone had been killed standing right next to them, right in the middle of conversation. I learned, from these people, the do's and don'ts of being involved in a shooting. Apparently, you never run away; always walk away calmly so that the shooter doesn't think that you're running to go squeal. Also, if anyone ever comes around asking about what happened, you didn't see ANYTHING. I don't think I'll ever need to use this knowledge, and it surprised me that it was like common sense...
Yesterday I went foraging for native wetlands plants. Do you know where I went foraging? In the neighborhood. As Brennan so eloquently put it, "I'm just going to cruise the streets that I know are the most fucked up." There were streets where wetland plants literally crept up over three feet into the streets. There was a sinkhole that was over two and a half feet deep. I wish that I had brought my camera to take pictures, because it was absolutely unbelievable. Houses were tipped over or completely gutted, and plants dominated the area. One thought that just keeps recurring in my mind is, "This was a normal neighborhood before the hurricane. It's now five years later, and things are still this bad."
Random Thoughts
(I might expand on these later)
-I have never been this race conscious in my entire life.
-I will do more research on the terms "African-American" and "Black-American".
-Teenagers need to be humbled.
-Why is it that some people try to help others, and others shirk from their duties?
-The distinction between luxury and comfort, and excessive consumption.
-The Cuban Caravan and the Cuban Five (I know that sounds random, but the school hosted the caravan and I got to attend one of their diners)
-People with money and attention to detail need to start working for or helping out with non profits.
-The impact that a socially active lifestyle has on my mental and emotional health, and what would happen if I didn't get to leave at the end of 5 weeks.
-I want a cat.
Also, I just wanted to thank the people that have been reading this blog and been dropping me kind notes. It's very encouraging, and makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time down here.
So, I've been here for a while, just over three weeks with just under two weeks to go. It's not at the end of the trip, but it's kind of incredible how fast the learning curve is down here. I was recently working alongside one of the volunteers that came down here and I had an interesting exchange with them. We were seeding, which has since become my absolute favorite aspect of farm work, and they asked how long I had been down here. I told her that I'd been down here for just a couple of weeks, and she said, "Wow, I for sure would have thought that you've been here for at LEAST a month or two."
I was a little bit shocked at first, but then I thought about my position from her vantage point. I was essentially running the sprout workshop; I directed people as to what they should do, why they should do it, and what the outcome of their work would be. It would seem to her, who had almost no knowledge of the farm, that I had a complete understanding of what was going on down here-which is FAR from true. But I have come a long way from the shipwrecked girl that arrived as. It reflects the general approach to life down here, move fast, learn and adapt quickly, or you will be left so far behind.
I've noticed down here that people have knowledge and the ability to do things that is far beyond my scope of understanding. For example: The other day I was told to pry the signs off of one of the hoop houses (where sprouts are placed until they are ready to be harvested). I spent at least an HOUR trying to pry the damn thing off and was met with limited success. Another person came over, and pried all the signs off in under fifteen minutes. People down here can make something from nothing; they can take a broken house and build it back up with almost no money. It's an ability that is almost terrifyingly powerful. I can only imagine the potential that people like that have, and what they could accomplish given a first-rate education and an opportunity to let them shine.
Perhaps I should explain what I mean when I say opportunity; life in this part of the country is tough. In fact, it is more than tough. I've decided that the South is a scary place, and I do not feel safe. I walked into this neighborhood with a false sense of security, thinking that things down here can't be 'that bad'. That isn't true. This neighborhood, which was once a regular, middle-class neighborhood, is filled with violence. When I was down in Houma, there was a shooting near the school and someone was killed. Now, there are t-shirts in the neighborhood that are posted around the school with a very disturbing image and message, referencing the person that was killed. In the most twisted way possible, there is something comforting about this situation: I am NOT a part of this neighborhood, and nothing that goes on down here involves me. No one has a problem with me, I'm not involved in any groups, gangs, or families in the area. This is not Rwanda, the violence is not random or based on ethnicity. That's good for me, but what about the children that live in the area who have to grow up in this type of environment...
The NY2NO students that are here are also from Philly, and yesterday I had a really scary conversation with some of the students. They were talking about their neighborhoods in North and South Philly and all the, pardon my language, shit that they have seen and have been through. They were talking about shootings that they had actually heard about, or been present for. One of the students was talking about how someone had been killed standing right next to them, right in the middle of conversation. I learned, from these people, the do's and don'ts of being involved in a shooting. Apparently, you never run away; always walk away calmly so that the shooter doesn't think that you're running to go squeal. Also, if anyone ever comes around asking about what happened, you didn't see ANYTHING. I don't think I'll ever need to use this knowledge, and it surprised me that it was like common sense...
Yesterday I went foraging for native wetlands plants. Do you know where I went foraging? In the neighborhood. As Brennan so eloquently put it, "I'm just going to cruise the streets that I know are the most fucked up." There were streets where wetland plants literally crept up over three feet into the streets. There was a sinkhole that was over two and a half feet deep. I wish that I had brought my camera to take pictures, because it was absolutely unbelievable. Houses were tipped over or completely gutted, and plants dominated the area. One thought that just keeps recurring in my mind is, "This was a normal neighborhood before the hurricane. It's now five years later, and things are still this bad."
Random Thoughts
(I might expand on these later)
-I have never been this race conscious in my entire life.
-I will do more research on the terms "African-American" and "Black-American".
-Teenagers need to be humbled.
-Why is it that some people try to help others, and others shirk from their duties?
-The distinction between luxury and comfort, and excessive consumption.
-The Cuban Caravan and the Cuban Five (I know that sounds random, but the school hosted the caravan and I got to attend one of their diners)
-People with money and attention to detail need to start working for or helping out with non profits.
-The impact that a socially active lifestyle has on my mental and emotional health, and what would happen if I didn't get to leave at the end of 5 weeks.
-I want a cat.
Also, I just wanted to thank the people that have been reading this blog and been dropping me kind notes. It's very encouraging, and makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time down here.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Crap, I don't know what today is.
I haven't posted in a long time, and I feel a little ashamed. I'm not posting because nothing is going on; I am not posting because there is too much going on, and by the time that I finally have a moment to myself, I spend it sleeping.
I find that this internship is all consuming. I didn't know what day it was, and was really surprised to see that I haven't posted for a week. I don't know how it happened, but I'm already half-way through my five week internship. Only another two and a half weeks until I'm in Boston.
So, have I spent the past week to week and a half doing? Well, last weekend I went on down to Houma and Dulac, in southern LA. Houma is named after the Houma Nation, a tribe of Native Americans that made the marshes their home about 300 years ago. I went with a few of the other interns to test the ground and see if it were possible to form some sort of connection between the Houma and OSBG.
A Few Thoughts on Houma:
1) In some way, both places, the Lower 9th and Dulac have a lot in common. Both people were impacted by the hurricane, and now the Houma people are facing the oil spill. Both areas have suffered through history of oppression, and are now facing the issue of food security.
2) The marshes or wetlands are known as the bayou. This land is being lost at an alarming rate. Every day, the bayou loses approximately a football field of land. (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/05/24-3). These marsh lands were formerly used to buffer against the hurricanes that pass through Louisiana. However, because the wetlands are disappearing, their vicious destructive powers aren't checked to extent that they once were.
3) It takes a VERY special type person to live here. I would not function well. The people down here have a very interesting temperament. They realize that they are living in an area that floods frequently, and will get destroyed frequently. They build houses on stilts and have insane flood insurance bills. But, they don't get angry about things that they can't change. While I was down there, despite the news reports of complete devastation, I almost didn't sense anything was wrong. People were still laughing and gossiping, and trying to lead normal lives. They may have been angry, or sad when the oil spill happened, but they still have the strength and desire to keep living their lives down there. I would have packed up and left, but these people have some real strength.
4) Southern hospitality is a REAL thing. People down here are so NICE! Many strangers that were passing through the community center offered to feed us, or put us up in their homes.
So I visited Houma on Sunday and stayed until Tuesday. While I was there, I helped out at the community center, doing anything I could to help their day go smoother. In some ways it was actually kind of funny, because the men don't think that women my age enjoy or are willing to do a lot of physical labor. So, instead I mainly helped watch over the children, sorted donated clothing, and helped serve food. While Lauren, Kidan and I were down there, we had an opportunity to meet much of the community, and were actually invited back down for their annual celebration of Kateri Tekakwitha.
Fast Forward to this past Friday:
The celebration of Kateri Tekakwitha was actually the most interesting religious service I have ever been to. The service was held because they are hoping to secure the position of sainthood for the Blessed Kateri. The mass itself was also pretty cool. It was a blend of Catholic and Native American traditions. It was a very interesting experience. More about that later.
Things I am Learning About Myself:
1) I thought that I was a really open-minded person, devoid of prejudices. When I was little, I could never understand how people could ever judge one another based off skin color. And while I still can't understand how people can discriminate against people of different, I'm realizing that I have certain prejudices of my own. I caught myself judging the content of someone's thoughts based on how they were presented. In other words, I found myself impatient with people that speak with certain accents or inflections. When people end their sentences on a high note, as if they were asking a question, I find myself being dismissive. This is an undesirable trait in myself, and now that I am aware of its existence, I'll try to get rid of it.
2) I might not get along with everyone I work with, or their personalities may grate against my nerves. However, I have to just swallow my pride and continue to work with them. Things need to get done, and whether or not I like someone on a personal level I don't need to show it. I also don't need them to ever know I find them annoying. Attitude and carefully chosen words is the key to diplomacy.
3) It is important to have some division between labor and play. I've been down here, and I work every single day. Yesterday was my first day off in two weeks, because the concept of weekends don't exist at Blair Grocery. Things still need to be grown, and it's not like the sunflowers are going to pause their growth until Monday. Every conversation I've had with people has been centered around Blair Grocery. It's either about the school, my frustrations with the school, the people at the school, or the neighborhood the school is in. I have no life outside of this sphere, and while it's ok for a while, I don't understand how people can do this for life.
4) Authentic Diversity: Being a diverse organization isn't based off of some abstract checklist, making sure that every ethnicity is collected so that they can be considered represented. Diversity is DIFFERENT life experiences.
5) How am I going to take this experience away with me? How can I be sure to hold onto everything I've learned, and keep in mind all the experiences that have touched me?
6) The incongruity of the lives of the volunteers, and the people that they are trying to help. The other day, I saw a pile of at least 4 MacBooks stacked on top of one another. I found that picture to be obscene. Here on a beat up, old-ass couch in the Lower 9th Ward is a STACK of MacBooks....what the hell?
I find that this internship is all consuming. I didn't know what day it was, and was really surprised to see that I haven't posted for a week. I don't know how it happened, but I'm already half-way through my five week internship. Only another two and a half weeks until I'm in Boston.
So, have I spent the past week to week and a half doing? Well, last weekend I went on down to Houma and Dulac, in southern LA. Houma is named after the Houma Nation, a tribe of Native Americans that made the marshes their home about 300 years ago. I went with a few of the other interns to test the ground and see if it were possible to form some sort of connection between the Houma and OSBG.
A Few Thoughts on Houma:
1) In some way, both places, the Lower 9th and Dulac have a lot in common. Both people were impacted by the hurricane, and now the Houma people are facing the oil spill. Both areas have suffered through history of oppression, and are now facing the issue of food security.
2) The marshes or wetlands are known as the bayou. This land is being lost at an alarming rate. Every day, the bayou loses approximately a football field of land. (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/05/24-3). These marsh lands were formerly used to buffer against the hurricanes that pass through Louisiana. However, because the wetlands are disappearing, their vicious destructive powers aren't checked to extent that they once were.
3) It takes a VERY special type person to live here. I would not function well. The people down here have a very interesting temperament. They realize that they are living in an area that floods frequently, and will get destroyed frequently. They build houses on stilts and have insane flood insurance bills. But, they don't get angry about things that they can't change. While I was down there, despite the news reports of complete devastation, I almost didn't sense anything was wrong. People were still laughing and gossiping, and trying to lead normal lives. They may have been angry, or sad when the oil spill happened, but they still have the strength and desire to keep living their lives down there. I would have packed up and left, but these people have some real strength.
4) Southern hospitality is a REAL thing. People down here are so NICE! Many strangers that were passing through the community center offered to feed us, or put us up in their homes.
So I visited Houma on Sunday and stayed until Tuesday. While I was there, I helped out at the community center, doing anything I could to help their day go smoother. In some ways it was actually kind of funny, because the men don't think that women my age enjoy or are willing to do a lot of physical labor. So, instead I mainly helped watch over the children, sorted donated clothing, and helped serve food. While Lauren, Kidan and I were down there, we had an opportunity to meet much of the community, and were actually invited back down for their annual celebration of Kateri Tekakwitha.
Fast Forward to this past Friday:
The celebration of Kateri Tekakwitha was actually the most interesting religious service I have ever been to. The service was held because they are hoping to secure the position of sainthood for the Blessed Kateri. The mass itself was also pretty cool. It was a blend of Catholic and Native American traditions. It was a very interesting experience. More about that later.
Things I am Learning About Myself:
1) I thought that I was a really open-minded person, devoid of prejudices. When I was little, I could never understand how people could ever judge one another based off skin color. And while I still can't understand how people can discriminate against people of different, I'm realizing that I have certain prejudices of my own. I caught myself judging the content of someone's thoughts based on how they were presented. In other words, I found myself impatient with people that speak with certain accents or inflections. When people end their sentences on a high note, as if they were asking a question, I find myself being dismissive. This is an undesirable trait in myself, and now that I am aware of its existence, I'll try to get rid of it.
2) I might not get along with everyone I work with, or their personalities may grate against my nerves. However, I have to just swallow my pride and continue to work with them. Things need to get done, and whether or not I like someone on a personal level I don't need to show it. I also don't need them to ever know I find them annoying. Attitude and carefully chosen words is the key to diplomacy.
3) It is important to have some division between labor and play. I've been down here, and I work every single day. Yesterday was my first day off in two weeks, because the concept of weekends don't exist at Blair Grocery. Things still need to be grown, and it's not like the sunflowers are going to pause their growth until Monday. Every conversation I've had with people has been centered around Blair Grocery. It's either about the school, my frustrations with the school, the people at the school, or the neighborhood the school is in. I have no life outside of this sphere, and while it's ok for a while, I don't understand how people can do this for life.
4) Authentic Diversity: Being a diverse organization isn't based off of some abstract checklist, making sure that every ethnicity is collected so that they can be considered represented. Diversity is DIFFERENT life experiences.
5) How am I going to take this experience away with me? How can I be sure to hold onto everything I've learned, and keep in mind all the experiences that have touched me?
6) The incongruity of the lives of the volunteers, and the people that they are trying to help. The other day, I saw a pile of at least 4 MacBooks stacked on top of one another. I found that picture to be obscene. Here on a beat up, old-ass couch in the Lower 9th Ward is a STACK of MacBooks....what the hell?
Friday, July 2, 2010
Day Six: Sorry my entries have been long and boring, time for a change of pace?
Instead of writing an extensive entry on various programs, I would like to share some thoughts that are just constantly floating around in my mind.
Thought 1: Listening to the people here talk about their experiences on the ride from the airport to the site is shocking because they are strikingly similar to my own. I was talking to one of my friends that mentioned experiencing less of a culture shock returning from India and arriving in New Orleans, than from leaving New Orleans and travelling to another part of the United States. That says something, most specifically it says, “New Orleans reminds me of a country is sometimes referred to as a third world country.”
Reread that last sentence. New Orleans, part of the last remaining superpower in the world, is on par with third world countries.
Thought 2: I’m living on a commune. In this place I get the sense that there is some kind of energy that is just moving this place forward; there is no hesitation, strike out forward and never stay still. I’m getting the feeling that I’m dealing with people that are changing the world. Even if it seems like this school is just helping out one neighborhood, it’s doing so much more. The vibe here reminds me of what I have heard of the freedom summer, of social revolutions. There are people just showing up and doing what they can, and living in a communal space. Crap, have I turned into a hippie? No……..maybe?
Thought 3: Sprouts are so much more than they appear to be. Over the past couple days, I’ve felt lost and a little frustrated, because I was just doing manual labor and not being an intellectual and finding some solutions. But now I’ve come to realize that everything I do here is a part of the education, and process of understanding the neighborhood and the school. In order to plant the sprouts, composed is used. In order to gain compost, local stores must bring over their expired goods. To do that, people must connect. And so on, and so forth…
Thought 4: These groups have the potential to be great, and to do great things. I just feel like there are a lot of ideas, and not enough attention to detail. Records need to be kept a lot more closely, and tighter organization of human resources would be so much more efficient. Someone needs to just bite down and do it. By organization and structure, I mean running YCCA and NY2NO much more like a group like Frost Valley, a summer camp with which I have had a number of positive experiences. The people that execute these programs need to be on the same page, and put up a united front if they wish to solidify important things in people’s minds.
Thought 5: If I stay here, I will keep thinking in ways that I have not previously. The mission of Blair Grocery is supposed to come first, but I can’t help but be excited by the changes that I perceive possible.
Thought 1: Listening to the people here talk about their experiences on the ride from the airport to the site is shocking because they are strikingly similar to my own. I was talking to one of my friends that mentioned experiencing less of a culture shock returning from India and arriving in New Orleans, than from leaving New Orleans and travelling to another part of the United States. That says something, most specifically it says, “New Orleans reminds me of a country is sometimes referred to as a third world country.”
Reread that last sentence. New Orleans, part of the last remaining superpower in the world, is on par with third world countries.
Thought 2: I’m living on a commune. In this place I get the sense that there is some kind of energy that is just moving this place forward; there is no hesitation, strike out forward and never stay still. I’m getting the feeling that I’m dealing with people that are changing the world. Even if it seems like this school is just helping out one neighborhood, it’s doing so much more. The vibe here reminds me of what I have heard of the freedom summer, of social revolutions. There are people just showing up and doing what they can, and living in a communal space. Crap, have I turned into a hippie? No……..maybe?
Thought 3: Sprouts are so much more than they appear to be. Over the past couple days, I’ve felt lost and a little frustrated, because I was just doing manual labor and not being an intellectual and finding some solutions. But now I’ve come to realize that everything I do here is a part of the education, and process of understanding the neighborhood and the school. In order to plant the sprouts, composed is used. In order to gain compost, local stores must bring over their expired goods. To do that, people must connect. And so on, and so forth…
Thought 4: These groups have the potential to be great, and to do great things. I just feel like there are a lot of ideas, and not enough attention to detail. Records need to be kept a lot more closely, and tighter organization of human resources would be so much more efficient. Someone needs to just bite down and do it. By organization and structure, I mean running YCCA and NY2NO much more like a group like Frost Valley, a summer camp with which I have had a number of positive experiences. The people that execute these programs need to be on the same page, and put up a united front if they wish to solidify important things in people’s minds.
Thought 5: If I stay here, I will keep thinking in ways that I have not previously. The mission of Blair Grocery is supposed to come first, but I can’t help but be excited by the changes that I perceive possible.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Day Five: Why am I here and do I belong here?
I need to rewind, because I've gotten too far ahead of myself; I have talked about my experiences here, and who OSBG is partners with, but I don't think that I've even begun to touch on the complex relationship between OSBG and NY2NO or YCCA. More importantly, while I detailed the structure and layout of the property, I don't think (as I look back over my past entries) I've mentioned the mission of OSBG, or how it is striving to accomplish that.
From what I can understand, OSBG was started by a Carleton Graduate by the name of Nate Turner. He came down to NO shortly after the hurricane to provide aid, but pretty soon decided that he was going to completely uproot himself and devote himself to starting up some way to help the community of the Lower 9th Ward. Around here, Turner appears to be something of a mythical figure. He is the idea man, and he gets the ball rolling at incredible speeds, yet my interactions with him have been fairly brief, and all I truly know of him almost seems legendary. Apparently, he came down here, with nothing except $50 and a used bathtub. And now, he has an entire school, staff, and throngs of people that think what he says and his vision is incredibly valuable.
From what I can gather, OSBG is a million different things at one point in time. First and foremost, it is a school and a grocery store. But with those two things comes a whole lot more that wasn't readily apparent to me. As I've come to understand it, this place is a very important place for young men. At it's best, there are about 15 young men that are enrolled in this school. Without this school, they would most likely not be receiving any sort of education, formal or otherwise. This school is an institution in the community that is meant to provide some measure of stability in a community that may have very little of it. It is a "safe space", a space where people don't have to be worried about being dismissed or disrespected, and can speak their minds and discuss issues pertinent to them. To learn more about OSBG, check out their blog:
http://schoolatblairgrocery.blogspot.com/
This place is also about educating them in social justice, food security, community building, and urban farming-all subjects that are directed towards helping L9 to become stable once again and then self-sustaining. I'll return to this idea of self-sustainability in just a moment. But for now I'd like to talk a little bit about the relationship that OSBG has to NY2NO or YCCA.
Essentially, both of these organizations bring people, primarily from NY and Philly down to New Orleans to provide service. It differs from a number of volunteer organizations that come to mind for several reasons. IN my mind, this difference is in how they approach the service work and learning down here. This trip is not only about 'helping the people of New Orleans', but is about gaining some of the necessary tools to start up or contribute to projects that will help out their own neighborhoods. "Yea, coming down here to help out is certainly a good thing to do, but don't think that work in community building is limited to your time down here," is how someone connected to YCCA pitched it to me.
NY2NO is a program that was created and founded by teens in high school. They are officially recognized as a non-profit organization, and you can check them out a little bit more from their website:
http://www.ny2no.com/
YCCA is similar to NY2NO, but it targets college age students, and it is in some ways managed by the alums of NY2NO. Currently, YCCA and NY2NO are staying and working at OSBG. I didn't realize that these organizations were closely affiliated to OSBG, and some of the initial connection was between Turner and some his former students. You can check out YCCA's site at this link:
http://www.youthcoalition.webs.com/
I think that all three of these organizations, OSBG, NY2NO, and YCCA are all pointed in the right direction. The great thing is that they are all relatively young, and have a lot of room to change and develop. I'm impressed by many aspects of the groups (a combo of high school and college students) that have come down here, but there are certainly aspects of the programs that need a little bit of work.
I have to say, that thus far, I have been made aware of so many social issues that I didn't even realize existed. In some ways, these past five days has given me more food for thought than I had hoped to gain. Being from the east coast, I've heard and made my fair share of jokes regarding the South. But now I'm realizing that there is a greater degree of truth to these jokes. Now, instead of feeling like the south is something to be made fun of, I'm incredibly saddened. For example, I was once sitting with two of my friends, one being from the south and the other from NY. The one from the south read something from an article in the newspaper, and my friend from new york said something to the effect of,"I didn't know southerners could read." Here's the sad part: Louisiana public school system seems to be erratic, and can be incredibly unfair. In some instances, it doesn't take the time necessary to work with students and get them to a point where they will be successful, or achieve a higher degree of education. Instead of holding a student behind to repeat a grade, they just move them along, to graduate as many students as possible. Thus, the overall literacy rates in Louisiana are abysmally low. The following link reports on the literacy in the state of Louisiana.
nces.ed.gov/naal/pdf/state_summaries/Louisiana.pdf
I have always been taught, and have always felt that skin color shouldn't dictate the way that people are treated or mistreated. I'm not sure if I consciously did this or not, but I have always ignored skin color. I am more than happy to hear about people's different walks of life, but I don't seek friends out based on what they look like. This isn't to say that I was in a haze of delirium, thinking that all people were treated equally, but I tried to make it as little of an issue as possible. Again, I am not saying that I was never aware of any issues regarding prejudice or racial issues withing my own school or town, because I witnessed their existence. I'm also not saying that I was trying to get people to be silent, or oppress them. In most instance I just felt that race was second place, if it took a place at all, to being a human being.
Coming down here has forced me to reconsider that position. In one of the workshops run by NY2NO and NYCCA, discussed race, and how it played into the work that was going on down here. Some people felt a bit paralyzed, as if they, as upper-class white people, had not place being down here and trying to help out the residents of L9. One girl, felt torn between her two cultures and was enraged at the inequality of the situation in L9, and discovered some hatred for white people, which was a part of her blood. Some people claimed that the black Americans have "fallen asleep" and debate rose as to whether or not Obama wasn't actually a black man, in that he reflected the experiences of black Americans.
To me, this was making me question what WOULD adequately reflect those experiences. It also made me wonder if I were a little bit deflective or just way to damn earnest for thinking that it was a good thing for me to have come down here. One question, that is continuously addressed, is whether or not this project will have any modicum of success if it is to be continuously dominated by white people that aren't from New Orleans. Is it alright if people that don't share any of these common experiences bust in on the scene and start telling people what they need to do to build the community back up. I hadn't experienced the paralysis of "should I even be here", but much like a mosquito bite, once I was aware of it's presence it began to itch like crazy. Maybe the reason that I've never really paid attention to race is because as a person of mixed decent I don't really strongly identify with a particular group of people. I might love the culture afforded to me by part of my descent, but I've never really felt a part of that ethnic group.
I'm not really sure how to express what I'm feeling; however, I did want to write these things down before they melted into an indecipherable lump of conscious thoughts.
From what I can understand, OSBG was started by a Carleton Graduate by the name of Nate Turner. He came down to NO shortly after the hurricane to provide aid, but pretty soon decided that he was going to completely uproot himself and devote himself to starting up some way to help the community of the Lower 9th Ward. Around here, Turner appears to be something of a mythical figure. He is the idea man, and he gets the ball rolling at incredible speeds, yet my interactions with him have been fairly brief, and all I truly know of him almost seems legendary. Apparently, he came down here, with nothing except $50 and a used bathtub. And now, he has an entire school, staff, and throngs of people that think what he says and his vision is incredibly valuable.
From what I can gather, OSBG is a million different things at one point in time. First and foremost, it is a school and a grocery store. But with those two things comes a whole lot more that wasn't readily apparent to me. As I've come to understand it, this place is a very important place for young men. At it's best, there are about 15 young men that are enrolled in this school. Without this school, they would most likely not be receiving any sort of education, formal or otherwise. This school is an institution in the community that is meant to provide some measure of stability in a community that may have very little of it. It is a "safe space", a space where people don't have to be worried about being dismissed or disrespected, and can speak their minds and discuss issues pertinent to them. To learn more about OSBG, check out their blog:
http://schoolatblairgrocery.blogspot.com/
This place is also about educating them in social justice, food security, community building, and urban farming-all subjects that are directed towards helping L9 to become stable once again and then self-sustaining. I'll return to this idea of self-sustainability in just a moment. But for now I'd like to talk a little bit about the relationship that OSBG has to NY2NO or YCCA.
Essentially, both of these organizations bring people, primarily from NY and Philly down to New Orleans to provide service. It differs from a number of volunteer organizations that come to mind for several reasons. IN my mind, this difference is in how they approach the service work and learning down here. This trip is not only about 'helping the people of New Orleans', but is about gaining some of the necessary tools to start up or contribute to projects that will help out their own neighborhoods. "Yea, coming down here to help out is certainly a good thing to do, but don't think that work in community building is limited to your time down here," is how someone connected to YCCA pitched it to me.
NY2NO is a program that was created and founded by teens in high school. They are officially recognized as a non-profit organization, and you can check them out a little bit more from their website:
http://www.ny2no.com/
YCCA is similar to NY2NO, but it targets college age students, and it is in some ways managed by the alums of NY2NO. Currently, YCCA and NY2NO are staying and working at OSBG. I didn't realize that these organizations were closely affiliated to OSBG, and some of the initial connection was between Turner and some his former students. You can check out YCCA's site at this link:
http://www.youthcoalition.webs.com/
I think that all three of these organizations, OSBG, NY2NO, and YCCA are all pointed in the right direction. The great thing is that they are all relatively young, and have a lot of room to change and develop. I'm impressed by many aspects of the groups (a combo of high school and college students) that have come down here, but there are certainly aspects of the programs that need a little bit of work.
I have to say, that thus far, I have been made aware of so many social issues that I didn't even realize existed. In some ways, these past five days has given me more food for thought than I had hoped to gain. Being from the east coast, I've heard and made my fair share of jokes regarding the South. But now I'm realizing that there is a greater degree of truth to these jokes. Now, instead of feeling like the south is something to be made fun of, I'm incredibly saddened. For example, I was once sitting with two of my friends, one being from the south and the other from NY. The one from the south read something from an article in the newspaper, and my friend from new york said something to the effect of,"I didn't know southerners could read." Here's the sad part: Louisiana public school system seems to be erratic, and can be incredibly unfair. In some instances, it doesn't take the time necessary to work with students and get them to a point where they will be successful, or achieve a higher degree of education. Instead of holding a student behind to repeat a grade, they just move them along, to graduate as many students as possible. Thus, the overall literacy rates in Louisiana are abysmally low. The following link reports on the literacy in the state of Louisiana.
nces.ed.gov/naal/pdf/state_summaries/Louisiana.pdf
I have always been taught, and have always felt that skin color shouldn't dictate the way that people are treated or mistreated. I'm not sure if I consciously did this or not, but I have always ignored skin color. I am more than happy to hear about people's different walks of life, but I don't seek friends out based on what they look like. This isn't to say that I was in a haze of delirium, thinking that all people were treated equally, but I tried to make it as little of an issue as possible. Again, I am not saying that I was never aware of any issues regarding prejudice or racial issues withing my own school or town, because I witnessed their existence. I'm also not saying that I was trying to get people to be silent, or oppress them. In most instance I just felt that race was second place, if it took a place at all, to being a human being.
Coming down here has forced me to reconsider that position. In one of the workshops run by NY2NO and NYCCA, discussed race, and how it played into the work that was going on down here. Some people felt a bit paralyzed, as if they, as upper-class white people, had not place being down here and trying to help out the residents of L9. One girl, felt torn between her two cultures and was enraged at the inequality of the situation in L9, and discovered some hatred for white people, which was a part of her blood. Some people claimed that the black Americans have "fallen asleep" and debate rose as to whether or not Obama wasn't actually a black man, in that he reflected the experiences of black Americans.
To me, this was making me question what WOULD adequately reflect those experiences. It also made me wonder if I were a little bit deflective or just way to damn earnest for thinking that it was a good thing for me to have come down here. One question, that is continuously addressed, is whether or not this project will have any modicum of success if it is to be continuously dominated by white people that aren't from New Orleans. Is it alright if people that don't share any of these common experiences bust in on the scene and start telling people what they need to do to build the community back up. I hadn't experienced the paralysis of "should I even be here", but much like a mosquito bite, once I was aware of it's presence it began to itch like crazy. Maybe the reason that I've never really paid attention to race is because as a person of mixed decent I don't really strongly identify with a particular group of people. I might love the culture afforded to me by part of my descent, but I've never really felt a part of that ethnic group.
I'm not really sure how to express what I'm feeling; however, I did want to write these things down before they melted into an indecipherable lump of conscious thoughts.
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