NOLA New Orleans LA

NEW ORLEANS IS THE PARIS OF AMERICA.  It was first settled by French colonists in 1718.  It became a camping ground for Houma Indians, Jeane Baptiste Le Moyne, and Sieur de Bienville.  Nouvelle Orleans was named after the Duke of Orleans.  Louisiana was ceded to Spain and waved of migration followed when it became part of the United States.  During the 1800's most of the newcomers were Germans, Italians and Irish.  Four flags of France, Spain, the Confederate States and the United States have flown over the city.  The current Mayor Ray Nagin said Mexicans have invaded the city after the hurricane and at his Martin Luther King Day speech spoke of an all "Chocolate" population of the devastated city.  There were many blacks before being part of American slave territory.

St. Louis Cathedral faces Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter sandwiched on either side by the Cabildo where the historic signing of Louisiana Purchase in 1803 took place and the Presbytere.  The church was built in 1718, rebuilt in1727 and destroyed in the great fire of 1788.  A new one was built in 1794.  St. Louis is the Patron Saint of New Orleans.

The block-long Pontalba building facing Jackson Square is the first American apartment houses 

New Orleans is called the Paris of America because of the French Quarter with its old world architecture of lacy iron grillwork and wrought-iron balconies; foreign street name - Royal, Bourbon, Chartres, Conti, umine and St. Louis.

The first steamboat, New Orleans, navigated Ohio and Mississippi Rivers in 1812

The best place for good hot coffee and delicious beignets is at Cafe du Monde.

New Orleans is situated on the great Mississippi River making it an important seaport and a busy commercial center.  The Huey Long Bridge spans the Mississippi River.  The awesome 24-mile long causeway over Lake Pontchartrain known as New Orleans Expressway opened in 1956.  I had an amazing ride along the bridge.

In the past, New Orleans has been all but ruined by floods and epidemic of yellow fever.  But it has always survived.  The Reconstruction years (1865-1877) were hard ones for the people of New Orleans.  It's been more than 4 months since Hurricane Katrina destroyed almost all of the charming city except the French Quarter.  It may take some time but there is no doubt it will be newer and better again. On my visit that followed since the first, the historic Hotel Montileone still stand today. 

JAX Brewery

Louis Armstrong Park in honor of the great jazz artist.  On my first visit, I went to see the jazzman Pete Fountain at the Hilton and dozed off in the middle of the show.  I must be tired because I went on a fabulous steamboat cruise, stopped in an island and have lunch and beside it was already past midnight.

My favorite of the great singing voice that ever came out of New Orleans is the Grammy Award winning singer Aaron Neville.  His vocal style, soulful and deep, is truly unique and different in a most beautiful sound you ever heard.  I have most of his CDs.  My friends just admire his singing everytime I play it in my car.  Video:
http://youtu.be/M7v55GlqriA

In the cemeteries, the dead were placed in tombs above the ground because the city is built on lower ground than the normal level of Mississippi River.  The Chalmette Cemetery is located near the historic battlefield where the Battle of New Orleans was fought by General Andrew Jackson and defeated the British on January 8, 1812.

Recycled Web Page: Fil-American Traveler

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Previous Publication  9/7/05  ALT MSN Groups
Web Page: New Orleans
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NOLA (New Orleans,
Louisiana) and the surrounding states of Alabama and Mississippi are like
war zones of the wet kind of chaos and disaster. 

I was on the phone talking with family
members yesterday.  'Manong' said why all these things (9/11 and Hurricane
Katrina etcetera) are happening under the watch of President Bush.  I
answered and I really and truly believe this that it's all God's master plan for
him, to be his glory and destiny. The Master Creator testing him. 
These lessons were particularly assigned to him now, right now, and were not
given before to any other former presidents and future political leaders
because God knows they would not be able to handle these problems. Only our
beloved President Bush can make it right and do right.  God knows he
can handle anything as man can only handle things - through trials and
errors.  And for us followers, always expect the unexpected for we know not
the hour and the time.  Love thy neighbor.

As a Foreign Born Observer and a proud
American citizen. I'm not concern what other country think of US.  Having
been born on the other side this is my plain observation - to more than half of
the world population, New Orleans is but a small spot on earth that experienced
a catastrophe.  Countries like Japan (it just evacuated 21,000 people from
a powerful hurricane the other day), China and South Asia had lived
through typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis -  constantly, They
have a problem of their own to think and worry about US - they are more
than dirt poor, hungry, and they don't receive monthly welfare check coming from
the Federal Government ('Entitlement").  Sometimes they are beyond
hope.  "Living paycheck to paycheck" is not in their vocabulary.  Poor
people in America don't realize that they are really lucky.

I heard it repeated so many times on the
radio and television -"This cannot be happening in America!" - about the
human suffering, degradation and lost of pride.  Here's my
observation: The new generations of Americans are so spoiled with easy
living, richness and modern conveniences they have forgotten how to endure
trials and tribulations.  I was quite surprise but not really when I heard
200 New Orleans policemen quit and 2 committed suicide - the ultimate despair.
They have failed the big test and have reached the limit of human
endurance.  And what's with the looters?  When UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan was interviewed, he made a comment the people from other town came
and helped tsunami victims.  In other words - there was no looting. 
There was no shooting at helicopters and relief workers.  I'm curious to
know what kind and who are these people?  The mainstream media who's so
good in cover-up did not show the pictures of the shooters that were killed by
law enforcers.  They have not shown the 200 school buses in flooded waters
until today when radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh www.rushlimbaugh.com  www.wlsam.com
questioned he has not seen them being shown on television.

I have great confidence with no doubt at
all that New Orleans will rise like the phoenix, a mythological Egyptian
bird that after 500 years consumed itself by fire and rose renewed from its
ashes.  With its own towns people, many volunteers and
combined $50.2 billion help from the Federal Government, the unique and
historic city will be preserved, cleaned up and rebuilt good as new. 
Relatives and friends know me as the eternal and ultimate
optimist.   I'm hoping  few years from now I would be back
in New Orleans partying 'til morning at Pat O'Brien's (I still have my
souvenir glass beer), taking a photo of the majestic St. Louis Cathedral, eating
crawfish and the best yummy peach ice cream, shopping at the JAX, cruising along
the Mississippi River and having barbecue lunch in a small island stop with
fellow boat passengers. 

When those days of sweet memories come back,
everyone will celebrate good times and living in the Big Easy.

To everything there is a season under
heaven.

- Ecclesiastes

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