Sep 4, 2007

three snapshots

It's easy to get down on New Orleans, (especially in September, especially in 2007),
so it's good to remember the good sometimes:


Today:
On my way to work, an army of angry geese rushes to the water. The ducks and swans are already in. A flock of wild parrots flies up to their palm tree nests. On the way back, Vietnamese women squat in the neutral ground, shaded by coolie hats, weeding the monkey grass as if it were a rice paddy.
In the afternoon the Hare Krishna families from their Victorian Swiss Chalet home on Esplanade, all in saffron robes, are walking along the bayou, passing the lesbians walking their dogs.

At Hanukkah time:
A menorah-mobile weaves through the Uptown streets, blaring Jewish folk songs. It is a small compact car, with a full scale electrified menorah on the roof. Passing Audubon park, a group of Tibetan monks in full regalia are walking, as if escapees from Lost Horizon. A bit further on, they pass two very tall, chicly dressed transsexuals.

this Sunday night:
Driving home after a midnight meal, we spot two boys bouncing blithely through the Marigny streets in nothing more than very tight white underwear. Coming up from the river bank is an older man with hair hanging to his back, wearing a short jacket... and nothing else. On Elysian Fields are two midgets, both in perfectly ordinary clothes.
On the way home, a middle aged woman is riding a long haired pony down the streetcar rails of St. Charles Avenue.
It is 1:30 AM.



The best part of all, however, is that I could probably think of a hundred more such sights if I tried.

6 comments:

mrpeenee said...

you are the most vivid pipeline to the old country I've ever run across. That's a compliment.

Angel with a crooked halo said...

thanks for the comment! right now i am thanking my lucky stars to have such a loser boss and b.s. job- as i have become a mad addict of your blog and have spent the morning enjoying your posts! glad im not the only one with a dating history that would scare all but the pure of heart hehe!

Miss Janey said...

Miss Janey LOVES New Orleans. She wishes she'd had more than two visits before Katrina tore it apart. One day, she'll return to enjoy more of its southern splendor.

(Oh, and when she does, she'll need a tour guide, Jason!)

Silly Monkey said...

I need to move to the city. We just don't get that kind of entertainment in Metairie. Can you see a giant menorah car driving down Veterans?

Oh, wait, I do see two big, black transsexuals/transvestites (not sure which) at the fabric stores every once in awhile. But once they get to New Orleans, they probably walk on their hands naked or something. ;)

jason said...

Thanks MrP. That's high praise indeed.

Welcome Angel! Believe me, you are not alone. ahem

Miss J: The pleasure would be mine.

And Jason: You certainly don't need to get out of the suburbs to see trannies. I see them in TJ Maxx all the time.

oyster said...

Just a really heartening post with sparkling images.

Thank you for lifting me up with this. I look forward to hearing your description of the "hundred more" sights like this.

Press on!