Now that our apartment has all arrived and settled down to some extent, I’ve really gotten to spend a good amount of time with the people that I’m living with, and I’ve really enjoyed that.
Thursday night, I went to the House of Blues with Alex and met up with a bunch of other people there. It was a Natasha Bedingfield concert. I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but I suppose it could have been an even worse singer like Britney Spears (sorry to all of you BS fans out there). I had a really fun time though because I really wanted to go to the House of Blues at some point before leaving New Orleans, and this was the perfect opportunity. Also, in fairness to Natasha, I guess there must be some reason why she is so famous, and she is a pretty decent performer. On a side note, we happened to get a glimpse into what was presumably Natasha Beddingfield’s trailer before the concert started and we saw a bunch of people playing a videogame…. It was guitar hero. (Alex and I got a kick out of that.)
On Friday, Nikhil, Alex, and I all went downtown to Preservation Hall after dinner. Preservation Hall is really what you think of when you think of New Orleans jazz. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a group made up of about 8 old men who live and breathe jazz. Settled on a side street off the main drag, the venue consists of a room that is not air-conditioned and that holds only about 50-75 people. The musicians joke around with each other and with the audience as they sing lyrics that are a combination of the original words and imaginative improvisation. You better have your cell phone turned off when you go in there, otherwise you will draw the harsh rebuke of the tenor saxophone player as one unfortunate soul did the night we were there. Also, make sure to bring plenty of money for song requests. A sign at the front of the room announces the prices: Traditional Songs--$2, Other Songs--$5, “When The Saints Go Marching In” (a true New Orleans Classic)--$10.
Saturday night the three of us (Alex, Nikhil, and I) were off to Commander’s Palace. Known as the best and most elegant restaurant in all of New Orleans, the Palace has served the likes of President Bush, President Clinton, and numerous other dignitaries and celebrities. When the waiter announced the specials for the day, he pointed out that the recipe for the Turtle Soup had been in the process of being perfected for the last nearly 130 years since the restaurant opened in 1880. The only thing I could think was WOW!
Finally, on Sunday, Alex and I walked over to see the National World War II Museum. We spent a good three hours there touring through the exhibits and still did not get a chance to see everything the museum had to offer before it closed its doors for the day.
Thinking about these great experiences I’m having now that almost everybody has arrived here in New Orleans gives me mixed feelings. Undoubtedly, I’ll remember them for a long time to come, but I’m having such a great time here that I’m starting to think about what it’s going to be like to return home in a few short weeks. I’m anxious to see friends and family, but I’ll really going to miss this great city and these great people…
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