Monday, First day of work

Yesterday as I was getting into New Orleans I was so excite to finally be here. Excited to meet new people, work hard & share my experiences with all of you.

As I drove into the neighborhood I would be working in saw many vacant houses and very run down houses that people where living in. I was never here before so I can't know what the condition was before Katrina, but there are some houses you know are like that because of the disaster.

I arrived at the volunteer house yesterday about 3:30pm and there wasn't anyone around. The one guy that was there showed me my choice of 2 bedrooms. I took the one that only had one other person in it. The rooms are suppose to hold 8 and I knew they would be small but dang! LOL Most of the mattress are blow up, thankfully the house wasn't full so I could get a regular one. I packed my 5 weeks worth of clothes in a bin but since it won't fit under my bed I have to keep it in the Xterra and go out everynight and bring in what I need for the next day. My computer case and camera gear is safetly locked to my bed tho so at least I dont have to worry about them.

As more people came into the house I found out the others were all hung over from the night before. The guy who runs the place was still passed out from it. So that didn't make a first good impression. When he finally wakes up he walks in the main room and just looks at me like who are you. I introduced myself and he said I tried to call you yesterday and walks away. Nice, second impression was as good as the first. The rest of the crew was not very friendly either.

A little while later a few of the crew leaders leave to watch the Celtics game. An hour and a half later the guy who runs the place texted someone who didn't go and let him know that they would be needing a ride home.

Meantime, back at the house, there was drama going on! LOL A lady, who I think has been in the house for about a week, was letting everyone know that he and one of the crew leaders have been 'together" for the last 2 days and now he just left to go "lay" with someone else. OMG! Is she serious right now. Sex, alcohol and volunteering... I didn't realize. Buy this time I was so disappointed in this place all I could do is laugh, and I mean cracking up laughing! Just then the same lady said "oh, a roach" and smashes something. I just held my head and laughed more, wondering how I get myself into these situations! I was just hoping for a good work week and that I would meet some people in the neighborhood.

Woke up the next day at 5:55 and laid there looking at the ceiling wondering what the strange sounds I heard on the other end of the room during the night! LOL Got up, showered and got ready to work.

I was assigned electrical work, in what turned out to the be hottest house the organization was working in today. We worked with a lady electician who's been one for 32 years.

I worked on wiring electrical boxes and testing wires. It was so hot in there sweat was dripping off me when I was just sitting on a stool tapping the outlet boxes! The roof was not vented yet so the heat just built up with no where to go. I was daydreaming about snow! I made it thru tho and it was good to see the rooms get finished one by one. Margie, the electrician, would not believe me when I said I never did this kind of work before. LOL She asked me three times and after the third no, she looked at another volunteer and said "she's BSing me, look how she just thread thru those corner holes. She mentioned I might want to go to school for it because I am good at it.

The house we worked on was owned by the sister of George, the man we were working beside. This is a picture of him sitting on the steps of his Mom's house, which is next to his sister.

George didn't leave during the hurricane, he stayed in his house. The water was 9 feet deep and took 3 weeks to recede. After four days the police came buy and George told them he didn't have any food. They said "you should have planned better", he said "I didn't know", they said "well you know now, you idiot, we'll be back in a few days with food." George did get out and went to stay with family in Baton Rouge. He came back shortly after the water receded and said the smell was so bad he couldn't stay. There were so many dead things and they were rotting.  He came back to crooks with guns trying to rob him and people looting house that had a second story. Gators had washed up into the neighborhood and were eating the dogs.

What hit me the most was when George said, "I was in Vietnam and the conditions there were more humane then they were here after the hurricane." He also talked about the treatment and lack of help the neighborhood received. He said it was no longer about race but about status and class. He said the black neighborhoods that had money received help, but the ones that don't have the money didn't.

George and people like him are the reason I am here. Unfortunately, I will no longer be staying for 5 weeks, just this one.