Reflections a week after Mardi Gras

I'm in the process of recovering from an upper respiratory infection that had me out with a high fever for days. I'm staying at my friend Georgia's house as she has a guest room where I can rest in quiet. I'm feeling much better and anxious to get back to the library. I'm pretty much caught up on television-there was a Law & Order marathon which was really fun to watch. At the bunkhouse there is only a TV in the upstairs lounge, usually occupied by dudes playing video games and it is also a filthy room. I hadn't seen the news in a long time though I don't think I've missed any news. It seems be playing the same days news from last December. Like a soap opera.

On the last day of school prior to Mardi Gras I received an invite to the Zulu Ball. I was talking to one of the teachers about Mardi Gras and she asked if I had been invited to any of the balls. I said no and she asked if I would like an invite to Zulu. You can only go by invitation so I felt like Cinderella. I had one day to find a good but cheap gown and all the trimmings. My friends all helped and while I felt a little ackward at the ball, being solo and not knowing anyone....it was still an amazing experience. Keith Sweat and Donny Hathaway?? or someone like him...drawing a blank at the moment....sang at the ball. I was asked to dance by one of the former kings-what a flirt! It was fun to dress up but I have to say I feel so much more comfortable in a pair of jeans.
Marid Gras day was amazing. All the parades and celebrations leading up to it paled in comparison. The pictures I sent to friends did not do it justice as all these pictures were taken before the parade began. Stupid new camera!!...silly me not bothering to read the manual!!!
The best part was Mardi Gras night. I didn't go to the French Quarter to see the whole "girls gone wild" stuff you see on MTV. I went to Frenchman Street. It's a small street with ten or so clubs on it-mostly jazz and blues. Music and people were poring out of each crevice-dixieland, Latin and brass band funk. I went to Cafe Brazil where Soul Rebels played. You COULD NOT NOT DANCE. Impossible. Nearly everyone was in costume and strangely I was not.

The next day I spent resting, doing laundry and helping my bunk mates clean up the rooms. I was glad that the mardi gras days were over. It was time to get back to the tasks at hand. I had a busy day at the library on Thursday-several kids brought books back in, checked new ones out-asked about their research projects and I helped a few (don't laugh Nelson-ha ha) with their math homework. Yes, I can help with 4th grade math! I asked the kids if they got lots of mardi gras beads and they said yes they did and some of them sold their good ones. Sad, I guess. It is hard to conceive how poor these kids are. I don't think they know how poor they are. Apparently you can sell your beads though they are so cheap to begin with-they must mean the collector beads.

So I came down with an upper respiratory infection-had a fever of 104 for 2 days before it came down. I had to go to ER as my throat and face were in so much pain. When I got there at 7am Saturday morning there were many other adults with the exact symptoms as I had. One man next to me was weeping in between coughing. Another woman was wailing. It was a mess. Apparently this infection is spreading rapidly around NO so I'm glad I've been shut away at Georgia's house. My temp is normal now and I feel nearly all well but will wait a day or two more before heading back. Meanwhile I'm working on my "personal statement" for an application I'm doing for Teach Nola. A program for getting teaching certification here in New Orleans that is fast and puts you to work right away. Oh, yeah. I'm thinking very seriously about living here for a while. Can't afford to be a volunteer forever but I still want to do something that will satisfy that do-gooder part of me. Smile. If only it was that simple I would just put money in parking meters. I need a job and strangely enough I like kids (other than my own!) surprise surprise.