It's hard to describe how Lafayette has changed since Katrina. I don't think anyone can really understand the immensity of the exodus that has taken place out of the New Orleans area. Lafayette was a city of about a hundred thousand, maybe a hundred and twenty thousand. Now we are housing tens of thousands of homeless. There are regular evacuees too, most of whom are here to stay. How many people is that, in total? Thirty thousand? Forty? Fifty? More? The traffic we have now is insane.
Yesterday the company I work for made a delivery, and I went along to help because we needed extra manpower for the job, which was to install a fountain in the courtyard of an apartment complex. As we worked, I saw a mother with two young boys sitting in an open doorway, the apartment behind them empty. She looked lost. My boss gave them a hearty Cajun welcome and asked if they were in the process of moving in. She nodded, and he inquired where they were from. "New Orleans," she replied, with a catch in her voice. Only, it was obvious that they had nothing to "move in" but themselves.
I wondered what their lives have been like the last few days. Here they had nothing, but moving into a completely bare apartment was a step up. They were freshly bathed, and probably relieved to be clean. Before we left, her husband returned bearing three small shopping bags. My boss asked if he had a job, and he did, so they are better off than a lot of the other refugees (or, as the press has been calling them the last few days, "evacuees"). The boys were named Walker and John. They didn't seem to have a care in the world - they were having a good ol' time playing catch with a tennis ball. All in this family of four were exceptionally thin.
A couple of nights ago I was tucking Havilah into bed and she started telling me about school. (She refuses to talk about it most of the time. She's crafty - she knows I want to know, so she saves everything until bedtime so I'll stay up with her just a little longer. Of course, I let her get away with it every time!) Anyway, she informed me that she has a new classmate.
"Her name is Kazsawon," she said. (I'm guessing at the spelling. It sounded like 'Ka-zsa-one'. 'Zsa' like Zsa Zsa Gabor, and 'one' like the number.)
"That's a beautiful name," I said, and she nodded. "Do you like her?" She nodded emphatically.
"I think her real name is Kazsa, and the 'won' is because she's the only ONE with that name. Because I think that my teacher said she's never heard that name before and it's a lovely name she said, so I think that's really her name is Kazsa, for Kazsawon because she's the only ONE with that name," she explained. Isn't she cute when she's stalling? (I thought, "Huh. Maybe they should call her 'Havilah-one' at school") She really does enjoy herself at school. When she finally spills the beans, she's so enthusiastic.
Havilah's elementary school has taken on forty extra students since the disaster.
Don't worry, snaars fans, the slow posting is temporary. I'm working on several more. No promises, but check here again Sunday evening.
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I was sent this email at work today that offered me 32 dollars and hour to assist with the cleanup operation in New Orleans. They needed "strong young men" to help them rebuilt New Orleans. It was sent by the local Baptist Church.
The controller at my workplace was also talking about several relief organizations that are working with the local homeless shelters getting people down there to assist.
I am pleased that there seem to be organizations that are working to build new orleans again. I hear there is an Ophelia that may follow Katrina's course. I sure as hell hope it doesn't cause any more devastation. That would be the last thing new orleans needs. Oh well.
Lafayette has such horrible roadsystems to begin with, i bet the traffic has to make day to day living unbearable.
Keep me posted on the developments for Lafayette. The phone systems have been horrible down there.
Hi Arglor. I'm also gladthat N.O. will be rebuilt. But it will take so long, I think the majority of former residents will not make the trip back because they will have resettled and reestablished their lives elsewhere.
Thursday afternoon, it took me forty minutes to drive on Johnston from South College to Ambassador. It was bumper-to bumper the whole way.
The phones have been terrible. I have been able to make calls westward - California, for instance, is no problem. But most of my calls east or north do not go through - I get an "all circuits are busy now" message. "800" numbers also do not work for us at all. I can't even call Texas if it's an "800" number.
If you take that job and come down here for relief efforts, we could get together. But not for long. My parents offered to help us financially with the move, so we revised our plans. We will be moving north in mid-October.
uhm heh... taking that job is not even close to being possible. heh.. no 32 dollars an hour isn't enough to move all the way down there and begin doing manual labor...
Snaars:
I really appreciate your personal account of the fallout from Hurricane Katrina.
This disaster is mind-boggling on several fronts: the sheer number of people killed or displaced; the length of time it will take to rebuild New Orleans so that former residents have the option of returning there; and the tragic incompetence of the governmental response to the disaster (referring here to every level of government).
Q
Arglor, for $32/hr you could sub-contract the labor out (heheh). Just take twenty and pay some poor schlub twelve (still not a bad wage around here)!
Q,
I've been following your recent entries regarding the disaster, and they have been good. I'm glad you've brought the information to your readership. I just haven't had the heart to comment.
Mary P.,
My boss can be a nice guy. He loves to talk to people. His asking whether the man had a job should not be construed as an offer, though. He is much more generous with his time than with his money. It wouldn't surprise me at all, were he to assist someone in finding a job with some other company.
Oh my god. Bad parent alert! bad parent alert! I'm sure they know about the disaster, but no, we haven't discussed it with them. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I should have thought of this a long time ago. Tonight I'll talk to Michelle and we'll decide what we should do.
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