neither Here nor There

News about New Orleans has been trickling in to the farm. Please don't assume I know what's going on, no matter how huge the news might be; everything takes its time getting to me here. I had hoped that that would be a charming aspect of life here, but, in this case, I just feel torn between two worlds. I check the NYTimes headlines as often as I can (yeah, twice now), and some of the interns have picked up English newspapers as we've hit bigger cities over the weekend....but I haven't heard much about/from the federal government about the whole disaster, nor do I have a feel for "the people's" response. I probably couldn't help any better there than I can here, but I feel terribly far from my country-in-need, and from an Administration that apparently needs some active criticism. Feel free to send on articles that you think I would be interested in, or are necessary in your mind; odd, I didn't miss being out of the US loop when I was in Canada, but I am right now.

Most of you know that I visited New Orleans earlier this summer, for a foodie conference of sorts. I was given a great introduction to a special city, by some really wonderful people who happily call the place home. Every few minutes for the past 7 days, I have been wondering where these people are, what they are doing in lieu of regular life...I can't shake my thoughts and questions. I've also been replaying scenes from my days there - the Garden District apartment I stayed in, the gorgeous hotel that hosted the conference, the bar I danced in, the hole in the wall where I heard a great band. Surely, these places don't even exist now, and for some, may never again. How to process this? Memories of memories.

My heartfelt condolences to the people of this city, and the unbelievable rebuilding they will face once they too are able to process this and begin to do whatever it is they will each have to do. Whew.