When I saw this four letter word written somewhere on an old clay plate hanging somewhere in some shop, It appeared quiet weird name to me. Although I ignored, but then this name just kept on striking my view again and again...and I realized that the very city I am going to stay for next 3 weeks, is known as "NOLA", New Orleans, Louisiana :)
Not sure why, but I was not much enthusiastic about coming to US . Neither had any excitement of visiting world's richest and most powerful nation for the first time. To me, any US city would have a fast pace of life with people running around for money, time....
I was proved wrong when I started knowing the city...4 years back, when Katrina devasted the infrastructure badly, it failed to uproot the spirit and culture of the people here. Rather, it seems, Katrina's after effects appeared in the form of coordinated efforts amongst the local people here to bring the city back to life. Re creating the infrastructure, establishing more and more businesses in and around the city to stop the immigration.
This city has its own culture and they've preserved it extremely well. For the first time I was enjoying Jazz so much. Wherever I go, the music follows, it just made most of us asking for more. A city where people believe in spirits, ghosts and contribute to businesses of many palmists sitting with candles in the dark around the cathederal during night. The city center has variety of places to visit. From shopping malls to Harrah's casino, from ferry rides to acquariam and zoo, from dupon cafe which opens 24X7X364 to burboan street...
The city is trying hard come out of the tragic happenings of 2005. I somehow found myself comparing this city with our own Mumbai, which we say, has overcome many odds and came out strongly everytime it was hit upon.
Overall, this place is unique in terms of its culture, people, music and history...A place which is not a typical US city ... The warmth of the people just impressed me..!! I hope i'll be able to explore some more interesting facts about this place in the coming days..!
Till then...Keep watching the space..!!
Take care
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