I think it's safe to say that one of the highlights of our day was being moved out of the task of trench digging (I prefer the term mudslinging myself- haha!) and were transferred to a Habitat house around the corner where we got to paint and caulk a house that was mostly done. What a blessing! It was nice to be out of the sun. The music that another group on the site played was great, too.
We got snow cones again today from the church nearby -- I got my first one of the week today- cake flavor mixed with strawberry. It ended up being a great combination! There were two little girls who belonged to the people manning the snow cone stand- Trisha and Gariella. They are vibrant five-year-old cousins with 2,000 watt smiles and the strength and stamina of as many oxen! Grace Ann, Jessica, Slayden and I took a break in the afternoon to play with the girls, who were happy to have us be there human jungle gyms. They rode around on our backs like we were horses- "Giddy up!" We had piggy-back ride races and swung them around and upside down. We played 'Simon Says' and the 'Bubble Gum' game. We said goodbye to our two new friends and headed home, where we hosed off and waited briefly for Pete to come. He did come, key in hand- and how fortunate that we got to talk to him! We had been discussing not going to "Rock 'n' Bowl," which is great music and even better dancing, all at a famous bowling alley. We thought we would be too tired. Pete told us that he had felt that way before to, but once you get there "it's like a living Five Hour Energy," he said, referring to the energy drink. So we went. And he was right.
After a brief trip to the grocery store where we took some wild jumping pictures with various store items (which drew some irked expressions from employees), we ordered pizza and drove over to the Rock 'n' Bowl for Zydeco night- Zydeco being a type of music. As soon as we got in the doors, a wall of delicious sound lapped up against the shores of our senses. The music was definitely jazz, but there was funk in there too. It was a complicated mixture of influences, and the final result is rather hard to describe, to pin down. Sort of like New Orleans.
We wasted no time in heading on to the dance floor. All types of people twirled and whirled around us- young, old, black, white, dressed up, dressed down, with dance partners and without. Everyone seemed so at home, comfortable in their own skin, not embarrassed to expose themselves to others through the raw emotions that dancing conveys. It was impressive, captivating, gorgeous. I've never witnessed anything quite like it.
Grace Ann and I were both asked to dance by an older man by the name of Ben. Ben looked like his joints were a little creaky- one wouldn't peg him to be the dancing type. Goodness, that wasn't so! He whirled me around like there was no tomorrow. I, not being very confident in my dancing abilities, was quite hesitant at first. I thought it might require some... skill on my part. All I ended up having to do was let him lead. All of the sudden I was everywhere all at once, seeing nothing but a blur, taking the music with me. That's what dancing should be. Not seeing so much as listening, feeling. I realized what a pity it is that young men today don't have the dancing skills that Ben does- it is becoming a lost art. I certainly hope it stays alive in New Orleans. After our dances, Ben gave Grace Ann and me Cajun Dancer gold coins as well as his mailing address to send him a postcard for his scrapbook. We agreed that the address part was a little creepy, but I'm willing to overlook it in light of what a cool experience the dancing turned out to be.
After drinking lots of water and taking a few more funny pictures, we headed home for Compline and now all are in bed, with the exception of myself. Overall, another great day in New Orleans. Nothing new!
-Catherine Ann Taylor
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