Here Now in NOLA

It's been an insanely busy and sleep-deprived fifteen days since I blogged last. Suffice it to say, an important project was completed, a solidarity housing rights campaign (which you'll hear about even sooner) is being launched and a panel presentation has been given.

Meanwhile, I have resurfaced from the madness, and am in New Orleans. Here, I will eat jambalaya instead of diri kole and listen to jazz and zydeco instead of konpa. Here, I am overwhelmed by:

space
empty sidewalks
trying not to stand too close to "strangers"
speed
quiet
whiteness
drinking water directly out of the faucet
water pressure
women wearing tights as pants (my sister warned me, still, I was unprepared)
air conditioning

I desperately needed a break, and am so glad to be here. But being in the U.S. always feels complicated, and more so every time I'm back. (There's a long history of this, by the way -- although an American, I didn't actually live in the U.S. until I was 18 years old). Thankfully, New Orleans is a good middle-here. It feels like a very non-U.S. city, and has many historical and cultural ties to Haiti.

Best of all, I am here with these women, and they are like sisters and they are wonderful, beautiful, up-lifting, creative, energetic and loving (pics taken at the Other Worlds staff retreat in November last year):