2/28/06

New-Orleans will not be forgotten. Wilkomen, Die Familie !

(Voodoo, tiga, haiti)








(Karl and Lalao inNew-Orleans)

( Mirana et Lone on riverwalk)


it is Mardi-Gras season and New-Orleans is trying its hardest to bounce back from Katrina and the mismanagment of the crisis by FEMA, the state of Louisianna and the Bush Administration in general. Attendance is a bit lesser but it was expected. The courage that volunteers and victims during those trying time were displaying was beyond words. Yet, the failure of the government made a terrible tragedy even worse. Now that the focus is not on the region anymore and the victims are left alone to rebuild, I want to give a shoutout to the city. My 4 years down in the bayou (Tulane University) were some of the best years of my life. New-Orleans will always be my home away from home therefore it will never be forgotten on this webspace. I had the chance to welcome many of my family there as you can see from the pictures. N-O's voodoo heritage is extending all the way to Haiti (see pics) and their exhuberant artists (Tiga). This government might think that they can get away with letting N-O slowly drown now that Katrina is history but N-O is more resilient than that. I know It is alive and well in people's memories in Madagascar, Ethiopia, Bad Kreuznach and Toulouse. Check out the effort of U2's guitarist The Edge to revive Jazz in the Big Easy.

Thank you Sandy for spreading the word about my blog to the family ( especially in Germany) and to Tattum for the kind word about the blog. Long live New-Orleans !
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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:16 PM

    Lova,
    I'm glad to see another Malagasy blog in English. I also like the subjects you touch upon.
    I love N-O and have been there many times, pre-Katrina. A friend of mine, another Gasy, actually lives not far from N-O and has told me her hope and despair at seeing her town in such bad shape. But I heard there was actually a parade going on today.
    Tulane U? Would you happen to know Haritiana, I think her last name was Rakotomamonjy?

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  2. hey Sipakv,
    Thanks for visiting ! Not to sound to cliche but N-O is so different from any other US cities, you could literally feel its pulse. I indeed knew Haritiana when she was doing her mPH at the school of Public health and we were both involved in the African assciation. I would be happy to know what she is up to because I think she got married my last year atTulane U.
    love your blog especially your take on the french-american-malagasy points of view.

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  3. Anonymous12:18 PM

    I loved the Hurricane drink. I went on a plantation tour when I was in N-O and came back with mixed feelings.
    I was actually hoping you could give me Haritiana's contacts ! Last time I heard she was heading to Zambia... Anyway the world is tiny (I think I know your cousin Andry!) and I'm sure my path and Haritiana's will cross again someday.
    Love your blog !

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  4. Sorry, I do not have Haritiana's contact. So you know Andry (Loni)? He's back home now after quite a while in Paris. When I first came in the US, I promised myself I will do anything to stay in the DC area. I loved the area around Georgetown. Glad to see you enjoy it there.

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  5. Anonymous8:53 AM

    If Andry (loni) is who I think, then we were in the same class when we were like 6 or 7 years old.

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