Did you miss me? I haven’t written since last Friday which is a serious infraction on my part, I know. However, the good news for you is that I certainly have been busy and that means that you’ll be getting a few rather jam-packed posts because of it. So let’s begin with a weekend spent partying in New Orleans.
Through a strange confluence of events, a cousin of mine back home in Gibraltar realised that a friend of his was in New Orleans over this past weekend and put us in touch with one another. Arrangements were made and we met up on Friday evening to go out for dinner and drinks. We had never met – our first contact was literally via Facebook Messenger. Now, this could have been awkward, let’s face it. But, the Universe was obviously smiling on us as it put two people with a very similar sense of humour (and love of a good night out) together. We went for dinner in one of the many fish restaurants on Bourbon Street and once that was finished we headed out onto the neon illuminated, bar crammed, infamous street.
We first stepped into a relatively civilised place where jazz was being played live and we chatted and drank whilst listening to very good music. We moved on, passing through a place which had a live band playing rock classic covers and then, in another bar, we were crammed in like sardines in a very small can while rap and hip hop were being blasted lived from a small stage and ladies were invited to join the musicians there to dance and show their talent, in particular their ability to shake their booty, and boy could they make it work 😉 We also frequented a club where very dodgy karaoke was being sung, including songs which are obviously Louisiana classics that we’d never heard of. The characters singing were a joy to watch, each with their own quirks and “style” of both singing and dancing! By that point we had consumed enough alcohol to find the whole thing hysterically funny.
A few bars later, near to five in the morning, we walked into a place with a huge, square bar and collapsed onto some bar stools, ordered drinks and began to chat with the bar staff. Music was playing and we were chatting and suddenly we looked up and the place was absolutely empty. The doors were closed and we were the only ones left in the bar. Eventually, we were invited to leave! And that deserves praise from you all…we closed down a bar on Friday night on Bourbon Street! When we emerged from there Bourbon Street was much, much quieter. We made our way out of Bourbon in search of some breakfast.
Now, on any other ordinary weekend it really would not have mattered that I was returning home when most people were getting up to start a new day. On any other ordinary weekend I would have just showered and crashed into bed. But, please do not forget, that I had paid a queen’s ransom to be a part of the photography course and I was expected at eight thirty in the classroom to continue with said workshop. Thus, I did not sleep. At all. Not one minute. I literally had time to get in the shower, dress and run out the door. I spent the day on Saturday both in the classroom and out and about shooting pictures all the way up to five thirty in the evening and then rushed back to the apartment to hit the shower once more, change and go to meet the photography group for dinner. And here, you may be thinking, once dinner was over, she went home and slept….well, no!
I had made arrangements with my partner in crime from the previous evening to try new spots around New Orleans and we did. I’ll fill you in about those tomorrow. Now, now, don’t judge me!
E x
Losing Sight of the Margin 