Our last morning was spent creating curriculum based on what we learned. I am super excited to work with four educators to craft a unit based on Everything Sad is Untrue, A Map of Salt and Stars, displaced peoples, and personal narratives. It's going to be dope. After the workshop, we had a few hours to kill, and it was raining -- and super muggy. Three of us decided to ride the streetcar to the Garden District, another neighborhood in New Orleans. It was such a cool experience. I don't know that I've ever ridden a streetcar before, so that was cool. It was also awesome wandering through neighborhoods and seeing the absolutely incredible architecture, such as these giant manors next to shotgun houses; the beautiful flora; and the extravagant Mardi Gras decorations. We also hopped into a few different boutiques for last-minute souvenirs, which was fun.
Finally, it was time to head to the airport. It turns out, though, that I could have stayed in NOLA longer, as I had all sorts of flight issues. First, we boarded the plane and taxied to the runway -- and experienced some random changes in air pressure. The pilot announced that they were going to try to troubleshoot from Atlanta, and when that didn't work, we returned to the gate so that a mechanic could come out and assess. We stayed aboard for a while, and finally deplaned when they determined our plane was out of commission. I was able to rebook myself on a later flight out of Atlanta, and thankfully that ended up being delayed, as I barely had time to make it across the terminal. Now, I have time for a three-hour "nap" before heading into work tomorrow. But it was all worth it. This was the absolute best. I can't wait to go back to NOLA, and I can't wait to see my friends in DOHA in just over a month!
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Today was by far my favorite day of the whole workshop series: we got to meet Daniel Nayeri, author of Everything Sad is Untrue. Interestingly, I randomly started reading this book in December, texted the coordinator of our program and raved about the author, and the coordinator responded, "OMG, I just booked him yesterday." I am grateful that I ran into Daniel -- we're on a first-name basis now -- in the lobby so that I could embarrass myself in front of just one person rather than the entire group. I fangirled hard. Y'all, he's amazing. In addition to talking to us about storytelling and his story in particular, he exemplified the Middle Eastern ideal of hospitality and shared a tea service with us -- including his mother's tea blend and many Iranian treats, such as saffron sugar and baklava. He also gifted me with a box of loose-leaf tea, likely because he could tell that I'm his number one fan (and because I encouraged everyone to pre-order his upcoming book). I cannot speak highly enough of him. Not only is his writing absolutely unreal and incredibly beautiful, but he is also the kindest, most generous person. I absolutely loved him. That afternoon, we had another session, this time with Andrew Gayed, Assistant Professor of Art History and Visual Culture at Ontario College of Art and Design. He taught us about queer art in the Middle East, and I learned so much -- so much, in fact, that I shared it with one of my art teacher friends in the middle of his session. Our workshop ended relatively early, and after dropping my stuff at the hotel, I took a mini break and then wandered the French Quarter by myself. I found this building -- and thought that it doesn't get more New Orleans / Mardi Gras than this. I took a bunch of photos and then saw a young woman trying to take pics of herself, and I offered to do a photoshoot for her. She reciprocated, and then I took a bunch of pics of what appeared to be a group of sorority girls. It was quite a sisterhood moment -- all of us reveling in the spirit and helping each other with photos (and with getting beads from balconies). I wandered over to Bourbon Street, which absolutely ridiculous since it was Saturday afternoon, and met up with Matt, a QFI friend. We wandered the street for a bit and then headed back to our hotel, where I got my sparkles on to prep for the pending parade. It was super fun being in New Orleans at the start of the Carnival season. We experienced the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus parade, which is apparently one of the smaller parades, but omg, it was incredible. I was living my best life, dancing and singing and shouting and getting all the swag. It. Was. Incredible.
Our workshop is at the National World War II Museum, which is a huge structure/complex. While we can only see the entrance hall without paying admission, it's pretty incredible: lots of aircraft are suspended above us. Today's morning session was facilitated by Tony Calderbank, who works for Qatar Foundation International. Prior to working for QFI, Tony worked for the British Council in places like Sudan, Bahrain, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. He also taught Arabic and translation in the UK as well as in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the American University in Cairo. For us, though, Tony gave an expedited background on Arabic, including how the language is structured as well as how to say various phrases (like 'my name is'). Arabic is a challenging language! The second half of the morning session was focused on Arabic calligraphy, something I was super excited to learn. We each had markers, specialized pencils, and nice paper -- and experimented with writing the language. Tony also gave each of us our names in Arabic. Our afternoon was spent learning about Arabic music from Michel Moushabeck. He taught us about different instruments, including the oud, the qanun, the nay, the kamnjah, and the riqq, and he demonstrated various rhythms as well. The session culminated with an ensemble performance with Michel, his nephew, and his nephew's friend. It was wonderful. (For video of the performance, please check out my Instagram account.) After the session, a few of us wandered around the French Quarter a bit more, ending up at Jackson Square and the Mississippi River around dusk. After getting glammed up at the hotel, we headed to Brennan's for an absolutely incredible dining experience. We were led to the Queen's room, a private room that was decorated, well, royally. We enjoyed wine service, cocktails, and an incredible three-course meal. I opted for the seafood gumbo, the braised short rib, and the blackout doberge. Wow. We ended the night at BJ's Lounge, a local live music joint. It was about a 15-minute Uber ride from the French Quarter, so it was nice seeing a different part of the city, too. What a fun day!
It's hard to believe, but today started our last state-side workshop for the QFI-UT Austin Teacher Leadership Program. It's bittersweet, to say the least. The "sweet" part is that this workshop is in New Orleans, a place I've only visited briefly (when I embarked on a cruise via the port there). Y'all, I haven't even been here 24 hours, and I'm already obsessed. I mean, just look at these photos. We're staying just blocks from the French Quarter, and it's incredible. Tyler and I arrived mid-afternoon, and we met Brielle at the hotel prior to heading to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Established in 1789, this is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans -- and it is still used today for burials. A city ordinance was decreed in 1803, and while it was "not strictly followed, it did prompt the style of interment we are most familiar with today in New Orleans, above-ground tombs, an aesthetic tradition of memorial architecture that we inherited from France and Spain, with the added benefit of it solving the issues associated with a very high water table" (Source). There are several "wall vaults" in the cemetery, and this is where countless individuals are buried. Bodies are left undisturbed in their tombs for one year and one day, and after that time, the remains are pushed to the back of the vault to make room for another family member. Throughout the cemetery, you can also see several tombs have started to deteriorate, and others are sinking into the ground. Many famous people are interred in the cemetery, including the infamous voodoo queen, Marie Laveau; Homer Plessy (of Plessy vs. Ferguson); and, in the future, Nicolas Cage, in a giant, seemingly out-of-place white pyramid. The cemetery is only accessible via tour, and while our guide was super informative and entertaining, he was a little hard to follow -- perhaps because I had done zero research myself prior to the tour and did not at all know what to expect ahead of time. After our cemetery tour, we met most of the group at Napoleon House, a "200-year-old landmark that's as casual and unique as its French Quarter surroundings." The then-mayor of New Orleans was the building's first occupant, and he offered the house to Napoleon when Napoleon was exiled -- but Napoleon never made it. Now, it is "one of the most famous bars in America, a haunt for artists and writers throughout most of the 20th century" (Source). I had a Pimm's cup, a NOLA classic, and an alligator po'boy with red beans and rice. Everything was incredible. After, we headed to Cafe du Monde for amazing beignets, which we enjoyed on the street while listening to buskers performing great songs, and then to Bourbon Street to witness debauchery. On Bourbon Street, we wound our way through Pat O'Brien's, the bar that invented the hurricane, to a piano bar where we enjoyed more great music and, well, hurricanes.
It was such a fun first day in New Orleans, and the workshop hasn't even started yet! |
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