Breakdancing and Voodoo

So, after a day and a half, my body still hasn't acclimated itself to the ridiculously muggy New Orleans weather. The air is never this drippingly wet in St. Paul, and I've never been south of Chicago, so it was especially a shock for me. Come to think of it, this trip is a whole slew of new things for me, or at the very least a reunion so long past due that it may as well
be the first time. For example, today was the fist time in at least 8 years that I donned a pair of shorts, excluding swim trunks. Also, this was the first time I've been on a plane, 'cuz I don't count the time my parents took me to England when I was around 1 year old. I f you don't remember it, it doesn't count.
Anyway. So many different things down here! Little things are especially noticeable, like how instead of red and yellow, fire hydrants are silver here. Also, I've never seen mailboxes encased in little brick pillars before. And you never see salamanders wriggling in the water by the curb up north in the Land of the Cold Air. That thing was at least a foot long! It was black and cute and having a good old time wriggling around in the puddles. I wanted to take it home. But there was nothing to carry it in, so on we went. I notice that there are few Asian people here compared to Minnesota. Just an observation.
We went to do a bit of tourist-ing today in the French Quarter, and the first thing
I did was purchase a beignier. That not spelled correctly, but it's a french word anyway, so spell-check is no help. The important thing to know is that there was about half a pound of powdered sugar on each one. And that they were delicious. A little painful, seeing as they were really fresh, but a worthwhile experience. Next stop was a voodoo shop. That was a bit ironic, considering I'm here with a Christian group, but that didn't stop me from making a small purchase. Next up was a mask shop, but I didn't have enough time to make a selection. For another time, I suppose. By the way, there was a bit of a festival going on at this time. To do with seafood, I think. So there was lots of live music around every corner. As someone who nigh involuntarily starts dancing to any catchy beat, I didn't walk from place to place so much as groove and slide.
My highlight, and then I'll relinquish the computer, was the breakdancing performance. I can't really do justice to it in words, so I'll see about putting up some pictures. Bye!
- Malcolm