Chevron is flying me out to the Big Easy this weekend for an internship interview. I've never been, and I know very little about the city. Friday will be pretty structured, but Thursday I should be pretty much left to my own devices.

Have any Massassians ever been? Is there anywhere in particular that I absolutely must check out? Do these places still exist... ? (e.g. uhhh... how much of the city is not-destroyed slash has been niced up again )

I'll be staying in a hotel in the French Quarter so I'll probably limit my galavants to that general region. I'm really excited -- being flown around by oil companies makes me feel mucho like an adult!

I'll try to take some pictars, I don't think I do enough of that... Lastly, the main reason I'm traveling is for the interview, so some good, old-fashioned Massassi VIBES would be dearly appreciated!

i went there pre-disaster. i really don't remember much about it though.

It's probably my favorite place... ever. I too went there before Katrina, so I'm afraid to go back and not see the city I fell in love with. Absolutely and totally my kind of a place.

I've been back a couple of times since Katrina. Since you're in the French Quarter, you probably won't see too much damage. It didn't really flood.

While you're there make sure you walk over towards the river. Cafe du Monde is over there. It's a pretty famous place to get beignets. The French Market is also near the cafe (to the left if the river is behind the cafe). You can find some neat stuff there sometimes (you're usually allowed to haggle!). There is also the infamous Bourbon Street. There are tons of strip joints, bars, and whore houses around there. A lot is even visible from the street. Even if you're not interested in the strippers/bars/hookers, taking a walk along Bourbon street is quite an interesting experience (especially at night). There are also tons of neat stores in the Quarter. Just watch your wallet, roam around, and have some fun.

The French Quarter didn't flood? Not to disrespect all of the homes that were ruined, but that makes me so happy. That's my favorite part of town, and means that it's still got the appeal that I love so much. Not that it's OK for every part of town except the one I like to get destroyed, I'm just really happy to hear that.

Yeah, it's terrible that so many people lost their homes, but the French Quarter is really the heart of the city. It's great that it survived.

I'm sure living costs are high there, still. I've always wanted to live there some day. To bring this back around, you'd probably know Gris, since you might have to live there?

Went once on a [short] school trip years before Katrina...

By word of mouth I did hear of a transvestite gang somewhere down there...and when on Bourbon Street say "It's a trap." over and over again in your head.

Louisiana is THE most corrupt and sinful state of the union! California is just a bunch of posers!

New Orleans flooded again this week, have fun with that

Wow. You didn't know that?

well hey! good luck with the interview. *vibes* ive never been to New Orleans so i couldn't really recommend any good places to go. however wherever you do go take lots of pictures and post them!

The Queen's Court is the best courtyard diner ever. There's an oboe player there. If he still is, give him a tip like none other. He'll play some crazy good stuff if you do.

It would be an option, but I was leaning towards placement in California. Then again, after reading the California is Burning thread, things don't sound too nice over there. The other option would be Texas, but I've never been and am not particularly excited by Dallas/don't know anyone down there (whereas I have some family in CA).

Bourbon St. and a lot of the French Quarter is pretty touristy, but be sure to check out Cafe du Monde. Delicious beignets and coffee with chickory. I've been considering going down there with Teach For America, but the school system in the area needs a lot of help. Also, I'd really like to live there.

Cafe du Monde. If you don't mind waiting an hour.

Chyeahhh representing Dallas Fort Worth, Gris.

Summary:

I was too tired/cranky to go out, so I stayed in, raided the minibar, and watched Game 2 of the series. This beats my dorm room any day.

Interviews went well. Hopefully I'll get an offer. Thanks for the vibes!

I hate/loath/greatly dislike New Orleans. I've been there twice, once for vacation and another for a medical school interview. Before Katrina it was a dirty, dingy, poor, crime-ridden city with deplorable infrastructure. My short interview at Tulane revealed to me the sordid state of hospitals and medical care (the university hospital had a condemned floor for heaven's sake), and my previous vacation left my throughly unimpressed in all respects, except for one soft shelled crab place. I'd never go back to that pisshole unless it was something I was getting paid for.

I've never seen pimps and drug pushers operate in broad daylight on major streets, but between Canal st and Bourbon st it's like vice city 24/7.

However, if you wanna go to hell you gotta take that trip to the Sodom and Gomorrah on the Missisip'.

What did I just tell you?

Ever been to DC? And I saw those same things, but they were very confined to the ugly areas of town.

And the religious comment, oh that was grand.

Whats the position?

Missionary.

Atleast they didn't build DC in a big ol' hole in the ground. :/

An internship with information management in their Major Capital Projects division (projects over $20 million -- e.g. running IS for a new offshore drilling platform in Nigeria).

It's a quote from the Simpsons. Well, part of a song actually. Relax.



Although I think the tune sums up Nawlins appropriately.

Well, it wasn't always a big hole in the ground...it just sort of sank into it's current below sea level in a swamp position and still is.

Are you interviewing with any other oil companies? I just started working for competing big oil company that has a few refineries down in that area.

Are you a ChME?

Nope! I'm concentrating in Management Information Systems and International Management for my Business Administration degree and minoring in Philosophy for good measure.