Mardi Gras break couldn't have ended any other way. Elizabeth (one of the girls with me from my program) had a friend fly in from California to come hang out during Mardi Gras. For her last night we decided to go to a sports grill that everyone had been telling us about. We ate fried pickles (which are delicious. People love their fried food and pickles here) We all got shrimp tacos (which were also so good) and when we asked the waitress how these people eat the buckets of crawfish that we were seeing, she snuck us out one for each of us and taught us how to twist the tail off. I was extremely allergic to it (so spicy she told us we needed to wash our hands after so it wouldn't burn our skin), but the tiny taste of meat I got was so delicious. Once the season really gets going (it's just started) I'm going to buy some and boil it myself so I can actually eat it :)
The next morning before the friend's flight out, we decided to take her to get beignets, and we went to see a crypt cemetery. They're pretty neat. Because the ground is so wet here, their burials have to be different so the bodies don't start coming up to the surface (morbid, I know, but I guess they don't want a real Walking Dead episode here) In New Orleans they have to have mausoleums for obvious reasons, but we're far enough away that crypts do their job. This cemetery is across the street from a very large, old catholic church. We were there to hear the bells. It was really pretty. Across another side of the street they have a mini National Cemetery as well. It looks just like Arlington.
National Cemetery in the background
Being in the South, we see a lot of really neat trees and plants that I've never seen before.
This flower had fallen on the headstone and I thought it looked really pretty, so I played around and edited it a bit. Notice he was a Mason?
Another view of the National Cemetery
Shout out to Elise! What a slacker! ;)
After we dropped friend off at the airport, we decided to go check out the Capitol building. It's one of the few skyscrapers in Baton Rouge. It's a super tall tower that you can get out on the 27th story and look across Baton Rouge.
All the names of the states and when they became states are on the steps as you go to the entrance of the building
The lobby
The senate
They were telling us that a bomb went off in the 70s because people were upset about the labor and work laws that were going through the senate. It's hard to see but the bomb flung pencils into the ceiling and that one stuck. They keep that part of the ceiling lit so you can see the pencil that they left up there as a reminder of what happened. The pencil is just to the right of the center
The House
Baton Rouge from 27 stories!
The Mississippi
The gardens in front of the Capitol with a statue of the governor that was assassinated in the building
It was extremely windy.
When we were finished, we went to the mall to get some "normal" food and the Globetrotters happened to be walking around all over the place. I caught a picture of one of them. I felt like I was playing that old Pokemon game where you had to take pictures of as many Pokemon as you could haha
Here in Louisiana, we have the funniest wildlife. We had a baby salamander in the house the other day (don't ask where he is or if he is still in here, we have no clue) and this little guy making his way back to the canal from the Mississippi in front of our house
They are all over the place in the canal outside of our apartment. They love to sit on the banks, but they're very skiddish.
Two weeks ago was my birthday week and also the week of the school play, "Peter Pan". I got to volunteer and help quite a bit with the stage backdrops, costumes, practice and all sorts of different things. We came across a big problem a few days before the performance. Tinkerbell hadn't come to practice or school. She is a very small girl that's just a bit taller than me. The drama teacher asked me if I would be her at the practices and start memorizing her lines to take her place. Luckily she did come the day before the show, but her lines and actions were not even close to solid. I worked with her to memorize her lines and she was able to complete it. I dodged a bullet on that one. The teachers were teasing me. Just add that to the list of why they think I'm a student and another nickname I now have (Lady Gaga being the other one for some weird reason) The kids gave us roses at the end of their day performance. They did a pretty good job for how little they were able to practice
They also did a super cute dance to "Happy" to end the show. It made me think of my mom and it also showcased how these kids can dance! I can't figure out how to get it on here...so hopefully on the next post I can cut it down so you can see parts of it!
Last Thursday was my birthday. I have so many sweet friends and family that sent me things while I'm here. Thanks Lis, Mom and Grandma and Grandpa!
We have also had pretty weird weather (not for here, but I think it's weird) This is what it looks like when it wants to rain, but it's super humid so you can see the rain in the air and it's a little misty (I don't know how else to describe it)
This last week our professor flew out from Utah State to observe us and let us know how things are going. I got great reviews and it was a huge relief for me. We took her out one night to a restaurant none of us had tried where I ate my first bit of alligator! Oh my goodness, it was so good! I'm definitely getting some before I leave and bringing it home. I finally got to really try crawfish that didn't burn my mouth off either in a poboy sandwich.
Because the food here is questionable to your health and we don't have open access to the gym here, I decided to order resistance bands to help me stay in shape. I've been doing yoga and Insanity everyday, but I wanted to add some weights and something different to do. First day using them and I got my first injury. Nothing like getting whipped in the face by an enormous rubber band. I finally was able to laugh about it after it stopped stinging. I felt like an idiot.
Yesterday I went running outside around the school. It was a really pretty day. It was in the 50's with a really nice, low, cool breeze. So I jogged, got some sun, and finally took pictures of the super cute "village" that the elementary school kids have to play in. All of these little houses are in a circle outside with many props and things to go with them. The names of the places even have something to do with Deaf history. Pretty pretty neat! They're so big inside that a taller man could even be in them.
LSD (Lousiana School for the Deaf) Precinct
The Cogswell family had a daughter in the 1800's who was Deaf in the United States. At the time, there was no educational system for Deaf children. This family was very bright and well off, so he convinced his neighbor Gallaudet (the same that Gallaudet University is named after) to go to Europe and learn sign language so he could teach his daughter.
Linked with the French culture here, this translated to The Great Eagle
This translates to "a small gift"
Dr. Galloway was the first female president of the NAD (the National Association of the Deaf)
de L'Epee was the founder of the first public school for the Deaf
Laurent Clerc was the man Gallaudet met in France. He came back to America with Gallaudet to help set up and teach at the first school for the Deaf that was located in Connecticut
Dummy Hoy was a Deaf baseball player who was very accomplished. He has also been credited to starting signals used in baseball
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