Home for the Holidays

Already growing tired of below freezing temperatures and the slushy mud left over from early snows, Dan and I were excited about going down South for Christmas. Unfortunately, the wintry weather caused our flight out to be canceled twice. The first time we found out the night before, but our second cancellation was not as lucky as we hauled all our luggage through the snow to the airport before being told it was a no go.

Here is Dan waiting for the T (subway/trolley) at 6:00 AM on the day of the ill-fated trip.

Finally, four days late, we arrived in Louisiana and picked up our rental car which was a lovely shade of bright gold that the picture doesn't quite due justice.

We had to rearrange our plans a bit so instead of going to Alabama first, we went directly to Baton Rouge to spend Christmas with my mom and family. The plan was to then leave the day after Christmas so we could see our niece in Alabama before she headed off to Bible Camp.

 The Christmas tree with all the presents.

Grandma Toy and her dog Mimi. (Mimi's diabetes gives her piddle problems so she wears baby diapers.)

Mimi examining the gifts.

My Uncle Tom, mom, and Gracie Ann the tiger dog.

Uncle Tom, Mom and Gracie Ann, and Grandma Toy and Mimi.

Caroline, Mom, and Me

Us again

Poor Gracie was both excited and distraught by all the commotion in the house. She alternated from jumping and talking to sad reflections on the couch.

On the 26th we drove to Alabama and spent the next few days with Dan's family. We got to see Laura Jane and Christa briefly before the Bible Camp trip but we saw lots of the other kids and family while we were there. Unfortunately, my camera was acting up and I only got one halfway decent picture while I was there.

Thomas smiling while Campbell ducks for cover.

On the 29th we hopped back in the car to spend the afternoon and night with my mom in Baton Rouge. The next day we headed down to New Orleans to hang out with my sister and her boyfriend Michael. We took a tour of the Old New Orleans Rum distillery and thankfully I managed to beat my camera into submission (literally, I hit it) and it was working by then.

Outside the distillery which is off Elysian Fields in New Orleans. When you walk in there is a lobby and gift area as well as a bar. As we waiting for the tour to begin they handed out hot buttered rums which were absolutely delicious.

Well lubricated we headed into the distillery for the tour. The place is pretty small scale and everything is local. The molasses that is the base of rum comes from Gonzales, LA, all the distilling occurs in New Orleans, and the distributors are a Louisiana company.

Here are the basic steps that the rum goes through. On the left is pure molasses, in the middle is straight alcohol with no aging, and on the right is their basic rum.

A bit grainy, but you can see that they store their barrels above ground which was a good thing after Katrina flooded their distillery at least 8 feet. But they managed to salvage the facility, found some great ten year old rum, and after having previously gone through a few different names and design styles, they rebranded themselves as the Old New Orleans Louisiana Rum.

Our tour guide discussing one of the vats where the rum goes through its many distillation processes.

Our tour guide showing us the molasses stage.

The company really encourages experiments and innovation so employees have all these jars of rum concoctions. Right now they're trying to develop a coconut rum that doesn't use a bunch of artificial flavors like most of the ones on the market (*cough Malibu *cough).

I snuck off to take this photo of one of their old logos that had been painted on the wall outside their loading dock.

 

The bottling process. They can only fill 6 at a time!

Our tour guide explained that quite a lot of the processes that are automated in large factories such as making caramel and bottling are done mostly by hand.

Gingeroo is their alcoholic ginger beer that isn't on the market yet. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try it.

At the end of the tour we got to taste four of their rums. They were all really rather good, and apart from the Crystal which is just for mixing, they made good sipping rums. We took two bottles home with us: one for ourselves and one for our friends in Boston who so nicely fed our cats while we were gone.

That night we went to this great BBQ place called the Joint and met up with Zack and Jen. We gorged on pork and caught up with each other's lives. But we had to get to bed a decent hour so we could wake up at the crack of dawn and fly home. We had a great trip but I wish Boston wasn't so far away (or such an expensive flight away.)

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving Dan and I went over to Wythe and Rebecca's. Delicious food, friends, and wine made for a great day.

Wythe and Rebecca in their new place

The turkey after the stuffing was removed.

Dan carving the turkey

Thanksgiving dinner

ASA Conference in New Orleans

The week before Thanksgiving I flew down to New Orleans for the annual African Studies Association Conference. I presented a short paper, got to attend a lot of fascinating talks, support some of my friends who presented, and of course enjoy New Orleans and my family.

Jen and I stayed at the Historic French Market Inn on Rue Decatur. The room was small, but nice and the hotel had some lovely courtyards. 

Of course it was nothing compared to the Roosevelt where the conference was held. The Waldorf Astoria recently bought and renovated it. It was gorgeous!

 

Cedony gave the first talk out of our group.

I spent most of my days at the conference, but I did get to walk around New Orleans a little bit.

Cedony and me on the Moonwalk.

A closeup of the Natchez, the ferry in the background of the previous picture.

 Tugboat on the Mississippi

Carriages after the rain, waiting for tourists.

St. Louis Cathedral from afar. The Cathedral (technically a minor basilica) was originally built in 1727, but a fire destroyed it and the current building was constructed in 1794.

St. Louis with the statue of Andrew Jackson.

One of the days I was down there someone was getting married inside. White carriages and drivers in tuxes and top hats waited around outside for the bride and groom.

I love the architecture of New Orleans so I walked around Saturday taking a few pictures. The homes down on St. Ann are so cute and bright that they just beg to be photographed.

Close up of house details

Some of the balconies were lush with overflowing plants and flowers. I was envious.

The Hare Krishnas were holding a festival literally across from our hotel. They had free vegetarian food but I was stuffed and had to pass. This was a shrine that was being set up. 

I spent every night with my sister and her boyfriend going out to eat and drink and just having fun catching up. One night we walked to a bar near her apartment and made the brilliant/stupid decision to get a growler. The beer, Lazy Magnolia, was amazing though, and the jug is yours to keep. If you clean it out, you can even bring it back to the bar and they'll fill it up with your favorite beer on tap.

Speaking of food and drink, I ate like a king while in New Orleans. I'll just let this Facebook recount speak for itself:

Thurs: Gumbo at Stanley's with Jen. Good dark roux and chock full of sausage, chicken, oysters, and shrimp. Later I sat with friends at a hole in the wall bar across from the Roosevelt and had a boudin ball. Dinner was at the Green Goddess. I had the Oysters Delacroix and stole a bite of Catfat's Bison and Bacon Meatloaf. I had the Sultan's Nest for dessert. Then we went to the Erin Rose Bar for sazeracs.

Fri: Back to Stanley's to introduce others to the gumbo. I had the oyster poboy which was good. But I stole a bite of Veronica's Eggs Stella which was amazing. They are basically eggs benedict with a fried soft shell crab thrown on top. Then dinner at Juan's Flying Burritos a Creole Taqueria for pulled pork and fresh slaw tacos. Then a sample of 6 kinds of ice cream from Creole Creamery. The Steens Oatmeal Cookie was my favorite but Michael says the Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnut is the best - unfortunately they didn't have it.

Saturday: Lunch was muffalettas from Central Grocery, a daiquiri from a stand in the French Market and then a snack of beignets and coffee from Cafe du Monde. Dinner at The Joint where I had delicious ribs. Then Catfat and I walked to a nearby bar and shared a growler (1/2 gallon) of Lazy Magnolia beer.

Sunday: Lunch at the Cake Cafe where Catfat works. I had the crab and brie omelet. Very tasty. Then dinner at this El Salvadorian restaurant called La Macarena Pupuseria. The owner gave us all free sangria and was really friendly. And the food was awesome - cheesy, flavorful, savory goodness. We had some special tamale made with a rare flower and we took a slice of Tres Leche home and it was really good too.

Monday: Before I left we went to Coulis and I had their eggs benedict which is a poached egg on top of a jalapeño cornbread and pulled pork all of it drenched on hollandaise.

It is a wonder I fit into my seat on the plane. Now to start my dieting so that when I go back in a month I can pig out all over again.

Brockton Public Library Presentation

The day after the presentation at Brown University, I and a couple of my classmates went to Brockton to another public presentation about Vodou. This one, however, did not have an abbreviated ceremony but rather a few speakers from the local Haitian community, some great singing, and a short pageant. In many ways, it was geared towards Haitians and in fact the vast majority of the audience were Haitian. Therefore, besides being entertaining, it was also interesting to see how Vodou and Ghede were presented and understood by Haitians in Massachusetts.

A couple of the drummers. The musician on the left is also one of my Haitian Kreyol professors at UMass and was the one who invited me. 

Singing a few songs before the food.

Some of the delicious food they served at the end.

Brown Univ Field Notes - Abbreviated

Friday, October 30th Mignon, her babalawo's wife and daughter, and I all took a trip down to Brown University in Rhode Island for a Haitian Vodoun presentation. The talk was held in a rectangular room with dark wood floors, elaborate cream molding, and light green walls. Crystal light fixtures framed tall draped windows, and portraits of European ancestors were spaced along the walls. In front of the cream and marble fireplace was a long table covered in a white cloth. On top of it were all the offerings for the spirits: rum, grapes, flowers, pineapples, cake, lit candles, peanuts, liquors, apples, bananas, rice pudding, and more. The offerings for the rada spirits were on the right, those for the petro on the left. To the right of the table a low basket lined with a white cloth and filled with sweets for the community sat in a plush salmon chair. To the left of the table, next to a stately grandfather clock, were staffs and a top hat - the accouterments of gede, the spirits of the dead. In front of the table someone had drawn a veve (symbol representing a specific spirit) in cornmeal on the ground. Normally there would be veves for at least five spirits, but we were told that this one was a veve for all the spirits, one I had never seen before.

There was an open space in front of the table, chairs for the members of the house along the wall on the left, and the three drummers on the wall to the right.

The rest of the room had chairs for the audience. The presentation opened with Patrick Sylvain, one of my Haitian Kreyol professors, speaking briefly at a podium. He introduced Mambo Maude, his spiritual mother, who in addition to being a high Vodoun priestess (Mambo Asongwe) is in the process of getting her MA in psychological counseling. He also introduced Jean Appolon, the very talented dancer and houngan who teaches the Haitian folklore dancing courses. Jean spoke then about embracing Vodoun and dance as a way to heal after his family's traumas. He also gave a brief but beautiful dance dressed as gede. Then Manbo Maude spoke about Vodoun and explained that it is a healing tradition through which the community comes together to worship, celebrate, and repair. She then told us that she had asked the spirits and they had given her their blessing to hold an abbreviated ceremony that would only be able to honor some of the lwas. With that, she and the members of her house began the ceremony.

White candles were lit and placed upon the hardwood floors in front of the altar and drummers. Mambo Maude took her place on the small wicker chair in front of the table and began the action de grace, a series of prayers that can last hours or even days. The sheer number of prayers and songs that she has memorized is astounding. Then, individual spirits were honored through song and prayer as the drums beat out a rhythm to the rituals. Mignon and I initially tried to follow along with our handout, but eventually we gave up and learned to just relax and enjoy the festivities. Members of the house offered candles, libations, and liquor to the lwas as the songs built up from honoring the border between worlds, to spirit of the drums carrying our messages, to the road of the spirits and then Legba, the guardian of the crossroads. Then they sang praises and offered sacrifice to the Marasa (sacred twins), Loko (the first houngan), Ayizan (the first mambo), and then many, many others.

The beat of the drums filled the room, dictating the steps of the dancers and guiding the cycle of prayers, songs, and offerings made to each spirit in turn. The audience swayed in their seats and the petitioners moved their bare feet in time to the drums, throwing back their shoulders and swinging their hips as they called to the lwas. The drums cried out an intense and irresistable rhythm, refusing to be ignored as they thumped and pounded, demanding movement as they tapped into the eternal biorhythm of our bodies, calling forth step and spirit, dance and devotion. And then the spirits came.

At first the lwas come briefly, but as the ceremony heats up so too does the length of their stay. During the song for Ezili Freda, the beautiful lwa of love, luxury, and femininity, Mambo Maude stumbled the misstep of possession as her body and spirit fell out of sync. The others caught her as the spirit mounted, and Ezili awoke with wide eyes and examined the audience. The others adorned her with a shiny pink cloth and sprayed her with perfume. Once settled in the body, Ezili Freda began by hugging the men in the room, embracing each and giving a kiss on the cheek. As the flirtatious virgin, she enjoys the attention of admirers. As she walked through the audience, greeting the men (and women with unisex hair and clothing), she went behind two girls seated next to each other. She rolled her back on theirs and soon went on her way, but it was clear the girls were very uncomfortable and confused. Later we learned that one of the girls was Haitian, but her family disapproved of Vodou, and the other girl was American Christian. Neither had ever seen a possession and may not have even realized what they were in for when they decided to attend the presentation.

After making her rounds, Ezili Freda returned to the front of the room where I was seated. She smiled at me and reached out both hands. I returned the gesture and she clasped my hands, guiding me out of my chair and holding hands we danced in a circle for a few moments. She then hugged me, pulled back, placed a hand on my chest and gave me a motherly look that seemed to say she understood and felt my pain. She then moved on to another individual and I returned to my seat. Soon after she left and the mambo returned to her own body, though she seemed disconnected and tired, almost as if she were hungover.

Next, I remember Zaka, the couzin, mounting first one woman and then another. His stay was not as long as Ezili's, but he donned his hat and bag and through the second woman shook our hands.

The last of the spirits was guest of honor Ghede. As the spirits of the dead, Ghede is celebrated in November since All Saints Day represents the connection between the living and the dead. Ghede is a sexual, free spirit who represents death and fertility, the end that is not an end, and a celebration of all parts of human existence. As Ghede there are no inhibitions, and this is evident in the way he dances. He took over one of the female initiates and donned his top hat and cane, inviting women to dance with him. He called to one of the girls mentioned earlier but at first she was reluctant, having seen the sexual gyrations expected of someone dancing with Ghede. But encouraged by the members of the house, after a pause she joined Ghede, the staff placed between them as they danced. Then Ghede took her hand and spun her around, something he often does in order to call down other members of his Ghede family. Unfamiliar with any Vodou traditions, she was still almost overwhelmed by the experience, and losing control she stumbled as members of the house caught her and guided her to a chair. She remained seated for the rest of the ceremony, looking dazed and almost hungover. Later she asked what had happened and when Mignon suggested she get a reading from the mambo she agreed.

However, Ghede was unfazed and continued inviting people to dance. He came over to me and guided me out into the floor where he placed his staff between both of our thighs and we danced. Then, he moved on to other members of the house celebrating his birthday party with more dancing, liquor, and cigarettes. Eventually Patrick and the mambo closed the ceremony because, unlike the usual all nighters, Brown expected us to leave by a certain time. Ghede didn't want to leave at first, but the party was over once it became clear that there was to be a serious question and answer section.

While I found much of the discussion interesting personally, I won't bore everyone with my academic notes. After it was over, we talked over some pizza and piled back into the car and headed back to Boston.