Aubs Picks Apples

Happy October, and happy Friday! This video was taken during Labor Day Weekend. Enjoy!

Taste, Tour and Tube

I attend a year-round school. In some ways, that is absolutely great. I finish earlier than others (a 22-month program instead of 24 months). However, my summer is but 4 weeks long, and I get 2 weeks off at Christmas. It's almost like a real job! Thankfully, our school gives us random days off once a month. Well, I'm almost thankful.

The thing about weekends here is that they can be terribly boring. Living in a small town means that there is not much to do. Which leads a lot of people here to partying and generally getting in a little bit of trouble. My friends and I go see a lot of movies, I read a LOT of books, and spend time laying around when it gets cold outside.

On the off-chance that I've got a little bit of pocket money and a ride, I do get around!

On Sunday, one of the clubs on campus (Chaines des Rotisseurs) was getting together to do a tour and tasting at a local vineyard/winery. A few of us decided to check it out, even though we are bakers! I am so glad that we went. Most of the other attendees had taken the wines class here (available only to the cookers - boo) so we were out of the loop. I definitely learned that there is a LOT I do not know about wine!

Benmarl is the name of the place and it is located in Marlborough. It was THE HOTTEST day yet here, to the point where we were just sweating buckets even standing in the shade. Wow. I was really impressed because the owner of the winery gave us the tour himself! He is a fairly young guy, a 30-something, who bought the place out in 2006.

They produce approximately 3400 cases a year which is small. I was surprised to learn that only 3 people work there full-time, and most of the part-timers work the tasting bar. That leaves the owner and two others to do all the cultivating! Amazing. In October they let people come and crush the grapes! Maybe we will try that out?

We got to see the room where they ferment the grapes, as well as the barrel room:

and the bottling room. They used to do it by hand! It took 4 people to complete the process and they could manage at best 6 bottles per minute. They recently bought a small bottling machine (which must look sooo cool when it's going!) that can do the whole process (rinse, fill, top off, and cork) and does 24 bottles a minute, using only two people! That is awesome.

Then they have a label machine and a hot press to put the seal on the top.

We got to taste about 5 or 6 different wines (small portions of course) and nothing really appealed to me.

When it comes to wine, I either like it, or I don't. At this point, I don't have the palate to appreciate all the various nuances. Someday, hopefully, I will. This visit definitely inspired me to read some books about wine and maybe do some more tastings soon.

Their front lobby is covered with all kinds of vintage labels like these.

The scene there was very picturesque, so my friends and I had a lot of fun taking pictures and looking around. I'm sure it looks AMAZING when Autumn rolls around and the leaves turn.

Monday was our random day off, and our student recreation center had offered a tubing package! It was about $10 cheaper than going on our own, so a bunch of friends and I signed up and went! We rode an hour north on a bus to the small town of Phoenicia, got hooked up with our tubes and life jackets, and had another bus take us up the river about 5 miles.

Our estimated "ride" time was just under 2 hours. I have no idea how long it actually took because I didn't wear a watch, but it felt long! We had some pointers about how to sit in the tube and some safety advice. We were required to wear shoes and the life jackets. It has been incredibly hot and humid here, so a dip in the cold river felt sooo nice! The tubes were huge black ones, very sturdy, and had a wooden part in the middle for the seat. I was glad for that! Without it, I would have snagged my bum on a LOT of rocks!

We thought it was going to be this lovely, lazy, relaxing float, twirling in our tubes, splashing and having a good time. It was anything but relaxing! The current moved quite fast and although we'd tried linking together and holding onto each others' handles, we could never stay together for more than a few minutes. Rocks would separate us and we'd catch different currents. It was a little like rafting but not super intense. I definitely had to be alert and pay attention 90% of the time. It was fun though! I flipped out of the tube once after going backwards over a rock, but it was slow and I sort of rolled out of it, so no harm done.

About 3/4 of the way through, one of our girls got seriously hurt, bashing her back and knee into some rocks. She basically rode the rapids without her tube. So she was hurt and crying and we were all worried. There were some local people playing around in the river at that point, and they advised us that it would be easier to float her down the rest of the way than to try and carry her/hike her up the hill to the road. It was 30 more minutes and we had to do it carefully (knees are tricky!) but we made it. She ended up going to the ER later and will definitely have a pretty bruise around her knee. I'm glad nothing more serious happened because we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

Well, back to the school week . . .

Relax!

I took my first-ever yoga class on Monday. Our school has a pretty sweet recreation center, and being in the "great" Northeast, everything is indoors. Pool. Gym. Track. Basketball courts. Racquetball courts (fun!). Bleh. With the exception of two tennis courts which I have yet to try. There's also a cafe attached where we eat on the weekends because it is the only thing open. There's a small gameroom, a few couches, and locker rooms for men and women, sauna included!

The school offers a few different fitness classes a week with outside instructors they've hired. Some of my classmates were going to the yoga one and I decided I'd tag along and see what it was all about.

Stretching.

Breathing.

Balancing.

That's pretty much what I got out of it. I wasn't about to meditate in my mind, or mentally "thank my body for what it has done for me" blah blah blah. Then there are all the weird pose names. "Awkward pose" ? "Child's pose"? I wonder who came up with those.

I have to say that I enjoyed it and it was a challenge. I can definitely see how it can help athletes improve. For me, maybe it would increase my flexibility and help with balance when it comes to surfing. I know it strengthens your core and helps prevent injuries too. Not bad. Even though it is a little tough, there is literally no sweating involved and no increased heart rate or anything, so I'm not sure I'd count it as part of my exercise. It's good for the stretching aspect though!

Someday, maybe I will try Bikram yoga. Hot yoga, anyone?

Rainy Sunday

I love rain, but I think NY didn't get the memo that it is August and still summer for a good 50 more days! Despite the rain, I travelled with a few friends to the next town up north for the local farmers market. Don't I sound so rustic? 'The next town up north' - it's true. A good 20 minutes to the next town. I never want to live here permanently!
The farmers market here is probably the best I have ever been to, besides the one in Hawai'i. It has different offerings - no tropical fruits but everything else pretty much. All varieties of greens, peaches, plums, donut peaches, berries, currants, apricots, etc. Apples will come around next month for sure - the number of varieties is stunning! In addition to the produce, people come and sell locally made breads, cheeses, homegrown flowers, honey, and some fresh fish and cuts of beef. There is a lot of variety there for the amount of vendors (maybe a dozen or so tents). Even with all the rain we had, there was a large turnout. 

A few of our professors from school were spotted at the market as well. One is a farmer and I spoke to him about my externship and his farm's turnout for the season. He said there was a blight for the tomatoes and potatoes this year, making them super scarce! 

I walked off with a muffin from a local bakery and a quart of these delicious apricots which I have been craving for months ever since I smelled their essence in the sweet olive trees of New Orleans!

Wordless Wednesday #10!

Leaving

I am leaving behind:

-New Orleans crazies.

-Beautiful red bike.

-An old house.

-Hot humid weather.

-A crazy chef.

-A few neighborhood friends.

-Awesome co-workers!

-The Mississippi.

-Huge cockroaches you can hear.

-Magnolia trees.

-Real Southern accents.

I'm on my way back now and even though I am thoroughly exhausted, I am so excited! California, here I come!

Wordless Wednesday #9!

Mississippi Mud

At the time of writing this, I still have some Mississippi mud lodged underneath my fingernails from yesterday's gardening. 

Yesterday morning, I worked in the chef's garden across the street from the restaurant. It is in the back of a convent and the oldest building (supposedly) in The South. It is quiet and peaceful and I've discovered that I really enjoyed gardening, so I didn't mind waking up early to be there. My coworker and I cleared out two beds where I had planted corn, yellow squash, kabocha squash and sunflowers. Wow, those plants grew fast! We weeded about two or three weeks ago and already the weeds were back in full force. Here are some pictures of the growth:

It was hot! So I was sweating up a storm! I headed home to shower and relax before my shift at the restaurant would begin later in the afternoon. Then I got a call from Chef B, asking me if I'd rather work in the garden clearing a few more weeds instead of in the kitchen. I quickly ran through a list of pros and cons in my head:

Pros:

-Outdoors instead of indoors

-Birds singing

-Hearing live music in the distance

-Quiet and unsupervised

-Only work for a few hours

-A night off!

Cons:

-95 degree weather

-Less money

-Real physical labor

-Bad tan lines

-HOTTT!!!!

Well I decided to just go for it and said I'd show up at 3pm. I ended up working until 6:30. Whew! I was pretty tired afterwards, but glad that I had chosen the garden because it was a lot more fun and I was in the mood for it. I cleared two more beds on my own, worked around Lemon Verbena (ahhh smells amazing!!!), the beginnings of marigolds and some mint. Even the leaves of the nearby kumquat tree smelled good! Today I am sore but happy to have gotten the opportunity to spend more time outside.

And if you haven't ever had Baskin-Robbins' Mississippi Mudd ice cream, try it! Whoever named it was right on - that mud is dark!

Bike Ride

Starting out

Capturing a gained moment

Running an errand

Thinking. Interrupted.

Chain popping off

Fingers greasy

Continuing on

Gaining momentum

On the Esplanade

Sticky skin

Damp shirt

Mini Dakine

Hugging the back

Gulping breaths

By the sleeping cemetery

Celebrating life

Joining runners

In City Park

Whooshing along

Then

Sitting quiet

On a dock

Connecting

By written form

With those

I love.

Wordless Wednesday #7!

Wordless Wednesday #5!

Days Off

I really appreciate days off more after I have done a lot of overtime at work. Lately the work weeks have been flying by! Seriously, we have been crazy-busy for the last five weekends because of all these festivals and special holidays. First it was French Quarter Fest, then Jazz Fest for two weekends, last weekend was Mother's Day, and now we have Graduation Weekend coming up. Yay? I am just happy to be working, making money, and getting through this semester. Honestly, how can I complain about work when so many people are out there looking for any job they can lay their hands on?!

My two days off this week were reserved for rest and relaxation. Usually, I'd use one of the days to do a touristy thing. I made it a goal to do one fun activity a week, giving me something to look forward to and ensuring that I wouldn't miss out on all that New Orleans/LA/the South has to offer.

Monday I met up with two female co-workers and we got chair massages and smoothies. It was just so nice to have a little bit of girl time and we hardly talked about work at all! After they left (to go work), I got a pedicure. That is like a HUGE luxury for me. I can count the times I've gotten them. . . it's just a nice way to pamper myself. Manicures are out of the question since I'd wreck them asap at work.

Today I walked to get my groceries, did some reading (The World To Come by Dara Horn - great so far!) out on my front stoop, and went and saw a movie with my roommate. It was "Sin Nombre", a little independent film in Spanish with English subtitles. I love movies like that, and I love being able to practice my listening skillz....I can tell when the translation isn't quite right or missing something and makes me feel good! Like I'm in on a joke or something. The movie itself was kinda depressing (senseless gang killings and no happy ending) but I enjoyed the cinematography and music a lot. Pretty good for $5!

I am getting increasingly happy that I will be leaving here soon. I actually got a little sad though, knowing I'd have to sell my bike. We have become quite attached and it has been a great way to get around!

6 weeks of work... 41 days until I go home, and 45 until I see the love of my life and get a little vaca time with one of my best friends! How can life not be great?!

As I wind down the time here, I will need to get some quality work done on my weekly assignments for school (a pain!), make travel arrangements to leave, and I'll be doing some reflecting on my time here. All good things.

What do you think of the new layout? I wanted something simpler and clean.

Pepper!

My co-workers have deemed me tough! That is good to know and hear. I pull my weight and don't fool around. I'm serious when I need to be and don't let anyone put me down.

About a month ago, one of the girls at the other restaurant got jumped - in the morning. All the guys got sooo mad, like "I'm-gonna-kill-him" mad, which is understandable. New Orleans is not safe. I've gotten that vibe since I got here and I've taken every precaution to make sure that I'm as safe as can be.

Having a bike is a definite plus. If someone comes at me, I can get away quickly. I didn't bring any valuables here with me and I don't carry a lot of cash. I keep aware at all times and will defend myself if necessary.

One of my co-workers was kind enough to get me some pepper spray after the recent incident. I was actually pretty excited to have it when I was riding home yesterday after a long night of work. 

Is it bad that I wanted to test it out on some random, unsuspecting person? Haha! Well, I didn't. But I was certainly tempted to! I love pushing buttons and this one looks fun.

Wordless Wednesday #3!

TGIF!

Well, not really for me. Today is more like my Tuesday. I get to work all weekend!

I'll leave you with this picture from my 'hood. Happy weekend! :)

French Quarter Festival

Last weekend was the French Quarter Festival; the largest free music fest in the South! It was Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There were TONS of people in town! The city always feels good when there are a lot of people around.

I had to work during the daytime when most of the action was happening. Fortunately I got off before it got dark and I got to see a few bands play on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Here was J.J. Callier and the Zydeco Knockouts at the Crystal Hot Sauce Zydeco stage:

There were several different stages set up around the Quarter. The biggest one was down by the river. I was amazed to see so many different kinds of people, fashions and food in one place! It was really cool. Here was one of the other stages:

Sunday night I made it just in time to see this band my parents and I discovered while they were here. I love their music!

Zydeco comes from the french words les haricots which are green beans or snap beans. It originated from Creole music and was something you could snap your fingers to. Did you know that it is so popular now that there is a category in the Grammys for Zydeco and Cajun music? Cool!

The zydeco sound is composed of a button or piano accordian and a washboard, more commonly referred to as  a rub-board. These look more like pieces of a

rmor than a washboard! Throw a harmonica in there too and you've got a zydeco band! Plus the name is just fun to say.

Here's some pics of Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters! PS - Dopsie is pronounced "Doopsie".

Rockin' was available for pictures and autographs afterwards. He has a new cd coming out but I didn't bring money with me, so I settled for the picture! He was really polite with everyone and he was a great performer. A+!

I decided this past weekend that the best souvenir a person can get while out on trips or living in different places is local music. Music that someone has created is their gift to the world (cheesy, yes). It blows my mind when I try to think about how many different types of music there are in the world, past, present and future! Everywhere you go there is something new and different. You may like it or you may not. Surprisingly, I liked this type of folk music. I never thought I would!

I can now add Zydeco to my list of favs!

PS - some video examples of Zydeco! Look how coordinated his hands are!

Blossoms + Smells

Lately on my walks and runs in the 'hood, I feel like I have been sniffing/inhaling the sweet fragrances of blossoms and blooms more than I have been regular-breathing. It is quite intoxicating!

Spring is here. The magnolia blossoms are juuuuuust popping out. Gardenias are out. Jasmine has made its appearance everywhere, climbing posts and reaching out into the sidewalks. Hibiscus are unfolding, and a multitude more of flowers I can't name are showing their faces. I ♥ spring.

Pictures to come!

I Have Oranges and Bananas...

I was hanging out in my house one day after I had first moved here to New Orleans. All of a sudden, I started hearing this noise...it sounded like someone on a loudspeaker??? but the speaker sounded really muffled. It kind of worried me because I thought there was some kind of emergency or maybe it was the police!

I looked out my door to discover that it was a man rolling around in a painted pickup truck. The words "Mister Okra" were painted across the front of the truck, backwards like they do on ambulances. Mister Okra was selling produce!

Later, I found out that Mister Okra is continuing a long practice that dates back to when the French Market was started up. The French Market was like an outdoor swapmeet where people could bring in their produce and goods and sell them to the people in the area. However, not everyone could make it to the market (some people had "real jobs" i.e. running plantations) so some vendors took it upon themselves to load up carts and take them out to the people. They would paint their names on the carts so people would know who they were. The vendors would call out what they had and people could stop them and purchase the produce!

The only modern day vendor of this type that I know of is Mister Okra, painted name and all! He uses a loudspeaker to announce what he's got, and I find it wildly entertaining to hear him list off everything. He has quality produce too, which is a blessing for all the people in the Bywater, Treme and Marigny areas because there are no real grocery stores here. The only downside is that you've gotta have cash, and you have to catch him! He doesn't drive fast, but obviously you've got to be home if you want the grocery store to come to you.

It makes me smile when I hear him randomly in the neighborhood.

Here's a video someone else took of Mister Okra. He reminds me a lot of the guy who announced orders at Los Sanchez. Enjoy!