contradiction

Contradiction is often used as a negative term, used to define the conflict between opposing elements. What I failed to realize before coming to New Orleans was that the only way one could rationali8ze diversity is through contradiction. New Orleans is a veritable cesspool of diversity and relating cultures. Here, various backgrounds seemd to have melted together to form a symbiotic whole without losing their distinct flavor. Too often we hear about the “American Melting Pot”--- the combing of different cultures into one American culture. I’d like to argue however that if all these cultures were colors, the combination of them all into the commonly accepted “American” culture creates a dull, grey hue where a new and fresh color upsets the balance of the whole. In New Orleans, however, all the different cultures are melted to create a strange rainbow substance; reminiscent of the colors seen on the surface of an oil spill. The colors blend and contrast in both conflict and harmony.

Hopefully in time, I too could blend myself into this strange assortment of peoples. Right now however, I feel like a tourist stranded in his destination spot for an inordinate amount of time, however pleasant that spot may be. Perhaps this is partially due to the extraordinary number of things to do. At this point, I am at the realization that I could be here for years, and still not see everything. In the short two weeks I’ve been in New Orleans, I have seen some of the most random and seemingly contradictory things on the streets.

My current residence is on Independence St. in the Bywater. This area was not only greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina, but also by poverty. Located between the Mississippi River, the Industrial Canal (which separates it from the lower ninth), St. Claude Ave, and the Marigny area, this strip of primarily residential land espouses everything, both positive and negative, about New Orleans neighborhoods. With a extremely mixed population and socio-economic range, the Bywater area seems to attract people of every walk of life, from the young artist to the elderly parish priest (two of my direct neighbors in fact). Spotted with parks and restaurants, the fiercely local attitude of the inhabitants of this area is reflected in the buildings. The shotgun house, with all of its functional simplicity, is hardly seen anywhere else in the world. Upon visiting such a house, one understands the rustic and yet (contradictorily) poetic nature of the locals to this neighborhood. One has to simply sit in Frady’s restaurant to understand this statement. The people banter and speak to each other in a strange dialect which is vaguely reminiscent of a fierce North Eastern seaboard accent, yet with colloquialisms which can only be found in the South. The appearance of Frady’s and other such restaurants are as misleading as the garish exteriors of the simply designed shotguns, or the rough and unattractive appearance of the inhabitants of this area. The appears masks a culinary delight which, if I didn’t feel like I’d gain 300 pounds easily, I would divulge in daily.

The rest of the city is similarly clad as well. With the exception of the obnoxious, and overrated Bourbon Street, the French Quarter is full of strange and interesting places. In the back of Royal Street galleries sporting ridiculous landscapes or pedantic still-lives, are interesting paintings by local artists. One has to simply sit on one of the park benches in Jackson Square or in Café Du Monde and someone will strike up a conversation. Despite my frequent forays into the Quarter, I have yet to fully understand its customs or its people, or even to figure out who the locals are and who the ex-patriots from other states are.

Although I have traveled through many of the other neighborhoods in town, I have yet to experience them in the same way I have the Bywater and the French Quarter. I have visited Uptown for different concerts and visits to Tulane, but do not understand the area very well, and would easily get lost on its streets. The little bit I have seen of it however lead me to believe that it too holds many secrets and contradictions which I have yet to reveal. Despite the length of my stay in this city, I feel like I will never truly understand its many contradictions, and will constantly feel like a tourist.

-acp