Thursday, May 23, 2013

Laissez les bon temps rouler


"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Waking this morning, we quickly discovered that something new was on the horizon… land!  And not just on the horizon either; literally to our port and starboard sides.  We’re now in the heart of the Mississippi River and in a few short hours we’ll be docked near the French Quarter of New Orleans.  In preparation for their time in NOLA, cadets have been given port guides and maps of the area, recommending the “must sees” and the “must avoids” of the area.  Luckily, the latter is only a couple of points long.  I’ve been trying to teach some cadets the foreign language that Creole and Cajun cultures have introduced to the area (even an urban one), including:

Where y’at – How are you doing, answered with “Aw-rite”

Fais-do-do – A Cajun dance party

Beignet – The most delicious fried doughnut (liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar) you’ll ever have Vieux Carré – Another term for the French Quarter Laissez les bons temps rouler – Let the good times roll!

We’ll see how much of it sticks in a couple of days…

In the meantime, we’ll be heading ashore soon with ample access to cell service and wifi; however, the shipboard connection continues to suffer from serious downtime.  Please be patient with your cadets who are just as frustrated that they do not

have the instantaneous email service enjoyed at home.  I’ll be back after departure from New Orleans, with more to share on our experiences in the Big Easy.   Au revoir, mes amis!

Rollin’ down the river,

Books

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