Friday, June 4, 2010

My Louisiana, My Home

When I travel, people inevitably ask me where I am from. I always reply, "I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but New Orleans is my home."

New Orleans, Louisiana -- Proud to call it Home.

You may ask why, after losing my home, dealing with hurricanes year after year, the termites, the reality of poor public education, crooked politics, high crime, and the list goes on and on .... why, why do I choose to live in this city, much less, in this State.

Rather than tell you why, I can show you why.

It is a State filled with natural wonders and sleepy afternoons.

It is a State filled with the greatness of the Mississippi River and all the abundance the Gulf of Mexico has to offer.


It is the ole' man River....

The city on the River's crescent.


It is a major U.S. port.

It is a State filled with beautiful architecture.


Both great...



And small...


It is a State that loves to eat well and celebrate life...










It is a State full of Hope and Faith in the impossible dream...




But this is also my Louisiana....









Please do whatever you can to make my home safe again for all of its inhabitants.

12 comments:

  1. Hello,dear Karina!-)*

    Such amazing post about Lousiana...and how awesome you photos here,you feelings about you Home!!!

    Thank you so much for share these inspirational minds:-)*

    With love,
    ***Violetta***

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  2. Karina,
    I love the look of your city and I could cry for you, for me and for the world because this is about all of us and we have to do something to change it.
    It took over 100 days to block the spill off Western Australia last year. We did not have the damage to wildlife though.
    Have you seen Gigi's post at the Magpie's Fancy? If not go and have a look

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  3. I've never been to New Orleans but from pictures that I've always seen I love the style and all the natural beauty that it has to offer I can see why.

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  4. Oh, Karina, my aching heart goes out to you. This post is amazing--both your pride and love for your beautiful home and your pain and loss in the face of this disaster. Hopefully people are realizing that we are ALL affected by this, that we are destroying our precious planet, and that we must all take responsibility and work toward change in our lifestyles and choices. Our dependence on oil must end.

    Thanks for your email. I can't tell you how much I appreciated receiving it. If you don't mind, I'd like to make a link on my page to your post.

    I'll keep checking back here with you.

    All best,
    Gigi

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  5. Hi Karina ~
    I found you via the wonderful Gigi, and I am so lucky she led me your way. My deepest hope is that your beautiful state is restored and happy again as well as the rest of the many places affected by this horrific spill.
    ~Melissa

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  6. dear katrina ~
    thank you so much for sharing your home ~ every bit of it's beauty, individuality and charm ...
    and every bit of the raw truth of the disaster as difficult and excruciating as it is to look at those poor creatures ...
    it is heart-wrenching.
    your post is powerful and says so much ...
    i pray there is a solution 'yesterday' to stop any further disaster and destruction ...
    thanks to gigi for sharing you with us ...
    take care ~
    prairiegirl

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  7. karina ~ i am most apologetic for misspelling your name in the previous post ... xo pg

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  8. hello from canada
    i visited louisiana and new orleans 2 years ago and i absolutely loved it. the people, the food, the bayou, the heat, the accent.... all of it.
    i am deeply saddened by what is happening there but still i would go back in a heartbeat.
    all the best
    ~laura
    ps. i also visit via gigi

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  9. Karena, I'm from Houston and know New Orleans well, as well as all of the Gulf Coast. I wrote a post about this called "...this just in" which I think you should read. Also Backwards in High Heels did the most poignant post I've ever read, and she lives in Scotland. And Errant Aesthete too. If you need the links let me know. Maybe if we all protest this hideousness, starting with us women, our voices will be heard. Read HuffingtonPost online and you will be able to read comments made by 1000's of readers. This will go down in history as one of the biggest blunders man has ever created. We can go to the moon, circle the planet, send men & equipment to a space station and come back safely time and again, but we don't know how to fix something 1 mile under the sea. Risk Management? You would think a huge corporation(s) would have had a plan. They didn't. Let's pray for divine intervention. Marsha in Houston.

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  10. Great post. I have found that New Orleans always has that light and dark side. Some things are so great it's bliss to experience, then something like this happens and it is hard to imagine our wetlands exposed to this thick oil knowing how fragile they are.

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  11. To everyone, I cannot thank you enough for your comments. It's been wonderful to get such feedback. Sometimes, I worry that my readers only want "eye candy" from me, but in all honesty, it is difficult to think or talk about something frivolous when so much is happening around us. I was called today to volunteer receiving oiled birds from the coast. I will be scheduled to go soon and I will do a post on my experience.

    Yours,

    Karina

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  12. I have never been to New Orleans and this is one of my nex trip plan. I was captivating by your first pictures then With the last ones I almost cry . It is horrible what human beings can do to the nature

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