This month, just like the previous month and a half I have
spent here in New Orleans, has come and gone quickly. Our exams occur so
frequently that it sometimes feels like life is moving in fast-forward. Studying
for days in a row sometimes leads me to forget what day of the week it is, but
I and most classmates still carve out time to relax and slow down. So far, in
the times when I haven’t been busy studying, I have managed to explore the city
some and perform a bit of volunteer work. The highlights of free time my have
been a concert at Tipitina’s – a Mardi Gras Indian tribe played, one of the
coolest things I’ve seen so far - with classmates, food and beignets in the
French Quarter, live music on Frenchmen St., and, more recently, playing some
tennis and IM soccer.
I
spent 2 Saturdays this month working with Habitat for Humanity, with a big
group of classmates each time. Unfortunately we were at two different build
sites so we didn’t get to see any further progress at the first house, which
seemed to resemble something close to a finished product. The majority of my
time during the first build was spent raking, digging and hauling dirt by
wheelbarrow, and moving lumber. Other than some run-ins with fire ants and
wasps, breaking up concrete with a sledgehammer, and using an old-school
thresher to cut the grass behind the house, the day was pretty uneventful. But
nonetheless, it was a day well-spent enjoying time with the rest of the class
while getting some exercise and sun. My second day with Habitat was equally as
tiring as the first but much more of a learning experience thanks to the work I
was doing. Along with Graham and Neel, I worked installing insulation in the
attic of the house. When offered the chance to work in the attic, not knowing
what we were getting ourselves into, we all volunteered eagerly. Other than a
cursory explanation from the build site leader, we had no clue what we were
doing. I don’t think any of us were prepared for the temperature in the attic
or the significant amount of insulation particulate floating in the air, but we
survived just fine and no one fell through the dry wall ceiling, luckily. And in the
future I’ll know how to insulate my own home if necessary. Thankfully it was
overcast and not hot as hell that day, otherwise that job would have been
unbearable and I would have a needed a 3rd and 4th shirt
to deal with all the sweat.
Academically,
things have been going well so far. I’m enjoying the classes and the program in
general. At the beginning I anticipated that I might struggle to get back into
good studying routines after taking a year off but all the material really
interests me so it was a pretty easy return to the scholastic environment. If
everything continues with this current trajectory, I will be really pleased with
my academic performance and all that I have learned.
Volunteer Hours:
Habitat for Humanity, 9/6/14 – 8 hours
Habitat for Humanity, 9/13/14 – 8 hours
Total – 16 hours
