THE BAES MEET THE BEIGNETS (Day 2)
As told by Mehdi
The morning began with an Easter church service for those interested and when we got back, those that didn't go to the service surprised us with an Easter egg hunt! Nearly 100 eggs in our house were hidden, so needless to say we're still on the search for candy filled eggs (I found one in my sleeping bag while on my nap and Kenzie found one while showering).
Next stop was the Easter parade, which was like a PG version of Mardi Gras. It was mesmerizing to see thousands of people being Gumby in the streets with the floats ever more intricate passing through the streets. We caught the tail end of the parade but we felt like we still got the full experience of the parade and ambiance of Bourbon Street. Some of the best catches from the parade: a chicken wing necklace and pixie wings.
It wouldn't be a trip to New Orleans without the famous Beignets at the Café Du Monde. The line for the café was longer than the line at a six flags ride on 4th of July weekend, but just like the ride on the Superman, the wait was well worth it. The Café's menu was simple because they knew why we were there: Beignets and coffee. For those unfamiliar, Beignets are simply fried dough buried in powdered sugar, but that's because we don't know the secret voodoo that goes into the ingredients. The waiter took our order and within a few minutes brought the Beignets to our table, which is a sweet and cherishing experience comparable to a baby having their first taste of chocolate. I sat there salivating at the food while the rest made sure their social media accounts were updated with pictures the fried taste of heaven. The Beignets came in threes and were buried under enough powdered sugar to cause road blocks in the arteries, but somehow I licked my plate clean of the fried pastries and was ready for more. Needless to say, the Beignet Baes were not disappointed with our first encounter with our namesake…. and we'll probably be back this week.
We got back to the house after a full day of touring the heart of New Orleans to realize that we were in desperate need of a power nap as we were all running on empty. I woke up an hour later from beauty rest to the sweet aroma of "Slap Ya Mama" seasoned chicken, shells n' cheese (fancier than mac n' cheese), and broccoli with cauliflower (turned out it was bunches of butter instead, but still tasty). This is not an advertisement, but there is a cajun seasoning sold here called "Slap Ya Mama" and it's so good that I wouldn't slap my mom (Love you mama!) but I'd consider it (I still love you mama!).
After we cleaned up and whoever needed heartburn medicine got their dose, we had to top off the great day with some ice cream, which was a neat extra bonding experience that made us closer. It turns out nearly every New Orleans local shop only takes cash, and is closed on Sunday. But in true MAB fashion, we were Gumby and rolled in hot to the nearest Baskin Robbins.
During our group discussion, we all talked about our highs and lows. Avanna shared with us one of her highs of the day, one that incorporates one of the MAB principles that we reflect on every day – Poco a Poco. While downtown New Orleans, it was very humbling walking down the streets seeing many homeless on the streets, sitting among a crowd of fancily dressed and people well-living people. Avanna shared with us how she had given a few dollars to one of the men that we passed. After we had eaten our Beignets, we passed the same man. This time, though, he was sitting down sharing a meal with another man and his dog. To us, a few dollars may have meant another package of Beignet mix to take home with us, but to this man, these few dollars provided a meal that he may not have otherwise had.
Little by little, poco a poco, we are truly starting to see the community that we have come to serve, to see the change and difference that we can only hope to make in these people's lives. With this attitude in mind, we are all so ecstatic to start our first day of service at Love in Action tomorrow.
Check back in tomorrow to keep up with our shenanigans!
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