Grilling, swimming and Chillng

So life is Ruston is going well. This past weekend we decided to have a pool party at our place “CG’s Apt”. I must say it was a great idea! We could not invite that many people as we have a limited number of pool guests, but we still had a great time. We were the only group grilling at the pool and we sure showed off our skills! Ivan was our executive chef and made some amazing grilled chicken, steaks, sausage… and I am sure I am forgetting other food items. It was a good chance to just hang out and relax! At first there were many people at the pool and I think it was a positive thing for them to see so many competent blind people out and about having a great time. Some of us decided to get into the pool while others decided to sit and chat. We met a handsome young man who it turns out is blind himself but does not use a cane. We nicknamed him O+ as he is everyone’s type! It was interesting though to see him there. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own success having gone through training that we forget it does not have the same effect on all people. Whatever his reasons, at least he was out doing his things. And hopefully he felt encouraged by us. So for now pool parties are just the beginning of our summers!

Theocracy or cultural understandings?

So a couple of us went out to eat on a Sunday in Ruston. Nothing was open being that it was a Sunday and most people were in church. Even though it was a bit annoying, we sucked it up. We were apposed to eating at a chain restaurant, but we decided to do it anyways because nothing else was open. We decided to go to chili's. I have gone there many times before, in and out of Louisiana, so most days I know exactly what to expect. Our waiter came to our table and we decided to order beer. We had been walking and it just seemed like the right drink to go along with our chips, dip and food. To our surprise Chili's does not serve beer on Sundays. Not only that, but no one can sell it, and even in grocery stores, you have to wait til Monday. I must say we were disappointed. Why could we not drink beer with our meal? So it turns out that "No Beer Sundays" is the Law! In the whole parish (that is that they call counties here) it is illegal to sell beer on Sundays. Other than the fact that there is a drive thru liquor store and you can order beer there any other day of the week, no one can sell alcohol on the day of the Lord.

Being the people we are, we started talking how we are in the South and that is just the way that things are. Most people here (or many) are Christian and that is the culture. We agreed that even though it was odd, we have to respect cultural differences and what that entails. The culture here is no beer on Sunday, so we will be tolerant and let it go. And then I started thinking... is that culture or is that theocracy? The definition of theocracy is "a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God's or deity's laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities" (dictionary.com). In this case, that is exactly what is happening with beer. Due to the fact that the people who make the laws in Louisiana are Christian and have Christian constituents, they have deemed it necessary to make Sunday a 'holy day' and thus no one can drink. Even those who are not Christian or who are Christian and want to drink, everyone has to wait until Monday. I wonder if anyone has ever contested this law, or if they have just moved away not wanting to deal with it. I am still a bit torn on this issue, but I think that what we first thought was a cultural difference may well be one group of people putting their beliefs on others, and that is not separation of church and state!

Crawfish and New Food

So being in the great state of Louisiana I finally had some Crawfish! What is Crawfish? Well, it is like a shrimp, lobster, that lives in the mud. Don't be fooled though, it is quite tasty. I had a while 3 pounds of it and I must say that it was really good. It had a tasty spice on it that made me wish I had some lime to add to it, but that is just my Mexican side coming out. Crawfish is served by the pound. You have to break off the tail and throw the rest of it away. You eat if with your fingers, pair it with a beer and you just can't ask for more. They give you large buckets that you can throw your leftovers in. It is quite a liberating experience.

So eating Crawfish made me wonder, how quick are we to judge other people's choice of foods, and specifically other ethnic foods? People become grossed out and don't even try something new because they think that if it does not come pre-packaged and with high fructose syrup, that it is somehow not edible. I am sure people in Louisiana who may Love Crawfish would be quick to say other people eat gross food, yet other people think Crawfish is disgusting. I think that it might have to do with the way we explain things. Whenever I have to tell my non-Hispanic friends about some Mexican dishes, even I stop to think and clarify. It sounds so much better in Spanish. For example pansita is so good, but what is it? Stomach. So you see, when it is translated and explained it just sounds weird. For example crawfish, for a Louisianer(I think that may be a term not sure) Crawfish is Crawfish, but once you explain exactly what it is, even they stop to ponder about it.

So my one thought is.. try something new, even if you think you may not like it. If not, you are denying yourself the opportunity to discover new things, and you may be disrespecting people who are appalled by your lack of understanding. And to my Louisiana friends I say, keep on having your Crawfish Boils and invite me over!