Missing South Louisiana

Me and many of my Louisiana native friends living in other parts of the country frequently share the same longing and craving for anything "Louisiana". What is it about south Louisiana that we miss so much ?

Looking at it from the outside, it's really hard to understand. In the summer, Louisiana is hot and humid, huge bugs are everywhere, not to mention...hurricane season. In the winter it's drab and a strange kind of moist coldness, which actually makes it feel even colder. Don't mention the food...most people can't even pronounce or even recognize some of the food we eat. There is no huge economic boom....as a matter of fact the current depressed economic times the rest of the country is experiencing is what we've always experienced economically in Louisiana. In addition, according to national polls ,the education system is not good.

Why is it that so many of us from south Louisiana miss it sooo much? Besides the fact the South Louisiana is "home" for us. I think the answer is hard to formulate but it has a lot to do with the rich culture that we don't appreciate until we are away. It is an easy-going, laid-back type culture that is centered around family, old friends, great food, a colorful language, a genuine sense of community and music, which includes everything from ole time cajun music, soulful zydeco and dirty south hiphop.


It's a lot like the Caribbeans, minus the beautiful beaches. There are exotic foods, flowers, fruits and always someone hosting a celebration.....complete with food, family, music and drinks !! Everything is a reason to celebrate... new car, new job, new house, baptisms, death, birth, graduation, being home, going away, new bike....the list is endless. Every corner store or gas station has something delicious to eat......meat pies, boudin, or bbq sandwiches. There are snowball stands everywhere operating out of pre-fabricated storage sheds, small garages, travel trailers or cute little colorful houses...each offering a long long list of flavors. Roasting a pig, eating boudin from Rays, donuts from Mikey's, Friday night seafood buffet at the casino, snowballs from Pie's snowballs and sitting in the front yard in the summer evenings swatting mosquitoes while watching kids play......those are just some of the things I love and miss about South Louisiana.

Building Character and a whole lot more.....

When my brothers and I were younger my mother had a policy of punishing everyone in the vicinity of a fight, an “accidental” break of furniture or appliance, a dispute between who’s turn it was or who’s going to sit in the front seat !! I always thought that was so unfair of her to make everyone suffer for the actions or behavior of the “guilty” one. For instance, if two of you were arguing and the other two did nothing to stop it but witness the madness from the sideline, then everyone got in trouble. She wouldn’t even entertain the statements “but I didn’t do anything…” or “I wasn’t even fighting, I just watched…” .

I realize now that my mother was teaching us a very important lesson, whether she knew it or not. She made us accountable for one another and our actions and we soon realized that everyone’s actions impact a greater community, whether it’s good or bad. We learned to resolve issues without getting my mother involved, we learned to share and take turns and eventually we learned to disagree without fighting. As a result, we developed a whole host of skills which included problem-solving, negotiating and teamwork skills. We also developed a keen sense of others and the impact we have on our environment. These lessons are proving to be very valuable today as people are struggling financially because of bad decisions or joblessness, religious groups are fighting over their right to practice their religion and disputing over land.

Too bad my mother is not in charge now…no one would get anything until they learned how to resolve their issues in a peaceful manner and learn to disagree without fighting.

"Slowly - Maybe we should take our time"

"Would it be so bad if we just stopped for a while
And enjoyed the thrills we could all be still let the world just pass us by
But it's all hurry hurry run run there's no time for this
We want more and more got to win got to score so afraid of what we'll miss"...Macy Gray

Today, I received two clear messages about slowing down...First in the car listening to Macy Gray's "Slowly" and then again at work reading my email I came across the following poem. It's a clear message to slow down, enjoy life and the little things. It's easy to get caught up in getting the next thing done before some deadline, we lose the sight of the little things that make a big difference.

"SLOW DANCE"
Poem taken from an email

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round
Or listened to the rain Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down. Don't dance so fast.
Time is short. The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.....

......Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

"Life is lost in dreams and dreams are lost in living"

So many things to do, too few hands and too little time to do them. Lately, my mind has been buzzing with dreams, ideas and thoughts of things that would make a difference in society. Unfortunately, these dreams are very often interrupted with things I need to do right now....work, pay bills, take care of family and all the responsibilities that come with living.

It reminds me of a quote I saw on a building in Cancun...."Life is lost in dreams; dreams are lost in living". I think it is a great success is to be blessed to live your dreams and your dreams provide a living.

As I write this blog, I realize that I can't complain. I have a career that I love, although it seems to be steering away from my ideas, I am able to make a difference in some people lives regarding their academic careers. I am able to provide a more than adequate amount to our household income and all of our needs are met. So, perhaps I am living my dreams and these little everyday "hiccups" are learning lessons making me better at what I do.

What are your dreams? Try not to lose them in living.

Sedona International Film Festival

Last weekend, Jason and I went to the Sedona International Film Festival. Sedona is just a 2- hour drive from Phoenix; yet it is a completely different world.

Saturday evening we saw Gospel Hill directed by Giancarlo Esposito (the guy from all of Spike Lee’s movies) and the opening short film was Gone fishing by Chris Jones. Gospel Hill was a good movie, but the unexpected surprise was the short film, Gone Fishing, that opened Gospel Hill. It was a brilliant short…never have I felt so many emotions, in such a short time with so few words…outstanding writing, acting, directing and cinematography !!! I can’t wait to see more from Chris Jones.

Sunday we saw a documentary The Long Road North of a man who decided to bike from the tip of South America to the far northern tip of Canada (Artic). It was very interesting and I was especially intrigued by the people he met along the way. Watching this documentary is the closest I would ever get to do anything like that.

This year the Sedona Film Festival….who knows... next year maybe Sundance. I am really digging this who film festival thing !!

Women in Science & Engineering

This weekend at the American Association of Physics Teachers conference I attended several talks but one in particular really resonated with my research and with my personal experiences. Dr Angela Johnson from St Mary's College in Maryland presented her research on the experience of African American women who study science at predominately white colleges and universities and the teaching methods that unintentionally alienate and discourage female students, particularly African Americans.

At that moment I was so thankful to her for being a voice for African American Women studying science. It is an issue that is often overlooked and perhaps not even acknowledged. I’ve found that far too often the issue of equity in STEM education is minimized as a perceived / imagined barrier or an excuse for women, especially African American women. Even at the AAPT conference this attitude was evident and the issue was often regarded as minimal. Her presentation reassured me that this is indeed a problem worth addressing not only in research but also in practice.

This presentation was so timely for me because this semester I am teaching a Physics course with 90% of the class consisting of female students. Her presentation reminded me to be aware of those unintentional practices that discourage and alienate female students. I was also encouraged that my research on women in engineering was not done in vain and there is some validity in my study despite the lack of interest or acceptance by many in science and engineering.
Related Reading: Racial Economy of Science - An interview with Evelynn Hammonds

What happened to the Cardinals ??

I am not a football fan, but I will watch the Superbowl. Since the Cardinals is my home team, I was especially interested in the game last night. Phoenix has been hit hard by the current economic downfall. Every part of the State is suffering financially. Winning the Superbowl would have been a great ego booster. The Cardinals almost pulled it off, but they gave it to the Steelers at the very last minute... What a game!!! Hey, it was a victory for the Cardinals to even play in the superbowl...so that's something to cheer about.

In the meantime, I am still trying to get the smoke smell out of my office. Last week someone burned a hot dog in the microwave located just outside my office. The smoke traveled straight to my office and stayed !! Any suggestions ?