HypheNationAn Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of Critical Moments Discourse

ListenHear
LoudTalking
TalkingLoud

Tracy Blandon Allen

Martha Carey

Futaba Fujikawa

Natasha McPherson

Table of Contents

Photos courtesy of the author
Copyright 2006 Futaba Fujikawa

While waiting for my jambalaya and lemonade at a busy café, I was looking at people’s faces. Waitresses. Workers. Business people. Locals. Security guards. Their eyes visit on food. Hot and spicy, the taste of New Orleans. Catfish fries. Shrimp fries. Gumbo. Po-boy. My jambalaya came with steam and a piece of garlic bread. Where did these shrimps come from? Are they back? Is New Orleans food back? Is New Orleans back?

The jambalaya was hot and shrimps were fresh. My thoughts traveled back to the time when I first tasted this food four years ago. I was seized by the combination of extreme sadness and extreme happiness of New Orleans, as well as its great food. I always wanted to come back and I sometimes did. Finally, I got the chance to live and study in this city. I was feeling the hot and humid air sticking to my skin outside the airport, one week before Katrina hit.

Two and the half months later the hurricane took the city away, I was sitting at a busy café and eating Jambalaya. I wondered whether the city was back and walked around the streets to find clues. Yes and no. Yes or no. Yes. Not yet, but it will. I wondered.