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October 19, 2006
The old country
I'm out of the country this week, back in America. Austin, specifically. It's definitely a weird feeling here. Not so much the culture shock that other people report, more just a vague sense of homesickness. Not that I want to move back; if I still lived here I'd want to be in New Orleans. But I lived most of my adult life in Texas and my kids were born here so obviously there's going to be a little tug.
I only caught myself looking for the bathtub ring on houses a couple of times. I think it must be the hills that put the thought out of your mind.
There are almost no black people here. I think I've seen fewer than a dozen all week. In New Orleans I would see that many before I got to the end of the block in the morning. For all the talk after the storm about how "segregated" New Orleans is, the difference here is stark. I guess it's easy to talk about other people being segregated when your own city doesn't actually have anybody you need to integrate with.
People here say "hi" to strangers on the street much more than in New Orleans. There's too much mistrust, too much fear and exhaustion in New Orleans these days and it's wearing down people's natural friendliness. Plus there's the whole whiteness thing here. It's easy to be friendly to people who look like you.
But nobody in Austin will call you baby.
All of the Starbucks here are open for business. There is other coffee to be had, but you have to know where to look for it.
There are too goddamn many SUVs here.
Like New Orleans, they're bulldozing what makes their city special in the name of growth. In New Orleans, it's Creole doubles in Mid City. Here, I was startled to see that commercial development has made the jump across Loop 360 and is now spreading across the southern end of the greenbelt.
It's very clean here. Clean like parts of Uptown.
I'm scared to drive fast through puddles. I know that the streets here are fine, that there's no chance of there being a 4-foot-deep sinkhole hidden in the water, but I'm conditioned. I once saw a car with its front end stuck in a deep hole in a puddle at Calhoun and Claiborne and now I got The Fear.
The Mexican food here is really good. As is the ice cream. And the water pressure.
I want a french fry po boy.
Back Friday.
Posted by ray at October 19, 2006 9:22 AM | Permalink
Categories: [austin | new orleans ]
Comments
You're forgetting that neither of the top two ethnic groups here by population is actually black. They're a distant third and falling farther back every year. Austin's white/Hispanic integration is probably the more relevant comparison.
Posted by: M1EK at October 19, 2006 10:38 AM
Whew! I came here earlier and here wasn't here, but was instead replaced by a note explaining the moronosphere crash. It was scary and exciting at the same time, but I'm glad to see things are back to normal.
Have a nice time in Austin. Enjoy the good Mexican eatin'. It's a lovely town, but I have to agree. Too many white people in one place makes me very uncomfortable. I will stay here in the A-T-L and continue to visit New Orleans and should be safe from too many white people in one place.
I'm kind of punchy. Quieter than usual here at the KSDCo, but as we say here, "Peace, up, A-town down." [When saying this we first give the peace sign then point our two peace sign making fingers down for the "A-town down" part.] ;)
Posted by: Sophmom at October 19, 2006 12:47 PM
But nobody in Austin will call you baby.
What's wrong with "motherfucker"?
Posted by: Hiromi at October 19, 2006 1:09 PM
How could someone live where nobody calls you baby???!!
Posted by: TravelingMermaid at October 19, 2006 2:07 PM
How could someone live where nobody calls you baby???!! Or dawlin' or 'chere or Boo......
Posted by: TravelingMermaid at October 19, 2006 2:07 PM
I hear you. Kinda miss the hill country as well. Nice to hear it described again. Nice to hear what's happened. It's a college town and always will be. That school was 50,000 when I was there awhile ago.
I wish we had more diversity out where we live. It's something my children aren't truly exposed to enough.
There was an article in our local paper about New Orleans wild life moving indoors. Good luck with the critters.
Posted by: Devilbluedress at October 19, 2006 3:25 PM
One of my friends, when he had to move for work post-K, said that he'd have to be careful he didn't call any guys baby.
Posted by: candice at October 20, 2006 12:17 AM
I was walking around downtown a lot this past week. We had relatives in town from NYC, only their second visit here. I really noticed the cranes and construction a lot more with them in tow, "seeing through their eyes" I guess. Lots of changes going on to be sure, some good, some bad, depending on your point of view.
The stark whiteness is something I noticed after living in NYC for two years and then moving back to Austin. Obviously, living on the east side mitigates the feeling of homogeneity, though my portion of the east side is decidedly hispanic.
It seems like 6th street on the weekends the last few times I've been down there have been more mixed than in the past couple of years. I suppose that depends on what clubs are open at any given moment.
Posted by: ttrentham at October 20, 2006 10:44 AM
Hey, I got a shrink-wrapped 4-pack of Perrier eating up valuable real estate in my fridge. Ya wanna come get it?
Posted by: ashley Morris at October 23, 2006 1:08 AM
Yeah, sure. You mean you floated the keg?
Posted by: Ray at October 23, 2006 9:29 AM
No floating...all the yuppies went for the daiquiris. And my wife is still axing me about the grapefruit juice...
Posted by: ashley at October 23, 2006 10:29 AM
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