Month: June 2015

History, Louisiana

Say What? New Orleans Street Names

Say What? New Orleans street names are hard to pronounce! Yes, indeed.

There are a lot of interesting things about New Orleans. The fact that the languages, food, music, and traditions of the Louisiana Creole culture continued after the Louisiana Purchase and US statehood is unarguably unique. In my post Say What? New Orleans Speak I introduced readers to some local lingo, popular places with a bit of history, and a pronunciation guide. Today we will look at some street names. Yeah-you-right, if you want to sound like local when visiting NOLA, there are a few street names that are particularly difficult to pronounce. Tourists come across all or most of them during a visit.

Let’s start with a review. You already know locals pronounce the name of the city as  noo OR-lunz, noo OR-lee-unz, or noo AW-linz. But did you know the city is divided into Parishes and Faubourgs? A Parish is called a county in other US cities. A Faubourg (FAUX-berg) is a holdover from the French Colonial period and refers to the parts outside the city, known today as the “burbs”. The French Quarter which is the oldest neighborhood in the city today, was the original city, so the territory built up outside of that space was considered a “faubourg” or “suburbs’’. For example, there’s a Faubourg St. John, a Faubourg Marigny (MAHR-ruh-nee) and the Faubourg Tremé (tray-MAY) made popular in the HBO series Treme. However, in the TV show, the spelling Treme could be pronounced TREAM. When spelled the French way with the diacritic over the second ‘e’, Tréme, the pronunciation changes.

Here’s the thing: the blending of a handful of old world cultures that settled in Louisiana created a new culture that has over time influenced the pronunciations of old words. So a French word or a Spanish word or a word from one of the original languages from colonial or native Louisiana languages may not be pronounced as you think.

Have some fun and give these pronunciations a try. And if you get stuck, that’s okay, just ask a local, they won’t mind!

  1. Baronne: (buh-ROAN) not (bar-ro-NAY)
  2. Burgundy Street: (bur-GUN-dee) not like the wine, (BURG-gun-dee)
  3. Carondelet: (kah-ron-duh-LET) not (kah-ron-duh-LAY)
  4. Chartres: (CHART-ers) not (char-TRESS)
  5. Conti: (KAWN-tie) not (KAWN-tee)
  6. Decatur: (duh-KAY-ter), not (dee-ca-TURE) or (deck uh-TURE)
  7. Freret: (FER-et) not (FRER-ay), the French way
  8. Iberville: (EYE-ber-ville) not (IB-er-ville)
  9. Tonti: (TAWN-tee) not (TAWN-tie) ignore #5!
  10. Tchoupitoulas: (Chop-a-TOO-luhs) not, well…you can imagine
  11. Toulouse: (TOO-loose) not (Too-LOOSE)
  12. Tulane: (TOO-lane) not (tu-LANE)

After you have it all figured out, plug in New Orleans street names to a car navigation system on your visit if you want to get a good laugh.

And please, strike up a conversation with a local while out and about. When home, the local lingo is what makes it feel like home to me. A typical greeting from an old childhood NAY-bah I may see in da MAW-nin’ could go like this, “Hey dawlin’! Where y’at? How’s yamama’n’em? You bettah come pass by ma house before you leave.”

And that is music to my ears.

Picture books

Coming Home by Greg Ruth

Coming Home by Greg Ruth is today’s pick for Perfect Picture Book Friday!

Written & Illustrated by: Greg Ruth

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (November 4, 2014)

Suitable for ages: 4-7

Themes/Topics: military families, resilience, hope, anticipation

Coming home

Brief Synopsis: Coming Home is a nearly wordless story of a young boy awaiting a loved one to return home. It is a sweet and simple story depicting a typical military homecoming scene. Through eyes of the boy, readers experience the emotion and anticipation felt on this joyous day when families and friends gather to greet their loved ones. The boy sees others arrive while he searches for his someone special. And it has the perfect surprise ending!

Opening pages:  “Every day, soldiers leave their families to protect others. We love them. We miss them when they’re gone. And we want them all to come home. They are our heroes.”

Why I like this book: As a former educator in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools I know first-hand how deployments affect children. As a military spouse, this book flooded my memory. I re-experienced every homecoming scene I and my children have had when their father returned from an assignment as an active duty naval officer. It’s very moving. Civilians get a glimpse into the life of a military child.

The beautiful illustrations depict the many different ways a homecoming can be celebrated. There are spouses, parents, friends, pets, even a man touching the belly of his pregnant wife. I highly recommend it!

Resources: Little Listeners in an Uncertain World Coping strategies for you and your child during deployment or when a crisis occurs. Two options to create a book together, when it’s dad or when it’s mom “out there.”

Helping children handle deployments Addresses a child’s moodiness and behavior during the deployment may be a sign of stress or anxiety and how to help.

Preparing children for deployment Tools and resources for military families throughout each stage of deployment by those who have been there.

The “So Far” Guide A guide to help children and youth cope with the deployment of a parent in the military reserves.

For other Perfect Picture Book Friday picks from today, head over to author Susanna Hill’s page here.

Happy reading!

 

Picture books

Daredevil Duck by Charlie Alder

Daredevil Duck is today’s pick for Perfect Picture Book Friday!

Written & Illustrated by: Charlie Alder 

Publisher: Running Press Kids (May 12, 2015)

Suitable for ages: 3-6

Themes/Topics: facing fears, bravery, believing in yourself, helping others

Brief Synopsis: Daredevil Duck is the bravest duck in the whole world, kind of. When he’s dressed in his superhero cape, red helmet, dark x-ray glasses and rides his squeaky super tricycle, he sure is! Although he dreams of being brave, underneath the costume he’s afraid of just about everything, like things that are too dark, too wet, too fluttery or too high. Other ducks make fun of him. While floating in his rubber ring dreaming about being brave, a mole appears. Daredevil duck is so frightened he pedals away through the dark woods over puddles, leaves and hills! Ending back where he started, he meets the Mole again who asks for his help to retrieve his balloon from a tree. Mole believes if Duck could pedal through the dark, in deep puddles, through the most fluttery leaves and the highest hills, he’s the right one to help.

The foldout pages add to the page turns and the illustrations are bright and colorful.

Opening pages: “This is Daredevil Duck. (Well, sort of)”

“He is the bravest duck in the whole world. (Well kind of)”

Why I like this book: This is such a sweet story. The reader will root for Duck on every page, hoping his dream of being the superhero he would like to be, is realized. I especially like the message that although it’s hard to face your fears, sometimes it’s easy to do for a friend.

To read other Perfect Picture Book Friday picks, head over to author Susanna Hill’s page here.

Happy reading!

History, Mardi Gras

New Orleans Trivia Quiz-Mardi Gras, Baby!

New Orleans trivia quizzes are designed as a fun way to learn about one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Rich in tradition and culture, New Orleans is known as the festival capital of the United States. The culture, customs, and many traditions celebrated throughout the year started long before US statehood, which makes the city genuinely unique.

New Orleans Carville

This first quiz tests your knowledge of Mardi Gras and that includes king cake, baby!

See my other posts about Mardi Gras and king cake and another about how to catch throws at a parade.  Head over to Goodreads to take the New Orleans Trivia multiple choice quiz. For a heads up, the questions are below.

How’s your knowledge of New Orleans’ culture?

Bonne chance! Good luck!

1. What is the first day king cake is traditionally eaten in New Orleans?

2. What does the New Orleans king cake symbolize?

3. Other than a plastic baby, what else is known to be hidden in king cakes?

4. Mardi Gras is an official holiday in which of these states?

5. Who chose purple, green, and gold as the official colors of Mardi Gras?

6. What do the words Mardi Gras mean in English?

7. What happens when you find the plastic king cake baby inside the cake?

8. What New Orleans Carnival krewe uses a bean and “mock wooden” king cake to choose their queen?

9. At a new Orleans Mardi Gras parade, the following may be caught from floats.

10. Where can you go to sample the best variety of Louisiana king cakes?