Po Boys

New Orleans fucking rules! It's so hot here, though, and the bugs are the size of windshield wipers. We got here two days ago. The first night, Katie informed us she was moving, because her landlord was a bastard, the other tenants were crackheads, and the neighborhood was rapey. So, we're staying at this hostel called India House, which is wonderful and has a swimming pool. We spent all of yesterday drinking on the streets while walking around the bywater looking for apartments. The bywater has a parameter of four streets (St. Claude, North Peters, Poland, and this other street I forgot the name of). I found a bunch of spots that were like $300 a month a couple blocks outside the bywater, but as I was walking around I realized they're so cheap for a reason. A couple blocks makes a huge difference in this city. The bywater is beautiful and hip or whatever; it looks a lot like Isla Vista in Santa Barbara, and everyone we've met has been really cool and interesting. However, like two blocks north of St. Claude, it's a fucking demilitarized zone. But, yesterday I met this dude Omar who's friends with the owner of Flora's, this coffee shop we go to, and he's renovating an apartment in his house that he's going to let us live in for $650, which is cheaper than most of the housing we've found. I don't know, Michael might be coming here, so I can't sign a lease until I find out how many rooms we'll need.

Yesterday, within the course of eight hours, Nikhil got burned twice trying to buy pot on the street, which isn't surprising at all, and holy shit New Orleans cops are corrupt. We were walking to buy beer last night, and a squad car stopped us to search us randomly until we talked our way out of it. It's a pretty shady town, but I love it. Everything is super cheap. I just ate a really delicious $3 falafel sandwhich, and then walked down the street drinking a tallboy of Budweiser. Everybody should try to come visit. When we have an apartment you're welcome to stay with us. It's beautiful, and so fun, and somehow simultaneously laid back and raucous at all times. Come, come! I have to go buy a used bike right now. Everyone bikes everywhere, and 1/6 of the population dresses like Kalan. I'm keeping a journal of all the weirdness. It's going to be like Emerson's English Traits, only with beer, and in New Orleans.