Zoya Qureshy
"If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute."
The number of times I’ve heard this expression said to me every time I’ve commented about the unexpected 15 minute downpour on a day that I thought would be sunny is immeasurable. I’ve felt the need to bring my umbrella everywhere I go since I never know what to expect! However, the weather isn’t the only thing that is constantly varied and changing—this city and my own work experience at Touro Infirmary have so many different nuances and aspects that they never run out of surprises or things to do!
Before coming to New Orleans I heard so many different things about it. I’ve had people tell me about how “eclectic,” and “interesting” it is. Therefore, my expectations before coming here was that I was going to a place completely different than anything I’ve seen before. In many respects, I was correct. The day after the 15 of us arrived and had gotten settled in, we took a tour of the entire city. We saw the different areas of New Orleans, the parishes surrounding it, and many familiar sites, such as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Our tour guide also explained all the different types of cultures and cuisines we saw through the historical context of French and Spanish occupation and influence in New Orleans. We also learned about how different parts of New Orleans were affected by Hurricane Katrina, and how these areas were rebuilding. We even saw houses that weren’t rebuilt, just a short drive from the elaborate houses of St. Charles Street. And then you have the French Quarter, which is just so different from other parts of the city. We stopped here and explored the area—we walked through the Creole Tomato festival and tasted some amazing dishes made with these tomatoes. We learned that there was a festival or something of the sort almost every weekend!
After this day of exploration, from walking down Royal Street in the lively French Quarter to riding the street car through the quiet and beautiful St. Charles Street, we all began our workday at our respective community partners. I took the St. Charles Streetcar all the way to Touro, where I would be working in the volunteer services department as a high school junior volunteer coordinator. This junior volunteer program is in place for high school students in the area to be able to volunteer somewhere in the hospital, even if it isn’t a directly clinical department (such as Marketing, Archives, etc.). It has been really rewarding working with this program and being a part of giving these students who come from different schools and parts of the city opportunities to observe and experience careers and livelihoods that they might be interested in. Having participating in a similar program in high school, it has been really rewarding seeing these students spend their summer doing something they are interested in and that could potentially help them with their futures. On a more personal level, I myself have been learning and experiencing new things as well. For example, I don’t think I ever really appreciated how much behind-the-scenes work goes into putting together this type of volunteer program before my placement at Touro. I’ve been doing a whole variety of things, whether it is contacting parents, attending meetings, doing research and talking to the students. Working with Denise Chetta, the Director of Volunteer Services at Touro, I’ve learned a lot about how to navigate the hospital, manage multiple tasks during the day, and appreciate the culture of New Orleans. Everyone I have met at my workplace has been so kind and welcoming!
From going to the New Orleans School of Cooking to the swamp tour (where we all got to hold an alligator), our group has gone on many adventures since we’ve been here. While we’ve all been experiencing different things at work, it’s nice that we’ve been able to come together and explore the history, culture, and cuisine in New Orleans. We learned about all the different cultural influences that make up New Orleans food, the difference between a channel and a bayou, and how to navigate the city. Like I’ve been told before, there is always something to do here. Whether we want to go Café du Monde at midnight for some coffee and beignets or stroll down Magazine St. to look for a restaurant serving authentic New Orleans food, we’re trying to make the most of our time here.
So yes, my reflection on the last 14 days is a little deeper than my experience with the climate down here. I know that I will never experience a dull moment while I’m exploring and serving this city; and if I ever find myself stuck in one, I now know that all I have to do is wait a minute.
The number of times I’ve heard this expression said to me every time I’ve commented about the unexpected 15 minute downpour on a day that I thought would be sunny is immeasurable. I’ve felt the need to bring my umbrella everywhere I go since I never know what to expect! However, the weather isn’t the only thing that is constantly varied and changing—this city and my own work experience at Touro Infirmary have so many different nuances and aspects that they never run out of surprises or things to do!
Before coming to New Orleans I heard so many different things about it. I’ve had people tell me about how “eclectic,” and “interesting” it is. Therefore, my expectations before coming here was that I was going to a place completely different than anything I’ve seen before. In many respects, I was correct. The day after the 15 of us arrived and had gotten settled in, we took a tour of the entire city. We saw the different areas of New Orleans, the parishes surrounding it, and many familiar sites, such as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Our tour guide also explained all the different types of cultures and cuisines we saw through the historical context of French and Spanish occupation and influence in New Orleans. We also learned about how different parts of New Orleans were affected by Hurricane Katrina, and how these areas were rebuilding. We even saw houses that weren’t rebuilt, just a short drive from the elaborate houses of St. Charles Street. And then you have the French Quarter, which is just so different from other parts of the city. We stopped here and explored the area—we walked through the Creole Tomato festival and tasted some amazing dishes made with these tomatoes. We learned that there was a festival or something of the sort almost every weekend!
After this day of exploration, from walking down Royal Street in the lively French Quarter to riding the street car through the quiet and beautiful St. Charles Street, we all began our workday at our respective community partners. I took the St. Charles Streetcar all the way to Touro, where I would be working in the volunteer services department as a high school junior volunteer coordinator. This junior volunteer program is in place for high school students in the area to be able to volunteer somewhere in the hospital, even if it isn’t a directly clinical department (such as Marketing, Archives, etc.). It has been really rewarding working with this program and being a part of giving these students who come from different schools and parts of the city opportunities to observe and experience careers and livelihoods that they might be interested in. Having participating in a similar program in high school, it has been really rewarding seeing these students spend their summer doing something they are interested in and that could potentially help them with their futures. On a more personal level, I myself have been learning and experiencing new things as well. For example, I don’t think I ever really appreciated how much behind-the-scenes work goes into putting together this type of volunteer program before my placement at Touro. I’ve been doing a whole variety of things, whether it is contacting parents, attending meetings, doing research and talking to the students. Working with Denise Chetta, the Director of Volunteer Services at Touro, I’ve learned a lot about how to navigate the hospital, manage multiple tasks during the day, and appreciate the culture of New Orleans. Everyone I have met at my workplace has been so kind and welcoming!
From going to the New Orleans School of Cooking to the swamp tour (where we all got to hold an alligator), our group has gone on many adventures since we’ve been here. While we’ve all been experiencing different things at work, it’s nice that we’ve been able to come together and explore the history, culture, and cuisine in New Orleans. We learned about all the different cultural influences that make up New Orleans food, the difference between a channel and a bayou, and how to navigate the city. Like I’ve been told before, there is always something to do here. Whether we want to go Café du Monde at midnight for some coffee and beignets or stroll down Magazine St. to look for a restaurant serving authentic New Orleans food, we’re trying to make the most of our time here.
So yes, my reflection on the last 14 days is a little deeper than my experience with the climate down here. I know that I will never experience a dull moment while I’m exploring and serving this city; and if I ever find myself stuck in one, I now know that all I have to do is wait a minute.