Always New Orleans: New Orleans, I'll be Loving You. Always

Have you gone to a place and suddenly your senses remembers that you were there before? That's a feeling of deja vu!

We've just moved here in New Orleans, LA. We came from the Philipines and arrived here last July 9, 2012. My husband is from Pittsburgh but he remembers that he had more fun here in New Orleans, having stayed here for two years in the 1990's.

We also went for a short vacation here in 2009 and had a grand time. Back in the Philippines, we could not stop talking how we love and miss New Orleans. So we decided that this is a THE place to call home.

YES, finally I am HOME. Why do I call NOLA my home?

I see the big beautiful trees and I vaguely remember images from my childhood dreams. I have not lived in a place like New orleans before, yet I have images of these big trees like you see in my picture below.

I also remember a chest of beautiful costumes and a big walk-in closet full of beautiful clothes. Yet no way will I have seen those in the hacienda where I grew up. No way will my friends or relatives have a room full of nice clothes and trunk full of costumes.
Everything I see gives me the feeling of deja vu. I am not hallucinating at all, nor I have a mental disorder. I am more likely to believe that this is something related to paranormal, like I have been in this place in my earlier life. Could I be Marie Laveau or her descendant ~~or could I be her maid~~ :P I have been a tarot card reader for 28 years now, have done palm reading and practiced Numera for several years too.
New Orleans is the home of jazz. Jazz music erases all my stress, makes me feel like I have nothing to worry about. I am lucky to have a husband who loves jazz and oldies (preferably 1930's to early 1960's music). These are the the kind that I like too. Naturally, the two of us are like pigs in hog heaven, absorbing and enjoying everything New Orleans.
When we went to the Preservation Hall, Mark Braud, of Preservation Hall Jazz Band sang the song that I'll always remember New Orleans by - Irving Berlin's I'll be Loving You Always. Mark Braud's rendition of this song comforted my ruffled spirit (that's another blog post about flirting) and I felt so loved. The song expresses the love affair between New Orleans and me.

I see Emily Estrella of FauxBarrio Billionaires and I remember my fantasies of being able to 'interpret' a song by dancing. In my mind I dance like Emily Estrella. FauxBarrio Billionaires sounds are so danceable. Here's their video. The dancers you see in the foreground are from Canada, they went to The Fifth Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival.

My husband, Dave, and I are regular customers now of Balcony Music Club whenever FauxBarrio Billionaires has a gig. Below is my husband with Emily Estrella who just arrived for their gig at BMC.

The smell of New Orleans is heavenly. Walking at Esplanade is a romantic affair because you smell the sweet fragrance of Jasmine.

Most of the houses in New Orleans are so elegant-looking. Many are historic and had been there for hundreds of years. I love their porches too.

Creole and Cajun cooking are unique experiences. But don't limit yourself to native cooking, as there are as many types of restaurants as there are types of dishes. There are lots of fine dining, casual dining, quick bites. If you are for the exotic dishes, African restaurants, Middle Eastern, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, French restaurants, etc. are just about everyhere.