NEW ORLEANS

Oh, the Places We Have Been!

When I think of all the places I have been with Marlene, I would have to say that they are all in our mutually adopted and beloved NOLA, and that we didn’t have to travel far to have wonderful adventures.

As ESL- teaching colleagues, office mates, and friends at Delgado Community College, we first ventured out on Delgado’s lovely campus. We often traversed the area between Building One and the Student Life Center for a fountain drink, ordered tuna sandwiches from the Subway across the street, lingered on the comfy patio of Café Navarre for lunch, and took many a brisk walk in the beguiling City Park.

Then, as Marlene created and refined her role as the ESL Program’s “animatrice” extraordinaire, our activities expanded and our merry band grew. Together, we attended Delgado plays, cheered on our teams at DCC baseball and basketball games, attended spring concerts, and consumed more than our fair share of champagne at the Division Christmas parties. We frequented the local watering holes, lifting our glasses in the company of meat on a spit, roasting on the patio of Mo Pho’s in the balmy New Orleans winter. We have often been the first eager and thirsty customers of the afternoon at the Second Line Brewery. We have had coffee next to the tombstones at the local headshop-café, The Sacred Grounds, and convened at too many other Mid City restaurants and bars to mention.

Throughout the years, we have also been fortunate to pass a good time in and around Marlene and Michael’s Uptown house, who have generously shared their neighborhood, their home, and their spirit of fun and zest for living with us. Who knew that our Christmas tradition would include drinking gluck from one of the scores of unmatched mugs set out willy-nilly on their kitchen counter, or that Mardi Gras parades would start and finish with an IPA from their fridge. Other times, their home served as a launch pad to other adventures. We’ve strolled and danced our way up Magazine Street and back, and once we even went to the Prytania and imagined ourselves as part of the inhabitants of Downton Abbey, dawling.

Of course, for me, one of the most memorable places that I went to with Marlene was the Sugar Bowl in the Superdome. I don’t remember the year, but as a proud graduate of The University of Michigan, I remember that it was the Wolverines versus Virginia Tech. It was so thoughtful of Marlene to invite me, (but that’s how she rolls!) I had always wanted to go to a Michigan Championship game. Marlene and her Aunt and Uncle were good sports and put on the blue and gold t-shirts I just happened to have in the car. In full regalia, we walked past the newly built Champion Square, took wonderful seats in the arena, and witnessed a Michigan Championship victory. GO BLUE!

Yet, I must say that although Marlene and I have been on some really gnarley adventures, my absolute favorite destination with Marlene is the conversation itself. Her conversation is always sparkling, intelligent, witty, observant, and illuminating. She has taught me the truth about the Vikings, that their main impact on the world was in the area of hygiene and agriculture, and she has taught me that non-native speaking spies always have a tell.

Through our talks, I quickly recognized that we were kindred spirits of place and temperament, and we often liked to delve into the cultural perspectives and behaviors of the north vs the south. Indeed, my most treasured memories of Marlene will be the time we shared in our little office, decorated with the posters of our past and present lives. There, as creatures of the lands of strong work ethics, we would often sit quietly with our noses buried in our computers, comfortably and productively working on our class materials. At other times, we would talk about our classes, our families, our plans, our thoughts, our issues. And, by some miracle, after talking to Marlene, who always listens comprehensively and empathetically, I always feel invigorated, stronger, and better!

So, as I picture Marlene and I taking a break from work and simply speaking together in our office, on campus or in City Park, I am so happy to have a friend who is, in herself, one of my favorite destinations on Earth!

Happy Birthday, Marlene and many more adventures and conversations to come!

– CINDY SIEGRIST, DELGADO