One's does not get bored in Louisiana

That's what I told you before, and the new settler can see that very quickly...

Each place or so having its own festival and each city having several of them, one's quickly can't decide where to go and what to see.

Add to this fact that Belgian and Quebec teachers also like to organize their own parties, and remember that Louisiana is very large (I eventually would drive 8 hours to go to a friends' party, and the same to come back home), and you've understood the importance of having a reliable car ;)

Let's be generous :
A sack of 200 to 300 oysters costs only 5 or 6 dollars...

It's party time !

With Willy and Bella, we started very soon : in October we held our first little party for our birthdays...

Well, little...  About fifty guests partying at the end of the world until 4 am, it may not be called a "little party"... 

Many stayed sleeping, I had people all over my house, even two lying on the floor in my microscopic bathroom !  That was the old good times, son ;) !

Parties and events multiplied at a very high rhythm this year, using many styles, ingredients and the amazing culinary talents of Willy.

Why just eat them ?

Roland never stops !

Roland, not being shy, was taking care of the animation !

We then quickly forgot that we had to go back to work the next day...  But we did go back with full power, I tell you !

Strange faces ;)

Bizzz !

OK, let's talk about festivals before going back to friends...

In Louisiana there are festivals all year long.  The most famous are the "Courir de Mardi Gras", the Jazz Fest in New Orleans (which unfortunately became a big commercial business), the Cajun Festival, the International Festival in Lafayette (my two favorites)...  And let's not forget the Orange Festival of my Parish, nor the biggest of all, Mardi Gras.

Festival aficionados will also go to the Sweet Potato, Irish, Crawfish, Shrimp, Boudin (...) festivals.

Cajun Fest

Really nice, with the usual ingredients : Cajun and Creole music, many good things to taste and eat, dozens of local handicrafts stands, hundreds of people to meet and hours of dancing.

Grégoire, Anémone and me meet this veteran
who has been in Belgium during the war.

Me, Catherine, Ness et Maria...not being serious !

International Festival

in Lafayette : a hot one !

Bands from all over the world come there to move the happy guests, even under the rain and in the mud !

 That year we went on with the party in a café with the singers and musicians of an Antilles Band.

Let's calm down

To party at home !

First step :

find good products.

Everyone in the kitchen !
We have Turks, Spanish and even two Belgians !

Second step :

invite friends from different countries,
and put them to work !

Third step : enjoy in three languages !

Yummy !

Roland is (again) the king of the evening !

Let's go back out : the Baton Rouge French Teachers organize a new party.

Theme of this one : bad taste !

Dress up in the worst kitsch way as possible (in American will say some), or disguise as a trash bin like Roland.

A recipe for you ?

Take kilos of crawfish, corn, potatoes, boiled eggs, oignons and some vegetables

Boil the whole thing in a 50 liters pot with loads of Cajun spices.  Do not follow the instructions of the  recette de la Dinde au Whisky : 50 liters of boiling water is potentially way more dangerous than a Turkey !

Tell your neighbors (because of the noise of the gas burner, the odors...and to invite them !)

Crawfish Boil at home

Don't forget the friends and the beer !

During the (long) cooking, cover a table outside with newspapers and prepare dozens of napkins.

 Spread the cooked food over the table, and you're ready for hours of fun with your astonished friends !

Just warn them before : it's all very spicy...

When it's all over, control your urge to go to bed and get rid of the trash : with such a heat, crawfish shells don't smell too good...