When I think of urban settings, I immediately think of crowds, dirty sidewalks, strangers, buildings, shops, and many other things for my eyes to discover. I imagine the smell normal everyday pollution of a city such as car exhaust, cigarettes, and a nearby fast food restaurant frying something up. I also think of the millions of germs that surround me. All of the people who may have coughed or sneezed on that door knob, or what that stain on the bathroom floor could possibly be. When I am in an urban setting, such as a mall or busy street, I notice myself walking fast, looking down, holding my purse tight, and sometimes even mumbling to myself. I typically only mumble to myself when walking alone, such as walking to and from the school and hospital. Around here, the people I see when in an urban settings are different types; it really just matters on where I am at. At the mall, I see people of all different ethnicities, I see women in crazy outfits and think "oh my gosh, who would ever wear anything like that"! Other times I look at people and think, "okay, they are kind of scary, lets walk over here" as they exit Hot Topic with their crazy black eyeliner drawn into a spider web under their eyes and fishnet stockings under their long sleeve shirt.. Growing up, my mom always made it clear that anything horrible can happen in a second, and by horrible I mean that I can get kidnapped, raped, and killed in an instant. I know, such a quick change in mood, but my mom always reminds me of that to this day of that. Whenever we watch a show on TV about a kidnapping my mom always says, "that is why I worry about you so much!" Therefore, another thing that pops into my head when I think of urban settings is being kidnapped, mugged, or hurt.
When I think of New Orleans, I think of a small, narrow street with an old-fashioned brick road that is packed with loads of people; the buildings are lined with colorful images, murals, and flags. I imagine the smell of seafood, cajun spices, and smoke from a grill while I can hear the sound of loud, jazz music being played on a saxophone. I always imagine it nighttime and the streets are being lit with strings of lights, similar to Christmas lights but these lights are up year round. Perhaps on these streets there are people dancing, singing, and just celebrating life. I also imagine several areas that are home to extremely old things. For
example, I imagine New Orleans having spooky old cemeteries, museums
with artifacts from periods of slavery, and antique shops filled with
lots of neat items that I would love to see! I imagine New Orleans this way based on what pictures I have seen and what shows I have watched. The pictures I have seen show extremely crowded streets packed with people including tourists with their fanny packs, book bags, and cameras as well as locals just trying to get some groceries. Shows I have watched depict New Orleans as a party location; there is always music playing, singing, and dancing! I have also watched several shows that tell ghost stories and New Orleans has been in several episodes! When compared to the urban setting I described above, I imagine New Orleans as completely different. I hope that it is just as fun, upbeat, colorful,, musical, and interesting as I imagine!
