I have recently been appointed as an ambassador to the University of Manitoba's "Its My Future" marketing campaign. As such, my blog will be published on their sight till the end of the 2007-2008 academic year. Please follow my blog here.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
It's My Future
I have recently been appointed as an ambassador to the University of Manitoba's "Its My Future" marketing campaign. As such, my blog will be published on their sight till the end of the 2007-2008 academic year. Please follow my blog here.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Hard Work in the Big Easy
(In case you haven't seen it yet, here is the editorial I wrote in the most recent The Manitoban)
On Friday, Feb. 9, 2007, 47 students and I left for the Big Easy, New Orleans, to help with the reconstruction effort. Our group was the first Habitat for Humanity Global Village tour originating from Manitoba. The plan was to help build five new houses in the St. Bernard parish. As the week unfolded, our plans changed dramatically.
We arrived in New Orleans early Sunday morning and consequently, we didn’t get a chance to see much. For that reason we organized a tour later that day with two local New Orleans residents to show us around.
Before leaving for the Big Easy, my assumption along with many others was that for the most part, New Orleans was in good shape. The tour we took Sunday morning was a surreal eye opener. To my dismay, I saw a city in ruins.
Driving through districts such as St. Bernard Parish and the ninth ward, I couldn’t help but feel as though I was in a ghost town. I’ve been fortunate in my life to visit many places, however, nothing prepared me for what I saw.
Close your eyes and take an imaginary walk with me. Picture Winnipeg abandoned, houses destroyed. Wendy’s, Kmart, Taco Bell and so on, closed. Throughout the tour, I was patiently waiting to be pinched. In my Manitoba world, nothing of this magnitude exists. The tour was nothing less than emotional.
Following our tour, I felt as though I needed more depth, and decided to do my own exploring. I went for a walk through St. Bernard Parish hoping to meet some locals. There was one person that I met whose story I will remember forever.
Walking down the street I noticed an older gentleman with a smoldering cigar in his mouth working on his house. I felt compelled to talk to him. We introduced ourselves and started conversing as though we had met before.
Irwin and his wife had been living in the same house since they were married. The home was originally built in 1904 and in year 2005 it was still in pristine shape. In the spring of 2005, Irwin had just enough money for him and his wife to retire and they did. Tragically, six months after Irwin retired, hurricane Katrina hit. There was water up to the roof of their house. Irwin and his wife lost everything but the clothes on their backs.
Today Irwin is working hard on his house. My friend will probably be doing this for the rest of his life. This story is so important because this is one of many sad stories that stem from Katrina. Many didn’t have proper insurance when Katrina hit; consequently, almost everyone lives in a FEMA trailer.
Monday morning we got to work on the new homes for Habitat. We worked in four groups of 12 people. The tasks we tackled were roofing, siding, painting, and some landscaping.
Early Tuesday morning, tragedy struck once again. Adding insult to injury, a tornado hit New Orleans. Our team knew right away that we needed to help. It felt as though providentially we were put in New Orleans to help with the tornado assistance effort.
We loaded the bus and headed out to a district called the Black Pearl in New Orleans. There we stood in another devastated neighbourhood in New Orleans. Houses with roofs blown off, bricks scattered like sprinkles, and hydro poles snapped in half.
Upon arrival at the site our team immediately got to work. We tried to collect all the garbage and place it in piles so that front-end loaders could easily pick it up.
I learnt a great lesson that morning: don’t ever give up. Just a few hours after the tornado struck, I looked up and saw people rebuilding their homes once again. When final exams come this spring, most students will complain and many will think about quitting. However, to overcome this temptation, just think about the people from New Orleans. Did they quit?
After spending time at the tornado site, we returned to Musicians’ Village to continue our project of building new houses. Luckily for the remainder of our trip no more disaster struck.
Our mission to New Orleans was filled with sympathy, pride, and inspiration. It was a great honour for me to serve with 47 other hard-working Manitobans. I’ve learnt that like myself, most students want to give back. The sensation that’s emitted from a charitable act is euphoric.
On Friday, Feb. 9, 2007, 47 students and I left for the Big Easy, New Orleans, to help with the reconstruction effort. Our group was the first Habitat for Humanity Global Village tour originating from Manitoba. The plan was to help build five new houses in the St. Bernard parish. As the week unfolded, our plans changed dramatically.
We arrived in New Orleans early Sunday morning and consequently, we didn’t get a chance to see much. For that reason we organized a tour later that day with two local New Orleans residents to show us around.
Before leaving for the Big Easy, my assumption along with many others was that for the most part, New Orleans was in good shape. The tour we took Sunday morning was a surreal eye opener. To my dismay, I saw a city in ruins.
Driving through districts such as St. Bernard Parish and the ninth ward, I couldn’t help but feel as though I was in a ghost town. I’ve been fortunate in my life to visit many places, however, nothing prepared me for what I saw.
Close your eyes and take an imaginary walk with me. Picture Winnipeg abandoned, houses destroyed. Wendy’s, Kmart, Taco Bell and so on, closed. Throughout the tour, I was patiently waiting to be pinched. In my Manitoba world, nothing of this magnitude exists. The tour was nothing less than emotional.
Following our tour, I felt as though I needed more depth, and decided to do my own exploring. I went for a walk through St. Bernard Parish hoping to meet some locals. There was one person that I met whose story I will remember forever.
Walking down the street I noticed an older gentleman with a smoldering cigar in his mouth working on his house. I felt compelled to talk to him. We introduced ourselves and started conversing as though we had met before.
Irwin and his wife had been living in the same house since they were married. The home was originally built in 1904 and in year 2005 it was still in pristine shape. In the spring of 2005, Irwin had just enough money for him and his wife to retire and they did. Tragically, six months after Irwin retired, hurricane Katrina hit. There was water up to the roof of their house. Irwin and his wife lost everything but the clothes on their backs.
Today Irwin is working hard on his house. My friend will probably be doing this for the rest of his life. This story is so important because this is one of many sad stories that stem from Katrina. Many didn’t have proper insurance when Katrina hit; consequently, almost everyone lives in a FEMA trailer.
Monday morning we got to work on the new homes for Habitat. We worked in four groups of 12 people. The tasks we tackled were roofing, siding, painting, and some landscaping.
Early Tuesday morning, tragedy struck once again. Adding insult to injury, a tornado hit New Orleans. Our team knew right away that we needed to help. It felt as though providentially we were put in New Orleans to help with the tornado assistance effort.
We loaded the bus and headed out to a district called the Black Pearl in New Orleans. There we stood in another devastated neighbourhood in New Orleans. Houses with roofs blown off, bricks scattered like sprinkles, and hydro poles snapped in half.
Upon arrival at the site our team immediately got to work. We tried to collect all the garbage and place it in piles so that front-end loaders could easily pick it up.
I learnt a great lesson that morning: don’t ever give up. Just a few hours after the tornado struck, I looked up and saw people rebuilding their homes once again. When final exams come this spring, most students will complain and many will think about quitting. However, to overcome this temptation, just think about the people from New Orleans. Did they quit?
After spending time at the tornado site, we returned to Musicians’ Village to continue our project of building new houses. Luckily for the remainder of our trip no more disaster struck.
Our mission to New Orleans was filled with sympathy, pride, and inspiration. It was a great honour for me to serve with 47 other hard-working Manitobans. I’ve learnt that like myself, most students want to give back. The sensation that’s emitted from a charitable act is euphoric.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Our Last Night in New Orleans
Today marked the last night of our trip to New Orleans.
As usual we started our day at Musicians Village. We’ve been here for only a few days yet we already have a routine. It’s going to be quite hard to go back home.
After work we returned to camp to wash up. Seeing as it is our last night, the group decided to visit the French quarter one last time. This evening we visited Frenchman St., home to many unique cafes and bars that are the capital of southern jazz. The night was filled with fun and great entertainment.
At last the week comes to an end, we must now prepare for yet once again, another 30 hour bus trip. Although I look forward to coming home, I will sure miss this city, home to strong people whom I’m sure will persevere.
Until the next post.
Best, Jesse
As usual we started our day at Musicians Village. We’ve been here for only a few days yet we already have a routine. It’s going to be quite hard to go back home.
After work we returned to camp to wash up. Seeing as it is our last night, the group decided to visit the French quarter one last time. This evening we visited Frenchman St., home to many unique cafes and bars that are the capital of southern jazz. The night was filled with fun and great entertainment.
At last the week comes to an end, we must now prepare for yet once again, another 30 hour bus trip. Although I look forward to coming home, I will sure miss this city, home to strong people whom I’m sure will persevere.
Until the next post.
Best, Jesse
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The Good Times Keep on Rollin in New Orleans
What an amazing day, our group got so much done.
As usual, we started our day at around 7am. Luckily there were no disasters and so we could continue our day as planned. We went straight to Musicians Village to work on our houses. As I have mentioned before, our group works so hard therefore, to little surprise we got much done today.
This might sound like I’m trying to rub it in but it was only 10 degrees celsius today. I thought it was fantastic, yet some who dressed for 30 degrees found it chilly. The weather is amazing. I love this city so very much.
After our shift at Musicians Village, our group quickly headed back to Camp Hope to freshen up in order to depart for downtown. We were in a hurry to catch the infamous New Orleans parade. I managed to catch many beads and coins. The floats and music were fantastic. After the parade, most went to visit Bourban St. once again, the visit was nothing less than fantastic.
I’m now sitting in my bed relaxing from a great night. I better try and get some sleep seeing as tomorrow might be the best night yet (if possible, that is).
Until the next post,
Best, Jesse
As usual, we started our day at around 7am. Luckily there were no disasters and so we could continue our day as planned. We went straight to Musicians Village to work on our houses. As I have mentioned before, our group works so hard therefore, to little surprise we got much done today.
This might sound like I’m trying to rub it in but it was only 10 degrees celsius today. I thought it was fantastic, yet some who dressed for 30 degrees found it chilly. The weather is amazing. I love this city so very much.
After our shift at Musicians Village, our group quickly headed back to Camp Hope to freshen up in order to depart for downtown. We were in a hurry to catch the infamous New Orleans parade. I managed to catch many beads and coins. The floats and music were fantastic. After the parade, most went to visit Bourban St. once again, the visit was nothing less than fantastic.
I’m now sitting in my bed relaxing from a great night. I better try and get some sleep seeing as tomorrow might be the best night yet (if possible, that is).
Until the next post,
Best, Jesse
Mother Nature Add's Insult to Injury
Yesterday was a hectic and crazy day to say the least. At 3:30am a tornado passed through the western area of New Orleans. Tragically the storm destroyed many houses and worse yet it took a life.
Our hearts and thoughts are with the families who lost so much.
With that being said, when our group woke up Tuesday morning we knew right away that our help would be served best by assisting those affected by the hurricane. As such, that is exactly what we did.
We left for the Black Pearl, a district within New Orleans at around 7am. As soon as we got there we knew we made the right decision.
Homes ripped apart, cars destroyed, bricks from a local church sprinkled around the community, and broken hydro poles. The area was absolute mayhem.
It was interesting that like Hurricane Katrina, Canadians were first to respond. We were the first group to assist in the Black Pearl area.
I'm so proud to be apart of the Wave of Hope group. All on the team worked so hard. The Wave of Hope team represented Manitoba and Canada very well.
Our team mostly helped remove debris such as bricks, branches, and material objects. By 1pm, FEMA and other emergency response teams came and took our place. At that point we decided to return to Musicians Village where we worked for the rest of the afternoon.
Upon arrival at camp, many were tired from the Monday night on Bourbon Street (Partying had nothing to do with it I'm sure). Almost everyone stayed at camp for the night and relaxed.
Most of us tried to watch the news and recap the chaotic day. I was still in a state of shock while watching the coverage.
I am so proud and happy to have helped the residents of Black Pearl. One thing I learnt this week is that residents of Black Pearl and in the aggregate, New Orleans people have strong resolve. Not only are New Orleanians rebuilding their city, but even after the tornado, local residents were rebuilding their homes.
I believe it's going to take much more than just Mother Nature to kill New Orleans faith.
Until the next post.
Best, Jesse
Our hearts and thoughts are with the families who lost so much.
With that being said, when our group woke up Tuesday morning we knew right away that our help would be served best by assisting those affected by the hurricane. As such, that is exactly what we did.
We left for the Black Pearl, a district within New Orleans at around 7am. As soon as we got there we knew we made the right decision.
Homes ripped apart, cars destroyed, bricks from a local church sprinkled around the community, and broken hydro poles. The area was absolute mayhem.
It was interesting that like Hurricane Katrina, Canadians were first to respond. We were the first group to assist in the Black Pearl area.
I'm so proud to be apart of the Wave of Hope group. All on the team worked so hard. The Wave of Hope team represented Manitoba and Canada very well.
Our team mostly helped remove debris such as bricks, branches, and material objects. By 1pm, FEMA and other emergency response teams came and took our place. At that point we decided to return to Musicians Village where we worked for the rest of the afternoon.
Upon arrival at camp, many were tired from the Monday night on Bourbon Street (Partying had nothing to do with it I'm sure). Almost everyone stayed at camp for the night and relaxed.
Most of us tried to watch the news and recap the chaotic day. I was still in a state of shock while watching the coverage.
I am so proud and happy to have helped the residents of Black Pearl. One thing I learnt this week is that residents of Black Pearl and in the aggregate, New Orleans people have strong resolve. Not only are New Orleanians rebuilding their city, but even after the tornado, local residents were rebuilding their homes.
I believe it's going to take much more than just Mother Nature to kill New Orleans faith.
Until the next post.
Best, Jesse
What Great Times We've Had in the Big Easy
(NOTE: I wrote this post on my BlackBerry (no spell check). Spelling and grammar most probably won't be up to par.)
Before I talk about yesterday’s hectic events, I'd like to back up in time and quickly summarize the last few days.
Sunday, February 11
Sunday was a day to recharge. In the morning, many went to a gospel church while others like myself went exploring.
My exploratory trip was nice however, the stories I heard from the locals were quite sad. Just about everyone I talked to shared the same horrible story. They almost all had no insurance on their destroyed homes, consequently those people now live in a FEMA trailer on the lot that once brought them so much joy. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
The group took a nice tour of New Orleans later in the day. The scenery is incredible to say the least. I was amazed to see so many abandoned homes. For the most part I felt like we were visiting a ghost town. This city is in much worse shape than I initially thought. So much destruction!
Sunday was almost done however, the night wouldn't be complete without visiting the local bar. Seeing as the curfew here at camp is 11pm, we finished the night early (4am).
Monday, February 12
This was our first day on the construction site. The progress Habitat for Humanity NOLA has made is phenomenal. They have built near 50 houses as of yet.
We spent the entire day working on 4 homes. The group worked really well together. We did all sorts of tasks such as roofing, siding, and framing.
After our hard day at work (or everyone else working hard), we headed back to camp to freshen up.
Our group is quite young, consequently I had to try really hard to sell the idea of visiting the famous Bourbon St., lol. What an amazing city. The french quarter of New Orleans is so lively and colorful. The great music and entertainment is probably more important now than ever. People need a chance to get out and forget their troubles.
Downtown was great, had many first experiences there. I played craps for the first time, rode a mechanical bull for the first time, and my favorite, I heard so much great live jazz music for the first time.
The night in the french quarter was nothing less than amazing. As of yet, the trip has been unforgettable
Until the next post,
Best, Jesse
Before I talk about yesterday’s hectic events, I'd like to back up in time and quickly summarize the last few days.
Sunday, February 11
Sunday was a day to recharge. In the morning, many went to a gospel church while others like myself went exploring.
My exploratory trip was nice however, the stories I heard from the locals were quite sad. Just about everyone I talked to shared the same horrible story. They almost all had no insurance on their destroyed homes, consequently those people now live in a FEMA trailer on the lot that once brought them so much joy. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
The group took a nice tour of New Orleans later in the day. The scenery is incredible to say the least. I was amazed to see so many abandoned homes. For the most part I felt like we were visiting a ghost town. This city is in much worse shape than I initially thought. So much destruction!
Sunday was almost done however, the night wouldn't be complete without visiting the local bar. Seeing as the curfew here at camp is 11pm, we finished the night early (4am).
Monday, February 12
This was our first day on the construction site. The progress Habitat for Humanity NOLA has made is phenomenal. They have built near 50 houses as of yet.
We spent the entire day working on 4 homes. The group worked really well together. We did all sorts of tasks such as roofing, siding, and framing.
After our hard day at work (or everyone else working hard), we headed back to camp to freshen up.
Our group is quite young, consequently I had to try really hard to sell the idea of visiting the famous Bourbon St., lol. What an amazing city. The french quarter of New Orleans is so lively and colorful. The great music and entertainment is probably more important now than ever. People need a chance to get out and forget their troubles.
Downtown was great, had many first experiences there. I played craps for the first time, rode a mechanical bull for the first time, and my favorite, I heard so much great live jazz music for the first time.
The night in the french quarter was nothing less than amazing. As of yet, the trip has been unforgettable
Until the next post,
Best, Jesse
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Insult to Injury, Tornado hits New Orleans
The group of 50 Manitobans working for Habitat in New Orleans are Safe and Sound.
NEW ORLEANS -- An apparent tornado ripped through the New Orleans area early Tuesday, ripping the roof off a hotel, knocking down power lines and injuring three people.
The storm, which hit around 3:30 a.m., tore the roof off a hotel in Westwego, which is across the river from the city, WDSU-TV reported.
NEW ORLEANS -- An apparent tornado ripped through the New Orleans area early Tuesday, ripping the roof off a hotel, knocking down power lines and injuring three people.
The storm, which hit around 3:30 a.m., tore the roof off a hotel in Westwego, which is across the river from the city, WDSU-TV reported.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Wave of Hope Pictures
Please check out the following pictures I took today. New Orleans is a great city, yet as you'll see, the current situation is quite sad. I will follow up later with more stories and blog entries, please stay tuned.
To check out my photo album (over 100 pictures) please visit: http://jessehamonic.myphotoalbum.com or copy and paste this link into your browser http://jessehamonic.myphotoalbum.com
To check out my photo album (over 100 pictures) please visit: http://jessehamonic.myphotoalbum.com or copy and paste this link into your browser http://jessehamonic.myphotoalbum.com
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Wave of Hope - We've finally left!
(NOTE: I wrote this post on my blackberry (no spell check) at 1:45 am, spelling and grammar most probably won't be up to par.)
Its approximately 1:45 am, to little surprise I can't fall asleep. I'd be lying if I said the bus is comfortable. There's not much that's luxurious about this luxury coach. Although transportation is substandard, the people have been great.
For those of you wondering, the Wave of Hope tour that I'm apart of left today. 50 students including myself are heading to New Orleans to help with the reconstruction effort.
I must thank our local Winnipeg media; Aldo Santin (WFP), John Wells (CJOB), CBC, Pierre Olivier (Radio-Canada) and City TV (as usual). They have given us great coverage. We had to raise near $45,000 for this trip and the media above have been instrumental in helping us raise those funds.
Pierre Olivier, City TV and CBC radio were nice enough to join us for our departure. The segments should all be published tonight.
After media stuff, our bus finally left at around 4:10 (almost as planned). Our first stop was at the Fargo mall where we had a chance to stretch (being tired already is not good, still 26 hours left, ouch!)
Our most recent stop was at the Flying J in Sioux Falls. Everyone made the best of this one seeing as it will be our last for the night.
I'm currently sitting on the bus in complete silence (well almost complete silence because the squeaky rear axle). Insomnia sucks!
The bus ride hasn't been all that bad, in fact it has been quite fun as of yet. The people I'm with are great. Conversation has been awesome and everyone seems to be really enjoying themselves (note that the "people enjoying themselves" comments was after only 4 hours in the bus, that opinion is subject to change seeing as we have 26 hours left in this shoe box).
At any rate, I should probably try to catch some shut eye. Have a great night in your warm comfortable bed as I will sleep just as nicely I'm sure, lol.
Until the next post.
Best, Jesse
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Welcome
Hello to all!
At last, my first post.
I just wanted to take a minute to welcome all readers to my blog. As my description states, this blog will have a strong emphasis on economics, politics and the best country in the world Canada.
I hope you enjoy my posts. Please feel free to comment. I love your feedback.
Sincerely yours,
Jesse G. Hamonic
At last, my first post.
I just wanted to take a minute to welcome all readers to my blog. As my description states, this blog will have a strong emphasis on economics, politics and the best country in the world Canada.
I hope you enjoy my posts. Please feel free to comment. I love your feedback.
Sincerely yours,
Jesse G. Hamonic
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