Dream come true @ 　　背靠背

I’m in that mood again,

being forced to come back to real life

after being so devoted into something I really enjoy

Still remember nearly 3 years ago,

when New Orleans held the 2008 all-star game

when I fell in love with the strong-hearted Chris Paul and his Hornets’ team

when I first paid attention to the city of New Orleans

I never knew I would have the chance actually going to the city

I had never even thought of that one day I would come to the city of rebirth for the Hornets’ home games

It was like a dream, I thought

People might say that as long as you have money and time,

you could always go anywhere, do anything you want, like going to a home game of your favorite team

It’s true.

But for me, it’s never that easy

finally having a chance to come to the states wasn’t easy

(I’m already living my dream)

as a fan for more than 5 years, bearing a dream of going to the home court hasn’t been easy as well

It was like a dream, seriously

as a team who didn’t make to the playoffs last season

the Hornets started the season 8-0, stayed undefeated for the first 3 weeks

I witnessed the amazing streak since the Milwaukee Bucks were swept by the bees in the 8-0 streak

I got CP3’s jersey for women (finally got a women jersey)

I went to the Bucks’ court, watching CP3 battled Bucks in Milwaukee

I love how it feels to win

but I hate how it feels to be a fan of the road team

not being able to scream out your own feelings, cheering for your team

Then we decided to go to New Orleans in the winter

After the streak, the Hornets were a bit ups-and-down

the reason they weren’t playing well was that their owner dropped out and the NBA took over the team

There are not enough fans going to the home games

which I never understood

New Orleans were known for its sport spirit

Perhaps it’s because people go to the Saints’ game (The NFL champs 2010)

and there’s no America top10 business in New Orleans

Not enough money, to put it simply

When we said it’s more than the Hornets’ home which made us visit New Orleans

It was actually MAINLY about the Hornets’ home game

Then I finally have my dream come true

going to New Orleans Hornets’ home court, watching them win games

The game itself was a miracle, as well as a festival

The first game day was so cool (it’s actually cooooooooooooooool!)

There were live music band, dancing performance, basketball challenge

Festival atmosphere outside the Arena

The street between the Arena and Superdome(Saints’ home) was blocked

Inside the arena, there are lots of fans activities

Hornets’ tattoo, kids painting, fans portraits, mascot interaction and dancers photo, autograph

all free for fans

(The bucks don’t have anything like that)

Our seats were right behind the basket and right next to the players entrance

we could clearly see the faces and the action of the players

I really love the Hornets’ home intro of the players

很酷真的   two trumpets as the gate (symbol of the Jazz music)

開場有很多很多蜜蜂的聲音      所有的螢幕都是藍色的小蜜蜂在飛

最後介紹完CP   還有煙火和藍色的火焰

跟季後賽一樣精彩

在主場看現場就是很不一樣

每一個move全場都會有一樣的動作   同樣的聲音

每一個call   ref不是被罵的臭頭   就是good call good call ref!

球迷都好激動    很多的人喝了酒   裁判亂判的時候   他們就會站起來一直罵一直罵

重點是   能夠現場看Chris Paul在主場的amazing moves and leadership

真的很enjoyable!

第一場球my hornets大勝76ers,

球迷都好開心好high的走回家

走在路上

連等紅路燈的車們都用喇叭奏樂！

我只能說超酷的

there’s always LIVE music in New Orleans

even by horning!

第二場比賽對Warriors 前三節打得超好的領先十三分

結果第四節   又來得分乾旱    被超前到8分

但是Ariza馬上在一分鐘之內連連抄截連得6分！

那後整個主場就是像要翻了！

大家都站起來看這個關鍵的play

可惜就差那兩分   我們的小蜜蜂就沒在得分了

最後那一兩分鐘真的超級酷的

雖然很怒Hornets自己screw up the game

可是全場一條心幫主場球隊加油

那真的好酷！

而且我跟真的愛上籃筐後的位置

以後我一定要買season tickets    買在籃筐後面

Besides the hornets game

I like the free spirit of the city

你可以看得見五年多前Katrina留下的痕跡

四處都還在重建

也許還是有些髒亂的感覺

可是我喜歡那裡的人他們的友善和直率

他們很主動   很熱情

每一個人走在路上都感覺很relaxed很enjoy life

尤其是開街車的車長

很有耐心   告訴我們哪裡買票   怎麼轉車   怎麼看地圖

他們還會到站的時候下車扶每一個乘客下車

他們都很悠哉的工作    又很享受工作

New Orleans的Jazz真的很酷很amazing!

Preservation Hall 的Jazz 真的很classic   很pure

而且那不是只有performance,

而是involve everyone的Live music

還有cocktail to go

走在路上每一個人手上都是一杯cocktail!

Daiquiris真的很特別   很異國很tropical!

走到哪兒   路上都有live jazz, live music band

都有cocktail to go

這次做了街車   想到了大三念的美國文學A Streetcar named Desire

而New Orleans also tells history

its buildings, its food, and its culture

除了在French Quarter看到的法國義大利建築很多的art studios and artistic bars

Downtown有許多的大莊園式的建築   和城裡很多很多黑人

就是以前在文學史上念到的南方莊園和黑奴的歷史

很多的museums, WWII museum, civil war, African-American Museum, Old Convent...

It’s lots of history, it’s “live” history

還有還有

南方口音真的好有意思！

“How y’ll doing today?”

又加上multicultural influences

很多南方黑人   很多法國義大利後裔   很多中東人也有些日本人

那些口音通通加在一起   真是可以做sociolinguistics的好地方

去的時候剛好遇上Sugabowl

Ohio State和Arkansas都是紅色球衣

整個城市那幾天都好多好多紅色球迷

每個bar都幾的滿滿的球迷   街車上擠的都是人

他們遇到支持同隊的球迷就會大聲的唱歌    喊口號

整個城市超有生氣的

我也因此學會看football了

喜歡那裡的Oysters

cafe de Monde的Beignets

和路上的Daiquiris

更喜歡那裡的artist

路上很多街頭畫家   很多手工製品

French Market裡很多可愛的手工別針耳環

可是可是稅真的好重啊    13%TAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

每吃一餐的稅就可以再點一個entree了

真是個只適合旅遊   不適合常住的地方

不然一定很容易破產

I really like the city logo “Fleur de liz”

It’s everywhere in the city, seriously.

Almost every house has a flag of the Saints or the logo

Everything has the logo and the Hornets’ logo is a bee holding a basketball in the logo

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It’s a dream-come-true travel.

I love it and I really appreciate I got this chance to live the dream.

But I hate the feeling being forced to leave.

It’s more than the end of a wonderful trip.

It’s like I finally had a chance to live another dream of mine, than BOOM

It ended suddenly.

不喜歡被抽離

Hate the feeling to leave something I really love, enjoy and want to spend my whole life doing.

I know I know, I’m living my dream already.

But it’s just part of my dream.

I have lots of dreams

I’m ganna live each of them step by step.

That’s what I did, what I’m doing and what I’ll continue doing.

Thanks, the beautiful city; thanks, the bees; thanks, Jeffie. I couldn't go to that city without you. Couldn't be a true sport fan without you.

這就是我的生命：）