The Princess and the Frog and New Orleans

Yesterday, DD and I went to the cinema and we watched Walt Disney's The Princess and the Frog. I must say that the tickets were a present from my dear sister-in-law, who is now in Portugal but will soon be heading to India! I didn't like the fact that the movie had a lot to do with voodoo magic and part of it was really scary for my girl. But later, when we were praying together, we talked about it and, although I don't like the idea of my daughter watching evil things, the fact is that they do exist and, when this happens, I think it is better to pray and talk about it rather than pretending it doesn't exist.

But there was also something positive about this movie. It was an opportunity for learning. And we both did. This movie is set in the city of New Orleans and as we were watching it, we learned a whole lot of things and today, we also did some search and I showed Catarina on the map where New Orleans was. She quickly said that she wanted to visit New Orleans and other American cities, and she also pointed out the fact that New Orleans is not very far from Haiti. And she asked me if it would be safe travelling there, because of the recent earthquake in Haiti.

And this is a bit of what DD has learned today:

(From Wikipedia)

«New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, situated in the banks of the Mississippi River and it is named after Philippe II, Duc d'Orléans, Regent of France. The city is well known for its cross cultural and multilingual heritage, for its cuisine and for its music (it is the birthplace of jazz).

La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans) was founded May 7, 1718, by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha. It was named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of France at the time. His title came from the French city of Orléans. The French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire in the Treaty of Paris (1763) and remained under Spanish control until 1801, when it reverted to French control. All of the surviving 18th century architecture of the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) dates from this Spanish period. Napoleon sold the territory to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Thereafter, the city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, Irish, Germans and Africans.

The Haitian Revolution of 1804 established the second republic in the Western Hemisphere and the first led by blacks. Haitian refugees, both white and free people of color (affranchis or gens de couleur libres), arrived in New Orleans, often bringing slaves with them.

New Orleans was catastrophically impacted by the failure of the Federal levee system during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

New Orleans is world-famous for its abundance of unique architectural styles which reflect the city's historical roots and multicultural heritage.

New Orleans is world-famous for its food. The indigenous cuisine is distinctive and influential. From centuries of amalgamation of the local Creole, haute Creole, and New Orleans French cuisines, New Orleans food has developed. Local ingredients, French, Spanish, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, and a hint of Cuban traditions combine to produce a truly unique and easily recognizable Louisiana flavor.
Unique specialties include beignets (locally pronounced like "ben-yays"), square-shaped fried pastries that could be called "French doughnuts" (served with café au lait made with a blend of coffee and chicory rather than only coffee); Po' boy and Italian Muffuletta sandwiches; Gulf oysters on the half-shell, fried oysters, boiled crawfish, and other seafood; étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, and other Creole dishes; and the Monday favorite of red beans and rice. (Louis Armstrong often signed his letters, "Red beans and ricely yours".)

The movie's soundtrack is also great, with the sound of Jazz, Blues and Gospel. Here you can find one of the songs.