Things I learned at Mardi Gras:
1) The official colors are Green, Purple, and Gold. This means that place INSTANTLY becomes a de facto Omega Psi Phi conclave. The AKAs come in second place.
2) Gumbo is like Mac & Cheese.....everybody's ain't the same. Tread VERY carefully.
3) If you are an HBCU Director of Bands, and you're not actively recruiting down there....I question your commitment. There are literally 100 HS bands, and about 3000 kids parading down there over the 5-7 days and 30 parades. Hell, half the damn SWAC AND SIAC was down there. I saw Wilberforce down there. WILBERFORCE....from OHIO. I didn't even know they were an HBCU, let alone had a 100-piece band on em. Stop playing and GO!
4) The sanitation dept in the NOLA had GOT to be the most worked and paid SD in the country, or at least, they'd better be. I've seen them clean up whole routes in ONE night, and considering the average parade had about 50,000 people, 40 floats throwing EVERYTHING at the crowds, them dudes better be getting paid 100K just for this week. Which brings me to..
5) There is absolutely, positively, ZERO reason to either buy souvenirs NOR any reason to not have any when you leave. I literally was just walking through the crowds, and got tossed three footballs, a parasol, and like 12 beads, most of which when I wasn't even looking. I saw people get PEGGED by guys on floats with Frisbees. (I honestly think they were making a game of target practice, just to see who could smack people the most). They were throwing BAGS of beads at folk at one point.
6) Popeye's is HORRIBLE....well....everyday, but especially bad compared to Brother's. Brother's is a REAL chicken spot.
7) Flashing boobies doesn't get you beads....but it's still funny to see.
8) At some point, the God Squad has just got to admit to themselves they're just protesting Mardi Gras for Twitter likes. No way is the ENDLESS ridicule worth it.
9) The Zulu parade is the ONLY time where blackface shall EVER be accepted. And if you know the history of the Zulus, that makes sense.
Finally: This might be the biggest non-race gathering I've ever seen. Almost gives me hope for this country that we actually CAN get along, especially in the Deep South. A shame that takes the biggest gathering of debauchery imaginable to bring all that out, but whatever works.
