I miss austin (Dallas, San Antonio, Waco: school, allergies, living)

[1mintjulep]

Originally Posted by flamingjupiter

Nomadic, right now i'm in bossier,shreveport la. I'm just suffering SEVERE culture shock. Don't get me wrong there are nice things about shreveport,but its been very difficult. I hate to bag on a place,and i'm sure theres nice people here,but the rampant homophobia,and racism is depressing. I've been displaced here since october,and i've been to around 6 parties where you would swear you were at a nazi rally.I'm not exaggerating.

I grew up in Bossier City. You have my sympathy. What are you doing there??

I moved to Austin in 2001; haven't been back to Shreveport/Bossier since 2005. It's definitely not a gay-friendly place. Last time I visited, I went to Pierre-Bossier Mall. The place was absolutely swarming with cops and old women who all had the exact same shade of bleached-blonde hair. There isn't much to do in that town except hunt, fish, or hang out at casinos with a bunch of old people who smoke. Did I mention the old people? That place is half the size of Austin and has twice as many hospitals. I'd hang myself before I'd move back to that craphole.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by flamingjupiter

Nomadic, right now i'm in bossier,shreveport la.

I had my bachelor party in Shreveport, how embarrassing is that? To be fair it wasn't that bad, and I was able to have about twice as many guys there than if it had been Vegas. Besides ths casino, one highlight was the disc golf course in Shreveport that runs between the medians of a highway. I'm not making it sound any better am I? It was actually fun, and it cured my hangover. Besides Dallas is down the road if you need a change of pace. I'm going to bed.

[eepstein]

OMG!!!!?? You are living in Shreveport, LA??? How haneous of a crime did you committ to receive a horrible sentence like that? No WONDER you miss Austin. I have been to 41 of 50 states and have NEVER set foot in the state of Louisiana and I never will. The demographics about that town speak for themselves. I think a good chunk of India has more pleasant living conditions than that filthy toilet.

So sorry sir to hear of your tragic circumstances. I can only hope that somehow you can get out of there without being killed or obtaining some horrible disease. Once you do leave, I would get checked out by a doctor somewhere else. You never know!!

Originally Posted by flamingjupiter

Nomadic, right now i'm in bossier,shreveport la. I'm just suffering SEVERE culture shock. Don't get me wrong there are nice things about shreveport,but its been very difficult. I hate to bag on a place,and i'm sure theres nice people here,but the rampant homophobia,and racism is depressing. I've been displaced here since october,and i've been to around 6 parties where you would swear you were at a nazi rally.I'm not exaggerating.
I hear what you're saying about the big box stores in austin,and i agree that parts of austin are becoming generic sprawl. However,in shreveport the city has a lot of unrealized possibilities,but currently is run down. Parts of the downtown look abandoned and almost like a ghost town. I just woke up today and really missed austin. Where are you from nomadic?

[jobert]

Originally Posted by eepstein

OMG!!!!?? You are living in Shreveport, LA??? How haneous of a crime did you committ to receive a horrible sentence like that? No WONDER you miss Austin. I have been to 41 of 50 states and have NEVER set foot in the state of Louisiana and I never will. The demographics about that town speak for themselves. I think a good chunk of India has more pleasant living conditions than that filthy toilet.

So sorry sir to hear of your tragic circumstances. I can only hope that somehow you can get out of there without being killed or obtaining some horrible disease. Once you do leave, I would get checked out by a doctor somewhere else. You never know!!

Shirley, you jest.

Eepstein, you should try visiting Louisiana, but skip Shreveport and head straight to Alexandria instead. It's deep in the heart of nowhere, and the locals will welcome you with open arms. There is also the scenic I-10 route that turns into a bridge that runs over the bayou for a good 20 miles, but the lack of dry land and access ramps along this stretch has not kept those hearty souls from living in the houseboats below. These folks truly live "off the grid" and could teach us all important lessons about sustainabilty.

Bonus: If you make it down here by early march, you'll be in time for my uncle's bi-annual birthday bash. It's in the paper because it's a big deal there.



This year, I heard Ted Nugent might show up (and maybe sign autographs!) yay!!



Your thoughts?

[ATX Wahine]

I love Louisiana. I've had nothing but great trips there, including the summer my Aunt Judy from Monroe thought it would be a hoot to send her nieces from California (being my sister and I) to an uptight Pentecostal church camp in Alexandria for two weeks. My sis and I still exchange stories about the things we witnessed in that camp. Whoa.

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice that eepstein has really cranked up the dramatics lately? If there was a C-D Internet Award for Best Dramatic Performance it would be a tough call between ee and ITC.

[eepstein]

Let's put it this way. If I was accused of a horrible crime and was given a choice of either life in prison without parole, or being forced to live in Louisiana, I would take life in prison HANDS DOWN!

Originally Posted by jobert

Shirley, you jest.

Eepstein, you should try visiting Louisiana, but skip Shreveport and head straight to Alexandria instead. It's deep in the heart of nowhere, and the locals will welcome you with open arms. There is also the scenic I-10 route that turns into a bridge that runs over the bayou for a good 20 miles, but the lack of dry land and access ramps along this stretch has not kept those hearty souls from living in the houseboats below. These folks truly live "off the grid" and could teach us all important lessons about sustainabilty.

Bonus: If you make it down here by early march, you'll be in time for my uncle's bi-annual birthday bash. It's in the paper because it's a big deal there.



This year, I heard Ted Nugent might show up (and maybe sign autographs!) yay!!



Your thoughts?

[orbius]

Its really bad these people are some of the worst racists in the world. Worse than other deep South states even.
Also they assume if you're white that you automatically share all their crazy political and racial viewpoints.
It was bad before these people must be going mental right now with a mixed race President in the White House. Hence your 'Nazi' rally comments I'm sure.

[jobert]

The last time I was in Mobile - 6 years ago, it seemed like a different world. When hanging out at the local bars in town (looked like it could have been straight out of the show TrueBlood), it seems okay, but the people were a little combative. I almost got into a fight with a complete stranger within the first hour about cheating at pool (didn't put the cue ball "in the kitchen" on a table scratch), but they ended up smoothing itself out after about 10 seconds with the gratuitous ape-like posturing and all that b.s. then the guy said everything was cool (whatever). After that incident the guy ended up introducing himself, and told me his name was "Jubal" - named after a semi-famous Confederate General. This was an open-air bar filled with white people - which I didn't notice at first, until a black person drove by. About 90% of the people on the patio stopped talking and started staring down this black guy who was driving by real slowly. When the guy drove past around the corner, everyone resumed their conversations like nothing happened. It kinda freaked me out a little bit because I didn't grow up in "the real south" and didn't realize how accepted this kind of behavior was in other parts of the country. It makes me laugh when threads are started in the Austin forum about racism, whether or not we are a "southern" city.

[plastic suit noise]

Flamingjupiter, I've been a lurker on the board for a few months, and your post moved me to finally post on here. I really feel for you. You sound like how I felt a few years ago. I moved from Southern California (where I was born and had lived my entire life) to Knoxville, TN. When I first moved I experienced some pretty extreme culture shock as well. Looking back on it, it seemed like the negative things about the city/culture are the things that I noticed the most at first. I didn't know anyone and I felt like I was in a different world. It took about a year and a half of living here that things turned around. I was able to meet some pretty cool people and one great friend through a mutual hobby interest. I learned to really like this city! It just took some time. I don't know anything about Shreveport, but I hope that you can get connected with people you can relate to. I'll bet it will make a big difference. Good luck and hang in there!

[1mintjulep]

Originally Posted by jobert

Besides Dallas is down the road if you need a change of pace. I'm going to bed.

Dallas isn't down the road from Shreveport, it's three hours away. I lived there for the first 21 years of my life. It's a cesspool.

Eepstein, you should try visiting Louisiana, but skip Shreveport and head straight to Alexandria instead.

If that isn't jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, I don't know what is. And Ted Nugent? Really? If Ted Nugent is going to be anywhere, then the more distance between me and whatever place that is, the better.

Once you're outside of New Orleans, the entire state of Louisiana is pretty much like the movie Deliverance. Only with more meth addicts.