This project began as part of a larger series about people who made radical changes in their lives as a result of 9/11. However, over the years, as the project and the family's life have evolved, this series has taken on a life of its own. Elliot and Noreen lived in Tribeca in 2001, a block from the World Trade Center. Their son, Sam was six months old and having breakfast when the deafening sound of the crash made them run to the basement for shelter. They were not allowed to return home for five months. Post 9/11 life and the desire to raise their son outside the tension of New York City is what led them to a rural area in Vermont. Their new location emanates serenity, safety and space. This series deals with the idea of home and a sense of being in the right place: concepts that are not only hard to come across, but possibly even harder to define. © Lauren Hermele

This project began as part of a larger series about people who made radical changes in their lives as a result of 9/11. However, over the years, as the project and the family's life have evolved, this series has taken on a life of its own. Elliot and Noreen lived in Tribeca in 2001, a block from the World Trade Center. Their son, Sam was six months old and having breakfast when the deafening sound of the crash made them run to the basement for shelter. They were not allowed to return home for five months. Post 9/11 life and the desire to raise their son outside the tension of New York City is what led them to a rural area in Vermont. Their new location emanates serenity, safety and space. This series deals with the idea of home and a sense of being in the right place: concepts that are not only hard to come across, but possibly even harder to define. © Lauren Hermele /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_01.jpg cef2ff0d7bde226ce987b3c7e32909ec /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_03.jpg 8b778be718eb9cbc29b1fe6628d0c0cf /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_10.jpg 4a40798dd66d5e182d40caa5ac90783b /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_11.jpg fbae0efaf9c344f10154f25fa47b8aa4 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_09.jpg 2315c44db1719752fa29566d1a2bba31 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_22.jpg c4e946e9f99f265642dd20f5ac1c62de /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_02.jpg aee42d2f68f4c691f4954f8e6462e1dc /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_05.jpg ca4079b11cfa69237bc2eed4d4538bba /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_07.jpg a7047ab44422729383cdc80cc175d373 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_06.jpg 8fc817cd5a147875265b6381b5477e68 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_12.jpg 46dd5f8817b41b9a6434289057591273 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_19.jpg a2689b07725996608106eeb7be67fc27 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_08.jpg 942096e6cbb47bf441b87f1c48101aa9 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_18.jpg 481823e70549c856b3eae82df5af3e5f /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_21.jpg 5d19df8f7a470c7beec8e7c4c64696b1 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_16.jpg d5d9805aa79c27a5ccee2f6e78c73d2f /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_13.jpg 1072709154b06bd9fb79a66bfdf8cd66 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_15.jpg a8661292f201c77ed3deaf4dde244369 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_20.jpg ccbfab83e3f03db22e2b15f787cdc748 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_23.jpg c29e66c197736950a3ae4ceb39a50db4 /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_24.jpg 1d6e98b6c2640d9ed71694a427d7220e /html/../gallery/large/on_different_ground_25.jpg 1a9f70bac3f431264cb96d62c8779728 /html/../gallery/large/3joyce_ladner_1.jpg b0e44759c2c5cb13fa2733d0993573b1 /html/../gallery/large/4charles_neblett_1.jpg ba83fdbbdd33873b33c36e217ab89e3d /html/../gallery/large/5alfred_moldovan_1.jpg 5de41c9ded526de82ad02eb08d2e44f3 /html/../gallery/large/6roger_wilkins3_1.jpg 00185a5514258975ea7cce7efa8d7f12 /html/../gallery/large/8dion_diamond_1.jpg 4e175bec0756286e7de4b17997a34111 /html/../gallery/large/7courtland_cox_1.jpg 9c5bf29c84f317021a2f6fc8e6e16309 /html/../gallery/large/12larry_guyot_1.jpg 76520da404c08fb9e4a61dc049187bae /html/../gallery/large/13timothy_jenkins_1.jpg 2d8824ba47a494b08a1ab8ac8127939c /html/../gallery/large/9annie_pearl_1.jpg 70043e903d8874a0a9a61c28d972ae17 /html/../gallery/large/10bob_zellner_1.jpg bd37dab1508f7689a82b9e95b3789471 waterslide. photos from this series were made in constanta & mamaia, along romania's black sea /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_01s1.jpg 650d80eaeb494d190ad944331c692db9 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_black_sea_9a_NC_take2.jpg 67e6a97822fdf35c1d43b7429d7791b5 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_07.jpg 5c6715027f1395897292ddc33c538545 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_05.jpg 30638960899f2038c73f0c5011604702 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_03.jpg b158eef6b23762f4fc2d32a61e788cc9 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_04.jpg a8b72ad13eb633f107d056e61d42853a /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_06.jpg 1f196a71c4a2966f23490326bdc53fc3 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_08.jpg 31d61262fa03fc09e12b34eb7bb18d21 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_09.jpg fc0996762a53f7311c7fc58c7329ccdb /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_10.jpg a37ca1b942d45548dcc9068d30824e18 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_11.jpg 6ad0a1f98266f6c45597f842d11c18e0 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_12.jpg c144eda9f9cf3ab4c60c9dab12cfabfe /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_13.jpg 535a0505c0379f3e499e8e36163f015b /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_14.jpg 08dfe8903d871f3cb3d57fc10a7b0d01 /html/../gallery/large/lhermele_fits_web_15.jpg 69406e98d6f92af55a80d659dc632fb0 (left) An apartment complex near the Smoking for Jesus Ministry's church where various members lived pre-Katrina. (right) Claudette Monet, Pastor Elder Willie Monet's wife at her birthday picnic on the church grounds. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_48_1.jpg 7f7d574375c716ffcbc95b28cb2eafa1 (left) Pastor Elder Willie Monnet Sr. and his wife, Claudette Monet's prior residence in East New Orleans. The house suffered a great deal of hurricane damage with water rising about four or five feet in this area. (right) The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's current church is located on 1804 FM 2342, in Burnet, TX. The ministry has recently purchased fifty-six acres of land surrounding the church where they soon hope to begin the construction of homes for ministry members so the entire community can live on the same land together next to the church. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele44_1.jpg a0b58cc9458b1f12ec9ce7269c4fd809 (left) The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's current church is located on 1804 FM 2342, in Burnet, TX. The ministry has recently purchased fifty-six acres of land surrounding the church where they soon hope to begin the construction of homes for ministry members so the entire community can live on the same land together next to the church. (right) The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's pre-Katrina location on 8033 Chef Menteur highway in East New Orleans, LA. The Ministry was based here for almost nine years before Hurricane Katrina devastated the area on August 29, 2005. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_45_1.jpg fa25f9b4b2965ec35294548e8b311ba3 (left) Part of the fifty-six acres of land the Smoking for Jesus Ministry recently purchased in Burnet, TX. They hope to begin building houses very soon for ministry members so that the community can live on the same land together near the church. (right) The ground at Pastor Elder Willie Monnet Sr. and his wife, Claudette Monet's prior residence in East New Orleans. The house suffered a great deal of hurricane damage with water rising about four or five feet in this area. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_46_1.jpg 1aa86769e1c26c05f68a00c3248eb794 (left) The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's pre-Katrina location on 8033 Chef Menteur highway in East New Orleans, LA. The Ministry was based here for almost nine years before Hurricane Katrina devastated the area on August 29, 2005. (right) About a year and half after one hundred ninety members (over forty-five families) of the Smoking for Jesus Ministry began their exodus from New Orleans to evacuate from Hurricane Katrina in a caravan of about forty cars, they have found their permanent residence in Burnet and Marble Falls, TX. A little less than half of the ministry appears in front of the church after Sunday service amidst the chaos of preparations for Shakira and Johnny's wedding which took place three hours later. The Ministry has opened the New Orleans Style Restaurant, in nearby Round Mountain, TX, many of the ministry members have found jobs, the sixty or so school-age children have been enrolled in Marble Falls elementary, middle and high schools, some members within the ministry have had children, married, and the ministry has purchased fifty-six acres of land where their church is located in Burnet, TX where they will begin building houses for ministry members so that everyone can live on the same land, and be close to their church and community. The ministry’s name comes from Revelation 3:16, where God said those who fully live his word are hot. Pastor Elder Willie L. Monnet, Sr. decided to go with this passage and claim the name Smoking for Jesus, indicating that his ministry is on fire for the Lord. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_47_1.jpg 22c7a2785b655c9502ecebf0a8bd19df A young ministry member gets a drink of water at the back of the church between Sunday school and Sunday services. Almost all of the sixty or so school-age children have been enrolled in Marble Falls Schools since October of 2006 when the ministry ended their exodus in the area. There is an exception of one or two families who have opted for home schooling. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_08.jpg bade8aafc1bd5f0e901910db6ca471d0 Members of the ministry sing and dance at a Wednesday Discipleship Class. This service took place during a fast the church staged, which excluded meat and sweets for three days, in honor of the anxiously awaited 'breaking ground' and construction of homes on their fifty-six acres of land. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_02.jpg 7b75f9cdfc82f74c6bd10b883f7dcc5e Everett Sanders leads Sunday School class on Easter Sunday. Almost all of the sixty or so school-age children have been enrolled in Marble Falls Schools since October of 2006 when the ministry ended their exodus in the area. There is an exception of one or two families who have opted for home schooling. In the future, when members begin living on the land surrounding the church, the Ministry hopes to have an on-site nursery with some classes for the children. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_09.jpg 6d129a07f23bf963603a9d0da26cbb41 Pastor Elder Willie Monnet Sr. at the beginning of his sermon on Easter Sunday. Originally from a small town in Louisiana, Pastor Monnet taught at a Men's Bible Study for more than thirteen years in New Orleans, was a pastor for seven years at another church, and drove a taxi cab for ten years in N.O. He believes in preaching in a very direct manner which motivated him to choose the Ministry's name, 'Smoking for Jesus.' He wanted to catch people's attention, particulary men's attention so they would join the ministry, and the women would follow. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_03.jpg 5c75b8addd0e0ab6072c94666f5b92d0 Children get their faces painted at a church picnic celebrating the pastor's wife's birthday. There are about sixty school age children in the ministry and they attend Marble Falls schools. The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's current church is located on 1804 FM 2342, in Burnet, TX. The ministry has recently purchased fifty-six acres of land surrounding the church where they soon hope to begin the construction of homes for ministry members so the entire community can live on the same land together next to the church. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_05.jpg ac4dea8192126cc202ee30918eceb053 A young ministry members with his face painted at a Sunday picnic to celebrate the Pastor's wife, Sister Monnet's birthday. The picnic is held on the church grounds following Sunday Services. Almost all of the sixty or so school-age children have been enrolled in Marble Falls Schools since October of 2006 when the ministry ended their exodus in the area. There is an exception of one or two families who have opted for home schooling. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_10.jpg f51ada7e0fd54925a5a413e1ab586895 A young ministry members plays with his crawfish at the Easter Sunday picnic back at The Vistas Apartment complex. The ninety-three brand new vacant apartments in Marble Falls, TX in a complex called on Mustang Drive were occupied by the entire ministry soon after their arrival in October of 2005. Many of the ministries members hope to buy a plot of land on the fifty-six acres of church property to begin building homes of their own as soon as they can. Almost all of the sixty or so school-age children have been enrolled in Marble Falls Schools since October of 2006 when the ministry ended their exodus in the area. There is an exception of one or two families who have opted for home schooling. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_11.jpg 099bda8bb76d857f5c7663873d436238 Three young ministry members enjoy their crawfish at a Sunday picnic to celebrate the Pastor's wife, Sister Monnet's birthday. The picnic is held on the church grounds following Sunday Services. The ministry stays very much in touch with the culinary traditions of their hometown both at home, at the restaurant they opened, and for special occasions. Almost all of the sixty or so school-age children have been enrolled in Marble Falls Schools since October of 2006 when the ministry ended their exodus in the area. There is an exception of one or two families who have opted for home schooling. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_12.jpg 6a38b50868fdfa3f472f9ab5db0f928e Shawn, one of the 'Real New Orleans Style Restaurant' chefs, is cleaning up at The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's restaurant along US Highway 281 N. The ministry opened this restaurant to bring some of their local creole New Orleans cuisine to the Hill Country town of Round Mountain, TX as well as create jobs and income for some of their members. The restaurant serves traditional New Orleans dishes as well as some Texan influenced ones like breakfast tacos. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_13.jpg 6ee6ae1813b556dae54dbdad8145692c Young ministry members hang out at The Vistas Apartment complex. The ninety-three brand new vacant apartments in Marble Falls, TX in a complex called on Mustang Drive were occupied by the entire ministry soon after their arrival in October of 2005. Many of the ministries members hope to buy a plot of land on the fifty-six acres of church property to begin building homes of their own as soon as they can. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_14.jpg c477581eb92122917b832e969255bb20 Tiffany is helping Shakira get ready on her wedding day in the House of Leah. Both women live in the House of Leah which is a residence created for the ministry's single women; it has six individual rooms, and a common living room, kitchen and dining room. The House of Leah is about a fifteen foot walk from the church, and the Pastor and his wife, Claudette have an adjoining apartment in the same building. Most members tend to marry within the ministry. The ministry is mainly comprised of young families with parents in their 20's and 30's and school-age children. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_16.jpg c51e587fd6970e422bd621a431e91ab9 Shakira and Johnny, both ministry members, were married by Pastor Monnet on Sunday April 15, 2007. As soon as the Pastor said 'you may now kiss the bride' the church broke into music and dance, and the newleyweds danced down the aisle together. The reception was held at the lake on the fifty-six acres of property the ministry recently purchased. The lake is about a ten minute walk from the church, and the reception included lots of New Orleans food, a Jesus-related rapping performance by the newleyweds, and performances by the Dance Ministry. The Smoking for Jesus Ministry has many different 'Ministries' or groups that focus on training and/or the practicing of certain skills. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_17.jpg f062674ee0ae6ccc2d21240a4fcad783 A young ministry member at Shakira and Johnny's wedding reception. As soon as the Pastor said 'you may now kiss the bride' the church broke into music and dance, and the newleyweds danced down the aisle together. The reception was held at the lake on the fifty-six acres of property the ministry recently purchased. The lake is about a ten minute walk from the church, and the reception included lots of New Orleans food, a Jesus-related rapping performance by the newleyweds, and performances by the Dance Ministry. The Smoking for Jesus Ministry has many different 'Ministries' or groups that focus on training and/or the practicing of certain skills. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_18.jpg 5e2dc296587469335639eebf44ee5c31 The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's pre-Katrina location on 8033 Chef Menteur highway in East New Orleans, LA. The Ministry was based here for almost nine years before Hurricane Katrina devastated the area on August 29, 2005. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_22.jpg d7f6c884bd64a12fca3f4f455989e116 An apartment complex near the Smoking for Jesus Ministry's church where various members lived pre-Katrina. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_43.jpg fd340f4b25318fda247aac425cc83a80 An apartment complex near the Smoking for Jesus Ministry's church where various members lived pre-Katrina. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_27.jpg 7ad41e5bc59381fa8d8f458cea4957a1 The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's pre-Katrina location on 8033 Chef Menteur highway in East New Orleans, LA. The Ministry was based here for almost nine years before Hurricane Katrina devastated the area on August 29, 2005. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_24.jpg ee769518a2e40bbcfee24371663bb762 The Smoking for Jesus Ministry's house for single women 'House of Leah' where five single women lived before Hurricane Katrina. The downstairs was completely flooded, but the upstairs was virtually untouched. The Ministry has established a new 'House of Leah' in their Burnet, TX location. /html/../gallery/large/Smoking_for_Jesus_Ministry_lhermele_21.jpg 9530517a49eb0eace8e46dbf35e873b8 The Dancin' Around Studio in Ocala, Florida draws a large senior citizen crowd to its classes in almost every dance style ranging from the waltz to salsa. Students learn tango moves on Tuesday, November 21, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_26.jpg e2805413077c795d8a8783e22b99672e Max is 84 years old, and the biggest flirt on the dance floor. His vitality and sense of humor shines in the social environment of these dances at senior centers around Queens, NY. His home life is, however, the polar opposite as he witnesses his wife slowly dying from alzheimer's disease. He sometimes talks about this, but for the most part, getting out and dancing is therapy for him; it is what keeps him alive and vital to be able to both better give to himself and to his dying wife. Wednesday, December 14, 2005. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_17.jpg 4eab212e7e15abc0feeabb0a473f07b3 Malcolm learned to dance like this when he was younger and got into rock and roll. He is one of the star dancers at the Social Dance at the South Austin Senior Activity Center in Austin, TX on Thursday, December 7, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_24.jpg d40c8eda69a2505e28f24067e215a7b6 Charlie and Ouida (89 and 83 years old) have been dancing their entire lives. She was trained as a beautician, and although Charlie is quite sick, they still go out dancing at least a few times a week. Here they are at the Senior Tea Dance at Brec's Independence Park 's Rec. Center in Baton Rouge, LA on Wednesday, November 29, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_06.jpg 54f62aed29fe34c1b038d5b5ec4fdc19 Charlie and Ouida (89 and 83 years old) have been dancing their entire lives. She was trained as a beautician, and although Charlie is quite sick, they still go out dancing at least a few times a week. Here they are at the Senior Tea Dance at Brec's Independence Park 's Rec. Center in Baton Rouge, LA on Wednesday, November 29, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_08.jpg eacfd92483323cc12f49612f2e680144 Senior Tea Dance at Brec's Independence Park 's Rec. Center in Baton Rouge, LA on Wednesday, November 29, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_07.jpg 31a205250c5731193170cfb7e7286a52 Lupe Bravo and Leo Ansis, 74 and 80, met at the Dolores Park Sr. Center in San Francisco, CA in dance class. They have become dance and life partners in the last two years and are overjoyed at how their lives have come together. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_04.jpg 617d0012b2beb0097ed1050587950e1a Lupe Bravo and Leo Ansis, 74 and 80, met at the Dolores Park Sr. Center in San Francisco, CA in dance class. They have become dance and life partners in the last two years and are overjoyed at how their lives have come together. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_02.jpg 128151db3204e308077b8ac6228dcd1b Charlie sits alone after eating a piece of cake as he waits for his partner, Ouida, to come back to get him for more dancing at the Senior Tea Dance at Brec's Independence Park 's Rec. Center in Baton Rouge, LA on Wednesday, November 29, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_09.jpg 2420907a8231a6ba2979c15fd0fcf602 Ruth is 84 years old and goes out dancing every night in Queens, NY. When she was a young woman she worked as a showgirl in Manhattan's theater district. Ruth is known in the Senior dance circuit for her agile moves and elaborate get-ups. Here, she is taking a break from a tango class at the Hillcrest Senior Center in Queens, NY on Tuesday, December 6, 2005. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_18.jpg dddca961bd828dc8498808d06533118d Pearl sits by herself waiting for someone to ask her to dance at the Senior Tea Dance at Brec's Independence Park 's Rec. Center in Baton Rouge, LA on Wednesday, November 29, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_10.jpg 412feb7397aa3db840e2e67ad285950a While taking a break from dancing, John talks about his former band 'Captain Jack and The Pearls' that he started in 1970 in Baton Rouge. After being released from the army, he built his own steel drums and started playing local gigs in Baton Rouge, becoming somewhat of a local celebrity. His enthusiasm is overwhelming as we talked about this. His wife sits in a wheelchair beside him on Wednesday, November 29, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_11.jpg 22fd041d80a559725b7423fa7cb09362 William is a wonderful piano player and has been playing music his entire life. He loves going to the Social Dance at the South Austin Senior Activity Center in Austin, TX because he has the chance to play for everyone during the break. Thursday, December 7, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_13.jpg 5a6d54b8f466b6f6796e6aea28076be8 David and Gloria grab a friend to dance with them at the Social Dance at the South Austin Senior Activity Center in Austin, TX on Thursday, December 7, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_15.jpg 3fe3a836dbd4b2e17530a315f8715cb2 A man sits waiting for his dance partner to return at the Rego Park Senior Center Social Dance on Wednesday, January 4, 2006 /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_19.jpg 06e25bf9d545b71ace8e1a57418426b7 The Dancin' Around Studio in Ocala, Florida draws a large senior citizen crowd to its classes in almost every dance style ranging from the waltz to salsa. Students learn tango moves on Tuesday, November 21, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_01.jpg 47e4843b364553339f51eb9852875723 The Dancin' Around Studio in Ocala, Florida draws a large senior citizen crowd to its classes in almost every dance style ranging from the waltz to salsa. Students learn tango moves on Tuesday, November 21, 2006. /html/../gallery/large/Senior_Citizens_Dance_lhermele_27.jpg 5c9aae1b4d1cbf1b1b9a9ff24401fa4c Perry was born and raised in New Orleans, LA and due to Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath, he is now living in a retirement home in Austin, TX. The following excerpt was taken from an interview with Perry in March 2007, "Things are goin' slow down there, up here its just day-by day living. Yeah, it's all right. I been back for the Mardis Gras, it was pretty much fun down there. But the things in the place wasn't the same, the neighborhoods were still torn up. After all those months, like sixteen months, it still looks like its just going slow, slow, slow. Mostly, I do a lot of praying and going to church mostly, since I been up here, and that's been keeping me strong. I participate in a lot of church things, I sing in the choir. I'm sort of doing the same thing that I did at home. So, I just found me a new church home, and I'm feeling like I'm right at home. It makes me feel strong. And I go to bible study, and it makes the days go better for me. I was like brought up in a small little church, and I sung, and I come up here and joined a little small church up here. I'm doing the same thing I did down there, I'm continuing on with my life. I think about going back, but, I think about the situation of the levees and the water. So, It’s just like, the place to me, is just like a bowl. Once the water comes it’s going to get full again, and the same thing is going to happen. I wouldn’t want to go through that again. I think its gonna be recovered. But it may be 10-20 years from now. The process they doing now is slow, too slow. I like to see them have a better situation when they came to rescue us. They did a great job, but it could’ve been better. It was a slow process. Strictly, I guess you can blame, you know, the army core of engineers with the levees. The levees wasn’t adequate. They know that the levees wasn’t adequate for a long time. They wasn’t up to date." /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_01.jpg c72e9e3f89f2a01fc3d238defed86147 Pearl Meltzer and her husband David lived in New Orleans for thirty-four years. He was in the oil business, and when they moved to New Orleans, David promised Pearl that they would never have to move again. They evacuated before the storm to a friends house, thinking this would be like all the routine evacuations they had grown so accustomed to over the years. They imagined they would be gone for a day or two and return to an unscathed home, but as for most New Orleans residents, this time was different. Their house was destroyed, and when they returned two months later to New Orleans, they were able to salvage only a few sentimental items from the mold that was quickly growing over all of their possessions. There were many different factors that influenced their move to Austin, TX, among them, friends, a liberal city, a Jewish community, good social services, and a good climate. She and her husband believe that the government largely failed its people in the way it reacted to this disaster. Despite their views on the corruption and lack of efficiency in the government, they are optimistic about the future of New Orleans. They believe that one of the fundamental problems in New Orleans is race, which races stick together and many people do not vote for the best candidate, but for the candidate of the same race. This is a big problem that the city of New Orleans needs to overcome, and Hurricane Katrina helped to highlight that race is not a problem of the past, but one of the present that can be ignored no longer. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_04.jpg 0cf0217a319aa810ec2914c2b0520dd7 Alice is almost eighty years old, and has lived in New Orleans her entire life until Hurricane Katrina hit. She now lives in a retirement home in Austin, TX. The following is an excerpt from an interview with Alice in March 07, ”…The day of the storm, you hardly knew about it. They were supposed to let us know. I was supposed to be going to the grocery that day. And uh, ever since my husband had died, I always put my medicine by the door. Gave my good friend, neighbor a key in case I get sick or something, you know. I seen helicopters in movies, but I don’t know nothing about no real helicopter. When he came down he knocked all of us off the porch, crashed everything. Anyhow, Afterwards they came, when they told us to get in the boat. They brought us to New Orleans airport. We still didn’t know what was going on. And a helicopter came. Then we stood up two days and two nights in line. Well I was feelin' crazy, I didn't know what happened. I had nothing, I was barefoot, not a quarter in my pocket. Oh, They was good, those people in Texas were great. I was scared, almost 80 years old, in a new place, not a dime, don’t know anybody, and I was half blind. I couldn’t see, my eyes were out like that. Legs like a brick. My husband dead, I don’t know where my family is. I didn’t know nobody. This girl Mary helped me, and brought me here, without her I probably wouldn’t be alive. I can’t go no 40 miles to church. A cab, 40 miles goin' and back, $80, I can't pay that. I’m gonna be 79 years old January coming, and I don’t have nobody. They all thought I was dead. You couldn’t get in touch with anybody. Still can’t in touch with anybody. In New Orleans, you never went hungry. You could knock on anybody’s door and get a whole plate of food, whatever, a little drink. Them was some good days. Always had someone to entertain, never was lonely. Never was lonely. Kept a coffee pot on the stove, hot biscuits, everyday. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_05.jpg e107dd44714c8c05abe11b6dba95de5e Jason Mathieu is eight years old and evacuated from the storm with his two sisters and his father to Memphis on the Saturday before the storm. Due to the frequency of storm evacuations in New Orleans, many children began to view these common evacuations as a vacation. But, of course, this time it was different. Their mother evacuated to another location, and then they all met in Texas. The Mathieus were living in Gentilly, New Orleans at the time, and their house was completely destroyed by the storm. The levee broke nearby and completely flooded the house. The children's father is currently working on getting money from the government to rebuild their house in New Orleans. Sarina and her siblings are very happy in the Texas school system, both they and their parents feel that the school system in Texas far surpasses that of New Orleans. The children have some friends who are still living in New Orleans, where, a year and a half later, the schools are only half-functioning in somewhat miserable conditions. The Mathieu family feels like Austin has been very welcoming to them. They are still struggling with certain financial problems, but overall feel very lucky to have survived the storm and thankful for the new opportunities that have appeared. Their mother, Nicole Mathieu, feels like the citizens of New Orleans were treated very much like second-class citizens during emergency situation that occurred during Hurricane Katrina. She doesn't feel like New Orleans is coming back fast, and that it's a very depressing place to be right now. Nicole doesn't want to go back and doesn't want her children to go back. Her father who refuses to leave New Orleans calls it 'Hell City, ' it's miserable, but he as well as others who have never known anything else aside from than New Orleans can't bring themselves to leave. Nicole doesn't think that New Orleans will ever feel like home again. She imagines the city recovering, or beginning to fully recover in about ten years. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_23.jpg bfe4030a87fd52022a851e7f309530c7 Terrence Moline and his fiance Christine lived in mid-city New Orleans, and were part of the creative African American class of New Orleans. They, in many ways, feel like Hurricane Katrina and its long-lasting ramifications on their lives has been an upgrade; it has exposed them to other parts of the country and new opportunities that they feel they would never have been exposed to otherwise. ..They evacuated New Orleans the day before the storm hit, and came directly to Austin. Once they arrived in Austin, they spent their first few weeks volunteering in shelters and helping other Katrina survivors. They used to see these routine evacuations as a three day vacation, they think of them as their equivalent to 'snow days.'..They had just closed on their first house the Wednesday before the flood, but had not moved yet. The apartment they were living in at the time was completely water damaged and unliveable. ..Since leaving New Orleans, they feel like the whole world has opened up before them. They decided to stay in Austin, because they understood where Austin was in history as far as opportunities, the housing market, and to want to help contribute to the rising career-minded class of African-Americans in the area. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_26.jpg 041469aa6c2fbc6f3edc9fe558467727 Heather Godwin and her daughter Brianna evacuated before the storm. Their house in New Orleans was destroyed. Someone had once told Heather that being in New Orleans was like being in a 'velvet rut.' It's so comfortable and cozy, but it's also so easy to stay comfortably numb there and not fight for the rights and opportunities its people deserve. This is the overall way she described New Orleans, a place that deserved more than it received. Hurricane Katrina was the perfect embodiment of this. Heather completely blames the Army Corp of Engineers for the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The Corp had run a hurricane simulation years ago called 'Hurricane Pam' and everything that happened during Katrina was predicted during that simulation, yet steps towards prevention were no taken. She can't get over how New Orleans and its citizens were so utterly disregarded during the Katrina disaster. She thinks New Orleans should be treated like a jewel on the Mississippi, with all of its culture and resources, but instead it seems as if it is raped. She feels like it has always been a city that everything gets taken from it, and it is left with nothing, no resources to defend itself. She feels like change has been happening over the years there, but apparently not fast enough for the universe. Even though Heather would have liked her decision to have been provoked by other events, she is very happy that she moved to Austin. A lot of new doors have opened for both her and her daughter there. They plan on staying for a few more years, if not indefinitely. She works in a firm dedicated to providing legal service for people in need and has been a strong advocate, recognized for her strength and dedication in her fight for Hurricane Katrina survivors' rights and equality in Austin and across the country. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_20.jpg 13487e3e76d9055ecfd9b888712e070e Sarina Mathieu is eleven years old and evacuated from the storm with her brother, sister and father to Memphis on the Saturday before the storm. Due to the frequency of storm evacuations in New Orleans, many children began to view these common evacuations as a vacation. But, of course, this time it was different. Their mother evacuated to another location, and then they all met in Texas. They were living in Gentilly, New Orleans at the time, and their house was completely destroyed by the storm. The levee broke nearby and completely flooded the house. The children's father is currently working on getting money from the government to rebuild their house in New Orleans. Sarina and her siblings are very happy in the Texas school system, both they and their parents feel that the school system in Texas far surpasses that of New Orleans. The children have some friends who are still living in New Orleans, where, a year and a half later, the schools are only half-functioning in somewhat miserable conditions. The Mathieu family feels like Austin has been very welcoming to them. They are still struggling with certain financial problems, but overall feel very lucky to have survived the storm and thankful for the new opportunities that have appeared. Their mother, Nicole Mathieu, feels like the citizens of New Orleans were treated very much like second-class citizens during emergency situation that occurred during Hurricane Katrina. She doesn't feel like New Orleans is coming back fast, and that it's a very depressing place to be right now. Nicole doesn't want to go back and doesn't want her children to go back. Her father who refuses to leave New Orleans calls it 'Hell City, ' it's miserable, but he as well as others who have never known anything else aside from than New Orleans can't bring themselves to leave. Nicole doesn't think that New Orleans will ever feel like home again. She imagines the city recovering, or beginning to fully recover in about ten years. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_22.jpg 50b520a2479b9fb88dc2140936de9cd2 Terrence Moline and his fiancé Christine Perrault lived in mid-city New Orleans, and were part of the creative African American class of New Orleans. They, in many ways, feel like Hurricane Katrina and its long-lasting ramifications on their lives has been an upgrade; it has exposed them to other parts of the country and new opportunities that they feel they would never have been exposed to otherwise. They evacuated New Orleans the day before the storm hit, and came directly to Austin. Once they arrived in Austin, they spent their first few weeks volunteering in shelters and helping other Katrina survivors. They used to see these routine evacuations as a three-day vacation, they think of them as their equivalent to 'snow days.' They had just closed on their first house the Wednesday before the flood, but had not moved yet. The apartment they were living in at the time was completely water damaged and unlivable. Since leaving New Orleans, they feel like the whole world has opened up before them. They decided to stay in Austin, because they understood where Austin was in history as far as opportunities, the housing market, and to want to help contribute to the rising career-minded class of African-Americans in the area. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_24.jpg 0d75d5abb08586549cbb3946554fe738 Cornelius Washington was living in the French Quarter when Hurricane Katrina hit. He did not evacuate, but, once he realized the scope of the storm, he decided to walk to the Superdome with a friend with a minimal amount of their possessions. Once they arrived in the Superdome, they saw every side of human nature that varied from the most genuine acts of kindness to pure savage instincts of human survival. Cornelius was eventually lucky enough to reach a nearby airport, where someone bought him his airline ticket. He caught a flight to San Francisco, where he is currently living, and stayed with a good friend for months. He is still struggling with some of the demons Hurricane Katrina instilled in him but is optimistic, and moving on with his life in a very positive way. He has regained his independence and is moving forward once again with his career. Given that Cornelius lived in the French Quarter, where water damage was minimal, he was able to return to his apartment and retrieve some of his belongings months after. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_19.jpg 1ce35ddc8a845ab03471fdf9313a6cc4 Alexandria and Diane Black lived in Lakeview, New Orleans, and evacuated the day before Katrina. They were very ambivalent about evacuating, but finally decided to leave and ended up in Memphis, and then Austin, where they currently live. Alexandria is Diane's adopted granddaughter...Diane worked as a teacher in a private school in the French Quarter. When she returned to New Orleans to take stock after the storm, she walked past the school she had been teaching at, and the children's drawings were still up on the wall. "Everything changed in the blink of an eye. Everyone is scattered, it was very heartbreaking." At first, Alexandria thought about going back to New Orleans, but after returning post-Katrina, she no longer thinks she would like being back there. Diane feels like it will be very hard for New Orleans to recover. Certain parts of the infrastructure such as education, was already in a bad place before the storm, and now it's in a worse spot. Austin has been a welcoming place to them, full of opportunities. They miss their home and friends, but are moving on the best they can. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_07.jpg 62772097d7c145b56be1fabc72801350 Heather Godwin and her daughter Brianna evacuated before the storm. Their house in New Orleans was destroyed. Someone had once told Heather that being in New Orleans was like being in a 'velvet rut.' It's so comfortable and cozy, but it's also so easy to stay comfortably numb there and not fight for the rights and opportunities its people deserve. This is the overall way she described New Orleans, a place that deserved more than it received. Hurricane Katrina was the perfect embodiment of this. Heather completely blames the Army Corp of Engineers for the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The Corp had run a hurricane simulation years ago called 'Hurricane Pam' and everything that happened during Katrina was predicted during that simulation, yet steps towards prevention were no taken. She can't get over how New Orleans and its citizens were so utterly disregarded during the Katrina disaster. She thinks New Orleans should be treated like a jewel on the Mississippi, with all of its culture and resources, but instead it seems as if it is raped. She feels like it has always been a city that everything gets taken from it, and it is left with nothing, no resources to defend itself. She feels like change has been happening over the years there, but apparently not fast enough for the universe. Even though Heather would have liked her decision to be provoked by other events, she is very happy that she moved to Austin. A lot of new doors have opened for both her and her daughter there. They plan on staying for a few more years, if not indefinitely. She works in a firm dedicated to providing legal service for people in need and has been a strong advocate, recognized for her strength and dedication in her fight for Hurricane Katrina survivors' rights and equality in Austin and across the country. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_08.jpg a742abe0fe998ea74db13031815a4e58 Kevin Bush didn’t evacuate for Hurricane Katrina, he never evacuated for storms. After days of seeing many terrible things, he was eventually brought to Austin, TX, where he is currently living. He believes that it's going to take a while to rebuild financially and mentally. Things were bad before the storm, but now things are real bad. The government is over there rebuilding Iraq, when they could be rebuilding their own country. To him, his poor black neighborhood in New Orleans was a 'rich' neighborhood. He could go anywhere, to anyone's house and get a meal, or find a place to sleep. Everyone would play in the street, everyone watched everyone else's kids. These are things he misses in Austin, having a strong community. Kevin thinks the destruction from was premeditated, that it was intentional. He blames the government directly, he feels like the government has raped its people. He doesn't think New Orleans will ever be the same. Any compensation he or anyone else has received will never be enough to cover the loss they have suffered. He questions the mandatory evacuation the government imposed, because they didn't facilitate it. He thinks the government should have provided more resources on the spot, despite the red tape. Kevin forms a part of the Flaming Arrows Mardis Gras Indians who continue to practice their New Orleans traditions in Austin. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_16.jpg 15abd242dfb69e108dd69a07a44b61bd Kevin Bush didn’t evacuate for Hurricane Katrina, he never evacuated for storms. After days of seeing many terrible things, he was eventually brought to Austin, TX, where he is currently living. He believes that it's going to take a while to rebuild financially and mentally. Things were bad before the storm, but now things are real bad. The government is over there rebuilding Iraq, when they could be rebuilding their own country. To him, his poor black neighborhood in New Orleans was a 'rich' neighborhood. He could go anywhere, to anyone's house and get a meal, or find a place to sleep. Everyone would play in the street, everyone watched everyone else's kids. These are things he misses in Austin, having a strong community. Kevin thinks the destruction from was premeditated, that it was intentional. He blames the government directly, he feels like the government has raped its people. He doesn't think New Orleans will ever be the same. Any compensation he or anyone else has received will never be enough to cover the loss they have suffered. He questions the mandatory evacuation the government imposed, because they didn't facilitate it. He thinks the government should have provided more resources on the spot, despite the red tape. Kevin forms a part of the Flaming Arrows Mardis Gras Indians who continue to practice their New Orleans traditions in Austin. /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_14.jpg eb6d27a23a6603f52bf99f6687d56ea5 The Mathieus evacuated from the storm on the Saturday before the storm. Due to the frequency of storm evacuations in New Orleans, many children began to view these common evacuations as a vacation. But, of course, this time it was different. Their mother evacuated to another location, and then they all met in Texas. They were living in Gentilly, New Orleans at the time, and their house was completely destroyed by the storm. The levee broke nearby and completely flooded the house. The children's father is currently working on getting money from the government to rebuild their house in New Orleans. Sarina and her siblings are very happy in the Texas school system, both they and their parents feel that the school system in Texas far surpasses that of New Orleans. The children have some friends who are still living in New Orleans, where, a year and a half later, the schools are only half-functioning in somewhat miserable conditions. The Mathieu family feels like Austin has been very welcoming to them. They are still struggling with certain financial problems, but overall feel very lucky to have survived the storm and thankful for the new opportunities that have appeared. Their mother, Nicole Mathieu, feels like the citizens of New Orleans were treated very much like second-class citizens during emergency situation that occurred during Hurricane Katrina. She doesn't feel like New Orleans is coming back fast, and that it's a very depressing place to be right now. Nicole doesn't want to go back and doesn't want her children to go back. Her father who refuses to leave New Orleans calls it 'Hell City, it's miserable, but he as well as others who have never known anything else aside from than New Orleans can't bring themselves to leave. Nicole doesn't think that New Orleans will ever feel like home again. She imagines the city recovering, or beginning to fully recover in about ten years. She believes that the composition of New Orleans society will shift towards a mainly white /html/../gallery/large/Katrinaspora_lhermele_11.jpg 020a7b5a9e94c8699bb37f5d308182b5 Romania / Calinesti / Rad Maria, 69, has been farming her entire life, and doesn't think much has changed- no one has ever really helped her. During communism everyone had jobs, everyone had enough, but she thinks that that kind of stability no longer exists. Romania's entrance into the EU is, if anything, making her life more complicated with more laws, regulations, and restrictions. She may no longer be able to sell the cheese she makes because it will not comply with the necessary pasteurization processes. In general, she feels like there's no justice, and that there never will be. With all of the young people leaving the country for better opportunities, it's too hard for her to raise animals, and she's too old to do that kind of work herself. They still do not have running water in her town, just some makeshift pipes. She hopes to see changes and receive help from the EU, but is not sure what to believe. /html/../gallery/large/valley.jpg 14ab86b3109fc2e370a77de0d7a01e07 Romania / Calinesti / Rad Maria, 58, has been farming her entire life, and doesn't think much has changed- no one has ever really helped her. During communism everyone had jobs, everyone had enough, but she thinks that that kind of stability no longer exists. Romania's entrance into the EU is, if anything, making her life more complicated with more laws, regulations, and restrictions. She may no longer be able to sell the cheese she makes because it will not comply with the necessary pasteurization processes. In general, she feels like there's no justice, and that there never will be. With all of the young people leaving the country for better opportunities, it's too hard for her to raise animals, and she's too old to do that kind of work herself. They still do not have running water in her town, just some makeshift pipes. She hopes to see changes and receive help from the EU, but is not sure what to believe. /html/../gallery/large/diptych_9_1.jpg 84b8c49d3fc4b7c45632d80f9abcfd5c Romania / Baia Mare / Fiam Iosif, 75, worked in an office as a metallurgic technician. He is now retired and feels that even though there was a regime for many of his working years, at least people had more job security. He said, "there used to be a lot more factories, although just because there was more quantity before doesn't mean the quality was very good. However, there were more jobs. He doesn't think that Romania's entrance into the EU will help the common people very much, maybe the elite, but not the blue-collar workers. Personally, he would like to see the salaries and pensions increase, as well as more money given to the people and lower market prices. /html/../gallery/large/old_man.jpg ac42addf18134240fa6e20bd423c2e55 Romania / A young Roma boy waking up in his house on the outskirts of Targu Mures. /html/../gallery/large/diptych_11_1.jpg 9b7b5e9bcbf30325c64bf5813b5afb8b Romania / Copsa Mica / Comiza Maria, 70, and Irmie Violeta, 69, have never heard of the European Union. In Copsa Mica, the town they've lived in their entire lives, they've worked in a factory and as a cook/postwoman in the factory. The town was completely blackened with soot from the nearby factories until about a month ago, when all the buildings were repainted and cleaned. There was only one more black house left, and it should soon painted a bright color. /html/../gallery/large/diptych_2_1.jpg 99770d7ad3d6f897962f427115417c69 Maramures/ Romania / A young boy in Maramures on Easter Monday contemplates his future over the next ten years as Romania becomes more and more integrated in the EU. He also dreams of being a famous soccer player. /html/../gallery/large/boy.jpg d1543787f98d752cfd3455ed0d212de1 Romania / Ocna / Costin Nutu, 62, worked in mines for most of his life. He is know retired, and when asked about his opinion on Romania's entrance into the EU, he says that he and a lot of people in this area feel left behind. He lives down the street from a garbage dump in the heart of an otherwise pristine area. It is unsanitary, bothers him, and pollutes the environment. He hopes the EU will help regulate dumps like this one. /html/../gallery/large/garbage.jpg e8c91a0c6d26b36087166d37c20015c7 Romania / Maramures/ Members of the Bohotici family during their second Easter celebration. When asked about Romania's entrance into the EU, the family had a wide variety of opinions and ideas, the most common being: they hope as an EU member the level of education and materials supplied to schools will increase; they think it is mostly elite and corporate workers receiving EU funds, and would like to see a wider variety of people gain access to this money; they are not pro-communism, but at least during that regime, people had jobs; they would like to see the job market and salaries increase, especially for Romania's youth. Overall, they feel optimistic, but know that change is still in the makings, and that it is going to take many more years. /html/../gallery/large/mms.jpg 6c028de4f3741154422ff964490b6bc1 Romania / Calinesti / These women have been farming their entire lives, and don't think much has changed- no one has ever really helped them. During communism everyone had jobs, everyone had enough, but now, that that kind of stability no longer exists. Romania's entrance into the EU is, if anything, complicating their lives with more laws, regulations, and restrictions. Soon they may no longer be able to sell the cheese they make because it will not comply with the necessary pasteurization processes. In general, these women feel like there's no justice, and that there never will be. With all of the young people leaving the country for better opportunities, it's too hard for them to raise animals, and they are too old to do that kind of work themselves. They still do not have running water in her town, just some makeshift pipes. These three women hope to see changes and receive help from the EU, but are not sure what to believe. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_4936_1 ok.jpg 51114f346eb7ed0b32158108b570384e Romania / Calinesti / Local farmers walking home from their days work. Most people in the area farm potatoes and make homemade cheese. New EU regulations may complicate small farmers way of life by imposing restrictions and moving towards more wholesale providers. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_4916 copy.jpg 05f0bb9eb13e342bfc391180d23566a1 Romania / Garbo and his family are Roma and live on the outskirts of Targu Mares. He works making metal pipes for a living. He and his family don't think Romania's entrance into the EU will stop the trend of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. He and his wife hope their children will have more opportunities for a better education and good health. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5462.jpg 6b041ae193abbe9f4221e3645949f418 Romania / A young Roma girl in front of her house on the outskirts of Targu Mures. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5459.jpg 7ec3e3e09a25661547f994cf10e7475b Romania / This Roma family lives on the outskirts of Targu Mares. The men earn their living making metal pipes. They don't think Romania's entrance into the EU will stop the trend of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The parents hope their children will have more opportunities for a better education and good health. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5375.jpg 999b57178b4465ffaf35564ced1245da Romania / These two Roma women live in the outskirts of Targu Mares. Their husbands make their living making metal pipes. In general, they don't think Romania's entrance into the EU will stop the trend of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The parents hope their children will have more opportunities for a better education and good health. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5401.jpg 9d1a87afa8308eb65a892f3e1036cfea Romania / This young Roma girl lives with her family on the outskirts of Targu Mares. Her father makes his living making metal pipes. Her and her family don't think Romania's entrance into the EU will stop the trend of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Her parents hope she will have more opportunities for a better education and good health. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5358.jpg d2a080bef0a5f437b53dc8a9cc55e6df Romania / Maramures/ Members of the Bohotici family during their second Easter celebration. When asked about Romania's entrance into the EU, the family had a wide variety of opinions and ideas, the most common being: they hope as an EU member the level of education and materials supplied to schools will increase; they think it is mostly elite and corporate workers receiving EU funds, and would like to see a wider variety of people gain access to this money; they are not pro-communism, but at least during that regime, people had jobs; they would like to see job market and salaries increase, especially for Romania's youth. Overall, they feel optimistic, but know that change is still in the makings, and that it is going to take many more years. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_4577.jpg 716b81e6e4624b3327310ab8b28e9e26 Romania / Maramures / Locals participating and watching traditional dances the day after Easter Monday in the Maramures region. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5029.jpg ffe8f83ccb7595db0d2272fe042579d2 Romania / Maramures / Locals in traditional clothing celebrating second Easter in the Maramures region of Romania. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_4689.jpg e6f57bbbb25f42655fd899e65c57cf7d Romania / Maramures / A local who participates and watches traditional dances the day after Easter Monday in the Maramures region. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5091.jpg a64d4a26320d0ed8c4af54593a2ec137 Romania / Maramures / Locals in traditional clothing celebrating second Easter in the Maramures region of Romania. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_4678.jpg 94c8b528cbd719d0e0707d25497d1227 Romania / Maramures / Locals in traditional clothing celebrating second Easter in the Maramures region of Romania. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_4670.jpg efcf660c2139eeeed49cabfa5ddcc118 Romania / Maramures / Locals in traditional clothing celebrating second Easter in the Maramures region of Romania. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_4672.jpg 39879763649777daa21bdd9794d998ff Romania / Maramures / A local who participates and watches traditional dances the day after Easter Monday in the Maramures region. /html/../gallery/large/_MG_5097.jpg 4dadee792bbdd8d163fb8c9e2a1af4b1 (Left) A grandmother and granddaughter team sell traditional Georgian food such as 'churchkhela' (a string of walnuts dipped in solid grape juice) along the Black Sea Coast near the city of Batumi. (Right) Typical interior courtyard hidden behind the front door of this small apartment complex in the capital city of Tbilisi. /html/../gallery/large/georgia11.jpg 14d2a4a0e958bfb7adeaeb5db094eb1f Eteri Narcia is taking a break from cooking a dinner of potatoes, 'mchadi' (corn-flour bread), tomatoes, and cheese in her apartment in Tbilisi. /html/../gallery/large/georgia2.jpg 45006236cca21c9d9ce0330ccdd928a8 (Left) A baker is waiting for his bread to be cooked and then peel it off the sides of a brick fire pit in Tbilsi. (Right) The BatumProdTorg Shop No 36 in Batumi is reminiscent of pre-revolution times in this seaside city. /html/../gallery/large/georgia9.jpg 805c2c7625ddb5720c7d6792904c397b (Left) Two men wait for the mechanic to fix their 1920's Soviet-era bus in the town of Batumi. (Right) An old control panel for wine filtering machines in a winery outside the town of Telavi. /html/../gallery/large/georgia_6.jpg f8e92a6aee7b0bc9492ddc52740f2fc4 A woman prepares to make 'khachapuri' (Georgian cheese pie) in a traditional Georgian restaurant outside of Tbilisi. /html/../gallery/large/georgia10.jpg d405805c6228b5fb43db035cf5465e02 (Left) Woman working at a call center in Telavi. (Right) Restaurant decorations. /html/../gallery/large/georgia_5.jpg 6d562ca03de37960b913573208378d17 (Left) A young boy from Tbilisi. (Right) The Georgian flag highlights this view from a mountaintop in the small town of Omalo in the Tusheti region. The Tusheti range, which shares borders with nearby Chechnya, and the mountain towns in this area have no running water or electricity. It is also characteristic to find large stone lookout towers on the mountaintops here which serve a dual purpose of warning towers and sources of light for special festivities. /html/../gallery/large/georgia7.jpg f13c27ab3846d36cb2197544651f4b5d This woman has lived her whole life in the small mountain town of Omalo in the Tusheti region of Georgia. She makes a small amount of money selling wool booties and dried apples and stays active by collecting her buckets of water from the local well and preparing food on the old wood-burning stove. Although electricity poles appear on the right, Omalo only had a few year period in all its history when the electricity installations were functioning. /html/../gallery/large/georgia8.jpg a57c53c329c886ab6e83607194498843 A Georgian man outside of a traditional Georgian restaurant near Tbilisi after feasting on 'mtsvadi' (shish kebabs), 'kupati' (sausage), 'khachapuri' (Georgian cheese pie), with 'ajika' (chilli sauce). /html/../gallery/large/georgia_4_big.jpg c32c03a98c6b4f44bb1a9c57c84fe072 Woman who are harvesting grapes outside of Telavi take a break. There are many vineyards in the area and a massive harvesting of grapes for wine and 'chacha' (Georgia's home -brewed liquor) takes place in September. /html/../gallery/large/georgia_1.jpg ceccc437f79129809cb89f324764a0af