ENGL 1156 Eun Joo Lee\r\n I was getting frustrated. I could not stand the stinking smell and the nasty insects that were creeping in our house. Cockroaches peeping here and there, fruit flies flying closely around our food that made us lose our appetite, and the smell of rotten wood and mold were beyond my limit. The vivid image of our destroyed house is still clearly visible in my head. Those days when we had to live with broken toilets and loud noise of construction were probably one of the most unbearable times in my life. However, despite all that commotion, after one year it seems as if all things have come to normal. Our house was repaired, and our neighborhood recovered from its terrible condition. But there are still some scars in my mind that remind me of the disaster Katrina brought us. \r\n Few times my family and I drove through the region of East New Orleans for some business. As I looked out of the window, looking at the abandoned houses with their empty windows and broken walls, I saw the plaza. It was where our family\'s store was located. The plaza used to be a lively place where people\'s footsteps were constantly heard. But now even the presence of people was completely erased from the place. As Katrina did to many homes, it also gulped our store. It was completely covered to the roof with water, or so said my father. Slowly, it was destroyed by water, and the storm wiped away my parents\' hard work to build our little store. It was not big or anything fancy, but it was something my parents established after their hard work in USA. I did not realize the seriousness of the situation till I had to worry about the college tuition and finances plus the money required to build another store to start a new business. Because the plaza was so damaged, my parents had to search for a new place to open our store. \r\n It was quite shocking and unbelievable when I saw our house torn down and smelly. My room suddenly became a storage for blankets, foods and boxes of clothes, and our living room was full of tools, dusts and broken furniture. Few feet of walls had to be completely pulled apart because it was covered with mold. So there were openings between the walls of the houses and every word spoken by neighbors could be heard night and day. Lastly, our kitchen was beyond description. When I first entered the house, after I returned from my dormitory high school, I complained about the filthiness and dirtiness of the house to my family. But my brother told me that the house improved a lot since they first came in. It was then when I realized how impatient and selfish I was. While I was in my dormitory room, comfortably far away from the destruction of Katrina, my family was driving for hours and hours around the state trying to find shelter.\r\n Now to the people of New Orleans, Katrina will remain an infamous name. It destroyed lives, dreams and homes. However through hardship we learned to be generous, helpful and encouraging to the people who are in need. Now we understand what it means to be homeless and hungry. An important lesson and a new potential for better future were earned. With my family and my new determination, I feel as if I can restart anything regardless the price.\r\n