Howdy y'all, ready for one last post? Buckle your seat belts, let's make this a thing.
Friday was my last day of work. I cleared out my desk, said goodbye to my friends, and headed home to finish packing (well. okay. I still haven't quite finished packing and I leave in less than 24 hours). It hasn't quite hit me yet that I'm leaving, which is funny considering how long it took me to get used to being here in the first place. I couldn't picture myself here, not at all. I started panicking mid-January, wondering if I had made the right choice...and it turns out I did. Now I'm done with my time here, and I can't believe how quickly it's gone! I know people always say that but really, it feels like five minutes since I stepped off the plane. Of course, at times it feels like five years, but who's counting.
I have to say a huge, gigantic, massive THANK YOU to everyone who has made my gap year such an incredible experience. Everyone from DC to Port au Prince has been so wonderful, and had a huge part in making this the best experience of my life.
I'm leaving behind a vibrant, colorful place crammed with interesting people and cultural experiences that I will never forget. I am also leaving behind amazing friends. From the moment I got here, I have been surrounded by friendly, generous, kind, caring people. When you're coming to a place like this, the people you surround yourself with can make all the difference in the world. It wouldn't have been the same without any of the people I met, (which sounds cliched and cheesy but it's true). This embassy has such a tight-knit community that never ceased to amaze me, and the non-embassy people I met were just as welcoming and warm. So to all of you out there, than you for your wisdom, your jokes, your stories and the memories!
I'd like to think that this whole year has helped me gain some perspective. Even though I lived in government housing and had access to pretty much anything I wanted (amazon is a lifesaver), even though I might not have experienced "the real Haiti", I still feel like I got some valuable insight into what it's like to live in a third world/developing country. I've seen things I never thought I would (and some that I never want to see again), done things I didn't know I could do, and still came out on the other side with all ten fingers and all ten toes. I knew it was going to be hard, and I hoped that it would make me a stronger person, and you know what? It did.
The guilt was constant, of course, I had air conditioning and a solid roof over my head, clean water and food and security while all these people go without. I'm not religious at all, but I feel blessed by whatever stroke of luck that let me have this life.
I'd also like to think I gained maturity. Not just that I cringe when I think about high school, but that I can handle myself better, I can control my emotions and impulses, I can act like an adult. I worked really hard at that here, and when it paid off, I knew I could be proud of myself and how far I've come. I think I needed to come here, I think i needed the perspective and everything else that I gained. I've gotten absolutely everything I could have out of this experience, so I consider that a great success.
I'm now embarking on an adventure that a lot of my friends have already gone on by now: the first year of college. I've got my roommate, my class schedule, my housing assignment, all those little things that make college so interesting and unique. I'm nervous about a lot of it, but I've got my brother at the same school and if that's not a huge comfort, I don't know what is.
I will not be continuing this blog throughout college. Eventually perhaps I'll pick it up again, especially if I choose the Foreign Service as a career path. But for now, this is it and I appreciate all of you who have viewed my blog, shared it, commented on my posts, etc. I'm so happy I could share my experiences with you and I hope I've done a good job at making it interesting!
Down below is a link to one of my favorite songs, an Irish folk tune that is, I think, very appropriate for this moment.
Once more, thank you - THANK YOU! - to everyone. I will miss you all. Mesi anpil pou tout bagay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhJp0W0ku2w
Goodnight and joy be to you all!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
July 14th: Tick Tock Tick Tock
How's your weekend going? I have a snoring pug on my lap so mine's pretty good, thanks for asking.
Last week my brother T came to visit (he is the third person to come see us in 6 months). The last time we were all together we were in the DR, so Team Panetti was long overdue for a reunion. We did the usual stuff- took him to the grocery store (exotic and adventurous, I know) and went out to dinner, went to the beach. We even stopped at a street-side art vendor up in Petionville and bought some painted animals for T to take back. Of course, as soon as we got out of our big white car with our big white selves, the vendors were all trying to get us to buy their goods, buy my art, madam, see it's good and for you only 500 gourdes, too much? okay, 400 for you, mademoiselle, they would say to me. the others just openly stared at us. I'm still not quite used to the stares and the pointing.Sometimes the stares are curious or the person will smile, other times the stares are downright hostile and I turn away quickly rather than make extended eye contact.
Anyway, T was here for a few days more than he had planned due to the complications from Tropical Storm Chantal last week. It was pretty much a non-event, it skirted around Hispaniola for the most part and hit the other parts of the Caribbean. Storms here are interesting, to say the least. Ten minutes of rain and the roads are completely blocked with traffic. It can take hours to travel 2 miles or less. Potholes pop up overnight like poison ivy, and the garbage coats the roads like a skin. Plastic bottles, wrappers, styrofoam containers and old rags are among the more innocent items and the dust only lays low for several hours before it starts blowing around again. Before Chantal hit, we were all preparing for a storm of epic proportions, cancelling post-work activities, planning on staying in during the evening. We even had a "storm party" (basically going to our neighbor's house to talk about how much we hoped the embassy would be closed the next day).
Even though the storm was more of a light drizzle, T still got to see some of the weather extremes that come with living in the Caribbean. He left yesterday and now we're all counting down the days until Team Panetti is once again reunited.
On that note, I have three weeks left as of today. Mom and I fly out on the 4th of August, which is rapidly approaching. I keep thinking of things I need to do before I go, places I haven't been and things I haven't seen. I forget that my parents have a year an a half left, that there's time to see everything else. Time is tick tock ticking away, I've already said goodbye to several people who have left already, and I've had my last day at Rebuild Globally. The two wonderful girls who ran the program have returned to the states for school and jobs, so my friend W, my brother T, and our neighbors K & P came with me last weekend for a soccer game and a bit of a goodbye party.
Some of the other summer hires, A & C, have also left. That's the hard part about making new friends in a place like this: you get really close and then you have to say goodbye.
Apologies for the slightly melancholy post. I won't have too many more before it's time to give this up, so I'd better make these last three weeks count :) keep checking, I'll try to do some exciting things.
Thanks for tuning in!
Monday, July 1, 2013
July 1st: Divine Secrets
Hi folks.
I've a fair bit of updating to do, but first I want to express my sorrow and anonymous condolences to the family of an embassy worker who passed away on Saturday. I was in Area Studies class with T at the Foreign Service Institute, and I remember her enthusiasm and passion for learning. She always had a smile on her face and her energy was catching. Even though I didn't know her well, those classes twice a week were enough for me to see that she was intelligent, fiery, determined. Here in Haiti she would stop into the office I worked in and say hello a couple times a week. I was surprised and pleased that she remembered who I was, even though I hadn't seen her since November. She leaves behind her two children and her husband, as well as an entire family of embassy coworkers who grieve for her.
I've a fair bit of updating to do, but first I want to express my sorrow and anonymous condolences to the family of an embassy worker who passed away on Saturday. I was in Area Studies class with T at the Foreign Service Institute, and I remember her enthusiasm and passion for learning. She always had a smile on her face and her energy was catching. Even though I didn't know her well, those classes twice a week were enough for me to see that she was intelligent, fiery, determined. Here in Haiti she would stop into the office I worked in and say hello a couple times a week. I was surprised and pleased that she remembered who I was, even though I hadn't seen her since November. She leaves behind her two children and her husband, as well as an entire family of embassy coworkers who grieve for her.
The death of a coworker is startling and tragic, even if you didn't know the person well. It's closer to home and forces you to face reality: we are mortal, we are not indestructible, and sometimes we are lulled into a false sense of security. Oh, but that always happens to other people, we say as we continue along the same paths. There's no way that will happen to me.
But then it does, or it happens to someone you know, and you stumble a bit on your path, forced to change your direction.
There's no way to avoid heartbreak of any kind but for all our stubbornness and occasional naivety, we humans are brave. In spite of the dangers and troubles and woes that surround us, we somehow find the strength to get out of bed and leave our houses instead of crouching under our blankets, afraid to set foot outside for fear of disaster.
We are intrepid. We carry on.
And now on with our regulary scheduled program.
A few weeks ago, my cousin Z came down for a few days, which was beautiful. We went to the beach, the orphanage and to Petionville. We even stopped at a street market to get some art. I found a few geckos, a sea horse and another small frog which I am ridiculously excited about. I really do love the artwork here- it's so colorful and bright.
We also hosted a Monty Python Party, during which we showed Monty PYthon and the Holy Grail. Someone brought coconut cupcakes (see the connection with the coconut? As in, "you've got two 'alves of a coconut and you're banging 'em togethah!") I first saw MP&tHG when I was maybe thirteen, and I remember that my parents told us to cover our eyes at certain parts ("so, Sophie, how does it feel to watch this with your parents?"). Now that I'm an adult, they don't tell me to do that anymore but it's still a bit awkward watching some of those scenes with your parents in the room (one of the drawbacks of electing to spend another year with your parents).
Remember that post on Ile a Vache? Well, i got to write an article for the embassy's online news letter and it was pretty good, if I do say so myself! I loved being able to showcase my writing skills. Even if some "disgruntled readers" (read: jokester neighbors) make goofy comments, cough cough.
Soon that'll end though. I've got about five weeks left here and when I think of how fast the time has gone, I get a little nervous. Can I handle sharing a room? What about my classes? I got my first choices, yes, but how will it feel to enter the academic world again? I know I can do it- if there's one thing this gap year has taught me, it's that I can handle pretty much anything- but I'm worried about the chaos of a new school year. I'm also worried about my mom and how she'll handle being away from me.
I'll tell you a secret though- if you're having trouble adjusting to a new situation, a new job, a new house, a new anything, writing about it helps. I keep a journal on my nightstand by my bed and every night I make myself write down at least one thing that happened during the day and how it made me feel. You won't believe the difference it makes. Give it a go, see how it works.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
June 8th: Plant Pride and Danger Driving
WHAT UP? I like your shirt today. Have I said that before? No matter. Let's do this thing.
Nothing super exciting has happened in the last week or so, but I really like writing this blog and I hope you like reading it, so I'm just going to kind of ramble today.
Just got back from REBUILD this morning. I went over for like an hour just to check on the plants and let me tell you, they are coming along and I am so full of pride! It's crazy how such a small thing can mean so much. Haiti is such a rough place and I feel like I'm adding a little beauty to it, even if it's in one garden plot in one area of one city. These little seedlings push through and grow in spite of the dry, rocky dirt. And the apprenticeship kids who help out are so eager and excited about it. Makes me feel like I'm doing some good here.
Every now and again I think about what I could be doing if I was back home with my friends. It's their summer break now, and they're all in our hometown having adventures and being with each other, going out late and driving around town with the windows down (I've mentioned before how much I miss doing that. I totally took that for granted back in the States). I miss being with people who know me, but I'm also finding a place here. It's not the same as it was, but I'm finding people that I'm comfortable with and I'm finding out things about myself that I wouldn't discover if I wasn't here. Does that make sense?
I get very easily frustrated here though, with the people and the culture. It's kind of a Caribbean mindset, I think. Do everything on your own time and don't rush, just do it when you feel like it. It's not a bad way to think, it's just so different from the US. People will stroll down the middle of the road, and I'll be driving behind them thinking "seriously, why walk so slowly right in the middle of the damn street? What can you possibly be doing that requires you to be RIGHT THERE?" I have to remind myself that I'm not in the states anymore and people think very differently here.
On a happier note, my job is going well. I really like my boss and my coworkers. The other interns and I have become good friends, which is totally saving my sanity. If they weren't here, I would go nuts. With all the events that happen here, I still feel a bit trapped. That's the hardest thing for me- the lack of freedom. But I'm learning my limits and what I'm comfortable with doing, which will set me up well for college, I think. Even if I turn into a really aggressive driver. I won't apologize for swerving around manhole covers. I should get a bumper sticker that says "Just back from driving in Haiti, apologies for my road behavior."
That was a bit of a ramble-y post, sorry. More later. N a we pita!
Nothing super exciting has happened in the last week or so, but I really like writing this blog and I hope you like reading it, so I'm just going to kind of ramble today.
Just got back from REBUILD this morning. I went over for like an hour just to check on the plants and let me tell you, they are coming along and I am so full of pride! It's crazy how such a small thing can mean so much. Haiti is such a rough place and I feel like I'm adding a little beauty to it, even if it's in one garden plot in one area of one city. These little seedlings push through and grow in spite of the dry, rocky dirt. And the apprenticeship kids who help out are so eager and excited about it. Makes me feel like I'm doing some good here.
Every now and again I think about what I could be doing if I was back home with my friends. It's their summer break now, and they're all in our hometown having adventures and being with each other, going out late and driving around town with the windows down (I've mentioned before how much I miss doing that. I totally took that for granted back in the States). I miss being with people who know me, but I'm also finding a place here. It's not the same as it was, but I'm finding people that I'm comfortable with and I'm finding out things about myself that I wouldn't discover if I wasn't here. Does that make sense?
I get very easily frustrated here though, with the people and the culture. It's kind of a Caribbean mindset, I think. Do everything on your own time and don't rush, just do it when you feel like it. It's not a bad way to think, it's just so different from the US. People will stroll down the middle of the road, and I'll be driving behind them thinking "seriously, why walk so slowly right in the middle of the damn street? What can you possibly be doing that requires you to be RIGHT THERE?" I have to remind myself that I'm not in the states anymore and people think very differently here.
On a happier note, my job is going well. I really like my boss and my coworkers. The other interns and I have become good friends, which is totally saving my sanity. If they weren't here, I would go nuts. With all the events that happen here, I still feel a bit trapped. That's the hardest thing for me- the lack of freedom. But I'm learning my limits and what I'm comfortable with doing, which will set me up well for college, I think. Even if I turn into a really aggressive driver. I won't apologize for swerving around manhole covers. I should get a bumper sticker that says "Just back from driving in Haiti, apologies for my road behavior."
That was a bit of a ramble-y post, sorry. More later. N a we pita!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
May 30th: Nobody Can Stop Reggae
Hey it's me! I have been absent for a while, apologies for that. Golly where do I start?
I've been workin for three weeks now and I am enjoying it a lot. It helped that I already knew my way around the embassy when I started, and that I knew a decent amount of people. There's a few other summer hires here, and they're all really nice. (Guys that means I have friends again WHEEEEE!) as far as my job is concerned, I have some projects to work on and my own desk, which I think is pretty cool. I mean, I had desks at my other jobs but still. There's only been a few minor hiccups, including one last week.
The embassy is always really cold. And I mean cold. You'd think it would feel good, given the heat outside during the day, and usually it does feel good for about an hour. Then I get goosebumps and wish I had a blanket. So I started bringing a pair of tights in my purse for the days I wore a dress and needed an extra layer. Last Wednesday, I went to the bathroom to put on these tights. I went back to my desk and when I smoothed out my dress to sit down, I noticed something.
"Hmmm. That doesn't feel like my dress," I said to myself. And no indeed it was not, my dress had been tucked into the back of my tights the whole damn time. So it's quite possible that I accidentally showed my underwear to the entire embassy. Great way to start off, right?
It's now the rainy season, which means that the roads are slowly getting worse. Last week there was a torrential downpour and the street in front of the embassy flooded. I wasn't there - thank god - but there were a lot of people stuck inside the embassy until about 11:00 that night. My mom and I went out to look at the street and it was a brown river. People were still driving on it, I don't know how, and wading through it with their shoes in hand. There was a considerable amount of damage done to the road and to some of the houses up the hill. I definitely feel lucky that we live where we do, even if it's technically in a floodplain.
The flood was on Thursday, and the next day my parents and I traveled out of PaP to an island called Ile a Vache. We caravaned with several of our neighbors/coworkers from the embassy. It took about five hours to get there, but it was worth it. In order to get to Ila a Vache, which is off the southern coast of Haiti, you have to drive through a red zone (meaning higher danger). Once you're out of there, the road takes you through the mountains. Let me tell you, the views were unbelievable. It was so incredibly green the whole way, and I kept thinking to myself that THIS is how the entire country is supposed to look. It's supposed to be this lush green tropical place, and instead it's been deforested to the point where parts of it resemble a desert.
Once we arrived at the coast, we loaded our bags onto a small ferry boat and headed out to Ile a Vache. Ile a Vache means Island of the Cow, and it used to be a "pirate island". Captain Henry Morgan used Ile a Vache - or Isla Vaca, as it was called by the Spanish - as sort of a home base. It's held onto a little bit of that pirate air. There are a couple caves that we explored, half expecting to find a trunk of gold or a skeleton or something equally pirate-y. The resort we stayed at was called Abaka Bay Resort, and it was right on the water. The bar played a constant loop of reggae music but the sound of the waves was enough to drown it out. We swam and soaked up the sunshine, went hiking up the hill. There was a tiny little village at the top, and it was so different from the houses on the mainland- clean (mostly) and tidy, with houses painted coral and green and yellow and white.
The island could have been a different country all together. All weekend I kept forgetting that we were still in Haiti and not in the Bahamas or the Phillipines or even in Greece.
It was an all around beautiful weekend, but very hard to come back and go to work the next day. However, we have today off which is nice.
A group of us went out last night to this place called The Irish Embassy (not an embassy. Just a pub) and had a grand time. While it's great to hang out with my parents, I really like being with other people around my age. I am no longer all by myself down here!
Right. That's all for now, I have a snoring pug at my feet who needs a walk. S'laters.
I've been workin for three weeks now and I am enjoying it a lot. It helped that I already knew my way around the embassy when I started, and that I knew a decent amount of people. There's a few other summer hires here, and they're all really nice. (Guys that means I have friends again WHEEEEE!) as far as my job is concerned, I have some projects to work on and my own desk, which I think is pretty cool. I mean, I had desks at my other jobs but still. There's only been a few minor hiccups, including one last week.
The embassy is always really cold. And I mean cold. You'd think it would feel good, given the heat outside during the day, and usually it does feel good for about an hour. Then I get goosebumps and wish I had a blanket. So I started bringing a pair of tights in my purse for the days I wore a dress and needed an extra layer. Last Wednesday, I went to the bathroom to put on these tights. I went back to my desk and when I smoothed out my dress to sit down, I noticed something.
"Hmmm. That doesn't feel like my dress," I said to myself. And no indeed it was not, my dress had been tucked into the back of my tights the whole damn time. So it's quite possible that I accidentally showed my underwear to the entire embassy. Great way to start off, right?
It's now the rainy season, which means that the roads are slowly getting worse. Last week there was a torrential downpour and the street in front of the embassy flooded. I wasn't there - thank god - but there were a lot of people stuck inside the embassy until about 11:00 that night. My mom and I went out to look at the street and it was a brown river. People were still driving on it, I don't know how, and wading through it with their shoes in hand. There was a considerable amount of damage done to the road and to some of the houses up the hill. I definitely feel lucky that we live where we do, even if it's technically in a floodplain.
The flood was on Thursday, and the next day my parents and I traveled out of PaP to an island called Ile a Vache. We caravaned with several of our neighbors/coworkers from the embassy. It took about five hours to get there, but it was worth it. In order to get to Ila a Vache, which is off the southern coast of Haiti, you have to drive through a red zone (meaning higher danger). Once you're out of there, the road takes you through the mountains. Let me tell you, the views were unbelievable. It was so incredibly green the whole way, and I kept thinking to myself that THIS is how the entire country is supposed to look. It's supposed to be this lush green tropical place, and instead it's been deforested to the point where parts of it resemble a desert.
Once we arrived at the coast, we loaded our bags onto a small ferry boat and headed out to Ile a Vache. Ile a Vache means Island of the Cow, and it used to be a "pirate island". Captain Henry Morgan used Ile a Vache - or Isla Vaca, as it was called by the Spanish - as sort of a home base. It's held onto a little bit of that pirate air. There are a couple caves that we explored, half expecting to find a trunk of gold or a skeleton or something equally pirate-y. The resort we stayed at was called Abaka Bay Resort, and it was right on the water. The bar played a constant loop of reggae music but the sound of the waves was enough to drown it out. We swam and soaked up the sunshine, went hiking up the hill. There was a tiny little village at the top, and it was so different from the houses on the mainland- clean (mostly) and tidy, with houses painted coral and green and yellow and white.
The island could have been a different country all together. All weekend I kept forgetting that we were still in Haiti and not in the Bahamas or the Phillipines or even in Greece.
It was an all around beautiful weekend, but very hard to come back and go to work the next day. However, we have today off which is nice.
A group of us went out last night to this place called The Irish Embassy (not an embassy. Just a pub) and had a grand time. While it's great to hang out with my parents, I really like being with other people around my age. I am no longer all by myself down here!
Right. That's all for now, I have a snoring pug at my feet who needs a walk. S'laters.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
May 16th: Hey! It's May!
Hey did you guys forget this was a thing? Sorry I haven't written for a while, I've been lazy.
A few weeks ago I finally got to leave- I mean, I tripped and fell onto an airplane that happened to be headed for the States. I stayed for a week, which was both great and horrible. It felt so strange to be back, like nothing had changed except me. I actually could drink from the tap (but I didn't), could drive with the windows down (but I didn't), could see my friends (which I did). The weather was awesome, too- hovered right around 70 degrees the whole week. Mostly I ran errands, saw friends and tried to remember what it was like to live in my house. I did go to a choir concert at my old high school- that was the weirdest. Saw some people I wanted to see and some that I didn't, but c'est la vie.
Overall it was a pretty good week, but it was so hard to leave.
However, right after I got back, we threw a Cinco de Mayo party, which was a delight. I even brought a piñata back in my suitcase and we had a salsa contest (the food, not the dance). It was nice to have that to look forward to, even when I was sad about leaving home.
I also continued to go to REBUILD Globally (without my friend W who is back in the states for 2 months). A while back, W and I, with the help of the apprenticeship kids, planted some seeds in the hopes of making a garden. They started growing right after I got back from the states, and it was amazing how quickly they grew out of their little peat pods! Last week the kids and I planted them, and hopefully they've started adapting to the soil here. I haven't been able to go during the week to check on them, so I'll see how they're doing on Saturday.
Now, you ask, why have you not been able to go during the week? Well I'll tell you- it's because I started my job! Yes sir and yes ma'am, I am now a 'working stiff ' to quote my father (he's now called me this seven times, I'm counting). I started Monday the 13th, and am nearing the end of my first week. Mostly it's been great, I really like my boss and it helps that I know my way around the embassy. Downside: I have to get up at 5:45 again, and I've had a few embarrassing moments at work, which makes me feel a little discouraged. However, it's nice to know that I've still got my dad and our friends working there as well, and (hopefully) they will all still like me even when I make mistakes.
Yesterday the rest of our HHE came (!!) so Dad took the day off of work to help unpack. I went to work all on my lonesome, therefore eating lunch by myself like I do every day, but the fact that I would FINALLY have my books and my postcard collection when I got home made me feel better.
We spent several more hours unpacking, then collapsed on the couch with our grilled cheese sandwiches and soup to watch The West Wing. When it started pouring rain outside, we didn't really notice until later when I discovered that a bunch of the windows throughout our house were leaking. Then part of the ceiling started leaking, so I gave up and went to bed.
Normally I'd say I love to go to sleep when it's raining, but, um, not when it's raining inside.
Right, that's all for now. Peace out.
A few weeks ago I finally got to leave- I mean, I tripped and fell onto an airplane that happened to be headed for the States. I stayed for a week, which was both great and horrible. It felt so strange to be back, like nothing had changed except me. I actually could drink from the tap (but I didn't), could drive with the windows down (but I didn't), could see my friends (which I did). The weather was awesome, too- hovered right around 70 degrees the whole week. Mostly I ran errands, saw friends and tried to remember what it was like to live in my house. I did go to a choir concert at my old high school- that was the weirdest. Saw some people I wanted to see and some that I didn't, but c'est la vie.
Overall it was a pretty good week, but it was so hard to leave.
However, right after I got back, we threw a Cinco de Mayo party, which was a delight. I even brought a piñata back in my suitcase and we had a salsa contest (the food, not the dance). It was nice to have that to look forward to, even when I was sad about leaving home.
I also continued to go to REBUILD Globally (without my friend W who is back in the states for 2 months). A while back, W and I, with the help of the apprenticeship kids, planted some seeds in the hopes of making a garden. They started growing right after I got back from the states, and it was amazing how quickly they grew out of their little peat pods! Last week the kids and I planted them, and hopefully they've started adapting to the soil here. I haven't been able to go during the week to check on them, so I'll see how they're doing on Saturday.
Now, you ask, why have you not been able to go during the week? Well I'll tell you- it's because I started my job! Yes sir and yes ma'am, I am now a 'working stiff ' to quote my father (he's now called me this seven times, I'm counting). I started Monday the 13th, and am nearing the end of my first week. Mostly it's been great, I really like my boss and it helps that I know my way around the embassy. Downside: I have to get up at 5:45 again, and I've had a few embarrassing moments at work, which makes me feel a little discouraged. However, it's nice to know that I've still got my dad and our friends working there as well, and (hopefully) they will all still like me even when I make mistakes.
Yesterday the rest of our HHE came (!!) so Dad took the day off of work to help unpack. I went to work all on my lonesome, therefore eating lunch by myself like I do every day, but the fact that I would FINALLY have my books and my postcard collection when I got home made me feel better.
We spent several more hours unpacking, then collapsed on the couch with our grilled cheese sandwiches and soup to watch The West Wing. When it started pouring rain outside, we didn't really notice until later when I discovered that a bunch of the windows throughout our house were leaking. Then part of the ceiling started leaking, so I gave up and went to bed.
Normally I'd say I love to go to sleep when it's raining, but, um, not when it's raining inside.
Right, that's all for now. Peace out.
Monday, April 22, 2013
April 22nd: Driving Lessons
So I realized that I've grouched about the driving rules (or lack thereof) here in Haiti. While in the DR, I noticed some of the same patterns. Now that I've begun to drive here (yes, it's true, I have braved the streets of Port au Prince) I've taken to several things:
1) talking- well, yelling- at other cars
2) laying on my horn
3) driving on the opposite side of the road to avoid potholes
Just to provide some comic relief to your Monday, here's what I believe to be somewhat accurate commentary that passes through the minds of Haitian drivers. I think.
Are you stopped at a light? Lol I'm driving up on the sidewalk to pass you! Look out pedestrians! And vendors! Oh, I ran over your tomatoes? Whatever!
Are you driving on a one way street? Ha rules don't apply to me, I'm just gonna mosey down here going the opposite way just to show you how little I care.
Are you driving behind me? Let me just leave my hazards or my blinker on for twenty minutes to confuse you. Or I could just stop in the middle of the road and abandon my vehicle because that's hilarious.
Are you not going fast enough? Oh it's okay, I'll just drive in the oncoming lane so I can pass you. Honk honk, slowpoke!
Are there only two lanes on this road? LOL let's make it six because this road isn't bad enough and I don't feel like being behind anyone.
Are you stuck in a traffic jam? I'll still try and pass you! If I so happen to scrape your door or knock off your side view mirror, c'est la vie.
To be honest, the "running over tomatoes" thing doesn't happen. In spite of my rather cynical commentary and the fact that there are no rules, I have yet to see a car accident. Even though it's a free for all and yes, people drive in the oncoming lane, mostly people are fairly decent drivers. Still, I shudder to think what it would be like if people in the US drove like this!
Anyway. I've got a cold so my voice sounds a little deeper than normal. I'm flying back for the States tomorrow- yahoo!- and then when I return, I shall begin to work!
Hope I brightened your Monday a little.
S'laters!
PS check out this video that my dad and I made! It's sort of a PSA for the orphanage that we've been going to.
PS check out this video that my dad and I made! It's sort of a PSA for the orphanage that we've been going to.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
April 16th: Vamos a la Playa!
Greetings, children! Let's get after it, shall we?
Anyone on Facebook probably knows we, the Panetti family, were just in the Dominican Republic. What a relief it was to get out of Haiti! I didn't realize just how desperate I was to leave until we were on the plane. As we flew over the border between Haiti and the DR, the difference was astounding. In Haiti, the deforestation is so extensive that from the plane we could see the dry brown skin on the earth. As we crossed to the other side of the island, there was a sudden explosion of green (not a literal explosion). We were in this little plane that sat about 20 people, and the whole time there was a horrific whining noise coming from the propellers. That combined with the turbulence had me clutching the seat in front of me with white knuckles.
We landed and took a cab to the other airport in Santo Domingo, where we got our rental car and drove to the hotel. It was so strange to drive around and not have to worry about losing a tire to a pothole or something.
My brother had flown into the other airport. He was already at the hotel and it was absolutely wonderful to see him. He was on his spring break from Gustavus, and we haven't seen him since Christmas, so you can imagine how excited we were.
Our first night in Santo Domingo, we walked around a bit outside (such a treat, since we can't do that here in Haiti!). The street we were on had some sort of fair going on, and later we discovered that embassy employees in the DR aren't supposed to walk on that particular street at night.
Whoops.
Tommy and I both had some Spanish training in high school, and it was odd to be able to finally use Spanish on purpose, when the last three months I've been using it accidentally. The next day as we walked about two miles to the colonial area, Tommy and I were both reviewing phrases and vocabulary words. At one point we stopped to admire a huge group of motorcyclists that were in the area for a rally. There must have been about a hundred leather clad men and women in one small parking lot, and the noise was unbelievable.
Here's some pictures of the colonial area:
It was a really beautiful day, a lot cooler than in PaP and the air was so much cleaner. We ate breakfast at a little street café, then went back to our hotel to meet up with some friends who work at the embassy in Santo Domingo. We spent a great afternoon with them, which included going to Chile's at the local shopping mall. I realize that sounds incredibly touristy but we hadn't been to an American restaurant, let alone a shopping mall, in some time. It was really nice, even for someone who doesn't like malls or shopping (me).
The next day (or maybe it was the same day, I don't really remember), we met up with some other friends, the Bs. They're our neighbors in Haiti and happened to be in Santo Domingo at the same time we were. We went back to the colonial area at night, which was amazing. I love cities best at night, when everything is lit up.
On Monday morning, we piled in our rental car and set off for Punta Cana! It's more of a tourist area, and right on the water. We stayed in a condo that opened right onto the beach. Absolutely beautiful.
We spent the afternoon soaking up the sun, and the next day as well. We also went to (another) local shopping mall in search of restaurants. While we were there, we were stopped by a man who worked for a luxury resort. He wanted us to come back the next day at 8 for a free breakfast, tour of the hotel and information session. Mostly we figured it was like a timeshare, and we would go for the free breakfast, listen to the spiel, say no and be out by 10 or so.
It was not to be.
When we returned to the mall the next day, we were driven in a golf cart to the hotel and given our free breakfast. Okay, we thought, this won't take too long. And then we were dragged on a tour that lasted a few hours, our guide showing us all the perks of the resort without telling us the actual price of the different "packages". Finally when we got to the actual presentation, it was about one o'clock and we were completely fed up. They did not take no for an answer, so finally we had to get kind of stern with the workers. It wasn't enough to tell them we wanted time to consider the deal (which involved a lot of money for several years worth of hotel usage), no, they wanted an answer RIGHTNOW.
For some reason, I found this whole situation absurdly stressful, and was so glad to get out of there. As a result of our cooperation (well, sort of), we were given "free" tickets to swim with dolphins at a park that afternoon (I say "free" because they weren't exactly free but that's beside the point). Tommy and I did in fact get to swim with two dolphins in a small pool, which was way cooler than I expected. I've never done anything like that before, and it was so amazing.
The next day was even cooler. We got picked up earlier in the morning by a truck that looked suspiciously like a tap-tap (only cleaner and a lot safer) and, along with about 15 other people, drove more than an hour up into the mountains to go horseback riding and zip lining. I used to ride English (jumping and dressage) so this was super exciting for me. At this particular place we rode Western style (longer stirrups and a horn on the saddle) but it was still wonderful. We were assigned horses by skill level, so I got one of the employee's horses, Gregorio (that was the horse, not the employee). We rode through acres of property to a tobacco plantation where we got to see cigars being rolled as well as other crops growing. After riding back, the people leading the ride asked if any of us wanted to gallop so of course I took them up on that. It was so wonderful to be able to ride again, I can't even tell you. They even had a "cattle run" which basically meant we drove the cows in a gigantic circle so we could see what it was like. Still amazing.
After we finished the ride, we were served lunch and then onto the zip lining! I've only done that a handful of times in my life and I adore it.
The next day (Friday) was not so perfect, but still passable. There was a guy who worked for our hotel/condo place, who wanted to set up a snorkeling trip for us. Sounds pretty legitimate, right? However, he assured us that there was a snorkeling trip open on Friday and that it was to a beautiful area that was great for snorkeling. We were a little hesitant to pay this guy in advance due to the extreme lack of reviews on the website (i.e. there were none), but we did anyway, so that was that. We were to be picked up at 6:30 Friday morning for a splendid snorkeling trip complete with lunch and drinks and dancing.
At 6:30 we trundled out of our room with our bags of towels and books and sunscreen. We waited for maybe half an hour before a white van (yes, Martin family, another sketchy white van story- for anyone else, see posts from last year in Paris!).
The driver told us that in fact, there was no snorkeling trip that day (to which we responded with various exclamations of dismay such as "what!" and "are you kidding me" or the ever useful "Damn that guy!"). The driver assured us that they were trying to "fit us in" with another group that was going snorkeling in a different area. Well, fine, we said and hopped in the white van. We drove. And drove. And drove. Finally, when I figured we were probably back in Haiti, he pulled off to the side of the road and directed us down a little alleyway that opened up on a harbor.
Exchanging suspicious looks, we went down to the harbor and sat on a wall while we waited. What were we waiting for? We had no clue. We just sat and sat and sat for about 45 minutes while our driver went off and - I'm not kidding - had a snack. We were all irritated to no end and about to give up when our driver returned with a bunch of other people and waved us onto a boat. It was not a very nice boat, but it held a lot of people and it stayed afloat, so I guess I can't complain about that.
The day went uphill from there. The boat ride out to the island was really nice, and the water was the most incredible navy blue.
We stopped in a shallower area to snorkel. This bit was difficult because it was windy, so the waves prevented us from keeping our faces in the water for too long, but it was still amazing. I saw some absolutely beautiful fish swimming close to the surface, almost close enough to touch. Black and white with yellow fins, silvery blue, green and black.
After snorkeling, the boat took us to the island where we were to have lunch etc. That part was okay- mostly we just lounged around on the beach and read until it started raining. We were taken back to our boat but then had to endure the hour long ride back to the harbor. My brother and I sat on the top of the boat in the rain, and watched the rather intoxicated Russian guy go up and down the stairs between levels of the boat.
We decided to head back to Santo Domingo Saturday afternoon, so we spent Saturday morning lounging around on the beach, which I am really good at. It took us about three hours to get back to Santo Domingo, so we were tired and ready to spend the rest of the night watching movies in our hotel room (Skyfall was just as good the fourth time around).
Sunday morning, we dropped Tommy off at one airport and then got transportation to the other. There we hit a snag. The airline my parents and I were taking back to Haiti didn't have any way to check in before getting to the airport, so when we arrived there, Dad went to the desk.
"We have three tickets for the 4:00 flight back to Port-au-Prince."
The guy at the counter just blinked.
"That flight is full."
Ugh. Eventually, after much hedging and hemming and hawing by The Guy At The Counter, we discovered that there was one seat left on the flight we were supposed to be on. Frustrated and on the verge of tears (me) Mom and I elected to stay in Santo Domingo one more night so Dad could get home to work. We were all pissed off at the airline, but there was nothing we could do. Mom and I got a taxi back and stayed in a nice-ish hotel room. It ended up being okay, since she and I had a nice girl's night, complete with pedicures and movies. Luckily the next day, we got home without too much trouble.
So here I am again, back in Haiti. I never thought I would be glad to be back here but I am! This is my third home in a year and while it's not perfect, it does the trick.
Well that's all for now. S'laters! Thanks for reading.
Anyone on Facebook probably knows we, the Panetti family, were just in the Dominican Republic. What a relief it was to get out of Haiti! I didn't realize just how desperate I was to leave until we were on the plane. As we flew over the border between Haiti and the DR, the difference was astounding. In Haiti, the deforestation is so extensive that from the plane we could see the dry brown skin on the earth. As we crossed to the other side of the island, there was a sudden explosion of green (not a literal explosion). We were in this little plane that sat about 20 people, and the whole time there was a horrific whining noise coming from the propellers. That combined with the turbulence had me clutching the seat in front of me with white knuckles.
We landed and took a cab to the other airport in Santo Domingo, where we got our rental car and drove to the hotel. It was so strange to drive around and not have to worry about losing a tire to a pothole or something.
My brother had flown into the other airport. He was already at the hotel and it was absolutely wonderful to see him. He was on his spring break from Gustavus, and we haven't seen him since Christmas, so you can imagine how excited we were.
Our first night in Santo Domingo, we walked around a bit outside (such a treat, since we can't do that here in Haiti!). The street we were on had some sort of fair going on, and later we discovered that embassy employees in the DR aren't supposed to walk on that particular street at night.
Whoops.
Tommy and I both had some Spanish training in high school, and it was odd to be able to finally use Spanish on purpose, when the last three months I've been using it accidentally. The next day as we walked about two miles to the colonial area, Tommy and I were both reviewing phrases and vocabulary words. At one point we stopped to admire a huge group of motorcyclists that were in the area for a rally. There must have been about a hundred leather clad men and women in one small parking lot, and the noise was unbelievable.
Here's some pictures of the colonial area:
The next day (or maybe it was the same day, I don't really remember), we met up with some other friends, the Bs. They're our neighbors in Haiti and happened to be in Santo Domingo at the same time we were. We went back to the colonial area at night, which was amazing. I love cities best at night, when everything is lit up.
On Monday morning, we piled in our rental car and set off for Punta Cana! It's more of a tourist area, and right on the water. We stayed in a condo that opened right onto the beach. Absolutely beautiful.
It was not to be.
When we returned to the mall the next day, we were driven in a golf cart to the hotel and given our free breakfast. Okay, we thought, this won't take too long. And then we were dragged on a tour that lasted a few hours, our guide showing us all the perks of the resort without telling us the actual price of the different "packages". Finally when we got to the actual presentation, it was about one o'clock and we were completely fed up. They did not take no for an answer, so finally we had to get kind of stern with the workers. It wasn't enough to tell them we wanted time to consider the deal (which involved a lot of money for several years worth of hotel usage), no, they wanted an answer RIGHTNOW.
For some reason, I found this whole situation absurdly stressful, and was so glad to get out of there. As a result of our cooperation (well, sort of), we were given "free" tickets to swim with dolphins at a park that afternoon (I say "free" because they weren't exactly free but that's beside the point). Tommy and I did in fact get to swim with two dolphins in a small pool, which was way cooler than I expected. I've never done anything like that before, and it was so amazing.
The next day was even cooler. We got picked up earlier in the morning by a truck that looked suspiciously like a tap-tap (only cleaner and a lot safer) and, along with about 15 other people, drove more than an hour up into the mountains to go horseback riding and zip lining. I used to ride English (jumping and dressage) so this was super exciting for me. At this particular place we rode Western style (longer stirrups and a horn on the saddle) but it was still wonderful. We were assigned horses by skill level, so I got one of the employee's horses, Gregorio (that was the horse, not the employee). We rode through acres of property to a tobacco plantation where we got to see cigars being rolled as well as other crops growing. After riding back, the people leading the ride asked if any of us wanted to gallop so of course I took them up on that. It was so wonderful to be able to ride again, I can't even tell you. They even had a "cattle run" which basically meant we drove the cows in a gigantic circle so we could see what it was like. Still amazing.
After we finished the ride, we were served lunch and then onto the zip lining! I've only done that a handful of times in my life and I adore it.
The next day (Friday) was not so perfect, but still passable. There was a guy who worked for our hotel/condo place, who wanted to set up a snorkeling trip for us. Sounds pretty legitimate, right? However, he assured us that there was a snorkeling trip open on Friday and that it was to a beautiful area that was great for snorkeling. We were a little hesitant to pay this guy in advance due to the extreme lack of reviews on the website (i.e. there were none), but we did anyway, so that was that. We were to be picked up at 6:30 Friday morning for a splendid snorkeling trip complete with lunch and drinks and dancing.
At 6:30 we trundled out of our room with our bags of towels and books and sunscreen. We waited for maybe half an hour before a white van (yes, Martin family, another sketchy white van story- for anyone else, see posts from last year in Paris!).
The driver told us that in fact, there was no snorkeling trip that day (to which we responded with various exclamations of dismay such as "what!" and "are you kidding me" or the ever useful "Damn that guy!"). The driver assured us that they were trying to "fit us in" with another group that was going snorkeling in a different area. Well, fine, we said and hopped in the white van. We drove. And drove. And drove. Finally, when I figured we were probably back in Haiti, he pulled off to the side of the road and directed us down a little alleyway that opened up on a harbor.
Exchanging suspicious looks, we went down to the harbor and sat on a wall while we waited. What were we waiting for? We had no clue. We just sat and sat and sat for about 45 minutes while our driver went off and - I'm not kidding - had a snack. We were all irritated to no end and about to give up when our driver returned with a bunch of other people and waved us onto a boat. It was not a very nice boat, but it held a lot of people and it stayed afloat, so I guess I can't complain about that.
The day went uphill from there. The boat ride out to the island was really nice, and the water was the most incredible navy blue.
We stopped in a shallower area to snorkel. This bit was difficult because it was windy, so the waves prevented us from keeping our faces in the water for too long, but it was still amazing. I saw some absolutely beautiful fish swimming close to the surface, almost close enough to touch. Black and white with yellow fins, silvery blue, green and black.
After snorkeling, the boat took us to the island where we were to have lunch etc. That part was okay- mostly we just lounged around on the beach and read until it started raining. We were taken back to our boat but then had to endure the hour long ride back to the harbor. My brother and I sat on the top of the boat in the rain, and watched the rather intoxicated Russian guy go up and down the stairs between levels of the boat.
We decided to head back to Santo Domingo Saturday afternoon, so we spent Saturday morning lounging around on the beach, which I am really good at. It took us about three hours to get back to Santo Domingo, so we were tired and ready to spend the rest of the night watching movies in our hotel room (Skyfall was just as good the fourth time around).
Sunday morning, we dropped Tommy off at one airport and then got transportation to the other. There we hit a snag. The airline my parents and I were taking back to Haiti didn't have any way to check in before getting to the airport, so when we arrived there, Dad went to the desk.
"We have three tickets for the 4:00 flight back to Port-au-Prince."
The guy at the counter just blinked.
"That flight is full."
Ugh. Eventually, after much hedging and hemming and hawing by The Guy At The Counter, we discovered that there was one seat left on the flight we were supposed to be on. Frustrated and on the verge of tears (me) Mom and I elected to stay in Santo Domingo one more night so Dad could get home to work. We were all pissed off at the airline, but there was nothing we could do. Mom and I got a taxi back and stayed in a nice-ish hotel room. It ended up being okay, since she and I had a nice girl's night, complete with pedicures and movies. Luckily the next day, we got home without too much trouble.
So here I am again, back in Haiti. I never thought I would be glad to be back here but I am! This is my third home in a year and while it's not perfect, it does the trick.
Well that's all for now. S'laters! Thanks for reading.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
March 24th: The Family Doctor
How is your spring so far? I heard that in MN and WI there's been a bunch of snow and sub zero temperatures. It's been pretty cold here too, only reaching the low 90s. Can you even imagine? It's frigid.
Here's a sunshiny spot to my week- our great friend E was here! She arrived on Saturday and it was such a treat. It's been really lonely here, even with my friend W who lives three doors down. E arrived at around 2 on Saturday afternoon, and we had a little adventure getting to the airport. Our driver was a little late, so we took a "shortcut" that ended up taking longer than it should have.
We wound up on a side alley that had a Saturday afternoon market. We basically had to inch our way up the street, passing vendors with all their vegetables and fruit basically in the road (keep in mind we were in a huge car!) and eventually we had to do a very slow Y turn to go back the other way. It was so cool to see the things they were selling. All the produce was on one side of the drainage ditch: stacks of green bananas and limes, tiny heads of garlic and jewel-like tomatoes in woven baskets, beans in tall sacks, radishes and carrots in feathery green bundles, pearl onions rolling around on burlap. On the other side- trash. So much trash. That's one of the things about Haiti that I've had the hardest time getting used to. The garbage is just unbelievable.
On our way to the airport, I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize. That's not very unusual, since I get about six unknown calls a week from Haitians who just have the wrong number. I figured this call wasn't any different, but I answered anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is customs at the airport- we have a lost passenger waiting for you?"
I felt my stomach drop. E was lost in the airport? She'd never been out of the country before and now she was lost in the Port au Prince airport! How was I going to explain this?
Then suddenly on the other end of the phone, I heard in the background, "I'm not lost! I'm not lost!" and then the "customs agent" started to laugh. Turns out it was our friend and neighbor, R, who had arrived at the same time as E and was pulling a prank on me. Luckily I had given E my Haitian phone number before she left! R explained that he had arrived back in PaP a day early to surprise his wife and son, and had run into E in the waiting room (where all US Embassy folks go in the airport to wait for their baggage etc). She had explained who she was meeting, and he decided to play a little joke on me. All in good fun, of course.
The whole week E and I got to spend quality sister-friend time together, even if it was just doing stuff like painting our nails or watching a movie. She came to REBUILD with W and I a couple times, and also had some meetings with people at the Embassy that are in the medical field (she's going to be a doctor). It was so wonderful to have her here. Dinner conversations were really interesting- since she's a biochem major, we talked about things like evolution, DNA, cancer research, all sorts of cool sciency things. We've decided that she'll be our family doctor once she's out of med school.
E left yesterday afternoon and we miss her already. Almost every Sunday night for the past three years, she would come to our house for dinner and a movie. For a week, everything was almost normal. Or rather, what used to be normal. Now it's back to the new normal, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. Still, I must get on.
In other news, some more of our HHE arrived- but it turned out to be just my mom's china and some other random stuff. No books for Sophie yet :( On the bright side, we've discovered an awesome pizza place about five minutes from our compound. It's run by a family of missionaries who open their house on weekends, and they make all the pizza themselves. It's nice to have a spot like that that's so close! It's almost like having Domino's. Well. Not really. But it's close enough.
Another tidbit- I've had street food twice now! We're not forbidden from doing that, just urged against. The first time I was with two of the girls from REBUILD and we had rice and beans with stewed okra, fresh tomato and onion, and a chunk of chicken (I think it was chicken). I didn't eat the meat- wasn't brave enough for that- but the rest was pretty dang good! It needed a little hot sauce though ;)
The second time I had this thing called pate. In the US and in other countries, pate means that fancy spread with liver and stuff. Not here. Here it's a fried pastry kind of like an empanada that has shredded chicken or beef, peppers and onions in it. It was absolutely delicious, even though a few times I found a less than edible piece of chicken in mine. I'm proud of myself for taking the risk! (a small risk but a risk nonetheless).
Also, does anyone know how to reverse a typewriter ribbon? My typewriter has stopped working and I think it's because the ribbon needs to be flipped or whatever. I'm afraid to touch it in case I break it. Suggestions are appreciated, actual knowledge is preferred.
Cheers,
Soph
Here's a sunshiny spot to my week- our great friend E was here! She arrived on Saturday and it was such a treat. It's been really lonely here, even with my friend W who lives three doors down. E arrived at around 2 on Saturday afternoon, and we had a little adventure getting to the airport. Our driver was a little late, so we took a "shortcut" that ended up taking longer than it should have.
We wound up on a side alley that had a Saturday afternoon market. We basically had to inch our way up the street, passing vendors with all their vegetables and fruit basically in the road (keep in mind we were in a huge car!) and eventually we had to do a very slow Y turn to go back the other way. It was so cool to see the things they were selling. All the produce was on one side of the drainage ditch: stacks of green bananas and limes, tiny heads of garlic and jewel-like tomatoes in woven baskets, beans in tall sacks, radishes and carrots in feathery green bundles, pearl onions rolling around on burlap. On the other side- trash. So much trash. That's one of the things about Haiti that I've had the hardest time getting used to. The garbage is just unbelievable.
On our way to the airport, I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize. That's not very unusual, since I get about six unknown calls a week from Haitians who just have the wrong number. I figured this call wasn't any different, but I answered anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is customs at the airport- we have a lost passenger waiting for you?"
I felt my stomach drop. E was lost in the airport? She'd never been out of the country before and now she was lost in the Port au Prince airport! How was I going to explain this?
Then suddenly on the other end of the phone, I heard in the background, "I'm not lost! I'm not lost!" and then the "customs agent" started to laugh. Turns out it was our friend and neighbor, R, who had arrived at the same time as E and was pulling a prank on me. Luckily I had given E my Haitian phone number before she left! R explained that he had arrived back in PaP a day early to surprise his wife and son, and had run into E in the waiting room (where all US Embassy folks go in the airport to wait for their baggage etc). She had explained who she was meeting, and he decided to play a little joke on me. All in good fun, of course.
The whole week E and I got to spend quality sister-friend time together, even if it was just doing stuff like painting our nails or watching a movie. She came to REBUILD with W and I a couple times, and also had some meetings with people at the Embassy that are in the medical field (she's going to be a doctor). It was so wonderful to have her here. Dinner conversations were really interesting- since she's a biochem major, we talked about things like evolution, DNA, cancer research, all sorts of cool sciency things. We've decided that she'll be our family doctor once she's out of med school.
E left yesterday afternoon and we miss her already. Almost every Sunday night for the past three years, she would come to our house for dinner and a movie. For a week, everything was almost normal. Or rather, what used to be normal. Now it's back to the new normal, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. Still, I must get on.
In other news, some more of our HHE arrived- but it turned out to be just my mom's china and some other random stuff. No books for Sophie yet :( On the bright side, we've discovered an awesome pizza place about five minutes from our compound. It's run by a family of missionaries who open their house on weekends, and they make all the pizza themselves. It's nice to have a spot like that that's so close! It's almost like having Domino's. Well. Not really. But it's close enough.
Another tidbit- I've had street food twice now! We're not forbidden from doing that, just urged against. The first time I was with two of the girls from REBUILD and we had rice and beans with stewed okra, fresh tomato and onion, and a chunk of chicken (I think it was chicken). I didn't eat the meat- wasn't brave enough for that- but the rest was pretty dang good! It needed a little hot sauce though ;)
The second time I had this thing called pate. In the US and in other countries, pate means that fancy spread with liver and stuff. Not here. Here it's a fried pastry kind of like an empanada that has shredded chicken or beef, peppers and onions in it. It was absolutely delicious, even though a few times I found a less than edible piece of chicken in mine. I'm proud of myself for taking the risk! (a small risk but a risk nonetheless).
Also, does anyone know how to reverse a typewriter ribbon? My typewriter has stopped working and I think it's because the ribbon needs to be flipped or whatever. I'm afraid to touch it in case I break it. Suggestions are appreciated, actual knowledge is preferred.
Cheers,
Soph
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
March 13th: Football, Feminism and You
Greetings, earthlings. I say it's time for a blog post, do you agree? Excellent.
Where did I leave off? Oh I was going to tell you guys more about REBUILD Globally! It's a simply smashing organization, one that I'm really lucky to be a part of.
Here's the skinny on what I'm doing there- W and I have been weeding the garden like crazy. It was in use about a year ago, when some Irish volunteers got it up and running, but then they up and left, so the garden went fallow (I think that's the correct term, isn't it?). We've figured out the irrigation system that the Irish set up still works, which is a plus. Now all we have to do is get some more seeds and plant them. The soil is really rocky, which is not great, but we'll work with what we have.
An additional part of REBUILD (aside: REBUILD is an acronym, which is why I always put it in all caps. I don't quite remember what it stands for, but it's not important at this moment) is the Saturday Apprenticeship Program. Various young adults (probably aged 15 to mid twenties) come from 9-12 on Saturday mornings to learn crafts, English, business management, and other applicable skills. Sometimes they just do world geography- E, one of the girls who works there- did an entire presentation on her time in Africa. W and I want to do presentations on Minnesota & Wisconsin, because the kids have never been anywhere so completely different from Haiti. I'm going to find pictures of the crazy amounts of snow we get.
W is also doing an individual project on American sports like basketball, baseball, American football and soccer. He wants to clear out some of the land that REBUILD owns and make it into a soccer (or as the Haitians call it, football) field. He's making a plan to build goal posts, which would be amazing.
This past Saturday, one of the Haitian workers at REBUILD gave a presentation on violence against women, something I feel very strongly about. In case you are not up to date on the goings on at Capitol Hill, the President just signed a bill that strengthened the Violence Against Women Act. I won't go into many details, since I sincerely hope the majority of you already are aware of this fact. Furthermore, February has been officially declared as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. (YAY! LOVE IS RESPECT!)
We discussed the topic of VAWA with the Haitians, who were surprised that violence against women occurs in the United States. Several women spoke of their experiences - in Creole, so we had a translator - and then we had an interesting Q&A session. What is abuse? What are the different kinds of abuse? What are the signs? Why do you think some victims stay with the abuser? We also discussed how domestic violence is not just limited to women, that men are abused as well. It was really fascinating to hear what they knew and didn't know.
Typically, the role of women in Haiti is what you'd expect. It's the woman's job to cook and clean and raise the kids. Of course there are exceptions, just like in any society. We discussed feminism and female empowerment, which made me realize how progressive the US is compared to this country. There is still a lot of work to be done in the States, but compared to Haiti we're way ahead.
After that presentation, I felt really drained. While I have never been abused in any way, I get really uncomfortable discussing it, particularly rape. I guess I find it the most disgusting, horrific crime and hearing their stories made me feel physically sick. My therapy? Going back to the orphanage with W, S and E. Something about holding a small child made me feel infinitely better. S and E brought along a three week old kitten from REBUILD so the kids could see it. I sat on the floor with one little girl in my lap, and as soon as I sat down five or six of the older girls came over and started playing with my hair- I doubt they see blond curls very often. The kids were so sweet, oohing and aahing at the kitten, offering to share their crackers with us, stretching their arms out so we would pick them up. It was a great way to shake off the stress of the morning. It's times like that when I feel I can do something of worth here.
On a much lighter note, part of our HHE- household equipment- arrived last week which means we have things like hangers, more clothes, our consumables (canned/boxed food) and most importantly, my owl shower curtain. Sadly, this half of the shipment did not contain my books :( I was more upset than was reasonable, but I've read all the books I have here so many times, since I had them with me in DC as well. Alas, I'll just have to wait.
Furthermore, I've been writing like a fiend on my typewriter. It's so much more appealing than a laptop- maybe it's the clackclackclackclackDING! It's a Smith-Corona Silent and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with it. I must apologize in advance to any future roommates because you'll have to put up with my typewriter as well as my excessive loud spontaneous singing. Maybe I'll put that as a disclaimer on my roommate application.
"WARNING: Applicant is in possession of a Smith-Corona Silent typewriter that is in NO WAY SILENT! Applicant will make it up to future roommate with brownies and a 'coupon' for one essay per term that said applicant will type for said roommate on aforesaid machine."
Think it'll work? I totally do.
That's all for now, ladies and gents. I'm off now.
P.S Please feel free to leave comments on my posts! I'm not sure who is looking at this blog, but I'd like to know! Comments don't need to be related to the post, just say hi or let me know if you're enjoying reading my blog so far. Thanks guys!
Where did I leave off? Oh I was going to tell you guys more about REBUILD Globally! It's a simply smashing organization, one that I'm really lucky to be a part of.
Here's the skinny on what I'm doing there- W and I have been weeding the garden like crazy. It was in use about a year ago, when some Irish volunteers got it up and running, but then they up and left, so the garden went fallow (I think that's the correct term, isn't it?). We've figured out the irrigation system that the Irish set up still works, which is a plus. Now all we have to do is get some more seeds and plant them. The soil is really rocky, which is not great, but we'll work with what we have.
An additional part of REBUILD (aside: REBUILD is an acronym, which is why I always put it in all caps. I don't quite remember what it stands for, but it's not important at this moment) is the Saturday Apprenticeship Program. Various young adults (probably aged 15 to mid twenties) come from 9-12 on Saturday mornings to learn crafts, English, business management, and other applicable skills. Sometimes they just do world geography- E, one of the girls who works there- did an entire presentation on her time in Africa. W and I want to do presentations on Minnesota & Wisconsin, because the kids have never been anywhere so completely different from Haiti. I'm going to find pictures of the crazy amounts of snow we get.
W is also doing an individual project on American sports like basketball, baseball, American football and soccer. He wants to clear out some of the land that REBUILD owns and make it into a soccer (or as the Haitians call it, football) field. He's making a plan to build goal posts, which would be amazing.
This past Saturday, one of the Haitian workers at REBUILD gave a presentation on violence against women, something I feel very strongly about. In case you are not up to date on the goings on at Capitol Hill, the President just signed a bill that strengthened the Violence Against Women Act. I won't go into many details, since I sincerely hope the majority of you already are aware of this fact. Furthermore, February has been officially declared as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. (YAY! LOVE IS RESPECT!)
We discussed the topic of VAWA with the Haitians, who were surprised that violence against women occurs in the United States. Several women spoke of their experiences - in Creole, so we had a translator - and then we had an interesting Q&A session. What is abuse? What are the different kinds of abuse? What are the signs? Why do you think some victims stay with the abuser? We also discussed how domestic violence is not just limited to women, that men are abused as well. It was really fascinating to hear what they knew and didn't know.
Typically, the role of women in Haiti is what you'd expect. It's the woman's job to cook and clean and raise the kids. Of course there are exceptions, just like in any society. We discussed feminism and female empowerment, which made me realize how progressive the US is compared to this country. There is still a lot of work to be done in the States, but compared to Haiti we're way ahead.
After that presentation, I felt really drained. While I have never been abused in any way, I get really uncomfortable discussing it, particularly rape. I guess I find it the most disgusting, horrific crime and hearing their stories made me feel physically sick. My therapy? Going back to the orphanage with W, S and E. Something about holding a small child made me feel infinitely better. S and E brought along a three week old kitten from REBUILD so the kids could see it. I sat on the floor with one little girl in my lap, and as soon as I sat down five or six of the older girls came over and started playing with my hair- I doubt they see blond curls very often. The kids were so sweet, oohing and aahing at the kitten, offering to share their crackers with us, stretching their arms out so we would pick them up. It was a great way to shake off the stress of the morning. It's times like that when I feel I can do something of worth here.
On a much lighter note, part of our HHE- household equipment- arrived last week which means we have things like hangers, more clothes, our consumables (canned/boxed food) and most importantly, my owl shower curtain. Sadly, this half of the shipment did not contain my books :( I was more upset than was reasonable, but I've read all the books I have here so many times, since I had them with me in DC as well. Alas, I'll just have to wait.
Furthermore, I've been writing like a fiend on my typewriter. It's so much more appealing than a laptop- maybe it's the clackclackclackclackDING! It's a Smith-Corona Silent and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with it. I must apologize in advance to any future roommates because you'll have to put up with my typewriter as well as my excessive loud spontaneous singing. Maybe I'll put that as a disclaimer on my roommate application.
"WARNING: Applicant is in possession of a Smith-Corona Silent typewriter that is in NO WAY SILENT! Applicant will make it up to future roommate with brownies and a 'coupon' for one essay per term that said applicant will type for said roommate on aforesaid machine."
Think it'll work? I totally do.
That's all for now, ladies and gents. I'm off now.
P.S Please feel free to leave comments on my posts! I'm not sure who is looking at this blog, but I'd like to know! Comments don't need to be related to the post, just say hi or let me know if you're enjoying reading my blog so far. Thanks guys!
Monday, March 4, 2013
March 4th: Pandas and Kittens and Other Stuff
Hey, how are you all doing? Glad to hear it. Here's an update for ya.
On Saturday, my parents and I went with a group from the embassy to a hotel/beach called Moulin Sur Mer. It's about two hours north of where we live in Tabarre, and WOW what a bus ride it was. We drove out of the city and into these- I hestitate to call them barren wastelands but that's kind of what they were- where it was just dusty fields stretching on one side and the mountains rising on the other. We passed some villages that were made up of metal shacks, goats and chickens running free, the washing hanging from thin wires. After about 45 minutes, we could catch a glimpse of the Caribbean. The farther we drove, the more the countryside changed. So much was green, banana and coconut farms, mango trees, bougainvillea vine spilling everywhere. When we finally got to the hotel, it was about ten o'clock. We laid around on the beach the whole day, and I got the worst sunglasses tan I've ever had. I resemble a panda and that's not really an exaggeration.
Sunday was a bit more serious but still fun. Mum and I went with three other friends to Sens Universale, an orphanage in Petyonville. We didn't go for long, but it was wonderful. This orphanage is bigger than the first one I went to, with many more children. Our friends K and S brought nail polish to use with the older girls, and I helped them. It was hilarious because all the girls were crowding around us, piling their hands on top of each other. I had my nails painted kind of a garish pink by one little girl who kept exclaiming "tres belle, tres belle!" (very beautiful, very beautiful). They also seemed to like playing with my hair- it was like a full on beauty parlour. The kids were wonderful, so happy to see us and so sweet. It's experiences like that that make me fully appreciate this gap year. If I hadn't taken it, I would never have seen and done these things.
Today was one of my REBUILD Globally days. W and I are working on the garden, so today we did a ton of weeding and raking the garden plot. Basically I spent the morning rolling around in the dirt. Our plan is to plant peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and some herbs for a "salsa garden". In addition, we're going to work with some of the young adults that come on Saturdays to make planters out of these old paint cans that are scattered around the property. Most are rusty and dented, but I figure if we can sand and paint them, we can use them to hold plants. I'm really excited about that particular project, since it was my idea and I think it can really work.
Also at RG today, I met two of the kittens that live on the property. There are about seven more, but the two white ones are being "held" for embassy families that are interested in owning a cat. Cutest kittens ever.
In other news, I got a job offer to work at the embassy for the summer! I will be the assistant to the Community Liasion Officer. I'm in the process of getting a security clearance so hopefully that won't take too long. Some of the summer interns didn't receive their clearance until after they returned to the States, so here's hoping that it doesn't take that long.
Went out tonight with W and a friend from REBUILD, also W. He's a pretty cool cat, born in the DR but lives in Haiti, speakes Creole, French, Spanish, Portuguese and- of all things- Russian. The two W's and I went to one of the UN bases and had pizza and played pool. It was a really nice evening, a good way to spend a Monday night.
That's all for now, folks, a tapioca pudding cup is calling my name and I'm afraid that if I don't eat it, someone else will. Ta ta.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
February 27th: Sorry This is Going to Be Boring
Hello hello, all, no time for a long fancy thing but I'll whip up something quick, how does that sound?
A couple things have occured in the past week. First things first, our UAB (unaccompanied air baggage) came today, hip hip hooray! This means that we've now got a lot of our cooking things, some more clothes, my owl shower curtain, my typewriter and some other odds and ends. What I'm really hoping to get soon is our HHE (household equipment or something like that), which has my books in it. Dunno when we'll get that but I'm itching for stuff to read, as I've read the ones I have at least three times already since we've been here.
This past Sunday night was an Oscars party over at the embassy. Not many people attended but the few that did dressed up in ball gowns and tuxes. Since we didn't have our fancy things yet, I wore a work dress. Luckily, our neighbour L had an extra ball gown that she let me try on and it fit wonderfully, so I wore that on the red carpet. It was a good time, I was pleased to hear that Argo won Best Picture and Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress.
Tuesday was my first day at REBUILD Globally, an organization that, among other things, makes high quality sandals out of recycled tires and leather jackets (they strip the lining from the jackets and use the outer leather for the shoes). My friend W and I will be helping out there a few days a week. One of our responsibilities is to get the garden up and running, which I am excited about. There's a lot of freedom to come up with our own projects, which I really enjoy. W is also working on getting a soccer field cleared out for the kids to play on. More on that later, because I've only had one day there so far.
Today (aside from our UAB), I seem to have come down with the Haitian Sensation. Not sure how - I probably accidentally swallowed some of the tap water or something - but I'm feeling kind of gross. Woe is me. Whine whine whine.
Movie night tonight with the 'rents. Spaghetti for dinner? Spaghetti for dinner.
More later.
s'laters
A couple things have occured in the past week. First things first, our UAB (unaccompanied air baggage) came today, hip hip hooray! This means that we've now got a lot of our cooking things, some more clothes, my owl shower curtain, my typewriter and some other odds and ends. What I'm really hoping to get soon is our HHE (household equipment or something like that), which has my books in it. Dunno when we'll get that but I'm itching for stuff to read, as I've read the ones I have at least three times already since we've been here.
This past Sunday night was an Oscars party over at the embassy. Not many people attended but the few that did dressed up in ball gowns and tuxes. Since we didn't have our fancy things yet, I wore a work dress. Luckily, our neighbour L had an extra ball gown that she let me try on and it fit wonderfully, so I wore that on the red carpet. It was a good time, I was pleased to hear that Argo won Best Picture and Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress.
Tuesday was my first day at REBUILD Globally, an organization that, among other things, makes high quality sandals out of recycled tires and leather jackets (they strip the lining from the jackets and use the outer leather for the shoes). My friend W and I will be helping out there a few days a week. One of our responsibilities is to get the garden up and running, which I am excited about. There's a lot of freedom to come up with our own projects, which I really enjoy. W is also working on getting a soccer field cleared out for the kids to play on. More on that later, because I've only had one day there so far.
Today (aside from our UAB), I seem to have come down with the Haitian Sensation. Not sure how - I probably accidentally swallowed some of the tap water or something - but I'm feeling kind of gross. Woe is me. Whine whine whine.
Movie night tonight with the 'rents. Spaghetti for dinner? Spaghetti for dinner.
More later.
s'laters
Monday, February 18, 2013
February 18th: I Don't Have A Good Title
Hey, you all still hangin in there? Don't get too excited, maybe just put Hoarders on mute because this post isn't thrilling enough for you to actually turn it off (and besides that show is grossly fascinating, am I right?)
Hmmm. So. Again I don't have anything huge to report, just a few small things. Last week my dad had a few days off, so he and I did some fun things. There's a big hotel, the Karibe, which is up the mountain a bit. It's quite luxurious, and it's become a thing to go there for the day to take advantage of the pool. You pay a fee up front, then throughout the day you can order drinks/food and it's deducted from your fee. Pretty slick. It was so relaxing and peaceful up on the mountain. The air was cleaner up there, and we had a lovely view of the mountainside. It's not something we would do every weekend, but when you really need a break from the compound or the embassy, it's perfect. A lot of people will go away for a weekend to nice beaches in the north or south, sometimes to the Dominican Republic. It's nice that it's so close; in fact we're going there to meet up with my older brother for his spring break. So if anyone wants anything, let me know.
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| The lobby at the Karibe |
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| the pool and swim-up bar |
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| More of the pool |
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| Cool entrance |
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| view of the mountainside |
Dad and I also had ourselves a little adventure yesterday. One of his coworkers, S, had a "Drinks & Dogs" happy hour up at his house near Petyonville. We're currently dog-sitting for our neighbour A, so we decided to go. We're also borrowing her car, since ours hasn't come yet. On our way up, we mostly knew where to go until we tried to find Rue de Frere (the road we needed). Dad accidentally turned a street early, so we wound up driving all over the place trying to get back onto Rue de Frere. M, the dog, was so startled by some of the pot holes we drove over that he launched himself into my lap and sat there, shaking, until we arrived at S's house, thoroughly jolted and feeling a little sick. All in all, it was an adventure but not one I'd like to go on any time soon.
Today was a bit odd. I went with some friends G and C to an art gallery, which was beautiful. Of course, I ran into some slight problems called I Forgot My Wallet and Carsickness Due To Eating Before Driving. Unfortunately C wasn't feeling so hot either, so we had to call it a day and head home. Positive side: I saw some absolutely beautiful art. Expensive, but lovely. The art here is so colourful and bright, heavy on the orange and green and yellow. It can be a bit overwhelming, but I really fancied this painted metal gecko that hung on a wall. It was kind of like Australian Aboriginal "dot art", just different colours and patterns.
I am currently sitting on my bed in my room with M the dog snoring next to me. He's a pug and he likes to sleep at the foot of my bed-under the blankets- and he snores like none other. It's nice to have something to look after right now, when I don't really have anything to do or anyone to hang out with.
I am starting to miss DC, because of how much freedom I had there, the friends I was making and the cool places I could visit. I do like it here, it just so happens to be extremely limited.
Cool thing though- my friend E is coming to visit at the end of March! I'm excited beyond words, because I want nothing more than to share this place with all my friends. I'm already making a list of the things we'll be doing...I'll keep you posted. That's the point of this, after all.
Right, I realize that wasn't a super interesting post but ya know, I work with what I have. S'laters, keep it real.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
February 10th: Hodge Podge
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. I regret to inform you that I don't have anything super exciting to report, but I do have several random small things that you may find interesting.
On Monday, Mum and I did a Gangnam Style flashmob with a bunch of other people. We went in the middle of the embassy cafeteria and even the ambassador stood up with us at the very end. It was a pretty good time. I've never done a flashmob before but you can be sure that later that day, I spent like an hour on YouTube watching random flashmob videos.
On Tuesday, The Red Cross came to the embassy yesterday and people could donate blood. They didn't have a traditional setup, in fact it was a large coach designed specifically for blood donations. It was probably the quickest blood donation I've ever done. Took less than 15 minutes to actually donate, which is fantastic. I've only done it several times before in MN, and I won't be allowed to donate for at least a year after I return to the States, but it's good to know that I can do it here.
Mum and I have gone to the pool on our compound a few times, so I'm a little bit more brown- actually, I should say I'm a little bit less pale (which is saying something, I'm pretty sure I glow in the dark here). Wednesday I was out of commission all day with a migraine, but on Thursday I was back up and running. Mum left Thursday morning to go back to MN to see my brother swim at his conference meet (proud of you bro!) so I've been mostly on my own for the last couple days. Dad and I went out for dinner on Friday with our neighbours and friends, A, A and C. I had sushi for the first time and it was delicious! Figures that it would take a trip to the Caribbean for me to try sushi, though. And miso soup. And endamame. Let's just move past it, okay?
Yesterday (Saturday) we went up to a restaurant in Petyonville called Fior de Latte. They have the best pizza and gelato- I got the passionfruit flavour and it had been scooped inside a hollowed out, frozen solid passionfruit. Amazing. We also checked out an Irish pub of all things, called The Irish Embassy. It serves Guiness and good Irish pub food as well as Haitian food. We were kind of dumbfounded that in Haiti there is a decent Irish pub to be found. My inner leprechaun was dancing a wee jig (sorry, sorry, I know).
This weekend I am also semi-dog sitting for our other neighbours. They have a son who is my age, W, and his dog B is probably the best behaved dog I've ever met (sorry Snickers!!). He's a Catahoula hound or something, and so tall that I can rest my hand on his back when he's walking next to me. The Haitians are generally wary of dogs, even small ones, but the guards around Canne-a Sucre know him by name and greet him as "B the Big Dog".
Today my dad and I went along with our neighbour A to a little market about half a mile down the road. It's not as big or as well stocked as the other grocery stores but it's close and it has the essentials. On the way back, we were marveling at the drainage ditches which are now full of water. It rained last night, and now people use the water in the ditches to wash their cars, water their plants and to bathe. A young boy stood unabashedly naked by the side of the road, scooping the brackish looking water into cupped hands to clean himself.
The weather has not changed; it is unwaveringly, mercilessly hot every day in spite of the rain at night. That is an odd thing about Haiti- it rains at night and then in the morning, there are suddenly sixteen new potholes on the streets outside that weren't there yesterday. The litter is unbelievable, and it is everywhere but in Canne-a Sucre. We live in a bubble, which is a mixed basket of feelings. On one hand, it's nice for us to have air conditioning and clean houses, but on the other hand we know we're not experiencing 'the real Haiti.' We are encouraged against walking anywhere but to the embassy and around our compound, and in some areas we're required to have an armed escort. It's very eye opening to drive around and see the poverty, and it's also very easy to be shocked from the comfort and security of a locked car or an air conditioned house. The guilt I feel is sometimes overpowering but I also know that this was the best decision I have ever made, to put off school and move here.
I do miss having my friends here, and I wish I could adequately explain what it's like here so you all could experience it with me. It is nothing like I thought it would be, and yet I feel like I've been here for months instead of two and a half weeks. I haven't been homesick yet, and I kind of wonder if I will be. Sometimes in the morning I'll wake up and have to go through each "home" before I remember where I am. Minnesota? DC? Haiti? I've had three homes in the past year, which is a very strange thought. But I am happy here, just like I was happy in DC and Minnesota. I guess when you move around a lot, you make a home wherever you are.
On Monday, Mum and I did a Gangnam Style flashmob with a bunch of other people. We went in the middle of the embassy cafeteria and even the ambassador stood up with us at the very end. It was a pretty good time. I've never done a flashmob before but you can be sure that later that day, I spent like an hour on YouTube watching random flashmob videos.
On Tuesday, The Red Cross came to the embassy yesterday and people could donate blood. They didn't have a traditional setup, in fact it was a large coach designed specifically for blood donations. It was probably the quickest blood donation I've ever done. Took less than 15 minutes to actually donate, which is fantastic. I've only done it several times before in MN, and I won't be allowed to donate for at least a year after I return to the States, but it's good to know that I can do it here.
Mum and I have gone to the pool on our compound a few times, so I'm a little bit more brown- actually, I should say I'm a little bit less pale (which is saying something, I'm pretty sure I glow in the dark here). Wednesday I was out of commission all day with a migraine, but on Thursday I was back up and running. Mum left Thursday morning to go back to MN to see my brother swim at his conference meet (proud of you bro!) so I've been mostly on my own for the last couple days. Dad and I went out for dinner on Friday with our neighbours and friends, A, A and C. I had sushi for the first time and it was delicious! Figures that it would take a trip to the Caribbean for me to try sushi, though. And miso soup. And endamame. Let's just move past it, okay?
Yesterday (Saturday) we went up to a restaurant in Petyonville called Fior de Latte. They have the best pizza and gelato- I got the passionfruit flavour and it had been scooped inside a hollowed out, frozen solid passionfruit. Amazing. We also checked out an Irish pub of all things, called The Irish Embassy. It serves Guiness and good Irish pub food as well as Haitian food. We were kind of dumbfounded that in Haiti there is a decent Irish pub to be found. My inner leprechaun was dancing a wee jig (sorry, sorry, I know).
This weekend I am also semi-dog sitting for our other neighbours. They have a son who is my age, W, and his dog B is probably the best behaved dog I've ever met (sorry Snickers!!). He's a Catahoula hound or something, and so tall that I can rest my hand on his back when he's walking next to me. The Haitians are generally wary of dogs, even small ones, but the guards around Canne-a Sucre know him by name and greet him as "B the Big Dog".
Today my dad and I went along with our neighbour A to a little market about half a mile down the road. It's not as big or as well stocked as the other grocery stores but it's close and it has the essentials. On the way back, we were marveling at the drainage ditches which are now full of water. It rained last night, and now people use the water in the ditches to wash their cars, water their plants and to bathe. A young boy stood unabashedly naked by the side of the road, scooping the brackish looking water into cupped hands to clean himself.
The weather has not changed; it is unwaveringly, mercilessly hot every day in spite of the rain at night. That is an odd thing about Haiti- it rains at night and then in the morning, there are suddenly sixteen new potholes on the streets outside that weren't there yesterday. The litter is unbelievable, and it is everywhere but in Canne-a Sucre. We live in a bubble, which is a mixed basket of feelings. On one hand, it's nice for us to have air conditioning and clean houses, but on the other hand we know we're not experiencing 'the real Haiti.' We are encouraged against walking anywhere but to the embassy and around our compound, and in some areas we're required to have an armed escort. It's very eye opening to drive around and see the poverty, and it's also very easy to be shocked from the comfort and security of a locked car or an air conditioned house. The guilt I feel is sometimes overpowering but I also know that this was the best decision I have ever made, to put off school and move here.
I do miss having my friends here, and I wish I could adequately explain what it's like here so you all could experience it with me. It is nothing like I thought it would be, and yet I feel like I've been here for months instead of two and a half weeks. I haven't been homesick yet, and I kind of wonder if I will be. Sometimes in the morning I'll wake up and have to go through each "home" before I remember where I am. Minnesota? DC? Haiti? I've had three homes in the past year, which is a very strange thought. But I am happy here, just like I was happy in DC and Minnesota. I guess when you move around a lot, you make a home wherever you are.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
February 3rd: Hands Together to Defend the Children
Howdy, don't you look mighty nice? I like your shirt today. Let's move on.
Today (Sunday) my parents and I, as well as five or six other people, went to visit an orphanage. There's a group that goes once a week to visit Hands Together to Defend the Children, an orphanage and school a few miles away from the embassy. The entire experience was as difficult and rewarding as one would expect- no, it was more so.
As soon as we step out of the car, there are twenty or so children crowding around us, some smiling at us openly, others more hesitantly. Some just stare at our group for a while. Their ages range from 2 to early teens. They are clean, well kept. One little boy grabs my dad's hand and tugs at it. I smile at the little girls, wave at them. It is blistering hot.
Inside the concrete building where they sleep and eat, it is cooler. Their caretakers have them line up in front of the table and sing a Welcome Song, which they do after several false starts and a countoff in French. Childish voices, wavering and careless of notes, tell us "welcome, welcome to you. Welcome, welcome to all of you." One of the younger boys keeps stealing glances at me, and as I wave at him, he ducks shyly behind a taller girl before peeking out at me again. As soon as they finish, the leader of our group pulls out a box of small prizes- lollipops, Barbies, a Hot Wheels set, various children's toys that are obviously, painfully, someone else's cast offs. Others are new and wrapped in plastic- such as a papery Disney princess toy that is reminiscent of a New Year's Eve party favour (blowing into one end to make the other end expand).
A girl, around 5 or 6, ignores the toys and climbs on the bench where I'm sitting. She touches my hair, which is half up. When she tugs at the band and I pull it out, she laughs at how my hair suddenly falls all over the place. I give the band to her and she yanks my hair back into something resembling a ponytail, all the while chattering at me in Creole. I nod and laugh like I know what she is saying, and that seems to satisfy her.
I am then led on a tour of the facility, going through three sleeping rooms and out to the kitchen. The sleeping rooms have five or six sets of bunk beds in them, thin hard mattresses on all. Mosquito nets are bundled into wads of yellow above the top bunks. Boys in one, girls in the next, babies and caretakers in the others. The kitchen is half outside, and the leader of our group, L, says that it is rice and beans, rice and beans, rice and chicken, rice and beans, every day. People have donated food time and time again, but the most common meal consists of rice and beans.
As W- another member of our group- and I go back inside, three of the boys crowd around the doorway of a sleeping room. W stops to high five them and ask them their names. They speak a little English. Do you like football, W asks, and they grin and nod, showing gaps in their smiles where baby teeth have fallen out. I used to play football at school, W says. Football or soccer? I wonder, and he smiles and says American football. He follows the boys outside and I sit on the bench with the little girl who did my hair and another boy. They have a small battery operated keyboard (about a foot long) that plays prerecorded songs. They bang away on the small plastic keys, sending tinny music into the air. She grabs at my sunglasses and puts them on upside down, laughing at how they fall right off her little face. She then puts them on the boy playing the keyboard and I laugh. He looks like a miniature jazz musician, crouched on a dusty concrete floor.
One of the caretakers sets a tiny girl on the bench next to me. She is crying and without any prompting from me or the caretaker, she winds her little baby arms around my neck and cries into my shoulder. She is wearing a denim dress and her hair is cut extremely short. She is two at the most, tiny and limp with heat. She continues to hold onto me and I pat her back, pick her up and walk her around. She stops crying and instead loops one arm around my neck and grabs the front of my shirt with the other. Her eyes are wide open and her head swivels back and forth. I give her the little Disney party favour and she holds it, unsure of what to do with it. I try to show her, but she just rolls and unrolls the tissue paper at the end, smiling when it snaps back. After she slides off my lap, another little girl comes over to me. Her head is drooping and I can tell she's tired. Sure enough, almost as soon as I pick her up, she falls asleep.
Human contact, that's all they need, says T, another member of our group. That's all it takes.
I marvel at how true that is. The little girl- I am ashamed that I don't know her name- buries her head in my shoulder and snuffles in that baby way, her legs limp against my stomach. When I try to shift her postition, her head lolls back. She is deeply asleep. I am directed to one of the sleeping rooms where I carefully set her on the bottom mattress. She doesn't wake up, even when one of the caretakers adjusts her position.
I go outside where a breeze is finally blowing. I am sweating like mad and I'm pretty sure my hair looks like I got electrocuted, but it is so damn hot that anything I do is futile. A small boy, B, cries when L tries to pick him up.
He's mad at me, she laughs. I haven't been here in two weeks so now he's mad.
I smile at him and he comes over to me, arms raised. As I bend down, he jumps up so I am carrying him. He is the third child I have carried around today and my arm is aching, but I don't even think of setting him down. Instead, I sit on a chair with him in my lap until he starts to squirm. We go into the yard, which is dirt and rocks, a tree or two, an old and rusty car that looks like it hasn't been driven in years. A dog, chained to a post at the back, barks at us. I make a woofing sound and B does too. We grin at each other, finally speaking the same language- dog.
Eventually he too starts to fall asleep. You get all the sleepers, Dad jokes, but he's sort of right. He is the second child to fall asleep in my lap today. One of the caretakers gently lifts him out of my arms, but he wakes and squirms until he is free. By then it is time to go, and it is slowly and with many goodbyes that we leave. They wave, they ask for high fives and hugs and fist bumps and more sweets and more high fives. One of the boys, also named B, runs around and around our car. He is wearing shiny black boots that must have been new. He dusts them off carefully before moving off to the side with the rest of the group so our car can ease out of the gate.
W and I will be back next week, we decide. As often as we can, we will go. It's a bittersweet experience, poignant and sharp with guilt. Next week, I think, next week I will bring something to share.
To learn more about this particular orphanage, click on the link below. There are photos of the children as well as a video about the orphanage itself.
http://www.edvolunteers.org/defend-children-orphanage-new-house
Today (Sunday) my parents and I, as well as five or six other people, went to visit an orphanage. There's a group that goes once a week to visit Hands Together to Defend the Children, an orphanage and school a few miles away from the embassy. The entire experience was as difficult and rewarding as one would expect- no, it was more so.
As soon as we step out of the car, there are twenty or so children crowding around us, some smiling at us openly, others more hesitantly. Some just stare at our group for a while. Their ages range from 2 to early teens. They are clean, well kept. One little boy grabs my dad's hand and tugs at it. I smile at the little girls, wave at them. It is blistering hot.
Inside the concrete building where they sleep and eat, it is cooler. Their caretakers have them line up in front of the table and sing a Welcome Song, which they do after several false starts and a countoff in French. Childish voices, wavering and careless of notes, tell us "welcome, welcome to you. Welcome, welcome to all of you." One of the younger boys keeps stealing glances at me, and as I wave at him, he ducks shyly behind a taller girl before peeking out at me again. As soon as they finish, the leader of our group pulls out a box of small prizes- lollipops, Barbies, a Hot Wheels set, various children's toys that are obviously, painfully, someone else's cast offs. Others are new and wrapped in plastic- such as a papery Disney princess toy that is reminiscent of a New Year's Eve party favour (blowing into one end to make the other end expand).
A girl, around 5 or 6, ignores the toys and climbs on the bench where I'm sitting. She touches my hair, which is half up. When she tugs at the band and I pull it out, she laughs at how my hair suddenly falls all over the place. I give the band to her and she yanks my hair back into something resembling a ponytail, all the while chattering at me in Creole. I nod and laugh like I know what she is saying, and that seems to satisfy her.
I am then led on a tour of the facility, going through three sleeping rooms and out to the kitchen. The sleeping rooms have five or six sets of bunk beds in them, thin hard mattresses on all. Mosquito nets are bundled into wads of yellow above the top bunks. Boys in one, girls in the next, babies and caretakers in the others. The kitchen is half outside, and the leader of our group, L, says that it is rice and beans, rice and beans, rice and chicken, rice and beans, every day. People have donated food time and time again, but the most common meal consists of rice and beans.
As W- another member of our group- and I go back inside, three of the boys crowd around the doorway of a sleeping room. W stops to high five them and ask them their names. They speak a little English. Do you like football, W asks, and they grin and nod, showing gaps in their smiles where baby teeth have fallen out. I used to play football at school, W says. Football or soccer? I wonder, and he smiles and says American football. He follows the boys outside and I sit on the bench with the little girl who did my hair and another boy. They have a small battery operated keyboard (about a foot long) that plays prerecorded songs. They bang away on the small plastic keys, sending tinny music into the air. She grabs at my sunglasses and puts them on upside down, laughing at how they fall right off her little face. She then puts them on the boy playing the keyboard and I laugh. He looks like a miniature jazz musician, crouched on a dusty concrete floor.
One of the caretakers sets a tiny girl on the bench next to me. She is crying and without any prompting from me or the caretaker, she winds her little baby arms around my neck and cries into my shoulder. She is wearing a denim dress and her hair is cut extremely short. She is two at the most, tiny and limp with heat. She continues to hold onto me and I pat her back, pick her up and walk her around. She stops crying and instead loops one arm around my neck and grabs the front of my shirt with the other. Her eyes are wide open and her head swivels back and forth. I give her the little Disney party favour and she holds it, unsure of what to do with it. I try to show her, but she just rolls and unrolls the tissue paper at the end, smiling when it snaps back. After she slides off my lap, another little girl comes over to me. Her head is drooping and I can tell she's tired. Sure enough, almost as soon as I pick her up, she falls asleep.
Human contact, that's all they need, says T, another member of our group. That's all it takes.
I marvel at how true that is. The little girl- I am ashamed that I don't know her name- buries her head in my shoulder and snuffles in that baby way, her legs limp against my stomach. When I try to shift her postition, her head lolls back. She is deeply asleep. I am directed to one of the sleeping rooms where I carefully set her on the bottom mattress. She doesn't wake up, even when one of the caretakers adjusts her position.
I go outside where a breeze is finally blowing. I am sweating like mad and I'm pretty sure my hair looks like I got electrocuted, but it is so damn hot that anything I do is futile. A small boy, B, cries when L tries to pick him up.
He's mad at me, she laughs. I haven't been here in two weeks so now he's mad.
I smile at him and he comes over to me, arms raised. As I bend down, he jumps up so I am carrying him. He is the third child I have carried around today and my arm is aching, but I don't even think of setting him down. Instead, I sit on a chair with him in my lap until he starts to squirm. We go into the yard, which is dirt and rocks, a tree or two, an old and rusty car that looks like it hasn't been driven in years. A dog, chained to a post at the back, barks at us. I make a woofing sound and B does too. We grin at each other, finally speaking the same language- dog.
Eventually he too starts to fall asleep. You get all the sleepers, Dad jokes, but he's sort of right. He is the second child to fall asleep in my lap today. One of the caretakers gently lifts him out of my arms, but he wakes and squirms until he is free. By then it is time to go, and it is slowly and with many goodbyes that we leave. They wave, they ask for high fives and hugs and fist bumps and more sweets and more high fives. One of the boys, also named B, runs around and around our car. He is wearing shiny black boots that must have been new. He dusts them off carefully before moving off to the side with the rest of the group so our car can ease out of the gate.
W and I will be back next week, we decide. As often as we can, we will go. It's a bittersweet experience, poignant and sharp with guilt. Next week, I think, next week I will bring something to share.
To learn more about this particular orphanage, click on the link below. There are photos of the children as well as a video about the orphanage itself.
http://www.edvolunteers.org/defend-children-orphanage-new-house
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
January 29th: An Abundance of Geckos
All right, you lot?
Guess what? I am slowly learning the tricks of the trade here. I now know to check the ceiling for geckos before I open my front door in case one decides to fall on my head. I know that in order to raise the screen on my window, I have to give it a slight whack (or two or three). I know not to drink the tap water, that cockroaches fly, and avocados are roughly three pounds.
This weekend we went to the grocery store. And that's it, story's over, bye.
Just kidding, it was such a big deal. I can tell you right now that I will never again take the nearness of Cub Foods for granted. It was kind of an all day thing. Let me tell you about it, I'm sure you're really interested to hear about the grocery shopping.
Mum and I had made a list already, but we weren't exactly sure what was available. I mean, this is Haiti for Pete's sake. We left at 8 to beat the Sunday traffic, with our friends and neighbours C and M. All the way to Petyonville, about a 20-30 minute drive up the mountain. The whole drive up was dusty and bumpy, passing people in their Sunday best, little stands that sold single bottles of pop or juice, more cows and chickens. It was really on the way up that I saw some of the extreme poverty. We crossed a bridge over a small ravine and the ravine itself was filled-literally filled- with garbage. Bottles, plastic bags, scraps of clothing, and other less innocent things. A goat picked its way around the edge, while a few people walked through it, looking for salvageable items. The houses were crumbing concrete blocks with rusting metal, washing hanging on the line, crammed so close together that you couln't really see where one house left off and the next began.
The farther up the mountain we got, the more the road wound around until we were going around some serious hairpin turns. The houses also got bigger and nicer, fenced in with concrete walls topped with barbed wire. A very interesting contrast.
Once we finally got to the Caribbean Grocery, it was about 8:30. We were completely floored by the variety of foods/brands available. They only had like two of everything, but a million different brands. Basically you can get anything here. We went to two groceries, stocking up for the next two weeks. That's another difference between our shopping in the States and our shopping here. When you go to the grocery here in Haiti, you stock up because most people go every other week. Run out of basil or forgot to get eggs? Better borrow from the neighbours or try to hitch a different ride on an off weekend with someone else.
We're getting a little more adjusted to life here, even though we're extremely sheltered within our compound. I'm relishing any time I get by myself, because it's rare here. Even as safe as we are in Canne-a Sucre (the name of the compound), we're supposed to be home before dark and are urged against going places alone, even to the grocery store. College will be a huge welcome change. Not that I dislike spending time with my parents, of course...I just miss being with people my age. I can't call up a friend and ask them to hang out. While our neighbours are fantastic and loads of fun, they're older than me yet younger than my parents, so we're in kind of a weird place.
I'll just have to make do, I suppose. So any friends reading this, please please come visit me! It's safe, I promise and we've only had one cockroach. Plus the geckos are really small, really cute and everywhere. I'm considering keeping one as a pet.
That's all for now, y'all. Peace out.
Guess what? I am slowly learning the tricks of the trade here. I now know to check the ceiling for geckos before I open my front door in case one decides to fall on my head. I know that in order to raise the screen on my window, I have to give it a slight whack (or two or three). I know not to drink the tap water, that cockroaches fly, and avocados are roughly three pounds.
 |
| This is the mango tree outside my window |
This weekend we went to the grocery store. And that's it, story's over, bye.
Just kidding, it was such a big deal. I can tell you right now that I will never again take the nearness of Cub Foods for granted. It was kind of an all day thing. Let me tell you about it, I'm sure you're really interested to hear about the grocery shopping.
Mum and I had made a list already, but we weren't exactly sure what was available. I mean, this is Haiti for Pete's sake. We left at 8 to beat the Sunday traffic, with our friends and neighbours C and M. All the way to Petyonville, about a 20-30 minute drive up the mountain. The whole drive up was dusty and bumpy, passing people in their Sunday best, little stands that sold single bottles of pop or juice, more cows and chickens. It was really on the way up that I saw some of the extreme poverty. We crossed a bridge over a small ravine and the ravine itself was filled-literally filled- with garbage. Bottles, plastic bags, scraps of clothing, and other less innocent things. A goat picked its way around the edge, while a few people walked through it, looking for salvageable items. The houses were crumbing concrete blocks with rusting metal, washing hanging on the line, crammed so close together that you couln't really see where one house left off and the next began.
The farther up the mountain we got, the more the road wound around until we were going around some serious hairpin turns. The houses also got bigger and nicer, fenced in with concrete walls topped with barbed wire. A very interesting contrast.
 |
| The stone walls topped with barbed wire |
 |
| Ignore my finger. This is the view from the car window of our drive to Petyonville. |
Once we finally got to the Caribbean Grocery, it was about 8:30. We were completely floored by the variety of foods/brands available. They only had like two of everything, but a million different brands. Basically you can get anything here. We went to two groceries, stocking up for the next two weeks. That's another difference between our shopping in the States and our shopping here. When you go to the grocery here in Haiti, you stock up because most people go every other week. Run out of basil or forgot to get eggs? Better borrow from the neighbours or try to hitch a different ride on an off weekend with someone else.
We're getting a little more adjusted to life here, even though we're extremely sheltered within our compound. I'm relishing any time I get by myself, because it's rare here. Even as safe as we are in Canne-a Sucre (the name of the compound), we're supposed to be home before dark and are urged against going places alone, even to the grocery store. College will be a huge welcome change. Not that I dislike spending time with my parents, of course...I just miss being with people my age. I can't call up a friend and ask them to hang out. While our neighbours are fantastic and loads of fun, they're older than me yet younger than my parents, so we're in kind of a weird place.
I'll just have to make do, I suppose. So any friends reading this, please please come visit me! It's safe, I promise and we've only had one cockroach. Plus the geckos are really small, really cute and everywhere. I'm considering keeping one as a pet.
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