Today was the last work day. We began by spreading stucco on the outside of the house. It was a monotonous job saved for the skilled laborers. We spent the morning mixing cement, filling and dumping the buckets and "cleaning" the streets in front of the home. The corner was filled with children when we arrived...no school. Carnival begins Sunday, the 26th and runs through Tuesday. They were given the day off. We were informed that it was going to be a crazy day. I gave it my all from 8-11. Then, I had a mouse freak my freak as I was moving rocks ( I jumped vertically, cat-like and screamed). The observers pointed and laughed. I'm pretty sure at that point is when I decided to play with the kids.
A group shot with the new home owners
Some of my faves...
It was apparent that the kids knew that our time in their community was coming to a close. They were at our gate at the crack of dawn. They pointed to their stomachs, tugged at their shirts, lifted their feet to show their battered shoes ( Carm, both the new Ahnu and Nike shoes you got for me? Gone). The two kids that I grew extremely close to during the week were very clingy today. Needless to say, my suitcase is close to empty. I don't have shoes to wear in Pittsburgh. Flip flops in February? Things could be worse. Much worse.
Morning, noon, and night...every, single day
We finished work at noon, walked through the new market due to open in the summer, and headed back home for the night. As we arrived home, Carnival had begun. We went into the streets and observed the creative costumes made from newspaper, plastic, and whatever else was available. The music blared from huge speakers set atop moving trucks. It was definitely festive. Somewhat chaotic.
After watching the parade for a bit, our team entered back through the gates and scattered, probably looking for their own quiet, reflection time.
King and Queen of Carnaval Parade
Many creative costumes
Smiles were everywhere
Esther and a red...
It was nice to have an hour to myself, with my own thoughts. At dinner, we hosted the family who were to be the recipients of the home we built. On the menu? Hot chicken legs, goat kabobs, potatoes, pasta with ketchup sauce, and RICE AND BEANS! It was a bittersweet night. We ate in the courtyard with our team, the host family, the guards, and the house recipients. It was a breezy night. Our music was playing, people were talking and laughing, and the food was plentiful. As I zoned in and out, I gazed up at the stars, looking right and left. As I did, my eyes scanned the gate noticing many hungry children that stood vigil there all week. I normally go back for seconds. Not tonight.
Machetes, saws and hammers werent a problem. Sutter home caps? Watch Out!
Today was not a typical day. Breakfast was oatmeal. My new, free-spirited group masseuse friend, Cara, suggested I put peanut butter in it. After giving her a hard time, I did. It was delicious. We also had a slice of fresh pineapple.
The morning was devoted to supporting local vendors if we chose to do so. They set up outside our gate. Once we were let out, the frenzy began. All I heard was, " Miss miss. Come see." "Mademoiselle...look". I made it back in the gate, $30 lighter.
Next, our host, Gerald, also a local school principal ( most professionals in Haiti have 2-3 jobs), took us to his school. It took about 10 seconds to realize just how much we have available to us in the states. In Slippery Rock. The average class size is between 28-40 students. It varies. The students want to go to school but might miss a week here or there depending on the family's financial status. It costs $35 a month for a child to attend school and have lunch while there. This particular school was K-13. Most schools are in session from 6am until noon (which explains why so many kids are at our job site after lunch). They are required to take take English and Spanish in 7th grade while they continue to polish their French and Creole. They take exams in 6, 9, and 12th grades. If you complete grade 13, you are ready to enter directly into law or medical school.
The actual bus kids ride
A make shift jungle gym
Notice the "desk" space
They love to pose!
The "Whiteboard" (aka...chalkboard)
Again, today I was hit with a wave of emotions. I had to walk away from the group to wipe a few tears. So many things flashed through my mind.... I will embrace copy machine jams, I don't have to rely on a whiteboard, I will try to be more grateful for everything I have now and really appreciate the simple things. Simple.
Enlarge to look at their faces...
The students were attentive and polite. They were careful in their writing and proud to show you what they could do. They asked your name and seemed to want to know more about you....a genuine interest. All of the money and goods that you all donated were given to this school. We understood after being in the village all week why we couldn't just go in and distribute items. There are just too many kids. I have no doubt that every single item will be used, appreciated and loved. I thank you so very much. Words are not enough. I wish you could see it too. My friend, Noreen would understand. We left the school just as recess was beginning. I couldn't help but sneak in a monkey bar visit before boarding the bus back to work.
Once we were back on site, we mixed cement, filled and passed buckets to pour three floors, and called it a day. Work stopped at 2:45. Junior, the foreman told us we could have r & r the rest of the day. We headed back to the compound.
Jeff and Mike taking a deserved break
I played soccer... again. It was close to 90 degrees. It had been a long day and I'm no Pele' or Herlihy! I lasted 45 minutes.
I'm having a bit of a struggle this afternoon. I'm missing my family, my home, my life, my love, my dog. It's almost as if I'm not here. My body is... but that's about it. A fitting quote to end the night? "One small crack doesn't mean you are broken, it means you were put to the test and you didn't fall."
-Linda Poindexter
PS... I found "my friend" from last night. Isn't that great?
I was able to get three solid hours of sleep last night. I awoke at 5:20 am. It was actually quiet in the streets ( FYI... roosters crow day and night in Haiti). At 5:45 am, the hustle and bustle began. I decided to go for a run. I was told by our house manager that it would be safe to do so. One thing I really miss is listening to music while running. I went for it. At 6:00 am, I unhitched the gate, cranked up my music and was on my way.
As I made my way through the streets, listening to Pink, the Haitians looked at me like I had three heads. I don't thinking jogging is their thing. At first, I wanted to turn around because of fear. I remembered again the quote Connor shared on our first day. I willed the fear to creep right back out. I was also reassured of my safety when I heard replies to my "Bonjours" and saw universal smiles.
The roads are very confusing, so I stopped a few times to take pictures of landmarks. I ran past kids on their way to school. I continue to be impressed by the fact that, even though their homes consist of dirt floors, flaking concrete blocks and their water source is limited, the kids leave for school with colorful ribbons in their hair, clean uniforms, and proud smiles on their faces.
Kids wore uniforms to school. Different colors represented different schools.
I kept my run short because I was afraid of getting lost. It's rough when you don't know the language and can't ask for directions too easily. As I mentioned before, Haitian Creole mimics a bit of the French language. I know a few French phrases, but not many. My close friends would know, "Is it okay to park here?" is one of my favorites. Traveling to France a few years back, I was even able to pick up the accent and inflections. Isn't that right, Cube?😜
I made it back to the guest house just in time for pancakes. They were an interesting texture. I covered mine in peanut butter. The day was just beginning.
The work load was sporadic today because we had to wait for the concrete columns to set. Aside from odd jobs, I didn't have as much to do. I didn't mind. I'm finding I don't recover from manual labor as fast as I used to. And that block lifting that I said wasn't a problem yesterday? I lied. Today, one of the Haitian children told me, "You walk bad?" I was able to play in the streets with other members of our team, Esther and Nathalie. Again, kids crowded the street ready to play any game we came up with. I never guessed the Hokie Pokey and Limbo would be such a hit.
Enlarge photo...see baby?
Before dinner, a few of us went down to the park to play soccer and fly a kite that Gavin brought. He let me try to fly it. I almost took out a cow. No joke. And, I'm pretty sure that would've been frowned upon here. I gave him back the handles and went to play soccer. The oldest Haitian boy directing everything told me I was on his team. He could tell by my face that I was trying to figure out who else was on my team. He yelled out ( in Creole) to the rest of the kids an order. They all promptly removed their shirts but he quickly pointed at mine, smiled and said, " No, no, no". Phew.
We played a bit then made our way back. Along the road, men were playing games on turned over paint buckets. I saw dominoes. One man in the game had part of a cinder block around his neck? I saw a lively card game where each player sat with a pile of stones at their fingertips. Creative play. So many people in the streets dancing and talking. Hmmmm... no iPads or TV's.
Eating sugar cane
He was so proud of his model home
Dominoes were popular
We entered our gate and quickly showered for dinner. It's amazing how fast you can get ready when you don't have hot showers, make up, hair dryers, etc.
Rice and beans, beet salad, and chicken legs were on tonight's menu. After dinner, we walked to the corner for ice cream. They had 6 flavors, all very colorful. Ironically, they all tasted the same. We ate, talked, and went to bed early tonight. I think the group is tired.
As I finish my thoughts and try to get tonight's writing down, the largest cockroach I've ever seen landed smack dab on the middle of my forehead. I kinda screamed and woke my roomie, Deb. She saw the critter scurry under my bed. I quickly put down her mosquito net, wrapped myself up in mine (earlier today, an oversized cricket was in my towel as I tried to wrap my hair to dry). When I saw the mosquito nets, I thought, "How cool... I'll sleep like a princess." Tonight I was reminded that I never was fond of the phrase, "Don't let the bed bugs bite!"
"I am woman hear me roar with numbers too big to ignore" ...what a difference a day (and a voice) makes. After a simple prayer and breakfast of some sort of red disc-like meat, we serpentined through the already crowded streets. It was 8am when we arrived at the site. I was instructed to get into a cart attached to a motorcycle to go fetch cinder blocks. Two Haitian men, Simone, Cara, Gavin, and I took a 4 minute drive to the block yard. We loaded 36 blocks (that's all we could fit) in a matter of minutes. I knew this was my time to prove that I could handle what they were serving. No problem. I was beckoned to fetch block over 12 more times today. I also sifted sand and gravel to be used for mortar... a job I thought would be easy. My back was aching. We used such archaic methods of doing various tasks throughout the morning.
Deb...block by block
Cara and Deb cutting wire for rebar cages
It's admirable how these people figure out how to make do with essentially nothing. We dug a foundation by hand. No bobcats or bulldozers. We mixed and made concrete and mortar right on the street. No wheelbarrows. No chalk lines. No power tools because there is no electricity. As time passed through the day, I went from thinking, "This is ridiculous." to "Where there's a will, there's a way." These people know how to survive.
We finished today at 3:00. Our guide, Junior, suggested we walk through the market and make our way to a rum distillery. Everyone agreed. Covered in drying cement and sweat, we were on our way.
The market was a crowded place at this time of day. It seems that mostly women were selling goods. Items were thrown on makeshift tables or on the dirt floors. You could buy various baggies of spices, knitted hats, lollipops, a pair of shoes (not necessarily matching), belts, soap and so many other miscellaneous, unidentifiable items. I saw individual chicken parts for sale, unrefrigerated and unwrapped. Flies got the first taste. Beside the chicken sat tripe, liver, and beef. I wondered if the goat I had eaten the night before came from this type of market.
Rum Distillery (zoom in on barrels and piping)
I was ready to visit the rum distillery. We walked for 10 minutes more, down a dirt road into what looked like was once a huge field. Now, sans grass or any vegetation. In the distance was a large rickety building. The walls were corrugated tin. The roof? Not sure....random pieces of building materials. Once inside, you could smell a sweet syrupy aroma heavy in the hot air. Junior explained how this particular "rum" was made. There were huge vats of bubbling, thick brown liquid all around. Pipes were suspended by ropes or wire directly above us. The liquid made its way through the pipes to a huge kettle above a massive fire place. It's final destination was a drum stored in a hole just below where we stood. Junior took a small plastic bucket that was strewn to the side on the floor. He proceeded to go down into the hole, fill the bucket with the now clear liquid. He took a small sip then offered it to us. Lucky me. I was first because I was closest. I was still trying to get past the dirty bucket in which the liquid was placed. I took the tiniest of sips. My immediate reaction created laughter amongst the group. Any germs that may have been in that bucket would've never survived the liquid's wrath. Yikes!
We made it home in time to have that refreshing cold shower, say a prayer and have dinner. Tonight more beans and rice and beef stew. I stuck with the beans and rice.
It's been our habit to sit around the patio after dinner, have a few beers and talk about the day. We then play some sort of game. As I sat looking at everyone and feeling like I knew them pretty well, I suggested a game that could be fun. I had been noticing everyone's clothing styles. I suggested that we all go get two pieces of clothing that we haven't worn yet and throw them in a big pile. When instructed, each person would have to grab an item of clothing and put it on. The rest of us would have to guess whose it was. It turned into a fashion show. It's amazing what people will do for a laugh.
A friend recently wrote, " I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted, and behold, service was joy." It's true. Today was joy. THIS experience? Joy.
We finished work at noon, walked through the new market due to open in the summer, and headed back home for the night. As we arrived home, Carnival had begun. We went into the streets and observed the creative costumes made from newspaper, plastic, and whatever else was available. The music blared from huge speakers set atop moving trucks. It was definitely festive. Somewhat chaotic.
