The Sorta Update

So much to say and so little time to write! I hope this weekend to get caught up on some posts I want to write, but I make no guarantees. Here's the quick version to tide you over until more pictures and stories can be shared.

• We went to Fonds Parisien on Tuesday to visit some friends who work out there. The town is on a big lake that sits on the DR border. It was dry and dusty out there, and definitely warmer than the mountain. But it was really fun to explore a new part of Haiti with my husband (and one of his brothers too). 
• Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which means lots of Haitians were celebrating Kanaval (translated Carnival, means extended Mardi Gras celebration) over the weekend and Monday and Tuesday. It was pretty quiet in our neighborhood, so that was nice. It was also really nice to have three days off of work! (Mon-Wed were all national holidays)
• Arold's final visa interview was today, so we woke up at 4:30 to head to the US Embassy. It was the busiest I had ever seen the embassy, but we were one of the first interviews (scheduled for 7am, actual interview around 8am). The interview was so easy we thought it was a trick, but he was approved after a very short conversation with the nicest lady we've talked to yet. We were in our car by 8:30 and on our way to celebrate. His visa will be ready in about a week. PRAISE THE LORD!!!
• After the Embassy I made my husband take me to Handal Maison, the Haitian Wal-mart. It wasn't open yet, so we stopped for some juice at a nice cafe. Then we went shopping (only bought teething gel, so disappointing).
• After that we took a tour of the Historic Sugar Cane Park. It was pretty cool and will hopefully have it's own post some day soon. Isaac was impressed, and Mom and Dad learned a lot about Haiti's history.

santa's helpers

I just couldn't resist. 

Christmas & Coffee

Christmas:

The plan was that all three of us would go to the States for three weeks during the holidays this year. However, the delays with Arold's visa mean that he's stuck in Haiti for at least another month. After much deliberation and tears (on my part), we've decided that Isaac and I will spend Christmas in Indiana without Arold. I'm really, really bummed about that part. I was looking forward to having my husband experience Christmas with my family. Christmas really isn't a big deal here (to my horror). Since his family doesn't have any traditions for this season, he just doesn't get my Christmas cheer.

So, I'm beyond excited that Isaac gets to meet his grandma and grandpa, Uncle Jason, and my entire extended family. But I'm also really bummed that we won't be spending our first Christmas as a family together. And I won't be in Haiti for our anniversary either because it's extra expensive to travel between Dec. 20th and Dec. 31st. But my husband assures me we will have lots of time to celebrate before school starts on Jan. 7th.

Coffee:
I'm bringing Haitian coffee with me. You can purchase a 10oz bag of delicious Haitian coffee for just $6. Pick up in Mishawaka and Goshen on Sunday Dec. 23rd. Or I can mail it to you on Dec. 20th, but I don't know what shipping will cost right now. Cash, check or PayPal. Leave a comment telling me how many bags you want, or e-mail me britneyLsmith (at) gmail (dot) com.

Today's Holiday: "God's Birthday"

Today is a holiday in Haiti--in French it's called Fete Dieu and in English my student's say "God's Birthday." When I ask my husband or the students about this holiday they just tell me it's a Catholic thing and that's all they know. Being the curious person that I am, that just isn't enough information for me. We have today off school and I wanted to know why.

I took matters into my own hands this morning and googled it. Apparently the translation of the French name is a bit misleading because in English the day is called "The Feast of Corpus Christi." The super simplistic explanation of the holiday is that it celebrates the presence of Jesus Christ's body and blood in the Eucharist (communion). I assume that Catholic churches and other denominations that believe the communion elements turn into the actual body and blood of Christ celebrate today with a church service and communion.

At our house, we celebrated "God's Birthday" by sleeping in and having a lazy morning. Later today we'll take some exams to the copy shop for the school and hopefully go to Handal, the Haitian Wal-mart, if they are open. And if my husband is in the right mood I might even be able to talk him into a "sandwich griole" from Giant Supermarket.

School Wide Party

The Philo class (grade 13) has been hosting events throughout the school year to help raise money for their graduation festivities. Since last Friday was Flag Day in Haiti (a pretty big deal) and there wouldn't be any school, the Philo students hosted a school wide party on the 17th. Each student was asked to pay $10 (Haitian of course) to help fund the party and the rest is set aside for graduation. So last Thursday was a no uniform day. There were no classes. Philo provided a bottle of pop at lunch for each student. (Click on the pictures to see them in full screen view.)

 

The students set up a sound system outside and everyone gathered around.

 The DJs did a good job of keeping the scheduled events moving--my favorite is Jean Eddy in the sheriff's shirt.

 There was a rap battle/show at one point. There were several groups that danced. And the little kids had a sing along session at the beginning of the day. Here some of the students are dancing. (This picture was taken from the cafeteria.)

Preschool Christmas Party

Each year, the preschool teachers put together a Christmas party for the preschool students on the last day of school before break. (If you click on a picture, you'll be able to see it in a larger size.)

This year we had some pretty awesome donations and were able to give the students some pretty awesome gifts.

 They try to do something a little different each year, but they always have food and a gift to give to the students. This year they had cake, pate, palme (something sweety and flaky), cheese puffs, popcorn, candy, and various types of pop to drink.

 Unfortunately I left before they opened the gifts and didn't think to leave the camera with someone else. :( Sorry for not having pictures of the most exciting part!

In the meantime...

I keep thinking of things that I should blog about, but I never get around to actually doing it. So you'll have to make do with some pictures. Maybe after Christmas and the wedding (just a few days left!), I'll have more time to sit down and write out some thoughts. Until then enjoy these pictures of the preschool Christmas party.

Haitian Mother's Day

Mother's Day in Haiti is always on the last Sunday of May.  Compassion International published a quiz earlier this month called "Could you be a mother in Haiti?" Take the quiz and see how you score. You'll learn a lot about the culture and life style of Haitians!

Easter=the end of rara

I haven't posted this until now because I couldn't get the video to upload. Sorry it's late, but I thought you might still be interested in what I was thinking a couple of weeks ago.

I love Jesus. I'm so incredibly thankful for his sacrifice on the cross. Resurrection Sunday is a special day, and I'm looking forward to celebrating with my Haitian church family.

And I'm also really, really excited for the end of the rara bands that play their horrible music for all of Lent. They've really kicked up their "parades" this weekend and I would like to shove their horns down their throats. I know that's not a very Christian sentiment, but they play at all hours of the night... and day for that matter. They walk through neighborhoods playing the same three notes over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. And that's not enough "overs" to convey how repetitious their songs are. The other reason I don't like them is that they represent the opposite of Christ rising from the dead. I don't know how tied to voodoo they are because I get varying reports. But what I do know is that Haitian Christians (and non-Haitians who understand the culture better than I do) have strong feelings against this music.

Here's a little sampling of rara music. They passed by my street on the main road about three times last night between 5:30 and 6. You may have to turn your sound up to hear the music.

Through New Eyes

I've been thinking a lot about these people since I arrived on U.S. soil.

My after school computer class.

I wonder what they would think of the snow, the Christmas decorations, the constant electricity, church services at St. Mark, the smooth roads, the food. Life in the States is vastly different than the life my students live in Haiti, and I wonder what they would think if they could be here.

This Christmas I'm enjoying the gift of new eyes, of seeing life from a different perspective.

Travel Day

I wrote this during my layover in Miami. The last leg of my travel day stretched out longer than I anticipated, but I'll have to share that story after I get some sleep!
 
Today has been… odd. I woke up before my alarm went off with a stomach ache. Waking up before the alarm rings really isn’t that unusual for me, but the stomach ache part was new. After my brain started functioning I realized today was the day I was leaving Haiti to spend the holidays with my family. Then the stomach ache made sense.

I haven’t mentioned it to very many people, but I’m pretty nervous about going home for Christmas. I’ve only been out of the US for three and half months. In the grand scheme of things, that really isn’t that long. Yet, I feel like much of my life has changed in those months. I’ve been anxious about how those changes will affect my relationships with my loved ones. First there’s the fear that I won’t be able to find the words to explain what’s happened in my life and heart. But mostly I guess I’m nervous that the people who know me the best suddenly won’t understand me anymore. And I don’t know how I’ll cope if that happens.

Possibly the strangest, and most significant, sighting of the day was on the way to the airport. Beth drove me to the airport this morning, and we traveled roads we take every time we go to Petionville or Delma. There’s a park near the police station that has been a tent city for the past 11 months, and I always gawk as we drive past. Today, however, there were sections where the tents, the people, everything was missing. Entire sections of the tent city have disappeared. We had a moment of celebration in the car. The absence of even some of the tents is a triumph for the nation of Haiti. I’m excited to see how many more tents are gone when I return in 2.5 weeks.

Beyond my stomach ache this morning and the missing tents in Petionville, there have been several other interesting incidents. First, I ate a hamburger for breakfast. It makes me chuckle even now because I’m sure the lady who served me thought I was crazy. But the airport shop in Port au Prince was crazy busy and I didn’t feel like struggling through the language issues to order something more breakfast appropriate. Also at the P.a.P. airport were the funny little conversations I had with the airport workers. Being able to speak a few words of Creole makes for some funny exchanges. One security guy waved me through the metal detector. I had left my passport holder on around my neck because I knew I could get away with not taking it off. He pointed at it and said, “Passport?” So I showed him the inside. Then he asked me in French if I spoke French. I said, “No.” But then he asked me a question not in English. I told him in Creole that he talks too fast, so he asked me my name in Creole. I answered him, and he told me to have a good day. I thought it was pretty entertaining.

In Miami I had a scheduled 7 hour layover, and I came to a strange realization: It’s really obnoxious to comprehend all the words being spoken around me. I’ve come to enjoy being oblivious to what others are saying, and I find it annoying to be subject to everyone else’s thoughts. For instance, I didn’t really need to know about all the different religious organizations working in Madagascar or the horse farm in Waco, Texas. I especially didn’t want to overhear the argument between mother and daughter about traveling to Europe. But there were some good parts to my layover. At one point a man behind me started speaking Creole on his phone. It was sweet music to my ears! I didn’t understand everything he said, but it was nice to hear some familiar sounds. Then there was the man who exited the bathroom with a good 3 feet of toilet paper hanging off his shoe. How does that even happen? If I see t.p. on the floor, I avoid stepping on it. And then there are the babies. I love babies. The Miami airport has been full of babies today. I wish I could pick them up and cuddle them, but I think going to jail for attempted kidnapping would put a damper on Christmas. So I just smiled and waved.

I’m hoping that the oddness ends there. I don’t really want to experience more weirdness on my final flight or the drive home from O’Hare. But I suppose weird is a better theme for the day than frustration or patience or even boring.

Christmas Wishlist UPDATE

Previously I posted the following Christmas Wishlist. I would really like to bring all donations to Haiti in my luggage after Christmas. If you would like to donate something from the list (or a gift card or money to be used to purchase the items), you can give donations to me personally or mail them to my parents' house:

Britney Smith

1l6 Krider Dr

Middlebury, IN 4654O

The items crossed out have already been donated.

After School Computer Class

1. Larousse French English Dictionaries  (20) feel free to purchase as many or as few as you are able to
2. multiple copies (7 would be nice, 4 will work) of "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Suess
3. other English picture books
4. purses and/or bracelets for the 8 girls
5. wallets and/or watches for the 12 guys
6. American candy
7. gum
8. white out, Haitian students will not turn in a paper with a mistake on it. I am forever fighting them about wasting paper!
9. a gift card to Meijer, Walgreens, or some other photo printing place so I can print some pictures for them to have

Britney's Personal List

• cook and serve chocolate pudding
• Crystal Light Peach or Mango Peach Iced Tea
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal
• chocolate chips
• Wrinkle Releaser spray
• stain remover spray for laundry

Christmas Wishlist

You know, Christmas is just around the corner. I have this sneaking suspicion that some of you are very distraught over the fact that you just don't know what to get me for Christmas. With so few shopping days left before the big day, I thought I'd save you some time and just give you a list. Isn't it nice of me to help you out? Anyway, here are some ideas of how YOU can bless some of my students and me this holiday season!

After School Computer Class

1. Larousse French English Dictionaries  (20)
2. multiple copies (7 would be nice, 4 will work) of "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Suess
3. other English picture books
4. purses and/or bracelets for the 8 girls
5. wallets and/or watches for the 12 guys
6. American candy
7. gum
8. white out, Haitian students will not turn in a paper with a mistake on it. I am forever fighting them about wasting paper!
9. a gift card to Meijer, Walgreens, or some other photo printing place so I can print some pictures for them to have

Britney's Personal List

• cook and serve chocolate pudding
• Crystal Light Peach or Mango Peach Iced Tea
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal
• chocolate chips
• Wrinkle Releaser spray
• stain remover spray for laundry

Fall Break

The last week has been a whirlwind of activity! Last Monday a team of 23 people arrived. They hosted a very successful medical clinic on Tuesday through Friday, but they wore me out! Some nights I didn't get home until 6 or even 7 o'clock, so I didn't have much time to wind down before I went to sleep. I traveled with the team to and from Gramothe, so I spent more time at school than I normally do. I was able to help in the clinic some, but mostly I tried to stay out of the way. They were an awesome group of individuals with some incredible skills, so they didn't really need my help. In the afternoons I was able to sit with my friends Arold and Nalouse while we waited to go down the mountain in the truck. It was really nice to get to know them a little better.

Two downsides to having the team here were that I missed my Creole lesson on Wednesday and I didn't get to spend much time with the boys who normally walk me home. The kids came and found me during their breaks, and we still had our after school class. Yet, I missed the conversations we have walking home from school. (And don't tell anyone I said this, but I think I missed the exercise too.)

November 1st and 2nd are national holidays in Haiti, so there is no school today or tomorrow. (Can anybody say Fall Break?) One day is All Saints Day and the other is the Day of the Dead. I'm told Christians do not celebrate these holidays, but that's about all I know. About two weeks ago some people in Gramothe (not anyone who goes to church) pulled all the grass out of the cemetery and did some general cleaning in preparation for the holiday. Tomorrow when I go to the guest house I'll be able see if they are doing anything over there.

My Creole tutor offered to have a lesson with me today since there's no school and neither of us had anything to do. He give me a lot of words I had been wondering about, and then he gave me the French and Creole words to songs we sing in church. I am very, very excited about being able to sing along in with the rest of the congregation. However, he made me sing the songs after he had given me the words, and now he's convinced more than ever that I need to sing a special song for church!

Tonight I'm supposed to have an English class with some ladies from the neighborhood. I really enjoy talking with them. They speak pretty good English already, they just want someone to practice with.

Today's Holiday: Independence Day

An awesome video about the men and women that keep our freedom.

Today's Holiday: Memorial Day

THANK YOU to all the military service men and women who have served the United States over the years. I appreciate your sacrifices of time with your family, comfortable living, and spending holidays away from home. I especially appreciate those who have sacrificed their lives for the rest of us. I found this video online and thought it was fitting for today.

Today's Holiday: National Teacher Appreciation Day

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. In the past it hasn't really been a big deal. The superintendent writes a letter saying how we are hard working and how much he appreciates us. Generally the PTA has brought us lunch one day during the week. Two years that stand out are the time the Superintendent hand delivered a jump drive to me in my classroom and the following year when I received a USB hub with the district insignia etched on the front.

This Teacher Appreciation Week, however, has been ah-may-zing! Our PTA provided breakfast on Monday, gave us a Chick-fil-a coupon on Tuesday, and put a "Survival Kit" in our mailboxes for Wednesday. Thursday should bring another surprise in our mailboxes, and they've planned a lunch from Papa Vino's on Friday. They are knocking themselves out this year! And to top it all off, everyday this week Chick-fil-a is giving a free sandwich to any teacher who stops by with a lanyard or school ID.

Join my amazing PTA and Chick-fil-a in showing your appreciation for teachers this week!

Today's Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. was barely 39 when he was killed in 1968. In his short life he accomplished more than most accomplish in an entire lifetime. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, a Bachelor of Divinity, and a Doctoral degree in philosophy. He was an ordained minister, a major player in the civil rights movement, and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led the March on Washington, and delivered his world famous "I Have a Dream" speech. (Check out Amanda's letter to MLK regarding the state of his dream.) What is less known about Mr. King is that after his civil rights work, he focused his energies on ending poverty and opposing the war in Vietnam.

After his death in 1968, a representative from Michigan first introduced a bill to make King's birthday a federal holiday. It failed by 5 votes. It wasn't until 1983 that Ronald Reagan finally signed a bill (introduced by Indiana representative Katie Hall) that would make the third Monday of January a national holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. The first time MLK Day was observed was three years later in 1986.

Many people opposed a holiday to memorialize King. Some cited the cost to pay federal employees for another holiday. Some argued that MLK wasn't important enough for a holiday. And others complained that he had opposed the Vietnam War. Even after Reagan made the holiday official, some states refused to recognize it. Utah had "Human Rights Day" until 2000. In both Virginia and Mississippi the day was for, ironically, both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee. In 2000, Virginia changed to just MLK Day, but Mississippi maintains their ironic dual memorial. Again in the year 2000, South Carolina was the last state to implement MLK Day as a paid holiday for federal employees.

Who would have guessed there was so much controversy over Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Today's Holiday: National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Slavery is alive and well in 2010 in the form of human trafficking; both around the world and in our own backyard. We can help rescue the victims, put the perpetrators behind bars, and finally truly end slavery in our time. Let's do it!

Video and text taken from examiner.com

I'm spending the day at OSU listening to a survivor of human trafficking share her story, viewing a documentary, and hopefully meeting other like minded people.

Today's Holiday: Christmas

Merry Christmas!

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”- Isaiah 9:6