Land Dispute Update

The title is a little misleading. I don't actually have an update on the land dispute. I only have a wee bit of information from one of my students who lives on the disputed land.

One of my crochet students, we'll just call her E, lives in a house on the land in question. Her family rents from one of the men in our church. Anyway, she told me that "they" came to her house and broke the windows and doors out of the building,but didn't tear down any walls. I assumed by "they" she meant the people who own the land. Oh, "they" also took all of her family's belongings out of the house while they were there. She said there are only two houses in the area that haven't been touched. Some of the houses have more damage than others.

I asked where her family is living now. She said the guy they rent from put a new door up and they have moved back in for now. She said "they" will come back, but her family doesn't know when. The family hopes to be living somewhere else when "they" return, but will need to find a new place to rent. She said a lot of the people are looking for new places to rent. But it's difficult financially. Often people pay rent for a year at a time. If a family has paid rent for a year and then is forced out of the house by a third party (the actual land owners), the tenants rightfully want the landlord to refund the money for the months they won't be living there. But how many landlords are able/willing to do that? I imagine for many of them that money has been spent already.

yo kraze kay la

I hesitate to share this because it has nothing to do with our family, and it doesn't exactly paint a pleasant picture of our "zone," as the Haitians call it. BUT, I've decided to share about what's happening because it does effect some of my students. 

*yo kraze kay la means they break the house

There has been a land dispute in our neighborhood (not near our house) recently. It's escalating into quite the feud. There's a gwo machine (back ho) tearing down houses on the land in question as I type this. And, twice this week there have been guns fired (no one has been shot, they just shoot to make noise and show their frustration). We are not in danger of any kind.

That brings us to today. The gwo machine was busy breaking houses, so the kids were at the top of the road when I arrived in Gramothe, just watching. I tried to get them to show me what they were looking at, but they weren't much help. It took me a long time to pinpoint the location of all the drama. I didn't understand why they were so interested in what was happening, so I just went to my classes. In class today, I was teaching my students the English words for "I'll Fly Away." At the end of our singing, someone popped in and said something to a boy who bolted out of the room. After most of the other students left, Kenson told me that the boy who left was running out because he had just heard his house had been broken. (I know most English speakers would say "torn down" but sometimes I get sucked into the non-native way of saying things.)

Until that point in time, the land dispute was just something to talk about for me. It didn't effect my life or family, so I didn't think much of it. All that changed as I left school today. Suddenly it is real to me. I know the people who are losing their homes. I know the faces of the ones who don't have beds to sleep in tonight. As I walked home, I could see the walls of those houses being pushed down. I could see the hopes and dreams of the men who built those walls come crashing down. My heart aches for the families who used to live between those walls, the families who now find themselves homeless and at the mercy of relatives or friends that might be able to take them in.

Please pray for my students and the families who have lost their homes this week. And pray for peace in Thomassin. Only Jesus can bring healing to this mess.

UPDATE/EDIT 2-28-13: My husband wants me to clarify that the buildings that were destroyed were only partial buildings. (But when they talk about them they use the word kay, which means house. How am I supposed to know they weren't completed houses?) Also, the people tearing down the houses had the right to do so. They even had support from the police in the form of road blockades to protect them while they worked. The people who built the homes don't own that land and were given the opportunity to make the situation right. Arold says no one is homeless because of the gwo machine.

A Whole New World

Imagine that you live in a one or two room dwelling with dirt floors. There might be a bed for your parents, but most likely you and all your siblings sleep snuggled on the floor. You are lucky enough to go to school, even if you do have to walk for an hour to get there. Like a good studnet you memorize your lessons each day. Your teachers give you notes, so you copy them into your notebook. You memorize chemistry formulas, but you've never see chemical reactions. In fact you study French literature, including the classics, but never actually read the works you study.

This is the world my students lived in up until about a month and a half ago. Much of their world is still the same. Their houses haven't changed, nor has the style of instruction from their teachers. BUT, they now have access to the internet in the Gramothe computer lab. They have access to anything and everything they want to know--including things I'd rather they not know! It has revolutionized their lives. Honestly, it has.

Recent internet searches include: World War 2, author biographies, Haiti's President Martelly, President Barak Obama, soccer players, definitions of words, translations, medical terms, etc.

They have the world at their fingertips all because of a little box we call a modem.

The Joys of Haitian Government

Two things happened recently that I think highlight the awesomeness of the Haitian Government.
Exhibit A: The constitution of Haiti says that government officials cannot have dual citizenship with any country. They must be soley citizens of Haiti. This makes perfect sense to me. However, there was recently a big hoopla over President Martelly's citizenship. Reporters have been hasseling him for months, asking to see his passport at press conferences and accusing him of having dual citizenship. Of course the president denies that he has dual citizenship, but he also told the reporters that he's the president and doens't have to prove anything to them. If they wanted to see his passport, he dared them to come and try to take it from his pocket.

Fast forward to last week one day. A senator came on the radio and told everyone to go home. He warned that the president was going to make an announcement later, and they anticipated riots in Port au Prince. My husband texted me to say there was a problem and he was on his way home. I turned on the radio just in time to hear the president announce that he is in fact a citizen of Haiti and does not have dual citizenship. He presented all eight of his Haitian passports he's had over the years and a US senator was there to confirm that Martelly is not a US citizen.

Here's my issue with this. Doesn't the government have a committee or something in place to check that all CANDIDATES meet the requirements of the constitution before they are allowed to run? Why in the world did they allow him to be elected as president and serve for 7+ months before they decided to see if he met the presidential requirements? This is seriously distrubing to me.

Exhibit B: Haiti switched to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday. That's not really a problem. What is a problem is that the government decided on Wednesday and, here's the real issue, didn't make any announcements about it. Cell phones just switched time overnight Saturday and everyone was confused on Sunday. Crazy!

I really do enjoy living in Hait, but this kind of crap stuff from the government really irritates me.

Golden Nuggets VIII: Shopping Differences

Living in a foreign country requires learning new customs and adjusting to a new normal. All those interesting tidbits I learn as I live in Haiti are Golden Nuggets. And what kind of person would I be if I didn't share those Golden Nuggets with others?

Shopping in Haiti is both really similar to and very different from shopping in the States. Today I want to explain some of the differences. I already outlined some of the similarities a few posts back. Okay, maybe I should have called that post Shopping Differences That Are Really Not That Strange because mostly I explained some differences that are only slight. Today I'll share with you ways to shop in Haiti that are unfathomable for most Americans.

• The local marchè, or farmer's markets if you prefer English, is very popular. They sell anything from rice and beans to spices to freshly butchered meat to fruits and vegetables. They also normally have at least one booth dedicated to freshly fried patès (the Haitian version of Hot Pockets). There is a marchè just around the corner from my house, but I've never shopped there for three reasons. 1) I don't like situations where I don't know what to expect and could make a fool of myself. 2) I'm white and would be charged at least double what dark Haitians are charged. Lighter skinned Haitians are typically charged more too, but not as much as white foreigners. 3) Beth takes me to the grocery store, so I haven't been forced to go to the marchè. 

•  If you are looking for clothes or shoes, there are a lot of options for you. You could go to a clothing store in the city, but you might have to pay $90 for a men's dress shirt. If that's not in your budget, another option is a pay-pay on the street. These are little booths set up along the sidewalk or street that sell clothing, shoes, books, anything really. 

• Each vendor specializes in something. For instance, one shoe vendor has black shoes. Another has tennis shoes, while another has sandals. These vendors might line up next to one another on the street, or not. You just walk around until you find what you're looking for. Clothing works the same way. One vendor has dresses, another has men's t-shirts, but someone else has men's dress shirts, and so on. Again, I have not been brave enough (or in need of new clothes) to shop at a pay-pay. I hear the prices are pretty good though. One girl I know got her prom dress for $8 Haitian dollars... about $1 US. 

This is actually right at the end of my street. I could buy a shirt or a bedspread. I've been checking out the bedspreads as I walk by. They're certainly used, but in nice condition.

•  My favorite vendors are the ones with medicines. They make these cone towers out of the pill packets and put the boxes in the middle. It's pretty awesome. Beth says they advertise which symptoms they have meds for by yelling out the symptoms. Headache. Heartburn. Stomach ache. Allergies. You get the picture.

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!

Haitian Names 101

Names were (and still are to a certain extent) really difficult for me to get used to when I first came to Haiti. First there is the fact that French names are very different than English names. Then you have to take into account that all names, even ones I recognize on paper, are pronounced with a French accent. Names like Stephen and David are harder to recognize when they sound like Stef-on and Da-veed.

In the past 6 months I've noticed some interesting trends in Haitian names.

1. Absolute most common names in Haiti: for women Marie (sounds like my-ee)followed by any other name. For men Jean (sounds kinda like the end sound of garage) followed by any other name.

Ex: Marie Claire, Marie Ange, Marie Claude, Marie Rose
Ex: Jean Claude, Jean Robert, Jean Pierre, Jean Bertrand

2. E, M, P, and Y are very popular letters.

Male names:  Evens, Etienne, Erick, Exumene, Emmanuel, Michel, Marc, Mackenson, Pierre, Peterson, Peter, Paul, Patrick, Yves (sounds like Eve), Yvner

Female names: Esther, Edline, Emmanuela, Mirlande (sounds like Mirror-lahnd), Monique, Mimose, Patricia, Philomene, Yvonne, Yvette, Yvrose

3. Often there is a common base with various endings.

Rosena, Rosemene, Rosita, Rosina, Rosilien, Rosilia, Rosette, Rosemita, Rosemina, et.

Fred, Fredson, Fredo, Frednel, Frederick

Dieuseul, Dieuy, Dieumene, Dieumaitre, Dieujuste, Dieufort, Dieubon (this base means God)

4. Common female name endings:  -line (Ameline & Cloline), -lande (Mirlande & Nerlande), -ette (Rosette & Yvette)

5. Common male name endings: -son (Robenson & Davidson), -nel (Fritznel & Kesnel), -ner (Yvner & Fredner)

6. There seem to be some common names that are not originally French: Manouchka (Ma-noosh-ka), Shnider/Schneider, Natacha (Natasha), Nephtalie, Lovensky, Djoumy, Dieuseul

7. Names I think are tragic for little girls, but are very common here: Guerda/Guertrude, Bernadette, Bertha/Bertony, Fedna, Medjine

8. While not overly common, the use of the words "love" and "wood" in names still baffles me.

Ex: Ruth Love, Mylove, Michaelove, Woodson, Wood Kelly, Woodjerry

God Will Make A Way

One of the first songs my students asked me about was "God Will Make a Way." It's one  of a handful of songs they know in English, so they wondered if I knew it. I had heard it before, but I didn't know the song. They sang it for me, in English and Creole. Since then I've heard it quite a few times in the last 6 months.

The other day I was walking to the guest house when a man walking somewhere behind me busted out singing, "God will make a way, when there seems to be no way..." As I heard him sing, I had an epiphany. This song should be the national anthem of Haiti.

• When an earthquake destroys homes and businesses, God will make a way.
• When the baby is sick and there's no money to go to the hospital, God will make a way.
• When parents don't know how they'll pay for their children's education, God will make a way.

Funeral Procession

This month has been a difficult one for Gramothe. There have been at least 3 deaths, if not four. (I’m still a little certain if the uncle Micka told me about is the husband of the woman I was talking to later.) All of the people who have passed away were older and had health complications that come from old age. (None of them had cholera, just for the record. We haven’t had any cases of cholera in Gramothe.) The most recent funeral was on Tuesday, and I happened to be going to class when the funeral procession passed by the high school on their way to the cemetery.

This is the Gramothe cemetery.

I know this isn’t going to sound right, but it was really neat to experience the funeral procession. Before I could even see the procession, I could hear them singing a song. It was very loud and caught my attention. I saw some boys carrying the wreaths and flowers down from the village, so I stepped off to the side where some of my high school students were sitting. As the procession got closer I could see that some men were carrying the casket with the family and friends following behind. The song they were singing was very beautiful; I wish I knew it. As the procession got closer, I realized they were going to walk right past where I was standing. I felt bad that there were so many students gawking as the mourners made their way to the cemetery, but the students were very respectful. As bad as it sounds, it was an incredible experience to stand in the midst of the people as they sang their mourning song. There weren’t more than 35 or 40 people, but their voices were so loud and beautiful. I was a little mesmerized by the whole thing.

After the procession passed by, I slowly made my way to my classroom where I could see the people walking single file down the trail to the cemetery. They were still singing. I’m not certain what they did when they got there, other than put the casket in the tomb. They were not there very long. I had to prepare for my class, though, so I did not get to watch what happened.

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.

Two Reasons...

...to pray for Haiti
...to be thankful you live in the good ole U.S. of A.
...to count your blessings

1. Coming down the mountain after church we passed 6 men carrying a cane wrapped couch with a very sick man lying on it. After inquiring about their journey, we learned the man had been sick for 3 days and is from the neighboring village of Grenier. We emptied the truck bed of its passengers and gave them a ride to the nearest cholera treatement center. The men told us there were three other people in Grenier who are sick. For those of you who have been here, Grenier is the village to the right of Gramothe when you are looking at the mountain from the guest house. Because of the proximity, we have quite a few students in the Gramothe school from Grenier.
2. Also, the riots have been calmer the past couple of days, but the streets are sure to heat up again tomorrow if the government doesn't give the people what they want (basically fair [meaning different] election results or Sweet Mickey to be in the run-off election in Jan.). School  hasn't been canceled for tomorrow, but the students were told at church today to stay home if there's trouble. The trouble is far from over, and there's no way to predict what will happen.

Please keep praying for Haiti.

And please know that I am not in danger here. I am not fearful for my safety or my health. God has given me peace and a burden for the people of Haiti. I want more than anything to see Haitians turn to the only One who can true and lasting peace. I ask that you join me in praying that during this difficult time more Haitians will come to know the Lord as the great Healer--of bodies, hearts, and nations.

Things are Heating Up

The Haitian Presidential election results were announced last night around 9pm. A friend texted me with the results from the radio. No one had more than 50% of the votes, so there will be a run-off vote January 16th. The top two candidates were Mirlande Manigat with 31% of the votes and Jude Celestin with 22%. Sweet Micky, a popular singer, had 21% of the votes.

The people are FURIOUS that Jude Celestin is in the run-off election and Sweet Micky is out. There's been a lot of dezòd in Haiti. Protesters set Jude Celestin's political headquarters on fire, and manifestations (similar to riots) have popped up all over the country. There was even a big group of people that marched to Preval's house to let him know they don't like what's going on. Preval is the current president, and it just so happens that the candidate who is engaged to his daughter is in the run-off when it's hard to find anyone who actually voted for the man. Tires have been burning all day. Trees have been cut down and placed in the street. And even here in my neighborhood there's been some ruckus.

When there are manifestations in Port au Prince and it's not exactly safe to go there, people say the city is hot. A text I received this morning said school was canceled because the city was HOT, HOT, HOT. The teachers and principal who live there wouldn't be able to leave their homes, so school was out of the question.

Pray for the people of Haiti, that they will find constructive ways to express their frustration with the corruption of their government and that they will seek change through nonviolent means.

Psalm 56:1--Britney's Version

Today I was reminded of the first verse in Psalm 56.  

"Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me...". 

Back in September when I first arrived in Haiti, Willem gave me a speech about Haitian men. He said I might have been okay in the States--meaning maybe some guys liked me, but here in Haiti there would be men lining up to get the opportunity to love me. He went on and on about Haitian men and how they would really, truly love me. He said he didn't care how much I loved a man, he would have to step in if he felt the guy was using me to get a connection to the States. He made it very clear he would only bless a relationship if he knew the guy really loved me. I just chuckled to myself, thanked him for looking out for me, and hoped he would stop lecturing me soon.

However, this week I've realized there is something about this white skin that drives Haitian men crazy. This week has been Exhibit A in men throwing themselves at me.

• First, one of my 8th grade students, age 18, asked me if I was married. I told him I was not, and I asked if he was married. He replied that no he isn't married, but he's ready to get married. I asked him who he was going to marry, pointing at some of the girls standing near by. He paused for a little bit and then said he wanted to marry me. Oh, how the other students had a good time with this piece of information! 

• Then there are the random greetings I've heard lately. It's customary to say "Bonjour" to almost everyone you see on the street. I've received the following greetings lately: 

Bonjour bee-u-ti-ful!
Hello sexy.
I love you. I still love you.

• Last night I sat and talked with some of the neighbors. There's a man here visiting his mother. He's Haitian, but he lives in the States most of the year. I had met him before, but wasn't overly impressed. He is close to my father's age and was a little too quick to kiss me on the cheek. Last night he asked me how old I was, inquired about how I liked living in Haiti, wondered aloud if I would be interested in staying more than a year, and then proceeded to tell me that if I did decide to stay I should let him know--with that "you know what I mean?" attitude that says he's not just being hospitable. Tonight during our English "class" that was really just the three of us talking, Taina quizzed me on having a boyfriend. Then she said that her cousin told her he liked me and asked her to do all the work for him! YUCK!! I think I might have to talk to Willem about this guy.

• There is also the ongoing saga of the 19 year old student who admitted that he likes me. He is part of the group that walks with me after school each day. I don't think I would mind walking with him so much if he didn't always "conveniently" end up walking right next to me. (I'd like to remind you that Haitians don't understand the concept of personal space.) If I slow down and try to put some space between us, he slows down too. If I trade someone places in our line of people, he shifts over too. I've gotten to the point where I just tell him where to walk, or I make sure one of the little kids is holding my hand on the side closest to him. All of that is bad enough, but today it got worse. I didn't stop at the guest house before going home. I decided to go straight up to the top of 48 and on to my house. He decided that he would take the long way home so he could walk me even more than he already had! Add to that the fact that he is constantly saying, "Be careful!" and "Watch out!" and it's enough to make me lose it.

I suppose the moral of the story is this: If you need a self-esteem boost, move to Haiti where all the men love you.

Elections in Haiti

In case you haven't heard, Haiti held elections yesterday. The people here want change. They wanted their votes to matter, and the people who planned to vote seemed excited to elect someone into office who will lead their country through the rebuilding process, create jobs, and find a solution to the displaced persons camps. Unfortunately, it seems that the election was not as "fair and transparent" as the Provisional Electoral Council claims it was.

I found a video online that highlights some of the problems at the polling stations. The people were upset about these problems, and rightly so. The majority of the presidential candidates called for the election to be canceled and postponed until it could be completed without fraud. The candidates asked the citizens of Haiti to peacefully protest the election. So, the people did just that. Many people took to the streets in Port au Prince calling for Preval (current president) to be arrested. From what I've read online, the protesting was peaceful and there wasn't any violence. Thank you, Jesus! It seems that the streets in the capital are calm this morning, and I'm praying it stays that way.

One thing is certain: Haiti needs a government that is not corrupt. How it's citizens go about obtaining that, I have no idea.

PS. I am safe on the mountain. The protests are far away from me, and my neighborhood was quiet all day yesterday. My neighbors had a little cookout and some compas music, but other than that there is nothing happening even remotely close to us.

Serious Stuff

Elections take place tomorrow, Sunday Nov. 28th, and tensions are running high. In the States we get up a little earlier than normal, stop at the polling station on our way to work, cast our vote, and then watch the results on TV that night. Elections here are a little different. First there are the manifestations to avoid, if you can. Then there's the widespread belief that it doesn't matter who you vote for because the system is so corrupt that whoever has the most money and/or connections will win. And there seems to be some fear of what will happen after the results are announced.

What they call manifestations here are basically disturbances that tend to turn into riots, and they are escalating in Port au Prince. Things are definitely heating up in the city. Enough that school was canceled Friday so the kids wouldn't be out on the streets. There's even talk that it could be canceled on Monday too if the manifestations don't calm down.

Please pray that the elections will go smoothly--without the violence and corruption that seems to plague Haitian politics. Pray also that people will not be afraid to go out and vote, that the person elected as president will lead the people well.

***Just a special note that there are no manifestations happening in my neighborhood. I am safe here on the mountain. The crazy stuff is happening in downtown PaP.

Golden Nuggets IV

Golden Nuggets is a term I am borrowing from my friend Sini who is spending her senior year of high school in Indonesia as a foreign exchange student. She calls all the random facts she's gathered about the country she's now living in Golden Nuggets. In that vein, I am going to periodically share Golden Nuggets about Haiti. 

• While every plot of land in the U.S. has a designated address, specific addresses don't really exist in Haiti. For example there is a main road leaving Petionville (kind of a wealthy suburb of Port au Prince) that goes up the mountain to another town called Kenscoff. That main road is called Rue de Kenscoff. It's a very winding road with turns every few hundred feet. In fact it feels like it's just a big series of S turns. Along Rue de Kenscoff there are areas, or neighborhoods you could say. The first area is called Pelerin. Every street off Rue de Kenscoff in this area is called Pelerin followed by a number. Evens are on one side and odds are on the other. The Pelerin roads start at 1 and go up to 9 I think. After Pelerin comes Laboule. The numbers in Laboule appear to begin at 9 and go all the way to 25. After Laboule comes Thomassin, where I live. However, Thomassin is a big area. It goes all the way from 25 to 60. But the thing is, the roads are not even spaced. Just whenever there is another road leading off Rue de Kenscoff it has the next number. Anyway, every plot of land has the address of their street name and number. So my address is Thomassin 40, but the other 8-10 houses on our very short street also have that address. Willem and Beth live at Thomassin 48, which encompasses a very big area. There are numerous streets leading off of Thomassin 48 and there must be 50+ houses/businesses with the address of Thomassin 48! Occasionally the people living on a street will employ the use of gate numbers, but I don't see that very often. 
• In addition to not having street addresses there is no postal system. Bank statements, utility bills, and the like are delivered by couriers hired by the businesses. Beth told me that if a courier doesn't know exactly where you live (you know, because the address is so specific), they just ask people on the street until they find your house.

The Hard Part

I really enjoy being here in Haiti. The missionaries I am working with are fantastic, and I love my students. I am looking forward to skipping winter weather, and it's awfully nice to have so many people falling over themselves just say hello to me. It makes me feel a little like a rock star.

As much as I love being here, though, there are aspects of the culture that are difficult to deal with. This morning I was a bit overwhelmed by some of them. Awhile ago I began reading a book called Restavec by Jean Robert Cadet. It's a memoir written by a man who was a part of Haiti's socially accepted child slavery. While I haven't seen any evidence of child slavery in the two months I've lived here, last night I was talking to some friends about it. They told me stories about families in mountain villages who send their children to live with relatives or someone they (kind of) know in the city. The family is often told the child will receive an education, be well fed, and be generally taken care of. However when the families go to visit their children or to pick them up, they learn that the child has been forced into slavery. Sometimes the child has been sold or given to someone else and the parents can't find them. It's really very sad because it's a socially accepted part of the culture (at least for the wealthy who are using the kids as slaves).

My friends also explained to me that if a woman has a child from a previous relationship and marries another man, the child is treated as a slave to the rest of the family. For example, there's a woman in Gramothe who had a daughter. Her husband died, and she wanted to become involved with another man. She knew that her daughter would be treated like a slave to the man and any kids she had with him, so she made the tough choice to give her daughter up for adoption. My heart broke for her and the daughter she doesn't have to hold any more.

And then there's the whole corporal punishment issue. Corporal punishment is definitely alive and well in Haiti. Teachers have switches or belts they carry around with them. The principal frequently has a switch in his hand. Sometimes the students are made to kneel on the cement for periods of time as a punishment. I don't think anyone in Haiti has ever heard of positive reinforcement! It's no wonder my students are constantly telling me they like the way I teach. I don't use any of the classroom management techniques they are accustomed to!

I don't share this information with you to make you think poorly of Haitians or their culture. Not every Haitian approves of child slavery, just as not every American condones drug use. The Haitian culture is not bad or wrong. It just has issues like every other culture in the world. I share this information simply to give you a glimpse into what's on my heart. I also don't want to give the rose tinted view of life here. While I like being here, there are parts that are difficult.

Golden Nuggets II

Golden Nuggets is a term I am borrowing from my friend Sini who is spending her senior year of high school in Indonesia as a foreign exchange student. She calls all the random facts she's gathered about the country she's now living in Golden Nuggets. In that vein, I am going to periodically share Golden Nuggets about Haiti. 

•  Elections take place on Nov. 28th. There are about 60 people running for president. Okay, there aren't that many, but it seems like it. There are posters and banners EVERYWHERE promoting candidates. When I arrived there were primarily two candidates plastered everywhere. Now that we are getting closer to the elections, there are more candidates' faces seen on posters and banners. It's a very different advertising system than we use in the States. I'll try to get some pictures this week.

• I think all schools in Haiti require the students to wear a uniform. Uniforms here generally consist of a solid colored bottom (pants/shorts for boys, skirts/jumper for girls), and a button down shirt. The shirts are either a solid color that is a different color from the bottoms or a checkered pattern that is white and the same color as the bottoms. Gramothe's elementary uses turquoise as it's color. The high school uniform has dark green bottoms and a white top that has very light stripes. The ugliest uniforms I've seen have been canary yellow shirts with tan jumpers. Some poor high school girls had to wear them... everyday of their high school career most likely. I think the cutest uniforms are any uniform a preschool child is wearing. They are so stinking cute!

My preschool friend, Darline. 







• Everywhere I go I am called blanc. It means white in French/Creole. I don't know if I should be offended or not, but it does get old after a while. Sometimes when I'm walking there are little kids that will walk with me for a while. Often they work up the courage to quickly touch my white skin when they think I'm not looking. Sometimes the preschool kids at school will walk up and just grab my hand or arm. They are fascinated by my white skin.

First Day of School

Well, I have to say the first day of school was anti-climactic. I let myself get all worked up last night. I was worried about not knowing where to go, not knowing the skill level of the students, no knowing if there are books, not knowing if the principal speaks English, not knowing... anything! In fact, I was so upset I cried several times just thinking about what an idiot I was going to look like.

Johane had told me not to worry about the first day; it would be no big deal. She also said there would be maybe 30 students there on the first day. Well, she was right. The first day of school was absolutely ridiculous. Only two high school students reported for class. Two kids in grades 7-12! That's crazy!

I went up the mountain with Willem and Johane on a four wheeler. When we arrived it was probably a little after 9 am. Classes begin promptly at 8 each morning, so I was a bit shocked to see a handful of the kids from Laboule plus some I didn't know standing at the top of the road. I was even more shocked to see more students sitting on the steps in front of the church and leaning against the rail outside the cafeteria. In total there were probably less than 30 students I could see, and there were no classes in session.

First, Johane took me up to the elementary principal's office where there were 6 or 7 teachers sitting in a row. I think they were having some kind of meeting, but at least one teacher could have been with all the k-6 students. Next I went up to the preschool where there were four teachers and one solitary student. Poor little guy. He looked like he wanted to go home.

Eventually Johane took me to meet the high school principal. He is tall and skinny, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't speak English. He hasn't made a good impression on me. He's still not finished making the high school master schedule. School was supposed to begin today. What was he going to do if even half the high school students showed up?!

Then I met the Haitian men who are teaching English. Johane introduced us, and then took off to find something. I wish she had stayed to witness the conversation that followed. I said I was interested in the vocabulary each class is working on, and the shorter man replied. He said something about the three of us working together and I could watch them teach and then the students would come to me.  Okay, so I didn't exactly get an answer to my question; that's okay. Then I asked which grades they taught. They did not understand that question and kind of mumbled something. I tried to clarify and say, "Does one of you teach 7, 8, and 9 and the other teach 10, 11, 12?" But the taller, younger one (named Gary) gave me a mini lecture about how each of us will teach our own way. He gave an example about how he likes to have the students write on the board, but I may or may not do that. He said I will watch their classes and they will allow me to follow them. And it's okay if we all teach our own way, but we will work together. We must work together. Seriously? Did you even hear the question? Finally, the short guy told me that they were planning today for the rest of the year, so he couldn't give me anything right now--we'll meet later this week.

It could be a long year with my colleagues! Some of the students I've met are easier to understand.

After I met the principal and English teachers, I found Willem and Johane. They asked me what I thought with smirks on their faces. When I told them about my trouble communicating with the English teachers, they both laughed. Then Willem told me how he spoke better English than his teacher in high school.

For the rest of morning I hung out near the kids. I took some pictures with Beth's camera (I'll try to post some tomorrow), and I talked with the Laboule kids for a bit. Then I found a shady spot on the steps under the church, and watched the kids play. Eventually about 15 kids came and hung out near me. Some of them were from Laboule, some were high school students I met at church, and others were just with their friends. I was able to use some Creole phrases I've learned, and my Laboule kids and the high school students tried out some English with me. It was a nice morning, but looking back on it I wish I would have gotten out my English books and worked with the kids. They needed some type of academic activity on the first day of school.

Johane and I discussed this cultural issue of not going to school for the first week or month. She said it's the mindset of parents who aren't educated. She said the first day is better attended at schools where the parents have all been to school themselves. It seems like the parents would jump at the chance to send their kids to school, but I can see why the first day isn't that important when the teachers use it as a planning day.

On Wednesday I'll go back up the mountain to see if the schedule is finished. Maybe there will even be enough students to form a class.

Haiti Q & A: What do you eat?

Q. What do you eat in Haiti?
A. So far I have eaten whatever Beth's cook, named Mira, has made for me. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have someone else cook a nice meal every single day! Mira is an excellent cook and makes a variety of dishes. Most of the the time she cooks eggs and oatmeal for breakfast. There have been a few days I've just eaten some fresh bread (I could live on the stuff it's so delicious!). The for dinner she has a system. She generally makes some sort of rice/beans, a meat or meat dish, gratinay (casserole), a hot vegetable, a salad and bread. So far I really like Haitian food. I'll try to take some pictures of other things we eat in the coming weeks.

Tonight we had ble (pronounced blay), which is a crushed wheat/grain, instead of rice with our beans.

Our meat dish was fried meatballs with a red sauce (my favorite sauce).

The gratinay tonight was something new. It's normally made with cabbage or potatoes and had a cheese sauce. It's baked in the oven and is yummy. Tonight Mira made it with lom, which is a gigantic vegetable that seems similar to a potato.

Tonight we had okra as our vegetable. Thankfully that one doesn't show up very often. My mom made me eat it once. I still think it's as disgusting as it was when I was a kid.

Yummy fresh bread. It takes on different shapes, but it tastes the same everyday.