My new BFF

Now that school has been in session for a full month, the kids are getting used to seeing me around campus. However, the kids can be put into two categories based on their reaction to seeing me. First there is the "Novelty" group. They love talking to and touching me. The older kids in this category seek me out to practice speaking English, while the littlest kids go out of their way to touch my white skin.  The older elementary students just find a way to make eye contact and then say, "Good morning, teacher."

Then there is the other group. I call them the "Avoiders." They avoid me at all costs. While most of the high school students are happy to see me, there are still some who keep their distance. They see me coming and hurry to their classrooms. The preschool children in this category look the other direction when I smile at them. Some of them have even cried when I got too close for comfort!

Darline, a preschool student, is definitely in the "Novelty" group. She waves at my every time she sees me, and she often comes running over to hold my hand. She is so sweet! She talks to me as if I can understand her, and she does everything in her power to be close to me. She leans on me while we're standing, and she often rubs my arm while talking to me. Today she even kissed me when she thought I wasn't paying attention. She is definitely my new BFF.

Christmas in October

My tub from the trailer and some of my things from home. So very exciting!!!

Heaven Help Me!

Some of my older students want me to speak Creole with them. They claim they want me to be "strong in Creole" before I leave the country, and they said I must practice with them. Then, my Creole tutor informed me this afternoon that I'm no longer allowed to speak to him in English. I have to speak Creole only.

I think it's a conspiracy against me.

Speaking of conspiracies, my students, and my Creole tutor especially, have gotten this strange idea in their heads that I need to sing a special song in church. I have NO IDEA where they got this ridiculous idea because I certainly didn't give it to them! I like to sing and can blend in with a large group, but I am not about to sing in front of a group of people. Crazy kids!

Thoughts on Today

• It's weird to have a medical team here and not be working with them. I still have my normal teaching load, so I can't have a job in the clinic. I pop in and help where I'm needed, but mostly I have been trying to stay out of their way.
• This afternoon, I sat with my friends Arold and Nalouse outside the clinic and listened to worship music on my laptop. There something amazing about looking out over the mountains and singing praises to God with friends who are singing the same song in a different language. 
• Teaching English to 40 plus 7th grade students who don't speak your language necessitates the use of a variety of classroom management techniques. Facial expressions must be at a maximum. Throwing in Creole phrases helps their comprehension. Threatening to get the principal will buy me 10 minutes of their attention. And calling random students to the front of the class to speak English is an effective tool for assessment and punishment for those who don't listen.
• I've learned I'm too self-conscious to practice Creole with people who speak Creole and English. Some of my students want me to speak in Creole with them, but I can't make myself do it. For now I'm happy muddling through with the little kids and the adults who don't speak English.
• Tonight my heart breaks for my friend Amy. I've known her since she was in 6th grade, and I love the girl more than I can say. It was hard to say goodbye to her in September because it's her senior year of high school and I've been with her since she started youth group. Amy's mom has had fragile health for a couple of years, but this fall she has had a rough time. She went to the hospital earlier this week and today she went to be with the Lord. My heart hurts for Amy. I want to be able to hug her and hold her and cry with her.

Don't Freak Out

Yes, there has been a cholera outbreak in Haiti.

No, there haven't been any cases in our area. For now the sickness seems to be contained to north of Port au Prince, and we are southeast of the city. We are, however, preparing in case it does head this way. The clinic is stocked with antibiotics. We even have enough that we can share with other clinics and pharmacies if we need to. In church on Sunday Willem reminded everyone of the importance of washing their hands after using the bathroom and before eating. I will be making signs in Creole for the school and clinic about washing their hands.

Also, there is a 23 person medical team arriving today for a clinic that was scheduled months ago. While we are praying that cholera does not get this far, they have reviewed procedures for dealing with cholera and are prepared to treat patients should they arrive.

Please pray that the outbreak does not spread any further and that those who are currently sick would have access to medical treatment.

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.

Shortcut

Here's another picture of the shortcut Arold told me to take the first time I walked home from school. If you missed my account of the ordeal, you can read it here.  Incidentally, he asked me the other day why I haven't taken the shortcut since the first day. What a punk!

 

I think I took this picture from the place where you leave the Gramothe road to get to the riverbed. If not there, then one curve higher than the start to the shortcut.

Courtesy of Google Earth

This is my world from above. Gramothe is on the left and my house is on the right. I think North is actually right. At any rate, you can see where I spend the majority of my time, and the routes I take to get there.

Here's the walk from my house to the guest house. The elevation is showing from the guest house (left) to my house (right).

This is the route from the guesthouse to the school. Red is the road and yellow is the shortcut.

Close up of the short cut. The elevation is shown in pink.

an all around great day

• I officially learned to drive the four wheeler today. It was easier than I thought, and I think Willem is only suffering from mild whiplash. I drove from the riverbed up to Gramothe.
• The neighbors always hang out under a tree just outside my gate. Today I went outside and talked with them for a couple of hours. They were intimidating at first, but now that I've met them I will be visiting more often. 
• In fact two of the ladies want to practice English 3 times a week. Actually I think they would like to practice everyday, but I need some down time. I only committed to three days a week. But I need to start thinking of words to teach them. They are already very good at speaking English.
• I taught three classes at Gramothe High School today. I was mostly pleased with how they went. It's still hard for me to know exactly what to teach each class, but I think I actually taught something new today!
• I had a great English lesson with the Laboule kids after school today. It was raining when we started, but it had stopped when we were ready to walk home. The kids stayed with me the whole time instead of ditching me at the short cut, and I was able to practice Creole with them. 
• I have internet at home tonight!!!

Entourage

These are the kids that walk with me after school. They talk a mile a minute, all at one time. It can be very overwhelming because every third word is "Bwiney" and I have no idea what they are telling me!