The New Normal

Over the weekend, I told my parents a story over Skype and my mom goes “I really hope that you are writing all of this stuff down, it is crazy!” But to me, it has stopped seeming so crazy. Let’s see a few examples:

1. Punctuality. I went to a wedding over the weekend that was supposed to start at 9:30 am. It started at 11:10. If people mean for you to actually be on time, they are known to say “6:30 American,” or my favorite “6:30 Obama.” Sometimes, this whole time thing is still a struggle for me, especially because it is inconsistent: when I start counting on something being late, it starts on time!

Oh yeah, I was a bridesmaid :) 

2. I almost never eat raw vegetables. Whether this is a cultural thing or a “kill all of the germs” thing, I am not sure, but this queen of the baby carrots has yet to see them here.

3. We walk slowly. After four years in New York/thinking I could make it to my class across campus in 6 minutes every day, this also took some adjustment. But when the sun is high, it is just much cooler to stroll along.

4. That being said, it is very rare to go out in the sun. You leave all errands to the non-sunny hours and Haitians will do things like cross the street or huddle in the corner to get in a little bit of shade. People were shocked by how pale I was when I came back for med school interviews… that’s why!

5. Wild things. Once I woke up to a cow mooing right outside of my window. Usually, however, it is to the sounds of chickens or turkeys. Lizards roam the ceiling and if I am a slob who leaves food/wrappers out, my mouse friend comes and reminds me not to do that.

My collection of turkeys. 

6. Being blan. I was in Haiti for three weeks before I saw another white person. If I walk down the street, children yell out “blan” (creole for “white”) or, their favorite English “Hey you.” It is slightly disconcerting at times because all eyes are always on me, but for those of us that love attention, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One of the most disconcerting parts about it is that it is sort of an all-access pass. I can enter offices, buildings, airports without a problem while my Haitian friends will be stopped and questions. It is a difficult mark of privilege.

7. We don’t so much have rainy season and wet season here, so much as “it pours in the afternoon” season or “oh crap it is dusty” season. We are definitively in the dust season, which means, though I sweep regularly, (I promise, Mom!) don’t even think about walking barefoot around my room!

8. Being wrong. I am a teacher whose French gets corrected by her students. Shop keepers lecture me on problems with my Creole… in Creole of course. It took me an embarrassingly long time for me to figure out how to flush a toilet with a bucket when visiting people’s houses. Or, my personal favorite, the time I was so excited that I had seen a shooting star that I told some friends about it. They informed me that this is actually an omen of death. Oops.

9. If I call you in America, if I am calling you for a specific reason, the call usually goes “Hey it’s me could you…” Here, this does not fly. We need to go through hello, how are you, how is your family, how was your weekend, it is a beautiful day. Ok now why did you call. And we all know how much I love talking on the phone, especially in a foreign language J

10. People touch a lot. It is not unusual for someone of either sex to grab your hand while you are talking or walking or to have someone’s arm around your shoulder. That being said, a woman’s handshake in Haiti tends to be half a shake… you kind of clutch the other person’s fingers.  

11. It is incredibly loud, all of the time. There are no noise restrictions, so it isn't unusual to hear music blasting from clubs, houses, and churches at any hour of the day or night. Now, with RaRa bands starting to practice for Carnival, it is getting more interesting!

Hmmm I am going 2 for 2 on top X lists as blog posts this year… how long can I keep this up???

Four Years Later

Four years ago today, 80% of the town I live in was broken, destroyed, damaged in 35 seconds. Between 100,000 and 150,000 people died and countless others were injured or debilitated. Cell phones did not work and people did not know what had happened to their loved ones for days or weeks. Four years later, and the effects are still obvious. I have many friends who live in tin roof houses because their families are afraid of concrete roofs. Many more still live in temporary structures, in ruins of their old homes, or under tarps because they do not have the money to rebuild. Many schools are still plywood and tin-roof squares open to the elements with no sound barriers between classrooms. Cholera, which came to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, still affects hundreds per year. Most people in this region live without a mother or a father or a sister or a best friend. As someone coming in from the outside, it is impossible for me to understand just how much life has changed.

And yet the Haitians I have spoken to see hope. There were silver linings to the earthquake, though they are sometimes hard to see. When thousands suddenly became cripples, a society that had formerly seen those with physical deformities as the work of the devil was forced to start accepting them. Greater international attention and millions of dollars were brought to a country already desperately in need. There is a palpable stress in the air today and a real feeling of loss. But in church, we heard remember the fallen but realize that you are still here. You still have a life to live and you are here for a reason.  

Today we pray for Haiti, for the hundreds of thousands lost and those whose lives were forever changed. We pray that she may be rebuilt, better and stronger than ever. We pray for wisdom for her leaders and the strength of her people. And we pray for the indefatigable and faith-filled spirit of the Haitian people, that they may heal and work towards a greater future. 

10 Things I have Learned in 2014

1) I do not pretend to understand Haitian tax code, but rumor has it, you don’t have to pay property taxes if you don’t paint your house. As a result, most houses in Haiti are pretty boring to look at.

2) I teach English at the Episcopal High School in Léogâne one day a week and am the only female teacher that the school has had since 1987. Apparently, not that many women make it through the teaching certification program.

3) Haiti has a tradition of homeopathic medicine that uses natural plants, herbs, and ingredients. It could be interesting to explore!

4) At some point in trying to not fail high school gym class, I actually learned how to play volleyball well enough to not embarrass myself on the beach.

 5) Before the slave revolt, slavers forbade slaves from eating certain foods, including pumpkins. To this day, Haitians eat pumpkin soup on January 1^st in celebration of their Independence Day. Unfortunately, no one that I was with on New Years Day knew how to make pumpkin soup, so we contented our selves by making the delicious fried Haitian treat of Paté, a fried dough with spicy peppers, fish, hot dogs, onions, garlic, and green peppers. Sounds weird but it is delicious!

6) My name and pictures I took at the FSIL Christmas events made it into the Haitian newspaper! #famous!

7) TSA will throw away sunscreen in your carry-on but will allow Gingerbread House frosting to pass through! Former YASCer Cameron came to visit while I was in Cap and brought us this fun treat to celebrate our late Christmas.

The first gingerbread house ever for Fritz, Ashley's interpreter/assistant/friend

8) When you visit the home/office of the Music Program Coordinator for the Northern Region of Haiti, you can get a private concert!

9) On a 15 person prop plane between Léogâne and Cap Haitian, they open the windows when you are taxiing. And you can see the pilots through the entire flight.

The Plane

The pilots (and the back of some guys head with a full head of hair.)

10) The East Coast is experiencing a Polar Vortex. I am feeling really sorry for y’all. The beach was lovely here on January 2nd.