Mes Amies!

Pictures will come when I return to the States--the upload time here is ridiculously slow.

I so wish I could have blogged last night about the wonderful day we had at the beach yesterday.  It's hard to even put into words what the day was like.  Pretty much everything went according to plan--in terms of time--and traffic wasn't bad at any point.

The kids absolutely loved their day.  From the moment we loaded them into Pedro's "pap a dap" to the moment we returned, the kids smiled.  Seriously, they smiled all the time.  And so did the adults because the kids were so happy!

One of the best parts of the day was walking down the steps of Wahoo Beach and hearing two of the kids say "Mes amies!  Mes amies!," which translates roughly as "Oh, my God.  Oh, my God."  They had never seen such a sight.

After they put their suits on (that's a story in itself), they jumped right in the water.  They had absolutely no fear . . . that means they played lots in the water, but it also means that we had to keep herding them in from being out too deep (none of them know how to swim!).  They got on our shoulders and jumped off.  They built sandcastles.  They floated and played with the inner tubes.  For hours, they entertained themselves in the water.

It was also cool to see the nanny, Marimat, relaxing in the water.  Susan had brought an old swimsuit for Marimat, so she was able to enjoy the beach.  She took the time to hang with the twin babies--Kinsly and Kinsle--and kept an eye on the other kids.  Even meal time went smoothly.  The kids shared chicken baskets and fries without fighting over who got more, and the older kids made sure that the babies were getting enough.  Susan, Rhonda, and I ate our lunches with the kids and sent Chedner and Marimat to eat with Oriol and Pedro.  Marimat seemed to really enjoy being able to eat a meal without having to attend to children!  I don't blame her since she probably NEVER gets to eat in peace.

After lunch we took the kids out in shifts for a boat ride.  The girls went first--too often girls are second to boys in Haiti--and Marimat and Rhonda went on that trip.  Then came the boys with Chender, Oriol, and Susan.  The boat man let me drive on the second trip--I think I may buy me a house on the beach, get me a boat, and make my living giving short tours along the shoreline.  I could do that!  One of the boys, Gibsoh, was afraid, so I had him sit between my legs and help steer.  He eventually smiled, but I don't think he ever really relaxed.

Here are some of the highlights of the day:
1.  Getting the kids into their suits--they were supposed to wear them to the beach, but they didn't.  They simply changed right there on the beach!  We had to corral the naked kids running around.

2.  Jerry coming up to hug me . . . just because.
3.  Watching the older kids take care of the younger kids during lunch.
4.  Sharing our lunches with the kids who were still hungry.  They all took their "one bite at a time," and no one ever pushed, shoved, or complained.
5.  Watching eyes light up as they climbed into the boat.
6.  Sharing cookies on the way home.
7.  Babies sleeping in our arms.


I'm not sure I've had a better day in Haiti.

A Bit of Everything

The painting is finished!  We were able to get a second coat on all the walls in each room and paint two of the doors.  We did as much as we could with the paint that we had.  The place looks tons better than when we started even if there are spots that don’t look too professional.  We were all out of energy today by the end—I think it was a combination of exhaustion, paint fumes, heat/humidity, and kids running amok while we worked.  The biggest blow came right as we were leaving for lunch—one of the kids had taken a marker and drawn on a wall in the front room!  We all just about lost it.  The nanny could tell how upset we were, and by the time we got back from lunch, someone had painted over the marker. 

The trip to PID with Va Va was uneventful.  She most likely has conjunctivitis, and the doctor gave her ointment, cough syrup (I think), vitamins, and something else.  I think the vitamins and cough syrup are standard for most of the kids who come through PID.

I then planned to take Alexandria to Healing Hands for Haiti for an exam that we could use for her medical visa.  Lauren was back from the embassy, though, and she agreed to take Alexandria instead.  I headed over to Chedner’s to paint hopeful that we would be one step closer to the visa.  My hopes were sort lived.  Lauren shared that when they arrived at Healing Hands they were told that they only took patients on Tuesdays.  Lauren mentioned the doctor’s name that Gertrude wanted to see the kids and was told that he no longer worked for them!  Wish we had found that out months ago!   Lauren was at least able to get the doctor’s phone number so that Gertrude can call him.  Not sure why it has to be that doctor, but it apparently needs to be.

I have been trying to get lots of board work done tonight, and like all things in Haiti, it seems as if bits and pieces are accomplished in fits and starts.  But, we keep plowing away.

Am looking forward to tomorrow and the day at the beach with the kids.  It will be work, but it will so be worth it to see the kids enjoy themselves.

Friday should also be a good day—hanging out with just Rhonda, Susan, and Oriol and doing some shopping and dining out.  At least on Friday my brain won’t be fried from trying to speak Creole so much.

I have no idea when I can post this because the Internet has been incredibly painful tonight.

I have pictures that I want to post, but the Internet is driving me nuts.

Unsure

I titled the post "Unsure" because I wasn't sure whether I wanted to post it or not.  I wrote it last night, but couldn't upload it due to Internet issues.  I thought about just not posting it at all because it wasn't overly flattering to me or anyone else and because it isn't my best writing.  But, I decided to go ahead with it because it's real.  Yes, it's not the best.  But, I wasn't at my best yesterday either.  And as hard as it is to share the very real, very not-so-best sides of me, I want to be honest about what I feel and do here in Haiti.  To whitewash and sugar coat events does little good.

New Clothes

Painting the hallway

     So much to learn as American working in Haiti.  I really want things to happen so that our sponsors back home can see the results of their donations, but in order to do that, I sometimes have to push the receivers to do things on my time table so that I can get the requisite photos to take back and show.  It’s a balancing act that I don’t know that I always do so well.  Chedner did find (make) the time to go out today and order the fabric for the boys’ pants, and he bought them new shirts and shoes.  He also got the girls new dresses.  At first he said that he couldn’t do it until tomorrow, but I wonder whether he thought he had to do it today to please me.  I hope not, but I think maybe so.

            My leadership skills were put to the test today, and I failed miserably.  I felt pulled in multiple directions while we painted: get this moved, get the kids out of here, tell him to stop painting, can’t they move that crap?, I think we should do this, no do that, start here, no there.  My voice became snippier and snippier.  I try to communicate with Chedner what all we need/want, but it’s hard.  I just don’t know enough “painting” words in Creole. 

A before picture of the bedrooom

            Then, I tried to get the group to stop for lunch, but some of the members didn’t want to stop.  I tried to explain that we needed to break not only for ourselves (eat, replenish water), but also so that the kids could eat.  I didn’t do so well.  I also let personal feelings get in the way.  I felt as I had somehow become the resident idiot painter as every (or so it seemed) idea I presented was shot down.  Back at the guesthouse we had to rearrange our plans for the next couple of days because we want to finish the painting before taking time to “play.”  I again tried to explain that we couldn’t just skip lunch to work straight though the next day (we need to take care of ourselves and make sure we have enough water), we couldn’t eat in front of the kids to save time (culturally insensitive), and we couldn’t just eat outside in the street (again, culturally insensitive).  I guess I should have done more official cultural awareness training before we left.  That’s hard to do when with a group made up of friends and sort of acquaintances.  I need to figure out how to handle that.  Even at the end of the day when it was time to pack up, the comment was made we’ll stay until we finish the tray of paint.  I responded with “No, we have to leave so that we can be back at 5:00.”  That’s because I want to respect the schedule at the guesthouse. 

Alligator didn't make it a day

            As is obvious, I did not handle my leadership responsibilities well today.  I let my own emotions get in the way as I talked with people, and I let my frustrations show. 

Highlights of the Day

1.       Finding swimsuits for the kids who are going to the beach on Thursday.

2.      Taking Va Va to PID to check out the gunk in her eye.  We couldn’t get in before the 3:00 closing, so I will go back in the morning (7:30 a.m.).

3.      Talking with Gertrude about future plans for the guesthouse and school.

4.      Bringing out the Scooby Doo coloring pages (all kids seem to know Scooby Doo).

5.      Seeing Roberto again!

6.      Drinking an ice-cold Coca after a hot day of working.

7.      Making plans to take Alexandria for an evaluation tomorrow (one step closer to a medical visa—please be praying!).

8.      Sitting on the roof top chatting with friends.

9.      Helping Rosie with her homework.

The babies get diapers and a swimshirt

Roller Coaster Day

Going Up

Riding in the back of the truck

We started for Chedner's at 8:00 a.m. as planned.  He was ready to go when we arrived.  We arrived at the hardware store about 10:00 o'clock or so . . . we encountered just a tiny "blokis" around the American embassy.  I was impressed with the hardware store, primarily because it had quality looking materials in it: lawn furniture, faucets, toilets, paint on the shelves.  It looked familiar (read American).  We were able to find pretty much everything we needed except rags and small containers to hold paint.  I think the concept of a "rag"' is alien to Haitians.  I guess I should say the concept of buying rags.  Why pay money for things that you can make at home by recycling the clothes no longer good to wear?  It makes sense--all the rags we had as kids came from old, cut up t-shirts.

Shopping

We got extra brushes and rollers because the older boys wanted to help.  Don't know that that turned out to be such a good idea!  More on that later.

Yes!  Under our limit!

We kept the cost to under $300 which was good.  The hardest part was picking out the color!  For some reason Chedner didn't want to pick the color!  And, I have no ability to color coordinate--I wore pink and green on the plane and Rhonda and Susan questioned my outfit.  Susan came to the rescue and chose Pastel Green.  Unfortunately, they didn't carry that color in 5 gallon buckets.  So, we went back to the color wheel and settled on "peche," or peach.  It still went with the chocolate for the door accents, so we were good to go.  

Coming Down

Upon return to Chedner's we hoped to begin painting.  No such luck.  The walls still had to be sanded (so why did we wash the walls yesterday if they still needed to be sanded today?).  Within minutes the air was filled with a fine dust.  We explained to Chedner that we couldn't begin painting the ceiling while the boys were sanding because there would be too much dust in the air.  I was growing worried because we were concerned about being able to get all the painting done, having already lost precious hours this morning.  So, we walked back to Gertrude's for lunch with Chedner's promise that the sanding would be done when we returned at 1:00.  

As we approached Chedner's after lunch, we could still hear the sounds of sandpaper ringing in the air.  We looked at each other and shook our heads.  The boys were "sorta" done with the job, but we were determined to begin on the ceilings.  Chaos.

Upswing

The tiniest of positives come right before the ceiling fiasco.  We called the little kids upstairs and handed out their gifts: a lunch box filled with toys and school supplies.  Smiles all around!

Plummet

After the paint fight

Not sure who won or lost the fight

We opened the ceiling paint, and you'da thought that they boys had been given a sugar I.V.!  We poured it into the paint tray, and before we knew it, the five older boys had pretty much all the rollers and were slopping it everywhere!  We had put down a drop cloth, but they paid no head of that.  White ceiling paint was on the floor, the table, and parts of the walls before it got on the ceiling.  It was 30 minutes of chaos, and I just about lost it.  I felt sick to my stomach because all I could think was that I was totally screwing this up.  And, to top it off, various neighbors felt the need to stop in and view the work.  Kids on their way home from school poked their heads in.  I felt as if I were in a three-ring circus!  

Up, Up, Up!

Eventually Chedner moved the boys on to ceiling in the back rooms which left Rhonda, Susan, and I to paint the walls in the front room.  I have to admit, the first rolls of wall paint dropped all our stomachs.  It went on like white wash.  No kidding, I thought we would have to put on about 15 coats.  The paint was thin, not stirred well enough, and the walls just soaked it up.  Not all places on the walls had been prepped well enough, so in spots it bubbled.  I have to admit, at moments I felt as if we were just creating a huge mess.  However, after about an hour, the room actually started to look okay.  I'd even venture that it looked decent.  While Rhonda and Susan did some touch-up work in the front room, I moved on to the hallway.  By the time we left, the front room looked pretty much finished and the hallway area had a good first coat on it.  

Tomorrow our plan is to start bright and early at 8:00, paint until noon, break for lunch, and then paint another 3-4 hours.  

We headed back to clean up, tired and sweaty, but feeling as if we had accomplished something.

That's the painting saga. 

 I wanna go back to the "upswing" portion.  The kids loved receiving their lunch boxes.  I think the thought that someone had thought to bring them a gift blew them away.  I think that they had something of their own blew them away.  I think that they had a gift blew them away.  I forget how much I have in the States and how much I take for granted.  It's not right or wrong or good or bad.  It's the reality of the world we live in.  

But, I need to hold onto the reality that so many others live in and figure out ways to walk with them as equals.  

I think tomorrow's blog will be less about what happens and more about thoughts.  I have so much that I want to share, but my battery power is running low.  As is my brain power!

Taking care of the kids

Getting Started

Another "first"day in Haiti.  Lots of good stuff happened along with lots of typical Haiti stuff.  Like time issues.  I have to admit I really don't understand the Haitian concept of time.  It makes it so hard to plan stuff.  Like, if you say you're going to meet someone at noon, then meet them at noon.  Not at 1:00.  Not whenever.  Or worse, not ever!  Oh, well.  At least I got drive again in Haiti!  I think Gertrude may even allow me to take the truck out on my own more often.

That's it for the rant about typical Haiti stuff.  Now on to the good stuff.  Like meeting all the new kids at Notre Maison. Like seeing the "babies" all grown up--okay, so they're really only three, but they talk and they walk and they feed themselves.  It's so cool.  Like holding Alexandria who looks so much better than when I last saw her.

Chedner

One of Chedner's new boys hard at work

 Like getting started right away at Chedner's.  Lots of good things going on.

Chedner has new kids at the orphanage.  I understand that he has taken in five older boys from Cite Soleil.  Cite is a VERY rough and VERY poor area not far from where we are.  In fact, Cite Soleil is one of the poorest  areas in the Western Hemisphere.  These guys have seen the hard side of life in every way.  I'm not sure why they were sent to Chedner's, but at least they are getting three meals a day and have a roof over their heads.  They, too, will be coming with us to the beach on Thursday.  Should be interesting.

Storage/play room while we prepped the walls

The little guy in the bed to the left is Chi Chi.  He has a beautiful smile and a huge personality.  Even though his body doesn't work so well, he's an awesome little boy.  I love seeing him light up when someone pays him a bit of attention!

Cliff--new boy at Chedner's

    The boy to the right, Cliff, is new to me.  He doesn't seem to do much except lie there.  I'd like to spend more time with him tomorrow when I can take a break from painting.




I also enjoyed seeing some of the new road construction in the neighborhood.  Progress is happening, albeit slowly.





Okay.  So, I have to go back to a bit of venting about all things typical of Haiti.  Rhonda, Susan, and I sent money to Chedner about three weeks ago so that he could be the paint so that we would be all ready to paint first thing tomorrow morning.  Guess where the paint is?  That's right--still at the hardware store!  He hasn't bought it yet.  I worry only because the last time I tried to buy paint in Haiti it took three hours.  So, if that holds true again, then we will have lost some valuable painting time.


We'll just have to wait and see!