Monday, May 27, 2013

May 27 Awakening to Haiti


May 27 Awakening to Haiti



Can I get this beautiful piece home?  Done it before.


May 27. I sleep in, no surprise there. Breakfast is over but one of the female Haitian staff brings me a tray of mango and watermelon slices, omelet and bread and local peanut butter. Coffee is sooo strong. Points for the guesthouse service.

I chat with David from PEI who has spent two weeks working on developing agri projects in mountain communities. I connect with my friend Antonio. He may drop over for a cold one later. Finish editing the new Welcome Home Children's Centre web site and send it LIVE, while their team is here in Haiti.

There is a group of 40 young people with a Catholic NGO staying at this guest house. They actually partied quite well last night to overcome their trauma of being  pushed around by over enthusiastic Haitians while distributing school supplies in a tent city. No surprise there, when there is never enough to go around, you're in trouble. A lot of noise and high testosterone fuelled tempers. Learning experience.

I'm stuck in the guesthouse compound for now, although quite comfortable, as there was an accident at the airport today and flights in and out were cancelled so my team is stuck somewhere. To keep busy I've offered to go to a nearby school to speak with the kids. How will I know what to say?

From outside the security gates, the sounds of barking dogs, motorcycles, truck horns, helicopters and blaring kompa music from  speakers mounted inside pick-ups. Peering over the wall, the street scene is dominated by giant dump trucks still hauling away loads of seemingly endless rubble from the neighbourhoods streets and back lanes. Looking a lot better. To close the day I get a surprise phone call from one of my former staff, Myrlene, a young guest house worker. Very sweet, she was excited to chat and catch up.


2 comments:

  1. Can you wrap it up really well? Is it too big to fit into a hockey bag (or did you bring a hockey bag this time?). It's beautiful, Eric, but it's only day two and you are likely to fall in love with loads of art between now and when you get home. Pace yourself buddy!
    Marnie

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  2. Haha Cathy wants it. they will package up for me here if I decide. Thanks for commenting.

    e

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