Grafitti

A local graffiti artist named Jerry. 

He does amazing work, very politically minded. 

Check them out and see what you think.

Apparently this one was on the cover of some major newspapers/ magazines the day he died. 

This is my personal favorite, kind of tells you what some of the people think of us "suits" coming into "help" Haiti.

Another favorite. 

I just love these women in front of this one. 

Tent City

We knew that our kids would be seeing new things in Haiti and hoped that they would be gaining a new perspective on how the rest of the world lives, but we were surprised to have this conversation with BJ yesterday morning.
We were sitting at breakfast and totally out of the blue BJ says-
"If Uncle Pauls house falls down (our landlords name is Paul, I have an Uncle Paul BJ calls them both Uncle Paul) then we will live on the street in a tent city?"
The funny part is he was totally fine with it, like yep this is just what will happen. 

Most Embarrassing Moments

We are back in Haiti and I have lots of thoughts about our trip home and back that I will have to share when my bloggers block is gone.

I feel like almost daily in Haiti I am embarrassed/humbled by something either myself or my children does.

Today was no exception.

The oldest two and I went to church this am. We were the only ones ready as the time change is still catching up to us and two of the babies GI system had a tough time in the US. We arrive at church at 8:50, the time that sacrament is supposed to start. (Sacrament is last and our church starts at 7 now instead of 6). The Bishop is already talking which I was surprised by because it did not seem we were that late. I think I hear him saying something about Joseph Smith, maybe bearing his testimony, which is also weird at the beginning of the meeting. But, hey I really have no idea what is going on. So the girl stands up to start conducting and I make my way to the piano (somehow I am the ward piano player, choir director, and piano lesson teacher. This is another story which includes A LOT of humbling opportunities) and I start playing the opening hymn. I do not play well by reading music, I play by sound much better and since the hymn book is in French most of the time I have no idea what I am playing. This time I actually recognized the song in the first few measures. Plus for me! Until a girl from the front row came up and changed the page for me!

Apparently they decided to start church at 6am again and it was the closing hymn they were on. I was on the opening.

Nothing like a big slice of humble pie first thing on a Sunday morning in front of the whole ward!

Common Sights in Haiti

As I read what I have written and looked at pictures I have posted, I realize it does not even begin to tell the story of what Haiti looks like. So as we were driving around the other day I decided to take some pictures.

Charcoal is commonly used to cook. It is sold on the street and is nothing like our clean grilling charcoal. You can see from quite a distance where it is being sold just from the black residue it leaves on everything.

This is a common sight in Haiti, a man pulling a giant dolly thing packed full of wood or metal. It is not uncommon to see these things full of pieces of metal from a stripped down car with 2-3 guys pulling/pushing it.

Another common street. As you can see trash piled high, behind the trash what you can not see is an open gutter with all sorts of grossness flowing in it.

So all the above pictures are of Carrefour. This is the area that we have been asked to build a school in. It is probably the worst conditions I have seen in Haiti. It is amazing how just when you think you have seen the most horrifying, sickening, unlivable, poverty stricken, disgusting, heart breaking situation you see one worse. And the one you saw before becomes suddenly "not so bad". I think this is how one talks themselves into thinking this situation here is "not so bad". I am pretty sure if you had these responses every time you drove down the street you may just freeze with an inability to act or worse yet somehow rationalize that the situation is somehow deserved or okay because someone "does not know any different". I hope that we do not freeze and will certainly never think starving people is okay, but will continue to be able find ways to take action. We are still working on what that will look like. And with every dark cloud there is a silver lining. The silver lining here to me is the people. The conditions are dire, the people are lovely.

This is what the streets that are paved look like. Giant, unmarked pot holes or manholes without covers and of course the trash as well as the cars parked on the sidewalks etc.

Which is why our car very often looks like this. I will say Rachel and I are now expert tire changers even with our super sorry jack that has a bent piece of rhibar as the lever.

This week we went on a search for new rims. Our car has been making a funny noise after we loaded it down with 11 people and drove it to the beach. We have tried all sorts of things to see what the problem was. After 3 new rims and getting the tires balanced the noise is gone. One of the greatest things and most frustrating things about Haiti is the lack of rules. While the car was jacked up and the guys were working on it BJ & BT were squatted down Haitian style the whole time next to the mechanic watching. They were in little boy heaven.

I have been wanting to post a picture of this since day 1. There are guys like this all over. He is sitting on a pile of what I assume was cinder block rubble from the earthquake. Everyday he is out there hacking away. The rubble turns to big rock to small rock and eventually to gravel which they sift through to get sand to make more cinder blocks. Everyday, in the sun, on a pile of rocks hammering away.

I think it is BJ dream job.

Another picture I have been dying to post. The pill men. Guys walk around here selling pills on the street. There are just these giant towers of pills. I assume you can buy anything you want. I know from working in the clinic people buy everything from hypertension meds to antibiotics on the street. In fact, it is common practice for a woman to take 1 Penicillin at the end of her monthly cycle. Just one, every month. I can not even being to tell you the issues I have with this, let alone people diagnosing themselves with everything from diabetes to high-blood pressure and treating themselves as such.

And one of my favorite views. The hillside kind of near our house. I love the way this city looks. You have to blow up the picture to even have an idea of what I mean. House on top of house on top of house. And it is beautiful to me.

Potty Training in Haiti

I have to say this is the best place ever to potty train a kid. The floors are all tile, someone else does the laundry, and everywhere I go there are people using the bathroom in public anyway. I wish all 3 of the babies were ready. So today I hear BJ yell "Mom, I go poop now" Only it sounds like he is outside. So I go look and sure enough he has used the bathroom in the bushes outside. CT was disgusted and said "That is only where the dog poops Mom, what is wrong with that kid?" He has actually been our quickest learner which is good because I think the next 2 are going to make me wonder why I chose to be a mother again :)

Only in Haiti

So tonight we decided to hire an armed security guy for the night shift. He is a member of our Church. We met with him and feel really great about it. Nothing really has changed, we just feel like we would never forgive ourselves if something happened and we did not take all the precautions we could have.

So we told our current unarmed security guard that we wanted him to start working the day shift and have the other guy do the night. His feelings were very hurt and he said "It is because I am black right?" Now mind you every person who has ever been in or out of this house save our family and 2 friends is Haitian and therefore "black". My daughter is "black". We have chosen to live in this country full of "black" people. And the new security guy is "black". I almost laughed out loud.

However, I will admit I had a little taste of racism the other day when we were at the beach. We were one of two "white" families that I saw anyway. The people who worked there were blatantly rude to us. Our room was "not ready" until 4 hours after "check-in" time. While people all around me got rooms quickly. They would not give us the internet code, rolled their eyes about giving us towels then only to give us 4 for our party of 11, they would not give us water, etc. It was so blatant it got to the point of comical. I imagine living with it day in and day our in your home country, however, it would not be comical. Again another thing I needed to see first hand and learn in Haiti.

Only in Haiti

So Justin and I have this beautiful furniture in our room. But like a lot of things in Haiti it is beautiful on the outside and really poorly constructed on the inside. So today we both sat on the same side of the bed. Big mistake. The bed had no bars that went across it cross ways and we ended up on the floor. Now I am not saying we are lightweights, but really how long was this bed going to hold us with only a tiny piece of wood on either side?

Only in Haiti

When we came out of Fort Jacques today to see the cannons, this is what we were greeted with. Some kids having a "Haitian Shower" right on the cannons we were looking at. One had nothing but his birthday suit on.
The kids carried on with their "shower" (not a "Haitian shower" as IS pointed out because they were Haitian) and seemed totally unphased by us standing right next to them while they showered.

Us looking at the cannons.

And a closer look

More Creatures

This guy looks fake, I assure you he is not. This is CT with a rhinoceros horn beetle. The kids have captured it and put it in a cage to keep as a pet. Do you think customs will let us through?

The Beach

Saturday we went to the beach for the first time. It was wonderful.

We took the route that looked like it had the least turns in getting there so we would not get lost. We ended up driving right through a not so great area and it took almost 2.5 hours to get there. But we got there none the less and it was great.

There are really no "public" beaches like you would see in Hawaii or Mexico. You have to go to a resort and pay to use the beach. Often included in the fee is a buffet lunch. You also have access to all their facilities and pools. We chose a really small beach that was perfect for our family. We even brought Tally who is a really sorry swimmer for a Lab.

After playing on the beach most of the day we went to the pool where CT was trying to teach some Haitians to swim. It seemed odd to me that one would grow up on an island and not know how to swim. Kind of like growing up in CO and never going to the mountains. But I guess when the beach is a real treat you may not do those things as often. Travel, another thing to add to my list of things I take for granted.

We took so many pictures on the way there that the camera died and we only took a few at the beach.

Some of the interesting things we saw along our way;

This was a motorcycle tap-tap. I wish we could have taken a better picture, but we were not in a great area and just a few min earlier someone had spit in their hand then rubbed it over the car windows where the kids were sitting. Nice huh? Anyway, this motorcycle had a little buggy attached to the back and it was carrying 6 people.

This is a two lane road made into a 4 lane and sometimes even 5 lane road. People drive on the sidewalks, pedestrians walk in the street, and if the traffic going the other way is moving faster than you then you just go ahead and drive in that lane...into oncoming traffic.

There are cemeteries all over. Some have these elaborate shrines built over the graves. I think the earthquake must have really taken a toll on some of them as most look like this now, all crumbled down.

Banana, not to be confused with bananas. We call them plantains ( if you have never had one, they taste a little like a potato). People sell these everywhere. You will see men walking with 2-3 of these giant bushels to sell. We have a few trees growing in our yard with them also.

A USAID hospital we passed along the way. I would guess this was probably set up post-earthquake and still seemed to be working. It was nothing more than a metal roof with tarp walls and a dirt floor. A little different than the hospitals I am used to working in.

We drove though an area that was completely different than Port-Au-Prince. Justin has a Haitian friend at work who is from a small coastal town. He tells Justin that PAP is not "the real Haiti".

It was great in these "smaller" towns. More rural, more friendly, it felt "safer".

Still the same hard working people, only in the country. They had animals to help them.

The hillside. I hesitate to even post this picture as it doesn't do justice to the real life image. There are these rolling hills with little tiny shacks everywhere. Little shacks that I am sure were there pre-earthquake. Full of happy looking people. People who work really hard.

Here are two women on a Motorcycle so full of stuff I am not sure how they still kept the thing upright.

Only in Haiti

The other night we were driving home from the beach; it had just gotten dark and the traffic was horrible, as usual. Traffic was stop and go on the dark, steep, windy road near our house. Didn't seem unusual, as we have become used to waiting in traffic. As we rounded the next corner, I caught a glimpse of something in the road and saw that cars were going around it. As we approached in the darkness, I made out the figure to be a man pushing another man in a wheelchair up the mountain road in the middle of the lane. Haiti certainly has few, if any, accommodations for the disabled and the transportation system is certainly not friendly to handicapped folks. I don't see that many disabled people out and about. I might know why now.

For whatever reason, Haitians seem to love Celene Dion. Her music speaks of love and pressing on, maybe something the Haitian people can relate to. It may be because she is French Canadian. For whatever reason, they can't get enough Celene Dion. In fact, I think there is a radio station in Port au Prince that plays her music almost exclusively. I sit next to a window that faces the street at our office. There is a truck that drives by 8-12 times per day, playing "My Heart Will Go On" (theme song to movie Titanic). Not simply just playing the song, but imagine playing the tune to the melodic chime of an ice cream truck. I can't get enough of it.

Slaughter Day

I think Friday must be slaughter day around here. Today we saw 3 goats hanging from a tap tap full of people, can you imagine driving around in an overstuffed taxi with 3 dead goats hanging off the side?
Last night I saw this guy lugging the cattle that have been grazing on the hill near our house down the mountain. I was sad as I have been watching these cattle for days as I eat my cereal with boxed milk wondering if maybe I could milk them. But I think they are boys which would just be awkward.

Then today traffic was stopped for a while. As we rounded the corner I saw why. I have started carrying my camera in the front seat with me.

Some more random pictures from the car. Not the best pictues, but I am driving with precious Cargo!
There are big trucks all over here. Huge ones that hog the whole road. The roads are more steep than I-70 at its worst and there are no run away truck ramps. Bad combo. Here is a truck that lost it's brakes and went off the road and down the hill some. It was totally torn up and burnt. The other day there was a horrible accident in PAP where a truck lost its brakes and plowed into a bunch of people. 25 people died and 25 were seriously injured.

CT made me take this for Justin. "Look Mom even Haiti loves the Bears." I seriously doubt this guy knew who the bears were.

Only in Haiti

Life in Haiti is very interesting to say the least. Apparently the best way to carry heavy loads is on your head. I have never tried it, but every man, woman, and child in Haiti is very adept at balancing large objects on their heads.

On the way home from work the other day I saw a man carrying a backpack on his head. I always assumed that backpacks had shoulder straps, but maybe they were chin straps all along. I might have to try it out.

Hot Water!

We have hot water!!! Well, when the power is on we do. The water system is interesting here. There is a large tank under the house that you pay to have filled up with water or rain water collects there also. When you have power you turn on a pump that pumps water up to a large blue container on the roof. Then gravity lets if come down when you turn the water on. If we have power then a pump turns on and gives us some water pressure. If not, then we just have a trickle. But now our 25 gal water heater is working YEAH!
So tonight BJ said "I have a hot shower, that's weird."


But again how can I complain when this is the view out our window every morning and night. I am not sure if you can see, but these are people walking with their buckets to fill up with water.

Only in Haiti

I've decided to start another section. Only in Haiti. We keep seeing these things that make us laugh. At least 5 times every car ride BJ says "Hey look at dat (fill in the blank), thats weird!"
This picture was taken while we were waiting for someone to meet us to show us the way to the orphanage. You have to have someone show you as there are no signs anywhere. A bunch of girls were sitting outside the car and IS got out to talk to them. They immediately started trying to take her CTR ring off.

I get really frustrated with everyone here thinking we are really rich and I guess we are compared to them. They think that we need to pay them.
When you find a parking spot little kids always run over and say "I watch your car" Then you have to pay them. And at church the sweet lady behind me asked me the whole time for a dollar. When I was in the internet store a man wanted money for medicine for his child. If you buy a bottle of water at the store, someone wants to carry it out and get paid for it. When what I really want to do is just drink it. But I figure it is good security. It gets really hard knowing who to give to and who not to. I guess it is not for me to judge and if I have it I try to give it. Sometimes I just want to park my car where I want to and not pay someone. But how do you say no to 3 shoeless 8 year olds?

Lizards everywhere. I hope they don't have diseases or CT is in trouble!

This is a huge truck overfilled with I don't know what and a bunch of guys sitting on top. We saw the greatest thing the other day. The main road up the mountain is called Kenscoff. It is a 2 lane twisty, steep road that always has cars broken down on it. Anyway in the middle of the lane was a clump of weeds from the side of the road with rocks propping it up. It looked very deliberately placed. As we rounded the corner we realized there was a truck broken down that they were working on. Justin called it a Haitian road flare.