More Random Thoughts

8/21/10

More random thoughts about our time here in Haiti:

1. On animals:  All animals here serve a purpose more than just companions (as ours are).  Dogs are guards, chickens & goats food,  cats are mousers & donkeys are beasts of burden.
2. On Tim in Haiti:  Tim is a constant source of amusement for folks here, young & old.  Whether it's playing dominos with them (& winning!), or practicing his creole or dancing like a white man, he makes them laugh - how great is that?
3. On the children:  Yesterday was our last day as "teachers."  We quickly reviewed, sang "The Hokey Pokey" (it never gets old!) and then handed out gifts.  The room was packed when we got there - close to 200 kids.  I swear as the first kids got their gifts, they would go tell more neighborhood kids & the crowd just kept growing.  In the evening when we wnet to church,  many children came up to us to recite their numbers we tought them & that's when I realized why people become teachers.  During the service, a little girl came up on my lap & fell asleep.  ahhhhh...
4. On religion:  We attended a baptism performed at the river by Pastor Carsel today.  Many people who were bathing or getting water stopped to watch.  VooDoo is still practiced here although is slowly being replaced with Chritianity.  The people we have met are very devout in their religion.
5. On water:  The water situation is dire.  There is no running water save for the few community wells.  We rode out to Haiti Outreach on Thursday & talked with Henry, the American who helps run it.  He says no problem with a water will on school grounds.  They are also constructing a new water line in Pignon & will be providing running water to homes here.  Later, we met with past  & current Pignon Rotary Club presidents and they are willing to help.  All sounds promising.
6. On the market:  Wow!  The tour of the Saturday marketplace (open air) was most interesting.  Several thousand it seemed people crammed into the space with motorcycles cruising through and people pushing wheelbarrows.  One section for meat - pig, beef, goat - & flies were pletiful.  we saw the stockyard where people sold goats, cattle, donkeys, etc.
7. We got our first Pignon souvenir today.  A very savvy business women sold Tim a handmade embroidered shirt.  She, Tim and everyone else watching knew she had him as soon as she got him to try it on.
8. We had the priviledge of meeting Dr. Guy Theodore today.  He was pleased to hear I was a Rotarian.