I don’t know what time the Hole in the Wall opens in the morning, but beer is routinely on the compound before 11am. I’m trying to do online banking to pay my payroll remittance (it’s due tomorrow, and they ding you big time if you’re late), but every time I try to log on, the log on time takes so long that I get bumped out. Grrrr!
They have morning meetings here at the compound. If things were bad on the streets, they would advise that we were on lock-down, and would advise not to leave. Today’s status is that things are fine, but they ask you if going out, to go with one other person (and let the organization know you are going out), and that you take a cell phone with you. Simple safety rules.
It’s 10:30 and our ride just shown up to take us for our errands run (was supposed to be here shortly past 8am), but Martin is in a meeting with the rice straw farmer, I think haggling over prices, perhaps? In any case, I could have put in a couple of hours work by now, but for the waiting game. This is good for me…deep breathing, patience, and waiting.
A common hello greeting (from the Haitians who come here to the site) is either a handshake, or more familiarly, to tap knuckes from a formed fist together. I goofed around with our building guys, Jean-Louis & Annio, and hit elbows as a salute.
The language is so… musical I haven’t got an ear for it yet; for sure there are similar words, but when they’re speaking fast in groups, I can’t pick out much. My French is easily understood, but boy, am I motivated to speak Creole!
Some of the more transient people (Americans & Canadians) who are have come here to wait for rescheduled flights are providing awesome free labour to the group here, digging trenches to run wiring, helping with office work, dishes & cleaning. It’s weird to see some of them putting on make-up, and having their hair done by some of the women here. Seems oddly out of place, but what do I know?!
11am, and this Canadian is still enjoying a leisurely morning. Ah, this work is hard! Think I’ll go chance into work clothes & get to it…
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