We left Verrettes somewhere near 6:30am this morning, or perhaps it was closer to 7am. Jean Baptiste & I took tap taps to come here to Deslandes, as the moto wasn’t available. I really couldn’t believe how many people…no, not people, but things they put into the back of the pick-up. At one point, we stopped to pick up a woman who was evidently on her way to the market- she had big sacks of items, 3 stacks of 5 gallon pails that were at least 10’ tall, and 3 gas cans. At that point, the driver told me & Jean Baptiste to move to the front seat, and then we watched the packing begin- they tied the stacks of buckets to the sides of the truck, the gas cans to the top of the truck, and the other assorted items were shoved in between passengers. If that wasn’t enough (there were already at least 10 people back there- Jean Baptiste told me today that the backs of the trucks are only designed to hold 12- I told him we’re not allowed to put ANY passengers in the back of a truck back home. (What a waste of space!). From there, we went on to pick up even more women going to market, including one holding a live chicken. Each time we stopped to pick up yet another person with all of her market wares, I shook my head in disbelief. Let’s say, the truck barely crawled up some of the hills.
When we got to our drop off spot, we took a footpath to the river- mostly shaded, and quite pleasant. We arrived in Deslandes somewhere around 9am after a healthy walk, and didn’t really see anyone on the jobsite yet (apparently there was confusion over when we were going to arrive here, so breakfast wasn’t ready either. We went for a tour of the new building for the market, and when we got back, breakfast was ready.
The jobsite went fairly well today, despite a small crew. Brandt wanted a smaller crew until we met and made a plan for the week, so I think he’s beginning to take his supervisory responsibilities a little more seriously, which is great.
Saint Geste, the director of the school, said they’ll make up a schedule for me to travel around to the various classrooms- I told him last time I’d like to do that.
The kids continue to be curious about the blanc- I heard blanc blanc blanc so many times yesterday driving around Verrettes with Jean Baptiste!
I find so many people so beautiful here- on the tap tap rides yesterday and today, I would have loved to snap photos of all of them, but find I can’t quite bring myself to ask permission in every setting. That, and the fact that the tap taps are pretty crowded, and it would be a bit disruptive to dig out the camera! There is beauty in almost everyone I see- it’s uncanny! I love how friendly people are with one another on the tap taps and bus rides.
I have always enjoyed being immersed in a new culture- it’s interesting to hear the inflections in their speech, to observe when they get excited, and how long they might discuss a certain subject. I am being exposed to a lot more creole, and am understanding some of it, so I guess it will be a matter of time.
I am enamoured with the architecture here- the simple Ti Kay (little house) native to Haiti.
I was behind the house tonight doing laundry, and I think they find it funny how I do things. For instance, someone brought me a separate rinse tub. I was almost embarrassed to hang my clothes on the line, as they still look dirty, especially my work clothes. Haitians seem to take a lot of pride in personal hygiene and in very clean clothes. Example: I can smell my own sweat quite regularly, but only smell fresh soap smells working alongside my Haitian friends. Hmmmm! I’ve got a lot to learn!
I can’t help but be amazed by the work that kids do here in carrying water! When we were coming out today, I noticed a boy on the side of the road who had stopped to rest (not something I see very often!) and he had two very large containers of water!
It is quite a pleasant night here tonight- a delicious breeze which feels great. I’m sitting on the front porch of the house, watching the foot traffic go by, some of whom are coming in to get water, others are just strolling by.
There is definitely less (or no?) reserve here regarding nudity, as was evident today when I went to do my laundry and happened upon a young woman squatting on an outdoor toilet…or the men bathing at the dam when we went on a tour yesterday.
Ahhhh, now if only we had cold beer here- I don’t think we have any, but perhaps I can convince Jean Baptiste to help me find a little place that might sell some!
In any case, I look forward to the next couple of weeks here. It is a much quieter, more relaxed, and friendly environment. Port au Prince is such a large city, and most of my time was spent on the concrete compound. People there are fantastic, but here, I am surrounded by banana trees, coconut trees, mango trees, and a plethora of others, both edible and ornamental. I might try to see if I can go out on some trips with Claubert, who is responsible for the cooperative farms here, and meet with the local farmers. It would be interesting, I’m sure!
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