Place Centrale

These posts, by the by, are being put up quite late, as I've been in Deslandes, where there is no e-access.

Deslandes, 6:30am

                                                                   February 22, 2011

The cacophony of sound starts pretty early here- either 5 or 5:30am; roosters calling back and forth from here and there; donkeys braying in the mix. But no piped church music, nor traffic sounds. The house I’m staying at has more people in it now, and they were up early as well. It’s a 6 room house, and the walls don’t go all the way up to the ceiling, so noise travels pretty easily.

Luckily I’m a morning person! We went on a walk last night, Jean Baptiste, Saint Geste and I, to see the Activity Centre in Deslandes. It’s like a ‘Place Centrale’ that you would find in any city- a place to hang around, walk around, etc. They just finished building it- there is a big stage, and swings and a slide for kids. The kids weren’t playing when we got there, but some of them recognized me and called out my name. I hear ‘Tina Tina’ now as much as I used to hear ‘Blanc blanc’, so I think we’re getting there. The kids were fascinated to hang around me, and then when Jean Baptiste started snapping photos, that was it- they were staying for sure. We went over to the slide and they were tickled that I went down the slide a few times. The slide & swings are on big rocks, and many of the kids are running around barefoot. 

They're so beautiful!

I came over her this morning to the dining room, mostly to hear Benitta singing- she makes all of our meals, and as she’s out back either doing laundry or preparing food, she sings the most beautiful songs. One day I’ll ask permission to help her back there, and listen to the songs. Now of course I wish I had my discman here to record the music, but I was bringing so many gadgets already, it seemed like too much!

There is a definite hierarchy here, with some people ‘serving’ us, and it’s hard to get used to. I’m used to pitching in, helping out, but the men here are quite accustomed to having the women bring all of their meals to them, do the dishes, the laundry, etc. The women don’t ever join us for meals, but I can only assume they have food at the back. A strange place for me to be in! It almost feels like what it would have been like to have servants.

It will be interesting to be here for another couple of weeks. I really love the pace of life, and the fact that at night, with few homes with electricity, you sit around talking. That could go a long way back home, not being attached to email, television and other electronic devices.

1:00pm

We just finished our morning of work- all is going well. Brandt, the supervisor, sat down with us yesterday afternoon to discuss how the rest of the job will go. When I was here last time, there would be two guys working, and 8 guys standing around watching- not really acceptable, and Brandt was nowhere to be seen half of the time, so I’m hoping that we can get him more motivated to actually supervise. If he continues on as he did today, things will work well; however, if he changes his tune when we leave, there’s really nothing I can do.  It was good to get on the wall alongside the guys instead of just watching and taking photos- I think it was good for them to see that I actually know what I’m doing (sort of!). 

 

Most of the crew are still throwing plaster on with a brick layer's trowel, but you can see, the one fellow on the left (who isn't actually part of the crew) is able to apply with a trowel. It's hard to change old patterns, for sure! The downside to throwing on the plaster is it's darned dirty!

How's this for scaffolding? They're using the earth blocks and pretty sketchy planks!

Jean Baptiste & I are heading into Verrettes tomorrow to price out windows, so hopefully I’ll get to the cybercafé (they have one- even better, perhaps we can go to Hotel Tifa and use their wireless, and maybe have a meal).

Breakfast this morning was buns from the neighbourhood, Haitian peanut butter (they call peanuts ‘pistaches’, which I would take as pistachios, but no, they’re peanuts), fresh juicy papaya, and Haitian coffee. Mmmmmm. It’s not hard to do the 100 mile diet when you live in such a lush country, but also, in a poorer country, it would only be the wealthy who would eat imported items in the larger cities.

The heat could almost convert me to becoming an afternoon napper- the heat, combined with the early wake up calls from the roosters. This lazy pace is good for me!