Super Moon, gunshots and elections

Sunday mornings in Port au Prince start with Alleluiah! There were two different church services going on at 5:30 when I woke up, and they'll likely go on all day.

Today is election day in Haiti. The wait has been so long, yet when I ask around, many folks say they aren't going to vote- it's too violent at the polls. I think I read that voter turn-out at the first run-off was something like 27%- pretty low, but it seems like there is a lot of confusion in general over elections here.

Aristide arrived amidst cheering on Friday- and we had reports that the streets were 'chaud'- hot, hot. When the streets are chaud, it means that there is an underlying excitement, and things could turn one way or the other quickly, so we all layed low until we heard that things were calmer. We huddled around the television to watch Aristide's speech from the airport, and it was so interesting to hear our Haitian friends' excitement over his arrival. The very timing of his arrival, two days before the election, is timely. Aristide still holds a lot of influence in this country, as was evident from the many celebrations and hoop-la in the streets upon his arrival. I have heard that he does not support pop singer Martelly, so we'll see how that translates.

The gang, watching Aristide's speech on television.

There are reports this morning that Wyclef Jean, Haitian/American hip hop artist and Martelly supporter, was shot in the hand last night- whether it actually happened, or is related to the election, is a question mark at this point.

I had a chance to go back to lovely Kenscoff yesterday (in the mountains), but Jean Louis & I were working on the floor, and when we were done, we did our usual routine of sitting on the porch having a beer, and Jean Louis wanted to talk, so we spent a couple of hours sitting chatting. He is a very wise soul for such a young man. So, no lovely bamboo groves for me, but rather, a relaxing day here at the compound. Fair enough. I'm sitting on the porch of the straw house, sipping coffee, which gives me a bit of an 'away' from everyone.

We're not sure what will happen in the days following the election- will it be calm, or will there be action? The actual results won't be announced until later- initially I had read March 30, but this morning I read something like mid April, so I may be back home when we hear the results. I can't believe they're going to wait that long to announce the results- you'd think with international support they could get the count done, make the announcements, and move forward sooner! But, this is Haiti!

Last week we went on a bus trip to see an art exhibition. Jerry  Rosenbert is quite famous in Haiti, and has done a few things here at the camp, including the Bob Marley composting toilet. He was selling pieces of his art- they are quite beautiful, but even better than that, he created a piece on the wall, while someone played percussion- a multidisciplinary piece. It was awesome!

I quite love this one! So joyful!

Jerry painting to the rhythm of the drum!

The finished painting

I have gone to the market a couple of times with Joanne, our cook- it is quite an experience. Because I was with her, I'm sure I got more reasonable prices. Sometimes they give you a price, but more often than not, you tell them what you want to pay then, and there begins the decision of how many tomatoes to put into the bag, etc. Josh & I cooked dinner for the gang Thursday, which happened to be St. Patrick's day. We made currried veggies, rice, and barbecued chicken with a peanut glaze. It was gooooood!

I love the excitement of an outdoor market!

So colourful, so competitive!

Joanne & I went shopping at the market. I carried my bag of groceries home on my head along with her, and got some funny looks from people!

Apart from that, this week has been spent working a bit on the straw house (finish floors, lime wash coats) and consulting with the earthbag builders. We have to figure out what plaster to use on the building-it's pretty complicated, given that they used earth in the bags, yet we don't feel that an earthen plaster will survive on the exterior.

Nearing the end of the bag process.

We sat atop a shipping crate on the compound last night admiring the super moon- it was pretty special. From that same vantage point, a few days ago there was a random tire fire in someone's back yard. There is always something burning here.

Yet more air pollution, right next door.

The super moon was quite a contrast to this scene, for sure!

Just got back in from a walk down the road to get an egg sandwich, and it's safe to say, it's a really quiet day. This is the quietest I've ever seen the streets since I've been here- a nice change!