Slow pace

March 30, 2011           

Deslandes, Haiti

I am feeling so content, just being here in Haiti. There is a sense of calm, of peace, and a definite lack of urgency to most everything that goes on. Even medical emergencies, as we were to find out earlier today.

I was heading out to the jobsite, when one of $$$, who works in the kitchen, came and asked me for some aspirin for Adé, who was lying down, not feeling well. When I came back with ibuprofen, they told me that she was clamping her teeth tightly- classic seizure symptoms, so I ran to get Ian, since I figured as a firefighter, his first aid would be helpful. Her pulse was fast, but faint in her extremities, and she didn’t react to being prodded, her name being called, sugar in the mouth. (She did stir somewhat with alcohol in her nose, and with a flashlight being shone in her eyes). She was essentially comatose, occasionally fading in & out of consciousness. So, we decided she should go to the hospital…and we suggested they construct a stretcher for taking her (remember, we’re in Deslandes- calling an ambulance isn’t an option!). The Haitians decided they would take her by motorcycle to the hospital, with people holding her on either side…we tried to say it wouldn’t work, but they put her on the bike..and of course, she slid off. Luckily, we caught her….and moments later, someone came back on a motorcycle with a stretcher. So, four of us set off to walk to the hospital- maybe it was a kilometer away?, along the gravelly road. Along the way, people asked what was wrong, or who it was, but only one other person tagged along to help spell us off from carrying her (and a rag-doll body is heavy!).

When we got to the hospital, we set the stretcher down on the dirty porch floor, where we were greeted by several administrators, and other people who definitely weren’t in a hurry about anything. They said, oh yes, Adé, we’ve seen her before. When we asked them to check her vitals, maybe give her an IV to give her fluids, they said they’d have to assess her first, and then they proceeded to chat about other sick patients, and to joke around…with her still lying unconscious on the ground. Finally, the one guy (who was neither nurse nor doctor) took her temperature, and then eventually (after they found her records) the nurse took her blood pressure. After another 5 or so minutes, they admitted us into the hospital (open air courtyard) where we (they were nowhere to be seen) had to lift her onto the hospital bed, and the nurse finally came with a drip bag for her. Adé is apparently alright now, has been talking a bit and is conscious, but holy cow! Reminder to self: don’t ever get into position where you have to go to hospital here!

Apart from that, we have continued to be busy with our build, and are quite pleased with the details we have invented based on materials at hand. Of course, we consulted with some of our Canadian natural building engineer buddies first, and now we are realising the composting toilet facility with what we have at hand. We feel we have done a good job of tying everything together to protect against wind lift, and with the X-bracing and other details, are comfortable with its earthquake rating.

We are going to invite a few classes to come help stuff the clay/straw walls- it is their washroom, and they will have fun doing it- or so we hope! We also plan on doing a pebble mosaic detail around the exterior of the building, and will have each student in the school lay a stone somewhere in the foundation. Might as well involve as many students as possible!

It has been busy with blancs here in Deslandes- many key members of CIJ have been here, in addition to a partner organization, Partners in Action. Fun times, and interesting to learn more about the history of CIJ. I have been called in to translate in a couple of meetings this week, and that has been really good for me-I feel like I have made a break-through with my creole, finally, finally! What a relief! I can do past & future tense, and have more vocabulary- am starting to understand a bit more of spoken creole- so I’m feeling better about my progress. Of course, if I avoided English & French completely, I’d be much further along in my language journey, but I’m pleased nonetheless.

Once again, I am internet-less, but this time, I haven’t missed it- which feels good. It is such a good thing, slowing down, just going with the flow when half of your materials haven’t yet arrived, and just…being.

“I love my life!”