Photos from Haiti

Here are some pictures from the trip....I took many, but I think these ones best depict my overall experience:

These are some pictures of the tent camps, that I captured on my initial drive....on the long drive to the base:

This is the remains of the palace, which was destroyed by the earthquake:

This is the row we had our bunks on "2nd street"

My attempt at setting up my mosquito net....as we learned not very successfully!

The result of my inability to set up a mosquito net effectively!

The road prior to any rubbling work....you can see all the holes filled with water.

The road after day 1 of rubbling....you could already notice the difference when people were driving on it.

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Some pictures of me rubbling....I mean sledge hammering the rubble to build the road! HARD WORK, and very EXHAUSTING!!!

Enjoying my FIRST coca-cola....THE BEST SODA I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!

Day 2 Project for me: Roofing!

Here are some photo's of me sawing and drilling the sheet metal!

You can see the sheet metal being placed on as roofing....my hard work coming together!

These are schools the children are currently using:

PLAZA PLAYTIME.....

The tap tap...on our way to Jacmel!

Our campsite in Jacmel...right on the beach!

Ben, Paula, and I on the beach!

The beautiful water...felt so good in that heat!

Foundation work on School 12!

Bucket Girl....I had to yell "Buckets" at the start of each mixture!

Yeah...I definitely enjoyed this job....

....and got a GREAT arm workout!

The game plan for the foundation lying process....it's very important to KNOW THIS....timing is the KEY!

The beginning of the day.....

The End of the day...look how far we've come!

Pretty dirty at the end of a hard day's work!

I think that these pictures pretty much capture my experiences for the 10 days I was in Haiti! If there's something you don't see let me know...I may have missed one, so I'm sure I have them, just may have overlooked it! Hope you Enjoy!

Bec

Haiti Day 9: Final Day

So, today was a great day, but also a sad one…..my last day in Haiti (since we’re leaving for the airport at 8am) ! For the most part, it didn’t really vary from my day yesterday, except for the fact that I spent the entire day working on foundation as opposed to half the day. I have come to love working on foundation….at least my role in the process. Today we had 40 volunteers working at the site…because we had 29 new local volunteers starting today.

Project Leogane is currently transitioning from international volunteers, to more local volunteers, because now that the work has been started and organized, the jobs can be easily trained to the locals….thus the addition of 29 volunteers today. With the addition of new volunteers however comes increased time to teach them the tasks….so, while we had a lot of hands working on the project, it took time to increase our efficiency. By lunch time however, everyone had a pretty good grasp on what their roles were and how to perform them. The morning shift was extremely tiring today….there was little to no cloud cover, so the sun was just beaming straight down on us….however after lunch came the clouds, thunder, and near rain down pour (which never actually hit)! It was so much easier to work when the sun was not pounding on our bodies.

My role for the day was the same as yesterday….water bucket filler and thrower, as well as assembly line member for tossing the gravel and sand. Today I had increased participation in the assembly line, which meant a lot of running back and forth. I would toss the water to the mixer, fill another bucket, and then head to the end of the assembly line to pass the filled buckets back to where my station was…..talk about exhausting work!!! We did get a nice treat on the site…sapi bons again, and this time they were even more delicious than before. For those of you who don’t remember…a sapi bon is the iced flavored popsicle.
By the end of the work day we had completed the foundation for 2 of the 3 classrooms, and drank over 60 gallons of water, if that gives you any indication on how hot and tiring the work was. The end of the work day signified a bitter sweet moment….it was great to have completed another hard day’s work, however I knew that it was the last work I’d be working here in Haiti. As we headed back to base (for the last time) I really took in the surroundings, and tried to reflect on the past 9 days!

We arrived back to base a bit on the late side, since you can’t just stop pouring foundation while you are in the middle of the an area. Dinner was already being served….WHITE and BROWN rice with beans. I can honestly say, I have never enjoyed rice so much before. Group meeting followed….which was exceptionally long today because of all the new volunteers as well as the numerous people who are leaving tomorrow…..that’s because when each new volunteer arrives, they introduce themselves, and say a few works…..and when someone is leaving, they say some words about their experience…..so all in all, that made for about 35 people speaking + lots of cheering in between.

After dinner it was time for my final stretch class, and I would have to say it was the most successful one yet! We completed a very comprehensive group of stretching….encompassing arms, legs, back, neck, and side! I have received great reviews from all those who attended….and I think they will be using what they learned throughout the rest of their experience. I forgot to mention above, that when we were at the foundation site, one of the tasks included shoveling sand and gravel into the bucket! One of the people whose role it was to shovel had been experiencing back pain….so I was able to demonstrate and go over with her the proper technique. It was really neat to be able to apply my knowledge and experience to the actual work!

As for the remainder of my final night….well….I’ve been tracked down as the braiding girl after doing someone’s hair…so I had some requests. After that we headed to Joe’s for some pizza….and for me sprite, and mango juice….while others chose beer! Then it was back to base, to take everything in for one final night!

Video Feedback:

While I did not have the chance to show a great deal of people the video, I was still able to obtain some feedback! The suggestions included:

-While the video stressed proper technique, several of the techniques are not very realistic for the type of work that is being done. It was thought, that it might be beneficial to provide information and proper form for the techniques that they are using.
-The addition of some more working techniques: sledge-hammer, carrying/lifting buckets, when painting high surfaces
-While, not able to do this at the present time: it was suggested to film people out here while they are working to demonstrate improper technique and then film someone performing the same task with the proper technique.
Overall, the people who viewed the video enjoyed it….and loved the stretches in particular. I will be leaving the video at the base…and hoping they will continue to show it as more people enter into the project.

Tid-bits:

1 – I will definitely be returning home with a major TAN and maybe a slight remaining burn! Further, the addition of some puffy, mosquito bitten legs.
2 – I will NOT be returning with most of what I brought….this means clothing, bedding, shower stuff….basically I will be bringing back the necessary stuff that fits in my back-pack.

General Reflection:

This has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life…..something I never would have imagined, far exceeding my expectations. It was challenging and exhausting at times, but such a learning experience, that I believe has made me a stronger person. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people from all over the world, that have taught me so much about life in general. It has been so wonderful to have to be provided with the opportunity to interact and integrate ourselves into the community, seeing what the lives of people living in Haiti are like. I think I developed such a great appreciation for where I live, and all the opportunities that I have afforded in my life. I know that coming back home, I will be a changed person…and I think for the better. I know that this experience is something I would love and look forward to repeating in the near future. I hope that you have all enjoyed reading my blog and I look forward to sharing many more adventures with you in the future.
I would just like to thank All Hands for giving the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself. I would also like to thank Spirit of Hope of making it possible for me to come to Haiti and make a difference. Lastly, to everyone who has been a support for me before and during this journey….I could not have made it through without you!

Til next time!

Bec

Haiti Day 8

So, for the sounds of last night: more gecko's, some random person talking very loudly, and the continuous barking of the fighting dogs. I had a much easier sleep, thanks to my friend who helped me fix and put together a new mosquito net.

I woke up early yet again this morning...but decided, since most people were still sleeping to kick back in the hammock, which was very relaxing. Then I went for breakfast....and every Monday morning is a pancake breakfast...absolutely delicious....I went for the chocolate and cinnamon sugar pancakes, which were a nice treat that I hadn't had in a while. Following breakfast it was time for another fun day of.....HOUSE-KEEPING...such a wonderful experience. This was very interesting: our team is supposed to be composed of 4 people, however it didn't exactly go accordingly!! One team member couldn't participate because he had some orientation to do, one team member wasn't feeling well, and one team member has back/rib pain (which I have helped her with)!!! Further, typically when you have house-keeping you have get to eat lunch on the base, and head out to your work day in afternoon....however, today things were different...just my luck! Since there was a local volunteer meeting, many of the people working on one of the sites had to leave....so what this meant, was the minute we finished our chores it was off to work!! Honestly, I can't say that I was too excited to have to go over the site that early...especially since it is known to be grueling work, and in the heat for the entire time...but off we went!

Traveling by tap tap, me and the person I was with were the only passengers, since everyone else was already on site. I think our tap tap driver was trying to break the record for getting from base to the school in the fastest time....because it was the fastest, craziest tap tap ride I have been on yet! I tipped over 3 times, my water bottle landed in the back of the tap tap, and my the end I had one sore butt!

So, let me tell you a little about this site: the task for the day was lying foundation on the 12^th school! This is a task that has to be done with speed, so that the concrete doesn't get destroyed and is lied down in time before it dries. Each person has a very specific task....and it requires a tremendous amount of organization. When we arrived on the site everyone was on a water break, which was perfect because it allowed to project leader to assign us tasks....and let me tell you, I got a GREAT task....the water girl. My role was basically dumping a bucket into the barrel of water, and throwing the load to the person running the concrete mixer....I basically was the start to every concrete mix, and we mix a new batch of concrete approximately every 45 seconds. To give you an idea of the entire process here's how it works: toss the water bucket in, then 2 people are tossing buckets of rocks, and sand, followed by sand....the empty buckets are then thrown down an assembly line, and the refilled at the end and passed back. I have to say that the tossing of the sand, rocks, and concrete was probably the most exhausting task....the buckets are so heavy, and there are 12 buckets for each batch. Once all the the ingredients are in the mixer, and mixed together to the proper consistency, one person is responsible for turning the mixer, and emptying it into 3 separate wheelbarrows which were pushed and emptied into the proper location! To give you an idea of how exhausting the entire process is....the crew of 25 today, went through 45 liters of water!!!!

I have to say that this was the most I've enjoyed working on a project thus far....I felt that I played an integral role in the completion of the project, and that I have a very specific task. Also, it was great working on project that required an entire team to work completely together in order to succeed. Towards the end of the day people started to get extremely tired, and slightly dehydrated, so I double up-ed on tasks.....I would pass off the water, fill another bucket (to have to have to ready for the next batch), and then run into the assembly line, and start carrying the newly filled buckets towards the mixer! It was a very fast process, and yes very fatiguing, but I LOVED it....and will be returning back there tomorrow! As a note, I tried to watch everyone's technique for lifting, carrying and throwing, and I can understand why people get hurt....it's very difficult to use proper form when moving at such a fast pace, and lifting/carrying loads that are too heavy for you! I tried to use the best technique when loading the water buckets and lifting them....but having to get water out of a bucket that's about your height can be a quite a challenging task....I think my I got a great biceps workout however.

We ended the day without our lasting mixing batch at record speed.....completing the fill in 18 seconds! I was the dirtiest I have been since being out here....but it felt good to know that I had worked so hard on a task. It also is such an experience to be getting to participate on all these jobs that I have never been exposed to before. At the end of the day, we cleaned up, and headed back to base on tap tap AGAIN, however a much more enjoyable ride. Dinner was ready once we arrived, and tonight it was spicy spaghetti, rice and beans and some fish (which I do not eat)! This was followed by out nightly meeting....and it was a long one....organizing shuttles for the airport, learning about the 29 new volunteers entering base tomorrow....and the an update on a fellow volunteer who is sick (I will explain at the end)! I have to say that while these meetings seem tedious each day, I do appreciate getting updates on the all the projects, and anything else that may be going on would be important to me.

Something interesting while we were working on the site: we seemed to develop quite a crowd of people who were very interested in what we were doing. Moreover, this school that we were building was on the same property that a current school is being held, so we had several school children coming out trying to witness the action. It was really cool, because it made me feel as though we were making a difference in the community....as everyone in this town had wanted to come out and witness the changes that we were making.

Since work today was extremely strenuous, I led yet another stretching session....I had a greater turnout this time than before.....which I guess means the word has spread about what a great class it was. While it was only a brief session, I do believe that it was effective! I also have talked to several people about the video, but not many have had the opportunity to see it yet because in the evenings every tends to disperse, so I have told people that I'm going to have a viewing tomorrow, and then I can get some feedback. I know it's late, but I've already had some people tell me what may be more beneficial in the video....so maybe revision in the future is an idea.

After stretch class you will NEVER believe what we did......any takers.....PT friends.....it's something we do EVERY Tuesday night!!!! Yup....Trivia Night at Joe's, and yes, of course I did you all proud by bringing home the win, and as a team winning about 200 goud....equivalent here to about 8 coca-colas. Headed back to base following trivia night, only to put in reality that tomorrow is my last work day, and to my surprise I am very sad!! I didn't anticipate how much I would enjoy the experience. That's all for the night, and I'll leave you with some other notes:

1- I told you that I would let you know about the girl who is sick on base. While, I don't want to worry anyone, I thought that it would be important to let you know! One of the girls who went on the trip this weekend become very sick, and fainted a couple times, so she was taken to the local hospital. She was diagnosed today with cholera, and will be flying back to the states! The thought is she got it from having a drink that had ice in it (which you don't want to drink, because it's not usually clean ice)! I have been completely fine, not feeling sick at all, but I wanted to let you know. This is also the first case of cholera occurring with this organization.

2- I would like to comment on how surprised I am to have expanded by horizons about food, and been able to experience the Haitian food. I've tried to be safe, but enabled myself to enjoy the culture!

3- Maybe someone can provide me with some advice, and recommendations! The gazillions of mosquitos that have bit my leg have caused my right leg to be?come quite angry....it's pretty swollen, however not painful at all. Any suggestions....I've tried around base, but not really sure about what may be the best approach.

4- There have been quite a number of volunteers who have experienced back pain, or other pain since they've been on base, and they've learned that I just graduated from PT school...thus, I've had the opportunity to use my skills, and help some of them out. Here's a question to some PT people....since there's no ice available out here, what would you say is the best way to manage acute injuries...other than resting, since most people here don't want to rest, or can't?

Hope all is well! Tomorrow I'll be posting about my last day in Haiti.

Love

Bec

Haiti Day 6 and 7

So, I'm gonna update you about the entire weekend....and it was a great one!


Saturday:


So, for the weekend I decided to head to Jacmel, a city in Haiti that is about 3 hours away!  I was accompanied by 15 fellow volunteers, in which we made our journey via tap tap and moto (haitian motorcycles)....which I didn't participate in!  The tap tap we were riding on was different from the tap tap's that we use daily....this one was enclosed on the back, and top...allowing for 4 people to ride on the top for the entire time.  The downfalls to this type of tap tap, is you can get very hot, and claustrophobic, because there are so many people in such a tight space, in 90 degree temperatures. While I have been able to stay sick free from food, motion sickness is one thing that I had not anticipated!!!  With the conditions in tap, combined with the extreme twisty roads, motion sickness set in!!  A great friend let me use their shoulder to lay on, and attempt to sleep through the ride.....but all I could think about was getting to our final destination. 

Jacmel is a city that was not really devastated by the earthquake, so I was excited to see what Haiti parts of Haiti looked like, and what Leogane probably looked like prior to the quake.  Jacmel is in the mountains, and for the parts of the ride that I was awake, and looking outside the scenery was beautiful....it was hard to believe that I was in Haiti.  When we arrived in the part of the city that we were staying in, one of the first things that we saw was a funeral ceremony taking place.  I found this so interesting....it was interesting to witness how ceremony that is standard throughout the world, varies in how it is performed.  Here, what I noticed in particular was that all the women were wearing white, and men were in black.  There was a lots of people who gathered, and there was people what seemed like "parading" down the road....there were men playing instruments!  Also, it was unclear as to who the family was that had lost someone, it was such a community ceremony. 


After passing the funeral we arrived at a hotel....yes....A HOTEL....NOT THE RIGHT HOTEL!!!  So after feeling so relieved to have made it, next thing I knew we had to reload the tap tap, and make a 20 minute trek to the proper location.  After lots of traffic and bumpy roads, we finally arrived at where we were staying!  Some of us (including me) had opted on camping right along the beach, while some of the others opted for a hotel!  Our camping spot was right along the beach....costing us each 6 US Dollars....with the catch that the individual who owned the property (and the restaurant next to it) made us promise to eat at this restaurant!!!  While this may sounds like a good deal to you (and sounded like a good deal to us at the time) was absolutely outrageous! 

Let me explain why: besides being hot when we arrived, we were also hungry.  We looked at the menu and hesitated about the price at first, but then decided to split the meals in order to make it  more affordable.  When we ordered from the guy we said we were splitting the meal for 3 people...and he said we couldn't do that.....but inevitably we ended splitting meals between 2 people!  So we ordered some food...and after 2.5 hours of waiting, we got PART of our meal!  We ordered chicken...which comes with rice and beans, as well as plantains!  Well, the chicken came out, but nothing else!  About, and hour later came the plantains.....and then 1/2 after that the rice and beans.  To top it off, immediately following the delivery of our rice, he demanded that we pay him, and further was charging us for items we had not bought from him! It was quite the experience, and taught us our lesson....no more eating out at haitian restaurants.



Following our meal, we decided it was ocean time.....and wonderful experience.  The ocean was beautiful....actually reminded me of my trip to cape cod.  The water was a bit warm...but it was just nice to be in something to cool off.  One of the volunteers who has been in Haiti for a long time told us that there are NEVER waves here....so I guess that means we brought them with us from the states....because there were tons of waves, that were huge...even a but scary at times.  A bunch of us also decided to have chicken fights in the water....a crazy experience when you've got waves crashing in your face!  I guess this is something that I'm not very good at...because it only took me seconds to lose!
We also were near quite a few other American organizations, and got to meet volunteers working on other projects.who had come to the beach on their weekend off.


Because the meal was so pricey at the nearby restaurant we walked to the "market" about a mile away, which is more like side walk stores, to buy some food for dinner!  There were a crazy number of people lining the side of the roads, trying to get us to purchase their items....very overwhelming; and at the same time trying to avoid the cars and motos driving so fast right by us.  We ended up with some plantains (absolutely delicious), bread for sandwiches, and cookies.  I also had the most delicious treat called a sappy-bon....basically a popsicle....which is SOOOO refreshing on a hot day!  After getting back to our spot on the beach the weather was just PERFECT....cooled down a bit, and so had the water, and most of the people had cleared out, so we had so much room to ourselves.  We just enjoyed running in and out of the water as we pleased...and being in a place that was so relaxing.  Honestly, seeing places like Jacmel, really make me think about how many similarities there are all around the world.....even though we live differently, some things are always consistent!  Something interesting to note was how many young children were along the beach trying to sell us items; anything from coconuts, to paintings and even souvenir t-shirts.


When it got darker out we all just gathered around a table along the beach enjoying the stories of others; embarrassing moments, near death experiences, most humerous experiences, etc.  To add to the humor of the night, one of the guys while telling a story sat back a little and his chair tipped right back, landing him on his back in the sand.....he came to sit down again, repeating the exact same thing!  Five minutes later...yours truly decided to take a spill in the sand courtesy of yet another unsteady chair.  It was a night of wonderful experiences, and great company.  We waited until it was COMPLETELY  DARK, and the lights all out to head to bed!


Now...for the "camping" situation.....basically this consisted of 4 tents arranged in a grassy area...but when I say grassy, I mean more like rocky area with patches of sand.  I brought with me a sheet to sleep on...which made for a very interesting nights "rest!"  I was basically sleeping smack dab on top of a rock...and waking up every 1 hour, wishing it was morning!  Further adding to the situation....my wonderful new color.....RED on back shoulders and neck!!!  While, I may not have gotten a ton of sleep it was well worth it to have this experience....to fall asleep to sounds of the waves crashing....it was so calming, and a first for me!  Added bonus....the salt water worked miracles on my mosquito bites...not decreasing the quantity, however the discomfort and size of them had drastically gone down!


I woke up in the morning....5 am and headed 10 feet in front of me, to the beach to catch some morning waves....felt absolutely AMAZING!  We continued our fun on the beach from the previous day with some tunnel digging, dripping sand castles, sand hangman, tik-tak-toe and yet another game of card monopoly (failing to be victorious again)!  I have now discovered the HARDEST 3 - letter hangman word....which I intent on using on all of you when I get back!


After our morning/afternoon on the beach we headed back via another tap tap to the base, stopping on the way to pick up some of the volunteers who had explored the city a little more!  This is when things got a little scary to me; when of the girls who had arrived on base Thursday, had been feeling ill the night before...and into the morning.  She had noted feeling like she had blacked out earlier, and then it passed, but when we went to meet her and the 2 people she was with, they told us she had passed out!!!  Fortunately, she was alert right after, but still feeling very weak and ill!  It really shook me up, because this was my biggest fear, but I was seeing someone else experience it.  As an update to you all, she was taken to the hospital to be checked out, they are saying it is a combination of dehydration and maybe something with the food.  Obviously, this is good news that she's okay, but it was a wake-up call to me, to stay hydrated and cautious of what I eat.


We arrived back at the base....and it was so much different than what it is like during the week!  It felt quiet, and empty....and what we gathered from people who stayed on base all weekend was the weather was HOT HOT HOT!!!  I went to take a bucket shower, and the water was even hot!  So, instead of cleaning off with hot water, a bunch of us decided to play some volleyball!  (I think that by the end of this trip I should be a professional volleyball player with all the practice I'm getting)!  There's a net outside, so we played a game of 5 v. 5....and let's just say my team DOMINATED 2 out of 2....but I would say that I didn't have much of a contribution to the team!  It's been so nice on base having things to do other than being on a computer, and watching TV!  I would have to say that is something I know I'm gonna miss....always having the ability to hang out with people whenever I want to play a pick up game of just about anything! 



After the game things settled down a bit....went and got a soda, cleaned up chatted with some friends.  Since dinner is not provided on base on the weekends one of the volunteers made dinner....MY FAVORITE.....CAN YOU GUESS???  And after dinner it was ready for blogging and bed! 

Side Notes:

1) I have met 3 people from Mass, who live nearby, as well as one person who will be flying to Mass on the same flight as Cara on I when we return.....and we have already planned a beach day for the Saturday we return!

2)  My sun-burn has already started peeling

3)  I have yet again, re-connected by mosquito net in hopes of no more bites

Till tomorrow

Bec

Haiti Day 5

Alright, I just want to apologize to everyone for not updating the blog last night........I had written everything out, and had about 1 more minute of writing when the generator turned off, and since the computer I was on has NO battery I lost EVERYTHING I wrote!  Out of frustration I decided to call it a night, and give it another try in the morning....which I am doing!  So, this is an update from Friday!!!

So, right after finishing my blog on Thursday night, I walked across the courtyard to my bunk and looked up at the sky!!!  What a sight....the stars were so bright and beautiful.  At that moment I reflected on how amazing this was.....to be in a country with such different circumstances, and yet find something we all share that is so beautiful!!  

Sounds of the NIGHT (Thursday)...gecko, yet another voodoo ceremony, rooster vs. dog yelling competition, more LOUD snoring and some random very OBNOXIOUS clapping or slapping (in which I have yet to determine where it cam from)!  I woke up yet again at the crack of dawn...5 am....not feeling tired at all.....how I wish it was that easy to get up during school and work!!!  While the waking up has become pretty easy......getting OUT of bed, was not quite that easy.  The up and down squatting from Thursday created some VERY sore legs....as well as forearms (from holding the heavy equipment)!  Also......I have given myself a new nickname....Bitten Bec!!!  My legs have become absolutely DESTROYED from bug bites......yesterday I counted 100 bites on my legs.....and once I reached 100 I stopped counting!  They're so itching all the time.....I try creams and keep bug spray on at all times, but nothing seems to work!!!  Thus....I now know what I will be bringing back home with me.....Red Bitten Legs!!!

As for the actual morning....once I was able to get on my feet, everything went pretty smoothly!  Ate some breakfast (granola bars), and got ready....which was VERY easy, because today was House-Keeping day for me!!  Let's just say I'm not the biggest fan of house-keeping....but it went better that I had anticipated.  As I told you yesterday I had volunteered to take the housekeeping position from another girl, so that I would be able to do Plaza Playtime with the kids!!!  (Side-note: After volunteering for the position, I found out I had been ASSIGNED the position on Monday....Lucky Me!!)  So, for housekeeping we had to clean the dishes, kitchen, bathroom, showers, sweep, mop, change the foot baths....and WORST OF ALL.....BURN ALL THE GARBAGE!!!  I'm already not a huge fan of fires....but this especially.  The process goes like this:  you combine all the crash barrels into as few as possible; you then put them into the back of a big attachment, and bike them over to the fire pits....not too far (but seemed forever in the heat)!  At the fire pit, you use cardboard, with some gasoline, and a lighter to get the fire pit going, and then VERY SLOWLY, piece by piece you put the garbage into the pit.  The reason you have to go so slow is to avoid smothering the fire (that takes forever to start)!  The worst part is just standing in the heat for 30 - 40 minutes while a hot fire is going!!!  And, this completes house-keeping!!!!

There are some benefits to this job.....house-keeping is on base, so you get to have the entire lunch time here...2 hours.  Furthermore, house-keeping usually does not take the entire morning, so you get some R&R time.  Also, while cleaning on the base you're not in the sun the entire time, so this gives you a chance to cool down a bit!  This being said, during my R&R time I was able to get a little cat nap, reflect a bit....and call my sister to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!  (HAPPY 23RD BIRTHDAY JAC-A-ROO!!!)))  I also had to complete lunch dishes for the second time, seeing as how I had signed up (thinking I needed to in order to do plaza playtime.....and later learned not to be the case)!  After lunch is what I had been waiting for.......

It was time for Plaza Playtime...so let me explain!!!  This is a time when we volunteers get local haitian children from tent camps to come a participate in activities with us for the afternoon.  Tent camps are basically a large area, in which there are tons of tents that are the homes to Haitian families who lost their homes during the quake (we are not allowed to take pictures of the tent camps).  To start off the afternoon I went with one of the local (haitian) volunteers, "Oliver"  to one of the tent camps to gather some children....and I have to say experienced one of the most INCREDIBLE things.  When we walked into the tent camp, I was flooded with so many emotions: first feeling very out of place....I felt as though all eyes were on me, and that I didn't fit in....a very eye opening experience.  As I took a few steps in I was overwhelmed by the children....a whole bunch of young kids rushed at me and gave me the BIGGEST hugs.....the MOST AMAZING, WONDERFUL experience I have ever had!  They wanted me to pick them up, and hold their hands.  I followed Oliver through the camp, picking up children (whose parents approved) to bring them back to the Plaza for activities.  The hugs continued as we walked through the camp.....an experience I will never forget.  As we walked further into camp, there were some times that I felt a little uncomfortable.....on occasion some of the men would tell Oliver to tell me that they liked me.  Further challenging the situation was the lack of common language....first language in Haiti is Creole and French....2 languages I no little to non of!!!  We were able to gather about 20 children from this tent and bring them back.....and as we headed back I had kids latching to my hands and arms........and I have to say this didn't bother me in the least!!

When we arrived at the Plaza for playtime, I was again greeted with hugs from the children from other tents.....and then it was time for activities.  We set up stations for the kids to choose whatever they would like to do......jump roping, coloring/stickering, english lessons, reading, rest area, or playing soccer.  I stationed myself at the coloring table......definitely a great choice.  I had one child that I had picked up at the tent camp, who didn't let go of my hand the ENTIRE time....she had such an amazing smile, and was just so happy!  She sat on my lap at the coloring station, and made several pictures......it was very interesting actually!  What she wanted to do was have me draw something, and then she would attempt the same picture.  She was an AMAZING drawer (at about the age of 4-5) and it was so cool to get to experience this.  My drawing table was surrounded by tons of children drawing, stickering, and just getting to interact with us, as well as each other.  I decided to take out my camera to capture some of these moments.....and let's say that was not hard at all!!!  The minute the kids saw the camera, I was rushed by kids wanting their pictures to be taken, so I have TONS of pictures.  An interesting thing to note about the children when they take pictures......when you mine photos you will notice that non of the have smiles on their faces!  Well, when they take their ID/school photos they are not allowed to smile....so basically they are trained not to smile for pictures!!!  It was so interesting how the children we be so happy when I decided to take their photo, and then they would go stand in front of it, and put on a serious face!  They all wanted to show off their pictures that they had made.  By the end of Plaza Playtime I felt like I had been the EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!!!!  By far something that will be with me for the rest of my life!  If I had to say the one thing that on my end was frustrating, it would have to be my inability to communicate verbally with the children......so pointing, and facial expression was alternative means of communication.

Following Plaza Playtime came dinner (more rice), and group meeting!!!  We voted on a sport to play for Friday Sport Night......Dodgeball (which I LOVE)!  However, when we came to the courtyard, it had turned into a Men's Intense Basketball game....so I opted out!  Instead I got to learn some new volleyball skills, from some people who had just arrived on the base!!!  I enjoyed another SPECTACULAR shower...and then sometime to plan the weekend.  Some people had mentioned going to different places in Haiti....and I've decided to join in!!!  I will be going to Jacmel...about 3 hours away via tap tap, with 13 other volunteers.  There's beaches and waterfalls....and we are going to camp out on the beach for the night! (So, I will not be blogging tonight.....I will update on Sunday night)!  I'm VERY excited for this.  After I arranged my plans for transportation I headed for the blog.....which was taking me forever; probably caused by the many things going on around me, and my inability to multi-task while I'm writing.  One of those distractions being a Canadian girl live streaming the Vancouver v. Bruins game.......that she turned off at the end of the third period!!!  This had me really distracted.....because as I'm sure many of you know, I have been anti-Bruins!!!  By the time I was just about finished with the blog, the computer turned-off and I lost everything!!!  While it's just a blog.....my heart dropped....I had worked so hard.....so I definitely needed some time to regroup!!!  

As I headed to bed, I recruited some help from a friend to fix my mosquito net (that apparently has not been doing the trick) and then off to sleep!  Probably the best nights sleep thus far....didn't wake up once during the night, and slept in until 5:45am!  

Answers to Questions:

1- I forgot to stretch after Hockey....and let me tell you I definitely payed the price!!!

2 - Still working on showing the video to the group....as of right now, I've just been independently showing different volunteers interested in it.

3 - Facing forward in the tap tap has been a tremendous help...thanks becca!!  I will definitely be using this advice on my 3 hour ride today.

4 - Cara and I did do separate jobs....rubbling was draining on me, so I needed to try something else out for the day!  

5 - Yeah, the Plaza Playtime was a major bummer....we both signed up for dishes (because you get first choice of activities) and thus we put our names under playtime....but then they said you needed to have a half day job...b/c their were only limited spots for those who already had only morning jobs!  Thus, house-keeping was a morning job so they let me keep playtime!

Alright...that's it for now!  I'm sorry if I've forgotten something....just post your questions!!!  Heading out for the weekend and I'll be back Sunday!!

Love,

 Bec

Haiti Day 4

Words of Wisdom from my fellow volunteer, in response to me being scared of getting sick:

Everyone will get sick, Everyone will go through hard times, and Everyone will die.....you can either spend that time in the safety our home, living a sheltered "Safe" life, or you can get out and experience the world and it's people.

As for today...well, I've noticed that as the day's go by they continue to get a little bit easier....which is a great sign!!! 

Let me start with....SOUNDS OF THE NIGHT (last night)....or maybe trying to get to sleep last night with the sounds of the night!  Last night's sleep was the most difficult yet....went into bed at about 10....fell asleep at 1:45am....probably because it was so hot out.  While awake in my bed (NOT SLEEPING) I experience the sounds of loud crickets, spanish radio music, continued snoring, and what I thought was some mischievous dog snickering through bags (which I have been told would not be possible)!!!  I woke up this morning yet again at the crack of down....5:30am, and prepared for my second work day.


Today's project....ROOFING.....and let's just say, I have decided my new nick name is POWER TOOLS GIRL..Heck Yeah!  This was my first time building at a school sight so I was a little nervous.  I was the only person working at this site for the first time.....everyone else was returning to the school for their 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc days!  Since I have NO experience with building ANY significant structures, I figured I'd be pretty lost...but I wanted to give something new a try!  So, I headed out to this site (site of the 11th school) via tap tap yet again arriving a little later than usual (8 am)!  Upon first arrival it appeared as everyone already had their tasks ready to go...and I looked like a fish out of water...wandering around trying to figure out what to do!  But, that's where the project leader comes in....he was able to find me a task that was just enough out of my comfort zone, that I HAD to give a try.....attempting to use an electric circular saw on sheet metal!  In case you have never used the combination of sheet metal and an electric saw, let me tell what these two pieces of equipment create.....LOTS OF SPARKS!!!!  This was pretty intimidating to me....and first time power tools user, but as we all know PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT....and so it did! 

More specifically my first job entailed cutting 40 sheets of sheet metal in half, and then dividing them into right and left sides!  Just so you know, sheet metal is VERY HEAVY....so lugging this pieces back and forth with definitely fatiguing on the body.  Also.....a work horse does not exist here....so to cut these pieces of metal, I had to crouch down low...basically UP and DOWN, UP and DOWN!!  I quickly learned that this job was going to take a lot longer than I had anticipated....the up and down was making me very dizzy....so I solicited the assistance of a fellow (Californian) volunteer.  This task took me from morning until lunch....and I was beat!  It was however nice today to be working on a task that had a start and end point....I had a goal that I needed to meet!!

Now, since I was once again at an All Day site, lunch was provided by the local's there....and I decided to eat their meal!!  This meal consisted of some corn meal mush + beans, and vegetable mush....I opted for the cornmeal.....not too bad, however on a warm day, also not super refreshing.  Our meal was accompanied by homemade juice...which was COLD....so it was a MUST have (seeing as the warm water is still not sufficing my thirst needs)....and this juice was DELICIOUS!!!  At this site, lunch time also equals nap time....so I attempted nap time....but with no shade, nap time, turned into people watching time!  We happen to be building this school right next to a current running school, that is, as I would describe inadequate to many standards.  The school is a tent, with not much seating, and also used to store the tools that we use.  Further, the children seemed to be running around all day long, so it was difficult to comprehend how these kids are learning.  Often times they would run into the area that we were building and just start (as they did yesterday)!  The children are so energetic and vibrant....they love it when you talk to them!! It makes so happy that I am getting to help in rebuilding the school that will benefit them.

Lunch/People Watching Lasted about and hour, and then back to work!  I was feeling a little weak, and my productivity relative to the morning was drastically diminished!  That was until the Popsicle man came around.....ICED POPSICLE'S were just what the doctor ordered!!  While we only had an hour left once they arrived, I suddenly got this burst of energy.  I was able to now complete DRILLING!!!!!  This job was to drill holes into the sheet metal I had cut, so that we could then line up the sheet metal holes to put nails in them.  I wasn't able to completely finish this, but that was fine since these pieces weren't needed for the today's work.

Our day ended at about 4:45pm, and we headed back to base!  At that time dinner was already prepared (more rice and means), and it was just about meeting time for the night!  This meeting was very important to me!!!  WHY....well, you sign up for your project for the next day....and I happen to know that on Friday's one of the groups working with the kids...and this was VERY interesting to me!  I then learned that the only way to secure this slot was going to be to sign up for HOUSE-KEEPING :(....as well as more LUNCH DISHES!!!  That's because working with the kids is only a half day project....and you have to have another half day project (and there aren't many....basically just house-keeping)....thus, I did what I had to do, and it worked.

Following dinner I had decided that it was imperative I get a nice COOL drink....so I headed down to "Little Venice" once again for some SPRITE....very refreshing too!  Then back for yet another HOCKEY GAME!!!  This game however did not work out as well as last night......but I do believe I have a reason why!!!  This would be caused by my team's choice to rotate goalies, as opposed to keep me in goal....and we payed the price (I guess you can't win every game)!  After a long game....and being very hot and sweaty, the shower was just what I was looking forward to....this one even better than before...and very interesting.....as I was showering in the DARK!!! 

The shower was followed by another monopoly card game....in which my beginner's luck had run out!  I lost miserably....in partial because everyone seemed to gang up on me, in bitter revenge for their terrible loss yesterday.  Last stop for the night was Joe's....the next door bar...in which another sprite was excellent!!!  I headed back to base about 9....hoping to complete my blog by 10...however 2 lengthy conversations now have kept me up until....WHAT...it's MIDNIGHT.....okay....I think it's bed fore me!!!  Hope you've enjoyed for the night and I'll leave you with some "Other Stuff" to go:

Interesting Stuff:
1) I've met one girl who is applying to PT school, so she's been asking me for some advice....which has been awesome....because it makes me realize how far I've come, as well as reflect on my previous experiences.
2) One ladies daughter is interested in applying to PT....and she was asking me for advice.

In response to some questions:

1 - The reason I won't be returning home with anything is because it is INCREDIBLY DIRTY and GROSS!!!  No reason to bring that stuff home.
2 - I can't take pictures on the base for the most part because it is consider "people's home," so they want to maintain the volunteer's space and privacy.

Alright...Nighty Night!!!  I love the questions....and the comments (Becca)!!!  We miss you and will be bringing back lots of pictures for you!  Oh, and I showed our video to one of my friends, who gave us some great feedback!!!

Love,

Bec

Haiti Day 3

Another night of the wonderful sounds of Haiti!  Last night I fell asleep to the rain (again), as well as crickets, and a voodoo ceremony!  Let me tell you, a voodoo ceremony is VERY noisy....lots of yelling (or maybe it was singing) and drums!!!  Fortunately for me, noise doesn't keep me awake, if I'm tired enough.  This morning I woke up early once again...5:45.....automatically!  It's so weird to be up that early, and not be tired!! 

Today was our first full day of work....and it was definitely an experience.  We headed out to our job for the day...rubbling....an all day job, meaning we stayed on the site for the entire time, as opposed to returning to base for lunch.  The rubbling site was about a half hour from base, so we once again used the tap tap!  I'm not too fond of the tap tap....it seems to make my stomach a little upset, and I haven't really found a way to deal with that yet....maybe by the end of the week (hopefully)!!  The roads we drove on today were also a lot worse than others: because of all the recent rain, many of the "roads" used are full of deep pot holes, that have now been filled in with the rain, making for very difficult travel!  This brings me to the purpose of our rubbling today.....

The site we arrived at was a home that had been destroyed for the most part my the earthquake.  Our job was to clear the home of all the concrete, and find the foundation that the home was sitting on prior to the quake.  In order to do this, we use sledgehammers to break down the concrete, and then to clear the concrete, we wheelbarrow it onto the muddy roads!  Then, since the concrete is in large bulky pieces and in a pile we shovel it along the road to spread it out, and use the sledgehammer to break it down into little pieces.  So in the end we are creating a better road for the people to bike, and drive on, as opposed to having to get through the mud holes....that sometimes they get stuck in.  Our main role was the sledgehammering of the concrete on the main road.....and let me tell you, that is one EXHAUSTING  job!  I have never been so sweaty, and fatigued from anything before.  We worked at this site from 7:30-4!  Fortunately we had frequent water breaks, and an hour and a half lunch.  It was really cool to do all the road sledging....haitians would walk by the road and thank us for what we were doing! 

There are also some uncomfortable parts about doing this work......many of the Haitian's (in particular men) will just stand and watch us work!  Sometimes they talk to us, but for the most part they are just staring, which can become fairly uncomfortable...seeing as they are mostly staring at the women.  Also, it is difficult to carry an valuable with us (camera's) because if you can't keep your eyes on them while you're working someone may take them....fortunately, I have not experience this.  We've also learned that many of the Haitian children love to have their pictures taken....often tapping on our arms asking for us to take their photo!  On the other hand, their are several people who do NOT like their pictures taken, so in order to take photos we must ask everyone first.  (On a side note....we have been asked not to take pictures of our base for the most part, the tent camps, or Haitians in general unless we ask, thus we may have limited photos, of the culture...I'm sorry)!!!!

So, half way through our work day we had lunch, which is made by Haitian family right down the road from where we were working.  I was too scared to eat the lunch....worried about getting sick...so I stuck to the snacks I brought with me.  Also, regarding drinks.....we are supplied with filtered water for the work day....however this water is NEVER cold....we are basically drinking warm water, which is a very BIG challenge for me.  As some of you know, I'm already not a huge water fan....but warm water.....let's just say very hard!  Alright...back to lunch...because our lunch break is long, some of the volunteers brought monopoly the card version, for people to play!  While some people chose to nap during the break, I decided to join in the game....and while some may consider this beginners luck...I say skill....because I WON!!!!  Let me tell you....the others were not to thrilled, at this victory....but I sure was...especially considering I didn't really figure out how to play the game until it was basically over.  After that it was back to work...and very difficult feat....I felt that I had given it so much during the morning shift, that I had nothing left....but somehow we pulled through!!!  The tap tap came and picked us up, and we headed back to base....but not before dropping off someone to go to the bank!!!  Why is this important you may be wondering....well, I think I was just shocked that someone (female) would be walking around the streets of Haiti, independently....I can't say I feel that comfortable yet...so don't worry, I will not be doing that!!!

When we arrived back to base, I was feeling sooooo drained.....I had a terrible headache, slightly nauseous, and just exhausted.  I headed for the shower (an amazing shower at that), and then for dinner!  At this point I had decided my attempt at living off of granola bars, and crackers with peanut butter was not going to work....so I ate some rice and spaghetti.....which was DELICIOUS!!!  Food has never tasted so good!!  I also had decided that warm water was not going to cut it....so we headed to "Little Venice" the food/drink corner hut/market to get some ice cold coca-cola!!!  I've been told it can be trusted to drink....and by far the BEST coca-cola I have EVER had in my life.  Between the food and drink I felt like a completely new person....I felt refreshed...even considered returning to the challenging rubble site for tomorrow!!! 

I was able to participate in a hockey game following dinner in the center of the base...4 v. 4!  I played goalie....and let me tell you, I am an AWESOME goalie.....helping our team to a 5-1 victory....dominating over the same people I beat at monopoly during lunch.  Hockey was then followed by.......STRETCHING CLASS....led by your very own....ME!!!  I had told a bunch of people about graduating from PT school and the video that Becca and I had created for the organization, and they were interested in me leading a group stretching session!!!  I have given the video we made to one of the base managers, who is considering incorporating into the on base orientation that you receive after you arrive....which is very EXCITING!!!

As for the day...that basically sum's it up!!  Overall, it started off very tough...and ended on a high note.  Now off to watch True Grit....Projected on the wall for everyone to watch!!

Some Other Updates/Side Notes:

1 - My mosquito bites are HUGE.....it's hard to tell if there are more or not, because they are basically taking up my entire legs!!! 
2 - Interesting Fact: Not sure if you are aware, the city of Leogane (where we're at) was actually the epicenter of the Haiti earthquake....not Port au Prince.
3 - I am pretty confident that I will NOT be returning with ANYTHING I brought...other than my camera, and journal!!!
4 - I'm not gonna lie....I'm very much looking forward to a wonderful long SHOWER, and a HUGE dinner when I get back!

Once again....post any questions you may have!  Be back tomorrow!

Bec