Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Hockey in Haiti?
Normally, the stories on Haiti that I get in my news alerts have something to do with the latest political scandal, a new UN report on the plight of the poor here, and, of course, massive deforestation. I usually don’t read that stuff anymore. This one, however, caught my eye because of the sports connection. At first glance I took it as a fluff piece with little relevance to the Haiti of today. But after a while, I started to realize that this story reflects in so many ways what IS happening in Haiti each and every day.
It’s all about failed dreams really. The train wreck that is Haiti today is just like the failed championship dream of your favourite hockey/baseball/basketball/football team. So devastating. So achingly frustrating.
Oh, what could have been!
You know, if you visit this blog from time to time, that we try not to dwell on that frustration. But sometimes, sometimes, it’s hard to ignore.
Maybe the recent botched elections with virtually non-existent turnout, the pending hurricane season, the seeming lack of leadership from the top, signs of increased instability in places like Cite Soleil have all got me a little frustrated.
(http://bleacherreport.com/articles/185296-sports-bizarro-world)
As the 2009 NBA playoffs come to a close, we will soon see Kobe, Lebron, Melo, or Dwight wearing a fresh "2009 NBA Champions" t-shirt and hat as they celebrate on the court with their teammates.
Kobe may be holding up four fingers in an eerie jordan-esque way. Mo Williams may be taking imaginary photos with an imaginary camera of a posing Lebron James. No matter who wins, there will also be a Final's loser and somewhere in that arena is the exact same set of "2009 NBA Champions" t-shirts and hats for the losing team which will never see the light of day in the U.S.
Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the Championship gear for the team that loses the big game? Somewhere out there, is a Sports Bizarro world where Michael Jordan is the biggest choke artist in NBA history, reaching the finals six times, but never winning that elusive title.
The Buffalo Bills were the dynasty of the 90’s and the Cowboys got dominated. A world where Kobe and Shaq’s divorce could be rationalized as the pair has gone zero for three on the big stage.
A world where Jeter and Mariano come up short four out of five years and are traded away in 2000 for some over the hill, 37 year old former all-stars by an impatient George Steinbrenner. These t-shirts and hats are shipped to Third World Countries like Ethiopia, Haiti, Sudan, etc.
Somewhere in Haiti, a little boy is wearing a "Patriots 19-0 Perfect Season" t-shirt right now. Although you will probably never see it, this Bizarro Sports World is out there and it is the only evidence of a sports world which could've been.
It’s all about failed dreams really. The train wreck that is Haiti today is just like the failed championship dream of your favourite hockey/baseball/basketball/football team. So devastating. So achingly frustrating.
Oh, what could have been!
You know, if you visit this blog from time to time, that we try not to dwell on that frustration. But sometimes, sometimes, it’s hard to ignore.
Maybe the recent botched elections with virtually non-existent turnout, the pending hurricane season, the seeming lack of leadership from the top, signs of increased instability in places like Cite Soleil have all got me a little frustrated.
(http://bleacherreport.com/articles/185296-sports-bizarro-world)
As the 2009 NBA playoffs come to a close, we will soon see Kobe, Lebron, Melo, or Dwight wearing a fresh "2009 NBA Champions" t-shirt and hat as they celebrate on the court with their teammates.
Kobe may be holding up four fingers in an eerie jordan-esque way. Mo Williams may be taking imaginary photos with an imaginary camera of a posing Lebron James. No matter who wins, there will also be a Final's loser and somewhere in that arena is the exact same set of "2009 NBA Champions" t-shirts and hats for the losing team which will never see the light of day in the U.S.
Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the Championship gear for the team that loses the big game? Somewhere out there, is a Sports Bizarro world where Michael Jordan is the biggest choke artist in NBA history, reaching the finals six times, but never winning that elusive title.
The Buffalo Bills were the dynasty of the 90’s and the Cowboys got dominated. A world where Kobe and Shaq’s divorce could be rationalized as the pair has gone zero for three on the big stage.
A world where Jeter and Mariano come up short four out of five years and are traded away in 2000 for some over the hill, 37 year old former all-stars by an impatient George Steinbrenner. These t-shirts and hats are shipped to Third World Countries like Ethiopia, Haiti, Sudan, etc.
Somewhere in Haiti, a little boy is wearing a "Patriots 19-0 Perfect Season" t-shirt right now. Although you will probably never see it, this Bizarro Sports World is out there and it is the only evidence of a sports world which could've been.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Responding To Crisis In Haiti, Dyslexic Peacekeeping Unit Arrives In Tahiti
Responding To Crisis In Haiti, Dyslexic Peacekeeping Unit Arrives In Tahiti
In response to an outbreak of looting and violence spreading throughout Haiti as rebel forces battle for control of Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince, a unit of dyslexic U.S. peacekeeping troops arrived in Papeete, Tahiti, on Saturday, determined to restore order to the Tahitian capital.
While Port-au-Prince has been in a state of near-anarchy following President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's forced departure last week, the group of dyslexics encountered little or no resistance as they swept through the streets of Papeete, nearly 6000 miles from the Haitian capital.
"To be honest, we're a little confused," said Col. William Barton, who heads up the 20-man unit of dyslexia sufferers. "We read in the paper every day about the problems in Tahiti, but we never see any of it ourselves. I mean, looting, shootings, political upheaval...that stuff is pretty hard to miss."
Barton added, "It's almost like they're talking about a different place altogether."
Reportedly adding to the confusion is the ineptitude of the higher-ranking officers, from whom the unit takes their orders.
"In all of the orders we've received, they refer to 'the Tahitian President,' but there is no Tahitian President," said a member of the unit who asked to remain unidentified. "And even if they meant the President of French Polynesia, that's Gaston Flosse, not this Aristitude guy."
The soldier then added, "You would just think that the higher-ups would have a little better idea of what was going on around here."
Despite finding no evidence of any kind of rebellion, the unit still had orders to patrol the streets Sunday, which they did, wearing black ski masks and carrying M-16 rifles. Though the unit did not encounter any heavy resistance, their efforts were not in vain, as they stumbled upon a looting in progress at a small convenience store just four hours into their patrol.
"It was a smash-and-grab style looting involving three young rebel recruits," lifelong dyslexic Barton reported. "Well, they didn't necessarily smash anything, but they sure did grab."
Though Barton estimated the rebels' ages to be between 10 and 12, he asserted, "Sometimes those are the most dangerous ones.”
Some of the items reportedly looted from the store were a package of Planter's honey-roasted peanuts, a vanilla-scented hanging air freshener, and a pencil bearing the flag of Tahiti.
According to Cpl. Jesse Harris, who was diagnosed with dyslexia just last year, he and his fellow patrolmen happened upon the scene of the looting as the rebels were already fleeing.
"When we're on patrol, we always have our M-16s cocked and ready, so we just opened fire on them,” said Harris. "It was kind of exciting because we thought we were finally getting in on some of the action we had been reading about in the papers. I guess we didn't hit any of them, but one of the rebels fell to the ground. I think he just got scared because he realized that the rebellion would be put down quickly and he decided to join the winning side."
Though they were able to take only one of the rebels into custody, the rebel's mom told the soldiers where they could find the others who got away. She also reported that their mothers would be "very disappointed" in them.
Pundits are calling this the biggest dyslexia-related misunderstanding since 2002, when Brian Haverty of Pensacola, FL reluctantly cancelled a trip to Italy after misreading an article about spaghetti in Newsweek.
(http://www.enduringvision.com/news/world_010204.php)
In response to an outbreak of looting and violence spreading throughout Haiti as rebel forces battle for control of Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince, a unit of dyslexic U.S. peacekeeping troops arrived in Papeete, Tahiti, on Saturday, determined to restore order to the Tahitian capital.
While Port-au-Prince has been in a state of near-anarchy following President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's forced departure last week, the group of dyslexics encountered little or no resistance as they swept through the streets of Papeete, nearly 6000 miles from the Haitian capital.
"To be honest, we're a little confused," said Col. William Barton, who heads up the 20-man unit of dyslexia sufferers. "We read in the paper every day about the problems in Tahiti, but we never see any of it ourselves. I mean, looting, shootings, political upheaval...that stuff is pretty hard to miss."
Barton added, "It's almost like they're talking about a different place altogether."
Reportedly adding to the confusion is the ineptitude of the higher-ranking officers, from whom the unit takes their orders.
"In all of the orders we've received, they refer to 'the Tahitian President,' but there is no Tahitian President," said a member of the unit who asked to remain unidentified. "And even if they meant the President of French Polynesia, that's Gaston Flosse, not this Aristitude guy."
The soldier then added, "You would just think that the higher-ups would have a little better idea of what was going on around here."
Despite finding no evidence of any kind of rebellion, the unit still had orders to patrol the streets Sunday, which they did, wearing black ski masks and carrying M-16 rifles. Though the unit did not encounter any heavy resistance, their efforts were not in vain, as they stumbled upon a looting in progress at a small convenience store just four hours into their patrol.
"It was a smash-and-grab style looting involving three young rebel recruits," lifelong dyslexic Barton reported. "Well, they didn't necessarily smash anything, but they sure did grab."
Though Barton estimated the rebels' ages to be between 10 and 12, he asserted, "Sometimes those are the most dangerous ones.”
Some of the items reportedly looted from the store were a package of Planter's honey-roasted peanuts, a vanilla-scented hanging air freshener, and a pencil bearing the flag of Tahiti.
According to Cpl. Jesse Harris, who was diagnosed with dyslexia just last year, he and his fellow patrolmen happened upon the scene of the looting as the rebels were already fleeing.
"When we're on patrol, we always have our M-16s cocked and ready, so we just opened fire on them,” said Harris. "It was kind of exciting because we thought we were finally getting in on some of the action we had been reading about in the papers. I guess we didn't hit any of them, but one of the rebels fell to the ground. I think he just got scared because he realized that the rebellion would be put down quickly and he decided to join the winning side."
Though they were able to take only one of the rebels into custody, the rebel's mom told the soldiers where they could find the others who got away. She also reported that their mothers would be "very disappointed" in them.
Pundits are calling this the biggest dyslexia-related misunderstanding since 2002, when Brian Haverty of Pensacola, FL reluctantly cancelled a trip to Italy after misreading an article about spaghetti in Newsweek.
(http://www.enduringvision.com/news/world_010204.php)
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Teaching Haitians / Learning from Haitians
Just read this article in my Google News Alerts, and couldn't help but wonder . . . when these guys come back from their mission trip to "teach Haitians how to grow fruits and vegetables", will they still have the same perspective? Will they still think that Haitians, an agarian society, need to be taught how to farm, or that they don't know the value of fruit or vegetables (though the vast majority eat them on a daily basis and have never seen a shaved down carrot in their lives), that they don't know the economic value of a basket of mango fransik? I wonder if they'll be impressed by the unique skills of kids who can build kites out of plastic bags and bamboo and strips of sacks to tie the ends, or throw rocks at ripe mangoes making them fall without bruises, opening a coconut with 3 strikes of a machete, or guiding a old tire rim up and down rocky hills that most foreigners can't even walk on, and how they will compare that to the kids in Woodstock, Virginia who "Facebook" and text message and can throw a strike in Wii bowling. I also wonder how well their excess seeds from Shenandoah County in Virginia, where it is currently snowing, will do in the hot, dry, Haitian climate.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that Rev. George and Chuck are coming. They should come. They should come to learn, help THEMSELVES, and share and maybe, just maybe, they will come, and then go back and tell the people in Shenandoah that Haitians are wise people, thrifty and resourceful people that have come out of physical slavery only to decline into economic slavery with failed "aid" and unjust economic and trade policies. Maybe they'll tell the people in the Antioch Church that the reduction of the subsidies on imported rice totally destroyed local production, which has had a major impact on farm incomes (not to mention nutrition, national pride, and respect for farmers) and which has forced many farmers to rely on cutting trees for basic survival, almost as much as after the US government exterminated the Creole pig. Maybe they'll learn that it's not excess seeds or clothes or medicine that are going to save Haitians from eating these f%^ing mud cookies that everyone can't stop talking about.
Look, I don't have all the answers. But what I DO know is that unless WE, including ME, unless we stop trying to figure it all out, to come up with the magic bullet, unless we stop trying to save Haiti, STOP sending our "excess" to Haiti (didn't Jesus say something about "first fruits"?), I really believe that Haiti is destined for continued failure. And it IS a failed state. Despite the continued efforts of the average Haitian to survive and live, the actions of the state are more often than not abominable. I admit to that. I'm not trying to say that Haiti is doing great, where everyone is eating and everyone is happy. There is misery here. And the biggest miseries are lack of trust and confidence in ourselves, each other, the state, international organizations, trade, and "aid". But here also, there is a boatload . . . wait, let me not use "boatload" in relation to Haiti. There is a plethora of potential in Haiti, in Haitians. How do we unlock the potential? Love your neighbour as yourself. Treat others how you want to be treated...with honesty, integrity, equality.
I believe that Rev. George and Chuck can do something good for Haiti. I really do. And I hope they have a good trip here. And I hope that some of their seeds grow but I also hope that some don't and that they take the time to understand why. And I hope they take the time to listen to people they encounter. Listen to their stories. Listen to their truths. Listen to their ideas. Listen to their dreams. And slowly we, me, Chuck, George, and maybe you too, will learn from and teach each other how go forward from here.
Local men depart for Haiti to teach farming techniques
By Preston Knight -- Daily Staff Writer
WOODSTOCK -- To fill their stomachs with something, Haitians often rely on mud cookies. Two local men are scheduled to leave today to work toward changing that.
The Rev. George Bowers, of Antioch Church of the Brethren, and Chuck Seal, manager of the Volunteer Farm of Zepp, are slated to depart for Haiti on a mission trip meant to assist with the fight against starvation. They will introduce farming techniques learned on the Volunteer Farm of Shenandoah outside of Woodstock.
"In this country, it's malnutrition," said Bob Blair, chairman and CEO of the World Foundation for Children, which sponsors the farms. "In Haiti, it's starvation."
Bowers and Seal will work with the Rev. Geordany Joseph of La Jeune-Pignon in Haiti, who visited the Woodstock farm last summer. According to a press release, he leads 12 churches in Haiti with a combined membership of 4,498, plus children, and runs an orphanage and seven schools. The churches will be a focal point for agriculture lessons.
"If we can teach the younger half of the population how to grow fruits and vegetables," Seal says in the release, "we may be able to reverse the trend of children having red hair and thin bodies -- signs of serious malnutrition."
Eighty percent of Haiti's 8.7 million people live in poverty, the release states, and 42 percent of them are 14 or younger.
Blair said the foundation has discussed the idea of establishing a volunteer farm in Haiti. For now, the goal is to take excess seed from the Woodstock farm to teach Haitians how to grow food in their backyards, he said. One plus is that Haiti has a long growing season, Blair added.
"We wish we could do more in both places," he said.
Last year, the Woodstock farm, which has existed for several years as compared to the Zepp location, produced 35 tons of vegetables thanks to 3,100 volunteers, the release states. Results even far less than that in Haiti would be a victory, officials said.
"They must be taught how to grow enough to feed themselves," Seal said in the release.
Bowers could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. He and Seal are scheduled to return from their trip Feb. 10. Representatives from Brethren churches throughout the Shenandoah Valley also are traveling to Haiti to focus on health and housing issues, the release states.
Anyone interested in donating to Joseph's churches, schools or orphanage can visit www.worldfoundationforchildren.com or mail donations to WFC, 277 Crider Lane, Woodstock, Va., 22664.
By Preston Knight -- Daily Staff Writer
WOODSTOCK -- To fill their stomachs with something, Haitians often rely on mud cookies. Two local men are scheduled to leave today to work toward changing that.
The Rev. George Bowers, of Antioch Church of the Brethren, and Chuck Seal, manager of the Volunteer Farm of Zepp, are slated to depart for Haiti on a mission trip meant to assist with the fight against starvation. They will introduce farming techniques learned on the Volunteer Farm of Shenandoah outside of Woodstock.
"In this country, it's malnutrition," said Bob Blair, chairman and CEO of the World Foundation for Children, which sponsors the farms. "In Haiti, it's starvation."
Bowers and Seal will work with the Rev. Geordany Joseph of La Jeune-Pignon in Haiti, who visited the Woodstock farm last summer. According to a press release, he leads 12 churches in Haiti with a combined membership of 4,498, plus children, and runs an orphanage and seven schools. The churches will be a focal point for agriculture lessons.
"If we can teach the younger half of the population how to grow fruits and vegetables," Seal says in the release, "we may be able to reverse the trend of children having red hair and thin bodies -- signs of serious malnutrition."
Eighty percent of Haiti's 8.7 million people live in poverty, the release states, and 42 percent of them are 14 or younger.
Blair said the foundation has discussed the idea of establishing a volunteer farm in Haiti. For now, the goal is to take excess seed from the Woodstock farm to teach Haitians how to grow food in their backyards, he said. One plus is that Haiti has a long growing season, Blair added.
"We wish we could do more in both places," he said.
Last year, the Woodstock farm, which has existed for several years as compared to the Zepp location, produced 35 tons of vegetables thanks to 3,100 volunteers, the release states. Results even far less than that in Haiti would be a victory, officials said.
"They must be taught how to grow enough to feed themselves," Seal said in the release.
Bowers could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. He and Seal are scheduled to return from their trip Feb. 10. Representatives from Brethren churches throughout the Shenandoah Valley also are traveling to Haiti to focus on health and housing issues, the release states.
Anyone interested in donating to Joseph's churches, schools or orphanage can visit www.worldfoundationforchildren.com or mail donations to WFC, 277 Crider Lane, Woodstock, Va., 22664.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Even Worse Than Haiti . . .
For people who read our blog from time to time, you know that among other things we attempt to tell more of the Haitian story, than what you get from CNN or most other popular media. This morning I saw this headline: "Guyana Lower Than Haiti on Latest Economic Freedom Ranks" The story is not about Haiti, it's about how Guyana's economic freedom is not all that good. But to make their point, they say that it is EVEN WORSE than Haiti. So not only is the situation of economic freedom bad in Guyana, it's SO bad that its WORSE than Haiti. Meaning that Haiti has become the bar by which all bad things are measured.
Sad, so sad.
Guyana Lower Than Haiti on Latest Economic Freedom Ranks
CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Jan. 14, 2009: When it comes to economic freedom globally, Guyana is even lower than Haiti, the country deemed the poorest in the world.
According to the latest Index of Economic Freedom World Rankings, a compilation of economic freedom globally by the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation, Guyana is at 155 on the overall list, lower than Haiti at 147. Overall, it scored 48.4 on the economic freedom scale, meaning its freedom is repressed.
This makes it the worst CARICOM country for economic freedom in several areas, including business, trade, government size, investment, property rights, corruption and labor.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sometimes I wonder . . .
Sometimes I wonder why Haiti just can't get a break. Rampant poverty. Environmental degradation. A floundering government. A series of four tropical storms and hurricanes that devastated much of the country, killing hundreds. Then the school collapse last week that killed over 90 people, most of them school kids.
And now today, ANOTHER school collapse. Just a few hours ago, another school in Port au Prince collapsed. This just happened, so details are sketchy at this point, but it doesn't look like anyway died. But still . . .
Besides updating you on our family, our work, Gabriela's adoption, etc, Esther and I have used this blog to tell positive stories about Haiti. But that is not always an easy thing to do. It's easy to see this challenges as isolated incidents, but in reality, there are all very connected. Haiti is a strangely and beautifully chaotic place, and there are LOTS of POSITIVE things happening here, but I just don't understand why Haiti can't get a break sometimes.
Let's hope for one . . . like a good harvest season, like a big football win over a rival country, like something positive from our friend Obama, like a serious government, like subtle shifts in the way people treat and interact with one another . . .
I, for one, am doing my best to remain positive.
M
And now today, ANOTHER school collapse. Just a few hours ago, another school in Port au Prince collapsed. This just happened, so details are sketchy at this point, but it doesn't look like anyway died. But still . . .
Besides updating you on our family, our work, Gabriela's adoption, etc, Esther and I have used this blog to tell positive stories about Haiti. But that is not always an easy thing to do. It's easy to see this challenges as isolated incidents, but in reality, there are all very connected. Haiti is a strangely and beautifully chaotic place, and there are LOTS of POSITIVE things happening here, but I just don't understand why Haiti can't get a break sometimes.
Let's hope for one . . . like a good harvest season, like a big football win over a rival country, like something positive from our friend Obama, like a serious government, like subtle shifts in the way people treat and interact with one another . . .
I, for one, am doing my best to remain positive.
M
Friday, November 07, 2008
School Collapse
There was a palpable buzz as I left a meeting at the EU offices this morning, and unfortunately, the news was not good. Part of a school collapsed this morning in Petionville. Details are still sketchy at this point. Early reports were saying the entire school had collapsed filled with 700 hundred students. Thankfully, that was not the case. However, the top floor of one whole wing of the school appears to have come down and crushed the floors below it. Latest reports are saying that there are at least a dozen confirmed deaths and more than 50 kids still trapped. The government does not have the kind of search and rescue resources to deal with these kinds of emergencies and there are urgent calls all over the radio for equipment to help free these kids.
It's a sad and scary story that is just beginning.
It's a sad and scary story that is just beginning.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sweaty hugs
Gabriela and I are house sitting. Our friends Josh and Marylynn are in Canada right now and they are letting us stay at their place until we find something for ourselves. Its a nice place in Petionville, a second story apartment with a nice breeze coming through it. The day we came back from Canada together, I immediately noticed a potential child hazard. The main entrance door at the top of the stairs has the kind of lock that automatically locks when you close it - so unless you have a key, you can't get back in. I right away warned Martha (Gabriela's nanny) about it and told her never to go downstairs unless she had keys with her. I also told her I would get a copy made to hide in the garage.
Well, tonight after a long day out visiting friends, doing laundry, going to my office for a few hours, Gabriela and I came home. We had some food, cleaned up a bit and then had a shower. We were hanging out some clothes to dry when I remembered that we were low on water, so I quickly ran downstairs to turn the pump on while Gabriela was taking down the socks I had just hung up.
I threw the pump on and then headed up the stairs, only to see the light pouring through the doorway quickly dim as the door clicked shut. Gabriela had pushed it closed. That moment was a blur, but I'm pretty sure I swore. I ran to the top of the stairs and asked Gabriela if she could open the door. It's a bit tricky for her to open it and I'm not sure she's ever really done it before. She couldn't do it and I couldn't explain it. So, I asked her to get the keys. She loves playing with keys and definitely knows what they are and what they are used for. She ran to the kitchen and I heard her climb up on a chair to grab the keys I had thrown down there when we came home. I heard her running back with keys jingling! Yes, saved! I asked her to give them to me, but she wanted to stick them in the keyhole on her side, which she couldn't do either. Then she dropped them and as I peeked under the crack under the door, I saw that they were the keys for my office. Yikes!
"Gabriela, please go get the OTHER keys." Pitter patter as she runs back to the table, and I hear keys again!!! Great. This time I convince her to push them under the door to me. Wrong keys - these were my car keys. This whole time I am freaking out in my mind because there is absolutely no way to get in the house besides this door. All the windows are barred and the only other door is the same kind of door coming down from the roof.
I forgot to mention, I am only wearing my boxers this whole time. So I'm imagining having to go the neighbours or something, ask them to help me somehow. Until I realize that I'm actually locked in the garage - because we padlock the garage from the inside - that key is on the same key chain still on the table somewhere. I'm talking to her very gently, trying not to sound worried or stressed so she doesn't freak out. She's handling it all very well but I start to imagine the worst - sleeping in the stairwell until the nanny comes the next morning, with Gabriela stuck inside the whole time.
I forgot to mention that I am also sweating buckets.
"Ok Gabriela, can you please go get the OTHER keys, the ones with the pink holder."
"Ok papa," she says as she hits the floor running for the kitchen again.
This time she comes back with the right keys. She pushes them under the door and I open it.
SAVED. I give her a HUGE sweaty hug.
So sweaty that she pushes me away and says, "Papa bath?"
How could you be mad at eyes like these!???
Well, tonight after a long day out visiting friends, doing laundry, going to my office for a few hours, Gabriela and I came home. We had some food, cleaned up a bit and then had a shower. We were hanging out some clothes to dry when I remembered that we were low on water, so I quickly ran downstairs to turn the pump on while Gabriela was taking down the socks I had just hung up.
I threw the pump on and then headed up the stairs, only to see the light pouring through the doorway quickly dim as the door clicked shut. Gabriela had pushed it closed. That moment was a blur, but I'm pretty sure I swore. I ran to the top of the stairs and asked Gabriela if she could open the door. It's a bit tricky for her to open it and I'm not sure she's ever really done it before. She couldn't do it and I couldn't explain it. So, I asked her to get the keys. She loves playing with keys and definitely knows what they are and what they are used for. She ran to the kitchen and I heard her climb up on a chair to grab the keys I had thrown down there when we came home. I heard her running back with keys jingling! Yes, saved! I asked her to give them to me, but she wanted to stick them in the keyhole on her side, which she couldn't do either. Then she dropped them and as I peeked under the crack under the door, I saw that they were the keys for my office. Yikes!
"Gabriela, please go get the OTHER keys." Pitter patter as she runs back to the table, and I hear keys again!!! Great. This time I convince her to push them under the door to me. Wrong keys - these were my car keys. This whole time I am freaking out in my mind because there is absolutely no way to get in the house besides this door. All the windows are barred and the only other door is the same kind of door coming down from the roof.
I forgot to mention, I am only wearing my boxers this whole time. So I'm imagining having to go the neighbours or something, ask them to help me somehow. Until I realize that I'm actually locked in the garage - because we padlock the garage from the inside - that key is on the same key chain still on the table somewhere. I'm talking to her very gently, trying not to sound worried or stressed so she doesn't freak out. She's handling it all very well but I start to imagine the worst - sleeping in the stairwell until the nanny comes the next morning, with Gabriela stuck inside the whole time.
I forgot to mention that I am also sweating buckets.
"Ok Gabriela, can you please go get the OTHER keys, the ones with the pink holder."
"Ok papa," she says as she hits the floor running for the kitchen again.
This time she comes back with the right keys. She pushes them under the door and I open it.
SAVED. I give her a HUGE sweaty hug.
So sweaty that she pushes me away and says, "Papa bath?"
How could you be mad at eyes like these!???
Friday, September 26, 2008
Gabriela Goes to School
Just thought I'd share the big event of the day. Gabriela went to "school" for the first time today! We enrolled her at a Montessori school, which starts out with a day-care and then moves on to Kindergarten and then regular school. She'll probably do about 3-4 months in the day-care part and then move up to another level.
It's a nice place, called Boucle d'Art. I will bring her everyday between 7 and 7:30 and Martha will pick her up at 3 (except Fridays, which is 1:00). When Esther comes back we'll figure out another schedule.
It took me a while to get her there. I wanted to bring her earlier in the week but IOM lost 2 vehicles (and our entire office) in Gonaives and so they sent my truck to Gonaives - so I've been without for most of the week.
I think she's really going to like it! As you all saw this summer, she loves people, loves kids and loves to get involved in activities. She'll have a lot of fun.
I've been preparing her to go for the last few days, telling her we were going to school, that she was going to play with other kids, etc. I even bought her a new backpack in Canada and she loves it. This morning we got the backpack out and she got so excited. She rushed to get dressed and then put it on! She kept saying "airplane, airplane, airplane." I think she thought we were going on an airplane because she got to carry her own bag when we went on the plane last week!
Anyway, enjoy the pics!
It's a nice place, called Boucle d'Art. I will bring her everyday between 7 and 7:30 and Martha will pick her up at 3 (except Fridays, which is 1:00). When Esther comes back we'll figure out another schedule.
It took me a while to get her there. I wanted to bring her earlier in the week but IOM lost 2 vehicles (and our entire office) in Gonaives and so they sent my truck to Gonaives - so I've been without for most of the week.
I think she's really going to like it! As you all saw this summer, she loves people, loves kids and loves to get involved in activities. She'll have a lot of fun.
I've been preparing her to go for the last few days, telling her we were going to school, that she was going to play with other kids, etc. I even bought her a new backpack in Canada and she loves it. This morning we got the backpack out and she got so excited. She rushed to get dressed and then put it on! She kept saying "airplane, airplane, airplane." I think she thought we were going on an airplane because she got to carry her own bag when we went on the plane last week!
Anyway, enjoy the pics!
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Haiti Update
Some of you have been asking how I am - I'm fine. Haiti has been hit by four tropical storms/hurricanes in quick succession. It's currently raining and overcast this morning with the spinoff of Hurricane Ike, the eye of which is passing north of Haiti right now. Damage assessments are still being done but it's clear that there has been significant damage. The situation in Gonaives is the worst, and many say Hanna produced results worse than Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 (which hit Haiti the day after Esther and I arrived in Haiti). The number of deaths won't reach that of Jeanne, but the actual damage is said to be worse. I've spoken to my friends in Dezam, where we lived for 3 years, and the damage to crops is also extensive. Banana crops, sugar cane, avacados which were ripe on the trees - all this has been lost in many parts of the country. Many people had been preparing to plant their rice crop and the rice nurseries, at least in that part of the Artibonite were washed away.
You can read a lot more on major news sites. I found a few photo galleries for those interested in seeing pictures. Two good ones are here:
Le Nouvelliste: click on "L'actualites en Photos" on the left side of the page near the top.
MINUSTAH (the UN mission in Haiti)
I despair the fact that this only sets Haiti further back. Damage to national food production and the massive amounts of imported food aid is going to deepen the long-term food crisis here. School is set to begin this month, but it is expected that it will be delayed. Many schools have been damaged and it will be a while before they can be ready to receive students.
On a positive note, after 4 months of political instability, the Prime Minister (Michele Pierre Louis) was ratified on Friday. Hopefully this will result in improved coordination and progress.
Personally, I am ok. I'm a bit wiped out from how crazy work has been this past week. Apparently, unloading 50 tonnes of relief supplies off an airplane with 24 hours notice, finding a depot for it, getting it to the depot on 6 tractor trailers, and then loading them back up onto trucks the next day to send to all corners of the country on terrible roads after a devastating hurricane has knocked out bridges, flooded all kinds of areas and killed hundreds of people is not as easy as it sounds.
I am supposed to take vacation on Tuesday. Esther and I were going to meet up in NYC and then I was going to go up to Ontario to be with Gabriela and family and friends. I may need to stay for a while though, because of work demands. I should know by tomorrow. I really want to go, but at the same time, I feel the need to stay to help out at work. An unfortunate dilemma.
Please pray for people who are dealing with fall-out of this whole thing.
Ayiti Cheri.
MVG.
You can read a lot more on major news sites. I found a few photo galleries for those interested in seeing pictures. Two good ones are here:
Le Nouvelliste: click on "L'actualites en Photos" on the left side of the page near the top.
MINUSTAH (the UN mission in Haiti)
I despair the fact that this only sets Haiti further back. Damage to national food production and the massive amounts of imported food aid is going to deepen the long-term food crisis here. School is set to begin this month, but it is expected that it will be delayed. Many schools have been damaged and it will be a while before they can be ready to receive students.
On a positive note, after 4 months of political instability, the Prime Minister (Michele Pierre Louis) was ratified on Friday. Hopefully this will result in improved coordination and progress.
Personally, I am ok. I'm a bit wiped out from how crazy work has been this past week. Apparently, unloading 50 tonnes of relief supplies off an airplane with 24 hours notice, finding a depot for it, getting it to the depot on 6 tractor trailers, and then loading them back up onto trucks the next day to send to all corners of the country on terrible roads after a devastating hurricane has knocked out bridges, flooded all kinds of areas and killed hundreds of people is not as easy as it sounds.
I am supposed to take vacation on Tuesday. Esther and I were going to meet up in NYC and then I was going to go up to Ontario to be with Gabriela and family and friends. I may need to stay for a while though, because of work demands. I should know by tomorrow. I really want to go, but at the same time, I feel the need to stay to help out at work. An unfortunate dilemma.
Please pray for people who are dealing with fall-out of this whole thing.
Ayiti Cheri.
MVG.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Hanna Update
We're all dealing with the fallout from Hanna, which hit Haiti relatively unexpectedly. Damage assessments are still being done but there is very clearly damage in many parts of the country. Official deaths are 14 at this point, but many expect it to rise still. Gonaives is still under a fair bit of water. Damage will be felt in housing but also, significantly in terms of damage to agricultural production.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Storms #3, 4 and 5
Gustav passed Haiti and left around 60 dead, minor flooding and lots of damaged homes. We thought Hanna would pass well north of us, but last night there was heavy rain for much of the night, especially in the north. At this point, we don't know of the damage, but we do know that much of the city of Gonaives is flooded. You'll recall that Gonaives was where Hurricane Jeanne hit in 2004 killing more than 1000 people. At some parts of the city, there is more than 3 meters of water. Our office is completely flooded there. In the wake of Hanna is Ike and another tropical storm developing. Stay tuned, and pray for those affected, including friends trying to get out of Haiti since last week.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Storm #2: Gustav
Here comes our second big storm - Gustav. Last weekend's Fay wasn't too serious - except the tragic accident when a bus tried to cross a river. This storm is shaping up to be bigger. It's already raining pretty hard out there. We're at the top end of the larger red area.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Rainy Weekend
This is the weekend I am expecting here in Haiti. "They" say its going to be a busy hurricane season.
Monday, August 04, 2008
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