With Actionnel busy entertaining our counterparts in the states and the students of ECB studying assiduously for this week’s exams, life in Bayonnais has been relatively calm. A biblical storm and the subsequent lack of sunlight yesterday left us without power for a few hours during the day but by applying the correct ratio of patience, caress and swearing (both in English and in Creole) we were able to get the generator started. The engineers even sent us some new fuses and an oil pressure sensor, but wouldn’t you know it, our beloved Generatrice was still unsatisfied. Next week’s list of tasks include an equalization of the batteries which I have been assured has a relatively low rate of electrocution.
It appears that the plea for sponsorship was a success: included in the parcel from the US was a healthy ration of granola bars and cereal snacks. As luck would have it, Wednesday evening’s dinner was the local favorite "La Buwi", a dish that consists of powdered milk, sugar, and flour. Don’t get me wrong, I love cookie dough as much as the next seven year old, but the fruit and grains sent by Tom were a much appreciated treat. The electricity loads were not the only thing that surged this morning when I ran the toaster, but my spirits were elated by the forgotten smell of Pop Tarts.
Today, Merilus and I constructed a ladder out of some mature lumber we found near the generator shed. Although it may not pass those pesky OSHA regulations, our ten-rung masterpiece would have been coveted by most any Haitian Home Depot. At lunch I asked my cook if she would like to come to the United States with me in April, to which she replied that she would probably have a more secure and stable life with her boyfriend who is studying dentistry in Port au Prince. Rosena, if you are reading this, I am not resentful.
Tonight Carolina plays USC in the Sweet 16 and our limited alumni association here will be watching: Go Heels. And, in exactly one month from today, I will be back in the United States ordering quarter-pounders and watching reality TV...
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From late January until late April, I will be living in the small community of Cathor, located in Bayonnais, Haiti. Altough my responsibilities may be broad, extending from micro-credit to electronic education, my overall objective will be to work with OFCB, a Christian mission, to extend the light of hope in such a troubled part of the world.
1 comment:
The skies are still Carolina Blue in Haiti, even if the basketball team did not win. At least you don't have to worry about missing the festivities in Chapel Hill.
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