Update

So, I have a lot to report since my last blog entry.

I went to the hospital last Thursday morning and found out that I did in fact fracture my left fibula in two places (spiral fracture) just above my maleolus (ankle). It was a clean break and in line, but had shifted 2mm to the mid-line and the ER doctor referred me to the on-call orthopedic surgeon. This meant a 45 minute drive to Burnaby Hospital where Dr. Dunwoody who is amazing told me that he would recommend surgery due to the nature of the break and my age. I certainly wasn't expecting to hear that I needed surgery, so I left the hospital needing some time to process the information. I also felt that this was all quite dramatic considering I had been walking on a broken ankle for 9 days and it seemed to be improving. After consulting with a few friends in the medical profession, I decided on Friday morning to head back to the hospital and be added to the "add-on" list for surgical repair. Alethea and Robin drove me to the hospital on Friday evening and helped to get me settled in my room. I was admitted to the 4th floor Unit 4C where the nurses were fantastic. The hospital was as clean as I have seen and I was the youngest patient on the orthopedic unit by about 40 years.

Saturday morning arrived and Nelson, Alethea and the girls brought me Tim Hortons (the first since returning from Haiti) for breakfast and spent 2 hours with me which was wonderful. I was hoping that I would be called in for surgery later that day, but I was presented with a brown paper bag around 8pm that evening that contained a sandwich and applesauce......... obviously I wasn't going for surgery.

Sunday came and went, the same drill, maybe by lunch, then maybe by dinner and again, the same paper bag was offered. At this point, I had not eaten for more than 24 hours, I had an IV in my hand since Friday night and was feeling very weak, tired and lethargic. Nelson, Alethea and the girls came back to see me for a few hours but I know I wasn't very good company as I was feeling pretty sick and frustrated that I had spent more than 48 hours unable to go further than the end of the hallway while awaiting surgery.

Finally, on Monday morning, the nurse let me know that I was officially scheduled for surgery between 10 and 11am and sure enough, at 10:45am, I was wheeled down to OR. I was never so happy to be going for surgery. The anathesiologist commented that I looked nervous, and I quickly responded that the reason my pupils were so dilated, was because I was starving so he should hurry up and put me to sleep so we could get this over with. I woke up about 1.5 hours later in the recovery room to a wonderful nurse who gave me some fantastic medication for my post-op pain which was downright horrible.

I was returned to my room feeling like I couldn't keep my eyes open and fighting several waves of nausea but the best friends in the world, Nelson and Alethea again came to my rescue and brought me a "girl" happy meal for dinner. I fought through throwing it up in front of them a few times from the nausea but fell into a drug-induced coma shortly after they left. I received three more rounds of antibiotics through my IV before being discharged the following morning.

I am now at home using a walker to get around. I feel like one of the residents that resides in the facility that I work. It is very hard to use a walker and only weight-bear on one side. I find that I can only go short distances before fatiguing and needing to rest. This has been an eye-opener for me and makes me realize how quickly your independence can be taken away! I went back to work on Thursday and Friday this week and I'm feeling very frustrated and a bit depressed. I'm tired of not being able to to anything that I want. Not properly showering or washing my hair is just downright gross and outside of Haiti not socially appropriate. I want to nap all of the time and my house is slowly falling apart.

I have an appointment scheduled at the cast clinic this coming Friday (6 more sleeps) and I hope that if I am told I can't start walking on my left foot, that I can at least start wearing my aircast again and weight-bearing. I want nothing more than to get rid of this walker. My shoulders hurt and I've gotten into the habit of counting the number of steps it takes me to get to various locations around the house. Right now, I regret making the decision to have surgery, so I am living on the hope that I will be cast free in less than a week so I can at least start getting out of the house and doing the simple things we all take for granted. The irony, all I wanted to do is come home and be able to take hot showers, and since being home I've only been able to take one..... I feel like I'm back in Haiti again!!

First Day At Home

It was great to get home yesterday. After spending the night in Montreal and getting my first hot shower, I was suprised that my body didn't enjoy the idea of hot water as much as my brain wanted. I ended up having a lukewarm shower which was still wonderful. I arrived in Vancouver around 11am yesterday to Alethea and the girls and felt so wonderful to have a great friend pick me up. Robin was happy to see Aunty and Meagan was full of smiles. After getting home, I decided to leave all my luggage outside. It is suprisingly cold here since I left and snow is in the forcast for the weekend. I was getting in the Christmas spirit before leaving but now, it seems so odd to be thinking of Christmas. I decided to unpack a few items and was saddened that the only piece that didn't survive the trip home was a beautiful soapstone vase I had packed in my carry-on. I think it got broken when the guys were packing the van. I'm going to try to crazy glue it back together today.

I talked to Wes, mom and Tammy on the phone and it was great to be at home and enjoying some comforts we take for granted. I had to go to bed early tonight as I was so cold, I couldn't get warm.

I fell asleep quickly last night and woke up at 4:30am. I think my body was waiting for the roosters crowing and I was suprised at the stillness and quite of it here. The "anchor" is still healing and is throbbing badly this morning so I will be heading to the emergency to get an xray today. I thought about getting up and going now, but I'm enjoying laying in my bed.

I'm missing my teammates quite badly today and thinking about Gail, Fiona, Bernice, all of the great people still in Haiti and wishing I was there. I am also thinking of Noel who took such good care of us, Cyril who hired an amazing driver that got us to Jacmel in the dark safely, Christoff who treated us very well in Jacmel and when I started to think of Nathalie, the little girl we visited in her home, the tears came fast and furious. I had a good cry this morning, and I'm expecting that over the coming days or weeks, this spontaneous emotion will likely occur.

I already want to start planning for my next trip, and I am feeling very grateful for the opportunity that I was given. I met so many amazing people during my time in Haiti and I will keep each of them in my thoughts!

I used this in a previous post, but it has a very different meaning to me now that I have returned and I hope to keep the simplicity of life in Haiti with me as I get back into my life in Canada.


Life is too short

to wake up in the morning with regrets. 

So love the people who treat you right,

forgive about the ones who don't

and believe that everything

happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, take it.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said that it'd be easy,

they just promised

it would be worth it.

I had a chance, and I grabbed it with both hands this time, it has changed my life and I can't wait to do it all over again! Life your life, take a chance and experience the moments as they happen. I learned on this adventure that where there is pain and poverty there is also beauty and happiness, you just have to look a little harder.


Bon Bagay!



 

Until Next Time

This will be my last blog entry before leaving Haiti, and I woke up feeling very nostalgic about the past two weeks. It seems like I've been here much longer and yet it has gone by so very quickly. I enjoyed waking up under my bug net this morning listening to the morning noises and the rooster that wakes us all up every morning around 4am. Last night, we had a trubador band come to the guesthouse and play music for about an hour and a half and with a few rum sours on board, I was able to get up and dance one last time.

I've been fighting back tears most of the day and I'm not sure why. I'm excited to get home and have a hot shower and wash 2 week old conditioner out of my hair that I have never quite been able to rinse out but sad to be leaving a group of amazing people that I've spent a considerable amount of time with this past two weeks.

We're all leaving with a part of Haiti, unfortunately for Sarah, she's leaving with a stomach bug that has her laid out flat right now. I'm leaving with an ankle that Dr.Moise tells me is likely fractured and all of us have far too many bug bites to count.

Haiti, I have a love/hate relationship with you.

Here are some of the most frequently heard comments on this trip:

-Just for giggles, let's wear our seatbelts
-Which is worth more points, a baby or a pig
-Hurry and wait
-TIH ( thisi is Haiti)
-Hey I can get that to fit in my hockey bag
-What is this in American money?
-It's haiti time
-Do you have a Haitian bellybutton
-Make sure Todd's looking at you
-Where's the "others"
-Is everyone here, how many of us are there?
-What happens in Haiti stays in Haiti
-Shithead/Asshole
-Whatever you do, don't drink the water! Keep your mouth closed!
-What's the ASL sign for beer?
-I owe you for how many Prestige?
-I should have brought my fishing rod
-Five Haitians and a mule
-When's dinner?
-How is it possible to sweat and smell this bag?
-Do you think I could wear this one more time?
-Good morning sirs, I love you.
-I'm fine.
-Sleep when you're dead
-Expect the unexpected
-If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down
-The "anchor" or it kind of looks like a dragon
-I don't know, we'll ask Gail
-I forgot to take my Malerone
-Crocs aren't good for hiking
-Who has the bottle of rum sour
-More Pikliz and Acra please!
-A-mule-lance
-I'll never get used to a cold shower
-I forgot to put on my Haitian purfume
-What's that smell?
-Team Canada: hurricane, earthquake, riots, broken ankle and maybe Cholera

We are hearing that there are riots in Cap Haitian against UN Troops as it is widely believed here that the Cholera outbreak was introduced to Haiti when UN troops arrived from Nepal. We are hoping that everything goes smoothly when we arrive at the airport later today, but so far Port-au-Prince is quiet.

Bon Bagay!

Me, Myself & I

It's an overcast Saturday morning but very humid. After saying goodbye to my teammates, I sit by the pool. There would have been a considerable amount of hiking involved in going to Basin Bleu, a beautiful waterfall in Jacmel, so I decided not to go. BOO! I've tried to keep myself busy, read a few chapters from my book, painted my toenails, did laundry in the sink and took a nap. Time seems to stand still in Haiti. I can't believe that I only woke up 4 hours ago, and I was tired enough to take an hour long nap. How am I going to get back into my "regular" life?

It's been a busy few days. On Thursday we were honored with the privilege of going out and doing home visits to see children and their families that due to their disability or transportation are not able to attend Pazapa school. We visited two families and I came close to breaking down a few times when I realized where I was. People who don't know us, graciously invite us into their home with as much trust as you would give to your closest friends. We ask tons of questions, most often requiring Karen to interpret, and for a short while invade their home. I can't explain what it is like to be lead down a dusty pot-filled dirt road to a small shack and invited with kisses on the cheek because you're there to help a little girl laying on a bed with CP. We found out about this little girl through an orphanage run by Americans called Hands and Feet. Their maintenance manager is leaving the country and by Haitian standards "adopted" her but is not allowed to legally leave the country with her. Her name was Nathalie, and she hammed it up! Full of smiles despite us putting her in and out of her wheelchair several times to try to get it to fit her better and then me holding this timy little underweight body in my arms doing chest clapping to loosen the mucus from her lungs. She was cared by a lady who took her in after she had been abandoned on the steps of a church.

At this point, it was mid-afternoon and I didn't think it was possible for me to sweat as much as I was. It was dripping off me but despite the heat we went to see Gaylain, another little girl with CP. Her wheelchair required modifications, so there wasn't really anything for me to do but her older sister played hide-and-go-seek and tossed a ball around with me for about 45 min! So much fun, a very happy little girl who loved having some attention with a stranger for a small moment in time. Again, her parents were so thankful Adrian and Laura were able to fix her chair and dad watched very intently to make sure he knew what was being changed in case he had to do it in the future. This has been the most profound experience  I've had since being here and I find tears rolling down my face as I write. I don't know if it will be something that I will be able to talk about when returning home without becoming very emotional each time I think about how few people get to really see how most Haitians live everyday.

Later in the day, we did some shopping in downtown Jacmel. We met a man (I think his name was Tut Tut) who led us around to several stores. Well, they weren't really stores, they were small rooms that had no electricity and were dark and dusty but what we scored some beautiful art pieces. The artisans of Jacmel are most famous for their paper mache masks and we saw some amazing ones! Again, we got lucky and were able to walk the streets of Jacmel without getting swarmed or worried about our safety. Everyone was very respectful and freindly. Only Adrian got into a bit of trouble with a man on the street that tried to sell him old, mouldy Haitian cigars. I found some later in another store, which he bought and we tried one out later in the evening by the pool. Karen told us that there is a competition that must be had while in Jacmel. It is to see how many people can fit on a motorcycle at the same time. So far, Adrian is winning with 4 adults. So, of course, Laura asked the question that I will likely never hear again. "What is worth more, a baby or a pig"? Cyril who owns Tour Haiti and is Haitian, clarified that a pig is indeed worth more because it covers more surface area than a baby and is harder to hold. Just another reason why I'm loving it here...... the craziness of it all!

Friday was a quiet day for me. I got to do a bit of basic wound care with a few kids that had minor scratches and follow up on a wound that I had cleaned up on Wednesday. A young deaf boy had fallen off his bike and when he showed me his knee, the skin was almost gone to the bone and was covered with a dirty scrap of cloth and wrapped with some sort of tape that was peeling off. It was infected, covered with rocks and dirt and looked horrible. I got it cleaned up and when he came back on Friday to see me, I was happy to see pink skin at the base and was starting to heal. I realized that I came ill-prepared for this trip. Next time, I would bring a standard nursing assessment for all the children as there wer no nursing notes other than immunizations and diagnosis noted and I would do a quick head-to-toe on every child. The home visits would also be a great opportunity to do health teaching with the parents if I had brought basic information in Creole. Hygiene kits for the home would have also been great.

Sarah and Laura joined us on this leg of the trip and they have been wonderful to work with. They are so knowledgable and very innovative. As we were all working during home visits, I started to think that this is such a great idea, why don't things like this happen back home. To have an entire team come in at once and find resolutions to challenges makes sense. While Adrian and Laura were working on the chair, I was doing some chest physio and Karen and Sarah would do speech and OT assessments. There was no competition, we each had our specialty and left feeling like we made a difference in this little girl's quality of life.

I remember saying a few months ago, that I get to go to Haiti. More than ever I feel that sentiment today. It doesn't take too long before you get used to being dirty, hot, sweaty and wearing the same clothes many days in a row. You also reflect on how amazingly fortunate we are to live in a country that offers us safety, security, opportunities for personal development, basic healthcare and the right to live as free-thinking individuals.

I belive things happen for a reason and I think me spending some time by myself today to reflect on what I have seen here is good for me. I don't think I'm going to process everything that I have experienced until I get home and try to get back into ordinary life. Right now, in this moment, I feel relaxed, calm and knowing that I need to keep Haiti close to my heart when I go home.

A little boy watching us pack up at Pazapa



An amazing team!





 




My favorite photo!

 

1st Day in Jacmel

It's been almost 24 hours since my last blog and I have a lot to report.

We left for Jacmel several hours later than expected due to several unforseen circumstances (again, "this is Haiti" motto applies). While Adrian and I were trying to bring down heavy hockey bags to be loaded into the van so we would be ready to go, I made the unfortunate mis-step and had a fall that has resulted in a significant sprain to the ankle. I  stepped on a loose rock and went down backward on a very steep set of stairs and realized that the "pop" I heard was probably not a good thing but since my foot was still pointing in the right direction and not wanting to make a big deal out of it, I walked down the rest of the stairs and back up before a team member commented on how pale I looked. Long story short, I severly sprained my ankle and have had it wrapped since yesterday. I can weight-bear but am going up and down stairs one at a time and hobbling around. With much Ibruprophen on board and the shockingly hot weather today, it is starting to feel better but is very swollen and is bruising considerably. The team is taking good care of me and I am trying to not be a clutz for the rest of the trip. Karen tells me that there has to be one person on each trip that gets really sick or hurts themselves. Nobody has got sick yet, so I guess I've taken one for the team on this!

We arrived at Hotel Cyvadier at 8pm and they had arranged a lobster dinner for us. The rooms are modest and you still can't flush toilet paper, but it is beautiful and when I woke up the private cove and beach is breathtaking. After driving through the worst area of Port-au-Prince last night where even our driver locked the doors, I feel like I am in paradise. The food is amazing and this experience is very different from being in the city.

Today started with a visit to Pazapa, a day school for children with disabilities and is the only one of it's kind in Haiti. Because their building was so damaged in the earthquake, they have been relocated to a field that is outside in wooden structures and two tents. The children are very well cared for and are very happy. Their parents attend and are very eager to learn. I was overwhelmed by the heat today but most struck by an encounter I had with a young deaf man who arrived to school in the afternoon needing a nurse. He had a huge gash on his knee that was a result of falling off of his bike two days earlier. With the traffic being the way it is in Haiti, I can't help but wonder if he fell to save his own life because he couldn't hear a car coming. After I bandaged him up and told him I would be back on Friday and I wanted to see him he was very happy. I found his wound covered with a dirty, scrap of materal. A simple bandaid to stop the bleeding wasn't available so he used what he could and it could have potentially caused him to acquire a serious infection.

The kids today were amazing and just wanted to have their picture taken and played with. We are going to do home visits tomorrow which I am very happy about and then back to Pazapa on Friday.

After work, we went for a swim in the ocean. The water was like being in a warm bath and a perfect way to end a hot and sweaty day. Afterward, we went into Jacmel to do some shopping and were able to walk the streets with our driver close behind. It is so different being in Jacmel. We would never be able to walk the streets in Port-au-Prince, but in Jacmel, we were not swarmed and I felt very safe despite attracting attention. It is overwheming to look into a 10X10 foot tent and see that it has been turned into a home for a family. When we returned to the hotel and I was trying to get internet access, I asked the man behind the desk how his day was and he said "Not very good". When I asked him why he said it was because he had a headache and his chest was heavy. I asked him if he had a cough and established that he did not seem to have an infection but a common cold. I also asked if he had any medicine, and he said: "No, I just have to come to work". I have a ton of medicine that I could give him for the next 24 hours that would take his misery away, but if everyone else at the hotel finds out I have medicine, then they will also expect me to help. I had a very difficult time with this notion today.

Had lobster for dinner again and headed for an early night and an 8am start time tomorrow. I love it here and totally understand the love/hate relationship that you acquire with Haiti.

Clinic Day

Everyone was in bed quite early last night after an evening swim with a beer. Unfortunately, I did not sleep through the night. Just kept waking up on and off and wondered if it was my body's way of not letting me miss a minute of the time I have left in Haiti. The sounds at night are amazing, tropical birds, palm trees rustling in the wind and the distant music from the shanty town.

I got up early and got dressed to head out to the clinic with Fiona today. She workes for HH and helps to run a rehab clinic for SCI patients (spinal cord injury). I was able to work alongside a nurse and the doctor. They allowed me to do an assessment on a 31 year old woman named Martha. She was a masters of communications and marketing student on full scholorship at the time of the earthquake and was stuck under rubble for 16 hours. She was left with a partial spinal cord injury in her lumar region and walked into the clinic with the assistance of a walker. It almost brought me to tears that she had the physical strength and will to get herself to the clinic amid all of the rubble. She is currently living in a shelter which has many stairs so it is very difficult for her to get to and from her home. The doctor told Martha that he was concerned about her bladder management and told her that he wants her to do intermittent cathertizing every 4 hours to prevent UTI and other complications. Although he was speaking to her in Creole and I could only make out some of the conversation, you could see the sadness in her eyes that this was one more obstacle she would have to figure out each day. After a few moments, she said "lè nou kòmanse" which means When do we start? The doctor mentioned after her physio and she attacked her physio regime like no patient I have ever seen. She told me that sometimes she is afraid to go inside becuase she can't move quickly if there was another earthquake. Many people here are afraid to go indoors and sleeping inside after being through a magnitude 7.0 earthquake is unsettling.

Fiona showed me some wounds that they have healed that would have been challenging for physicians and nurses to heal with all of our fancy wound care products. They went back to basics, packing, betadine and hydrocolliod and have given back quality of life to so many requiring rehab services! I was very proud today to see what phenomonal work is going on at the clinic and made me think that spending 6 months here would be so amazing to follow someone through their complete recovery.

I spent 3 hours at the clinic before having to get picked up to head back to the guesthouse so that we could get a driver to take us to Jacmel. We will be doing some work at Pazapa Among the facilities destroyed in the earthquake is Pazapa (Creole for "Step by step"), a charity run from two buildings in downtown Jacmel, which helps disabled children. The charity's two rented buildings suffered condemning damage, just after the children left for the day. We will be working outside while here, so we are hoping for sunshine and great weather.

I have no new photos to post for this entry, but hope to have some soon from Jacmel. The shopping is apparently amazing and I hope to pick up some artwork for my next fundraiser.

Bon Bagay!

Maisons du Enfantes Handicapes (MEH)

I woke up early this morning despite being startled awake at 3am to gunfire that sounded very close. We asked Noel later in the day why there would be gunfire at that time and he stated it was probably due to a warning shot from the guard towards someone who got too close.  Karen got eaten alive last night and we all think it is because she didn't have enough alcohol in her system.

Karen, Bernice and I went off to MEH ( Maision du Enfantes Handicapes). We saw eight children and each took some time to do an assessment. Afterward, we gave out a few toys and played with the children before getting picked up and headed to the co-op for a quick shopping trip. The orphanage was located in downtown Port-au-Prince and it was the first time that I felt a bit uneasy in the van. When we were leaving we had to stand outside the gates for about 5 min waiting for Joel to pick us up. I truely showed my "vigin" colours when I walked out forgettng that my camera was still hanging from my shoulder and Karen noticed people staring at me. I put it away and then tried to stand with my back to the gate. It was the first time people were looking at us as "blancs" and it made me realize how much more careful I need to be.

We are a small group today. Carlie and Karen went to Cap-Haitian, Lynn and Delyn went to Il-a-Veche and and Todd (our new member who is a deaf IT engineer ........... and quite handsome) joined the group last night. Karen, Dee and Todd Ryan and Erin all headed out the the deaf camp today. It was a camp initiated to protect the deaf and their family from being robbed or taken advantage of.

Team meeting tonight, Ryan announced that he got a partnership with Habitat For Humanity that will begin in January 2011. This is a huge deal for EPHAS.

We had goat for dinner with creamed corn and vegetables and we topped up the Prestige beer. We will be staying home tonight as we have sent the drivers home and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot going. The music outside has started, I have a Prestige by my side and the warm air coming through the shutters on my back, life couldn't be more simple and perfect.

A few photos from today!

The Day After A Night Out

Last night was so much fun! We started at Montana's for drinks. This is was one of the most luxurious hotels in all of Haiti and where over 200 lost their life during the earthquake. Many Canadians perished here. It was very sad for the members of the team who knew The Montana before and saw what is left. The entire hotel is no longer standing but the pool, outside lounge and convention centre remains.

Mme Cheap

We moved on to Karmel, a dance bar in Petition-Ville (a more affluent part of Port-au-Prince). I had a great time and didn't get off the dance floor most of the night. I don't know how to describe the type of dancing we did, other than it's close, and, well. I'll just leave it at that. We met a table of NBC staffers covering the hurricane and talked about their experience in the country. I asked them what they thought about the Vancouver olympics and they stated that it was one of the best run olympics and that Vancouver sure knows how to party. We exchanged comments on how the Canadians beat the USA in both men and women's hockey.

We all woke up this morning feeling the after-effects of last night. We all seem to wake up by 6am without any alarm clocks, but after breakfast most of us were ready to go back to bed for a nap. It's going to be hard going back to my life and getting back on a routine. Lounging on our off days and napping in the afternoon is quite acceptable here and I'm going to miss this way of life. I got into the shower this morning and while trying to keep my mouth closed, I looked up and saw a little gecko hanging out in the shower with me. They are quite quick, so I haven't been able to take a picture of one yet.

A few of us took a walk off the property this morning and went around the corner to purchase some street art. We had 4 artisans that were invited onto the property to sell goods, so we got to do a little shopping on our own back door. I purchased a Veve. A Veve or Vévé  is a religious symbol commonly used in voodoo. It acts as a "beacon" for the loa (also spelled lwa) - a type of spirit, and will serve as a loa's representation during rituals.
Every Loa has his or her own unique veve, although regional differences have led to different veves for the same loa in some cases. Sacrifices and offerings are usually placed upon them, with food and drink being most commonly used in the West. It is covered in sequins and valued at several hundred dollars if you were to purchase it in an artisan shop. I paid 70 US dollars. We also met Elenor (aka "madame cheap") who also sold her wares and allowed me to take her picture when asked. She didn't like the first two I took so but she quite enjoyed the last photo which I will post. She gave me one of her bracelets to wear because she liked the picture I took.

It started to rain around 2pm and we are just waiting to go out to dinner tonight. The guesthouse was busy today. We had a full staff of ladies in the kitchen cooking and doing our laundry. Carlie and Karen are leaving for Cap-Haitian today and we won't see them until Sunday. Bernice, joined us 2 days ago and she has been working with Handicap International for the past 3 months and will now be doing some clinic work for HH.

I walked the entire property today and realized that we are on the back door of a shanty town and very poor part of Haiti. I decretely took a video to show the dicotomy between how we are living and the closeness of people living in tents. There is a cement wall surronding the property and literally on the other side, there is a tent village. So, while we're swimming in a pool and having people do our laundry and cook us food, there are people struggling to create a home of the few possessions they own only feet from us.

We went out for an amazing French restaurant in the mountains tonight. It is owned by Cyril's father. He also owns Tour Haiti and drives around the likes of Sean Penn and other celebrites donating time and money to Haiti. It had jazz music playing and I had a steak dinner for $15 US dollars. There were 8 of us at dinner and the bill came to $280 with taxes, tip and liquor included. The $20 I spent on a steak dinner would be close to what a Haitian would make as a month's salary. None of us remembered to pack a jacket and at the end of the night it had got so cold that you could see your breath in the air. Made me feel like I was at home.  When we arrived home, there was amazing music playing from the neighboring shanty town. I am looking forward to going to bed soon and falling asleep to the sound of Haitian music playing in the outdoor air.

Sodo Waterfall

Today started with a light breakfast and then a 2 hour van ride to Sodo waterfall. Each June, the biggest Voodo festival occurs here. We got to drive through parts of Port-au-Prince that we had not seen before and I was emotional observing the tenacity of people getting up everyday trying to remain a sense of "normal" while living in a tent surrounded by garbage and bacteria infested water.

As we traveled up the mountainside, I was overtaken by the beauty of the country. The absence of trees was evident and odd to see such vast spaces completely void of any trees in comparison to the lush forests of BC. We passed through several villages on our way and each one had it's own vibe. It was difficult to take many photo as we did not stop but I saw beautiful children on the roadside that always greeted us with smiles and waves as we passed by. Clothing is an option when your small in Haiti! After we traveled 2.5 hours we arrived at the most breaktaking falls.

We were greeted by several villagers who surrounded the van and were excited to see "blancs". Once we arrived, this is what greeted us at the base of a series of steps.

Initially, I was quite afraid to walk the rocks with help from the boys that were there to help, but I climbed a cliff to get some amazing shots of the team sitting in the middle of a waterfall. The waters are supposed to have healing powers so it was a different experience for each of us. After we had a chance to enjoy the waters, we got out and walked back up the steps to the van and paid a doller to each person that assisted us to safely cross the rocks. It only took us an hour to get back to the guesthouse. We have had dinner and hope to be headed out to dance the night away and I feel so content and in the right place for the first time in a long time. I have met facinating people along the way. Ryan and Erin are here doing a project where they teach photography to Haitians and leave them disposable cameras so that they can take photos of what life is like for them. After 24 hours they go back and retrive the pictures which I have seen a few of and they are very moving and inspirational. You can see the work they are doing at: ephas.org. It stands for "Every Person Has a Story".  The young boys (Raymond) in particular, were attached to his camera today and he allowed them to take pictures which was thrilling to watch and to see what amazing work so many other people are doing here in Haiti.

Driving home, we were able to experience some of the flooding that occurred overnight. Last night's rains were far worse than when Tomas passed by. The city power goes off each night around 5pm but the guesthouse has a generator so we were suprised when our power even went out for a short period during the night. I woke up around 4am to wind like I have never heard before and rains that sounded like they were going to come right through the roof. A few of us woke up to raindrops on our foreheads. I guess a form of Haitian torture, so beds were rearranged in the middle of the night to stay dry. The humidity is so high here, that nothing ever dries. Karen put her laundry in to be washed 3 days ago and her shorts are still hanging over a chair trying to dry. Today the sun came out se we all requested our laundry to be done and as we were driving, we noticed that it was laundry day for several Haitians. We had a full staff to take care of us today too. I think some of the ladies came to work to get away from their wet, and saturated homes/tents. I learned that when a house has a MPTPC on it in red it means that it is scheduled for teardown, when it is orange, the foundation is fine but the structure needs to be be destroyed and when it is green, it is safe to be inhabited.

We arrived home to a clean guesthouse with clean sheets and new towels. Despite the rustic setting, I feel like I am being treated like royalty and very well cared for. I miss everyone at home, but I think it's true, once you experience Haiti, it gets into your soul and makes you never want to leave. I already know that the most profound experience of this trip is going to be when we have to leave.

Post Tomas

The rains started  around 2pm and by 5pm the rain was falling quite heavy and the winds were picking up. We were unable to attend RAM and go dancing last night because of the rain so we hung out at the guesthouse, had a wonderful dinner and drank rum sours and Prestige most of the night. I fell asleep quickly listening to the rain and was awaken by the noise of the rain hitting the tin roof and the winds around 3am. Fortunately, they only lasted a few hours before the worst of it seemed to be over. Sadly, there were a few deaths and people missing due to Tomas.

After eating an amazing breakfast of fruit and pancakes, we headed out the the "mushroom". This is a structure on the HH property that houses all of the donations. Unfortunately, it hadn't been organized in a while so Karen, Karen, Adrian and I got in there for about 4 hours and cleaned up. You can now walk all the way through! The entire time we were looked over by two armed guards. Last night I gave away my new rain jacket to one of the guards, he didn't have proper rain gear and was drenched. I figured that he's outside keeping us safe, giving him my jacket was the least I could do! Today we found a few more rain ponchos, so we gave them to the guards and they were thrilled.

Just ate a quick lunch of Twizzlers and a Cliff bar and now going to apply my new Haitian perfume........ more bug spray. My hair is as big and frizzy as I've ever seen it! I showered this morning at 5:30am and it is still wet! The humidity is so severe that everything feels wet and I have started keeping my electronics in plastic bags.

Tomas seems to be over, drizzled all day today, rain has stopped for a few hours so we are hoping that the worst is over. Everyone who spent the night in tents, have been on my mind all day! The city power goes off every night around 5pm and then we are on generator after that at the guesthouse so another night of cards, Rumikube and lots of Prestige!

Bon Bagay!

Here comes Tomas

Another another amazing day at Wings! I am in love with many of the children and while we saw cockroaches and conditions that would be considered unacceptable by our standards, the kids are happy, cared for by people that care for the kids and overall get very good care! I got to do a bit of teaching to the nurse today, and gave positive feedback for her work.  The rain started just as we were leaving Wings today and I have been told that until there is a river flowing, these rains are quite typical of Haitian weather. We went to the Giant Market on our way home. This is the very North American market I talked about in previous emails. We took all the stock off the shelves of coffee and vanilla. Karen was an awesome leader and focused on the important things like the supplies that we would need to make rum sours for the next few days (rum, lemon juice, and lots of ice). The market was packed full of people trying to stock up on supplies for the storm.

I took some pictures which have been uploaded to Facebook. We are supposed to head out to Olaffson tonight to see RAM play and do some dancing. Karen said she is going to break out the sparkly shoes again and that I am going to learn how to Haitian dance but I'm not sure we are going to get out as the rain is coming down quite  a bit now. Amazing how comforting it is to be in a room full of amazing people, drinking rum sours and hearing the rain fall on a tin roof. I think I've found a little piece of heaven!

Bon Bagay! ( I think that is right)---- I'm trying!

First evening and full day

When we landed, there was a wonderful Trubador band playing and then we stepped outside and hit a "wall" of heat. It was in the high 90's and abut 100% humidity! The airport is an experience! First you have to get into a line to get a declaration form which you need to keep safe until the day you leave as you need to present it when you leave. Then, you have to get in a line to show your declaration form that you got on the plane and your passport, then (and this is where it gets exciting) it is each man for themselves. I can't describe the chaos of the baggage claim area except to say that you could easily lose luggage if you aren't quick enough to locate and retrieve your stuff.




We had to walk a fair distance from the airport arrivals to where the van was parked and along the way there were many young boys yelling: "Canadianne" to get your attention to ask for money. I also learned that you don't let anyone touch your luggage unless it is someone that the organization has hired. If they touch your bag, they will want money to return it. We got to ride in the new fan which has been nicknamed "Choo Choo" which loosely means cutie!



Getting in the van, we headed for the guesthouse and I was overwhelmed with both the beauty of the countryside as well as the amount of povery that is undescribable. The roads are off-roading and there are no traffic lights, stop signs or rules of the road other than you honk your horn when you are passing someone. The drivers know the vehicles and the space they consume down to the millimeter. I have learned not to look out the front window!



We arrived at the guesthouse and it is rustic but comfortable and were greated by Gracie, a cute lab mix that lives at the guesthouse. She is very friendly and likes to nip at your ankles! There are 6 girls staying in a room. You have your own single bed, covered by a bug net and a clothesline that runs down the centre of the room for you to hang your wet clothes. The bathroom has a flush toilet but this is the rule of the guesthouse. If it is yellow, let it mellow and if it's brown flush it down. No toilet paper gets flushed down the toilet, it all goes in a large plastic bucket. You don't leave the shower running, only cold water but you get wet, turn it off, wash your bits and then rinse. I slept very well the first night here. There is something comforting about having your bedroom open to the outdoors and being "cuccooned" in a mosquito net. The guesthouse is a few acres and has an in-ground pool and 2 guards (with large guns) that provide security 24 hours a day. I have never felt safer! The people here are so wonderful and have your safety always in mind and take very good care of the team. We need to always tell someone on the team when you are leaving the guesthouse and we understand that leaving the property alone is out of the question. There are UN officers everywhere so I have not yet felt that my safety has been in jeapordy. Last night, we went to a grocery store in Petition-Ville, a affluent part of Port-au-Prince. It had elevators and a large selection of many North American foods that we would purchase at home. It was very odd to be in such a modern grocery store. I have learned that a US dollar is equal to 40 gourdes. After dinner, we went to an outside venue to see a band called Zen Glen. They are a very popular Haitian band that was amazing. We were the only non-Haitians there of a few hundred people. We were ushered in and out via a back door (which also had armed security) and enjoyed a wonderful first night of music and Presige beer. Noel, our driver tried to teach me how to dance, but I need far more practice. Haitian men are very forward, they will just start dancing with you but lovely and are fabulous dancers. Coming home we all joked by saying: "Just for fun, why don't we wear out seatbelts". It was an amazing first night.

We're Here!!

I left Vancouver at 10:30pm yesterday and traveled overnight to Toronto. I was de-planing at the same time I was supposed to be boarding my next flight so it was a bit of a close call leaving Toronto for Montreal. I met the rest of the team in Montreal and we all traveled to Haiti. All bags arrived! Yeah!

We are safe and sound in Haiti and enjoying a Prestige beer. I don't know how to describe what I have seen already. I have taken some video which I will try to post tomorrow. I have learned that Haitians do not like to have their picture taken so you have to be quite discrete about how you take photos.

We got off the plane greeted by a trubador band and then a wall of heat and humidity. No signs of a hurricane in sight right now. Sun is shining and it is HOT. Did I mention how hot it is?

I'll explain more tomorrow........ headed out to purchase a few food items for dinner and then dancing tonight before going to Wings (an orphanage for children with physical and developmental disabilities) tomorrow.

Stay tuned........ I am very happy!

Today's thoughts

So for those of you who I have chatted with, the last 48 hours have been up and down. Due to Hurricane Tomas, our trip was called off on Sunday night at the 11th hour as it was headed straight for Haiti and was expected to turn into a Category 3 hurricane. Devistation can't describe my feelings when we had to make the decision not to travel due to safety of the team and that if we are unable to do the work that we are going to do there is little point in going. I decided not to finish packing on Sunday night and figured that maybe if I didn't pack, Murphy's Law would figure out a way to get us to Haiti. We all prayed to the voodoo gods and miraculously I got a call from Karen on Monday morning saying "the trip is back on". Tomas decided to lose power and turn into a tropical storm.

After frantically packing after work and shaking because I was so excited to be leaving for Haiti after 2 days of on again, off again I had this thought.........


Life is too short

to wake up in the morning with regrets. 

So love the people who treat you right,

forgive about the ones who don't

and believe that everything

happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, take it.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said that it'd be easy,

they just promised

it would be worth it.