Friday, April 13, 2007
After the older kids left for school, the younger kids got a hair cut, or I should say, a head shave. That explains why all the younger kids have the same hair length. I got to do Jasmine's hair. She cringed when I pushed the machine too hard, but she didn't cry. I tried to do it softly, but then it wouldn't shave quite well. I just did a rough cut and left the rest to Kenny. We do this because most of the kids have some kind of skin disease on their scalp, and it's a lot easier to treat them when their hair is short, or in this case, almost nonexistent.
Then I went to Fontain with the group of guys that always come (Jude, Enock, Figaro, and Daniel) to work on a little building project. Our mission today was to reinforce the back fence, where people would jump over since it was too low; to rebuild a side fence, which people have broken down by walking over it; and to fix the front gate, which have broken repeatedly due to abusive use by the locals.
Just to give a little background, we had an underground water pump (which, if you remember, I mentioned earlier that it got broken... and you can guess how), and people could come in freely to get water from it. A side gate was built so it could let people through the fence to use the pump. But since it had to be locked when no one was around to watch the premises, people started to walk over the fence to get the water. I suppose it was the least contaminated, hence the pump of choice. Now that the fence is broken, animals (mainly the goats) could come in freely to eat our plants (flowers in particular). Also, since we have a fairly big and flat grass field, kids would sneak in and play football (or soccer, if you're from the US). As the kids run around playing, they would destroy some plants as well.
So we had to repair and reinforce the fences. We bought some barbwire (pronounced "bah-bwi-re" here) and nails at a hardware store and some wooden poles from vendors on a sidewalk. Originally, the fences were built to guard off animals, so they were built low. But since people climbed over them and broke them, we put two additional layers of barbwire, making it about as high as my shoulder. I think we did a pretty good job. Let's hope that it's not destroyed again when we come back.
While we were working, I got a strange call on my cell phone. The caller ID showed 12 zeroes, so I have no idea who called (but it also showed the same number when I got a call from Dominican Republic). The apparently signal on the other end wasn't so good that I only heard a few words before it got cut off: "How are you?...hospital... in Cange..." That was about all that I could gather. Maybe the guy on the phone found my number on my blog and wanted to get information on Zanmi Lasante. Hey, if you're the caller reading this, you should look up "Partners in Health" (www.pih.org) or google Zanmi Lasante. I hope you find what you're looking for.
Mosquitoes are everywhere. It's quite annoying when they hide (or live) in the toilet, and when I take a crap (or when the toilet takes my crap) they would stab me from behind. It's like fresh meat to them.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Haitian Diaries: Connecting With The World
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
This morning I went to the cyber cafe for the third time. The first time, I went with Jude to see if I can use my laptop to go online, and although it worked, the electricity went out after five minutes, so I couldn't do much. The second time was on Monday, the next day, when I went there by myself. Jerry, the guy in charge who helped me the first time, was there, so he just set everything up for me when I saw him. I got to enjoy an hour of internet, sending out my first Haitian Courier, posting a few blog entries, and downloading my e-mail, all for just 50 Gourdes (about $1.35).
I wasn't planning on going to the cyber cafe again so soon, but Pastor Baek wanted me to check her flight schedule online (she's flying to Korea in May), so I went. By myself, of course. Jerry wasn't there today. There was some other guy, James, who obviously didn't speak English. Somehow, with my little knowledge of Creole, we were able to communicate. He told me that Jerry was coming at 9AM, which was in 15 minutes. So I told him I'll come back later. I came back around 9:20AM, having figured that Jerry would be on "Haitian time." Jerry wasn't there again. James told me that Jerry came but he left already and that he doesn't work on Wednesdays. He said Jerry is the only one who knows how to set up the internet for me. I told him I knew how to do it, and that I could do it myself. But James said something about authorization. He suggested that I come back tomorrow... I was like, "Dude, I'm here to use your service and pay you money. Are you doing business or what?" Of course I didn't say that, and I wouldn't even if I knew how. Instead I told him I could help him set it up and that it's "trè, trè fasil" (no, I didn't misspell that. It's Creole, not French). So he let me look for an extra ethernet cable, which was just under his desk. He plugged one end into the router, and I plugged the other end to my laptop. Now I was connected. Seriously, it was that easy, and he still told me he didn't know how to set it up. This is Haiti.
For some reason, the reservation code that Pastor Baek gave me wasn't working, so I just did my own stuff for an hour. I was pleasantly surprised by how many responses I got from my newsletter. Well, it wasn't that many, but each one meant so much to me. Even though I'm on this small, seemingly remote island, I could connect with my friends in Uganda, Brazil, Japan, England, and all over the US (I just need one from Australasia and Antarctica, and that will cover all seven continents). It really makes a world of difference when someone contacts me across the globe, from a different world, so to speak. I gave James 50 Gourdes without asking "Konben?" since I figured he wouldn't know how much. I came home and typed up replies to each e-mail that I got, and I'm going to send them as soon as I get online again.
Since I couldn't get Pastor Baek's schedule, she and I went to American Airlines' travel agency. Thank God, all the reps can speak English there. After all, it is American Airlines. Apparently the reservation code that I got was wrong by one letter (I had an "I" instead of an "L"). They charged us US$5 just to print out the ticket. Although we could have printed it out ourselves with the correct code, we figured the convenience was worth it. They wouldn't print out the e-ticket for you at the airport. In the US you could just go up to a kiosk at the airport and print it right there. This is Haiti.
This morning I went to the cyber cafe for the third time. The first time, I went with Jude to see if I can use my laptop to go online, and although it worked, the electricity went out after five minutes, so I couldn't do much. The second time was on Monday, the next day, when I went there by myself. Jerry, the guy in charge who helped me the first time, was there, so he just set everything up for me when I saw him. I got to enjoy an hour of internet, sending out my first Haitian Courier, posting a few blog entries, and downloading my e-mail, all for just 50 Gourdes (about $1.35).
I wasn't planning on going to the cyber cafe again so soon, but Pastor Baek wanted me to check her flight schedule online (she's flying to Korea in May), so I went. By myself, of course. Jerry wasn't there today. There was some other guy, James, who obviously didn't speak English. Somehow, with my little knowledge of Creole, we were able to communicate. He told me that Jerry was coming at 9AM, which was in 15 minutes. So I told him I'll come back later. I came back around 9:20AM, having figured that Jerry would be on "Haitian time." Jerry wasn't there again. James told me that Jerry came but he left already and that he doesn't work on Wednesdays. He said Jerry is the only one who knows how to set up the internet for me. I told him I knew how to do it, and that I could do it myself. But James said something about authorization. He suggested that I come back tomorrow... I was like, "Dude, I'm here to use your service and pay you money. Are you doing business or what?" Of course I didn't say that, and I wouldn't even if I knew how. Instead I told him I could help him set it up and that it's "trè, trè fasil" (no, I didn't misspell that. It's Creole, not French). So he let me look for an extra ethernet cable, which was just under his desk. He plugged one end into the router, and I plugged the other end to my laptop. Now I was connected. Seriously, it was that easy, and he still told me he didn't know how to set it up. This is Haiti.
For some reason, the reservation code that Pastor Baek gave me wasn't working, so I just did my own stuff for an hour. I was pleasantly surprised by how many responses I got from my newsletter. Well, it wasn't that many, but each one meant so much to me. Even though I'm on this small, seemingly remote island, I could connect with my friends in Uganda, Brazil, Japan, England, and all over the US (I just need one from Australasia and Antarctica, and that will cover all seven continents). It really makes a world of difference when someone contacts me across the globe, from a different world, so to speak. I gave James 50 Gourdes without asking "Konben?" since I figured he wouldn't know how much. I came home and typed up replies to each e-mail that I got, and I'm going to send them as soon as I get online again.
Since I couldn't get Pastor Baek's schedule, she and I went to American Airlines' travel agency. Thank God, all the reps can speak English there. After all, it is American Airlines. Apparently the reservation code that I got was wrong by one letter (I had an "I" instead of an "L"). They charged us US$5 just to print out the ticket. Although we could have printed it out ourselves with the correct code, we figured the convenience was worth it. They wouldn't print out the e-ticket for you at the airport. In the US you could just go up to a kiosk at the airport and print it right there. This is Haiti.
Haitian Diaries: Broken Pump And Saxophone
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The past week up to yesterday was a break from school for everyone because of Passion Week (or spring break, I guess). So six of the older children (two of them are son and daughter of Mrs. Kang) went to school. We took the younger six to Fontain (the site of new orphanage).
When we arrived, we found some parts of the fence and the water pump broken. The water pump that Pastor Baek built is open to the community, but it's made of PVC pipes, and kids use it very roughly, so we weren't surprised to find it in a few pieces. A part of the pump (a long pipe) sunk down into the well, so we used another pipe and some metal poles to fish it out. It took many tries and quite some time, so we were all excited when we finally got it.
Then we sang some songs (I played the guitar) with the local children (there are always kids around when we go there). Many of them don't go to school because they can't afford it. Figaro gave a message, we sang some more and gave out some bread. We'll be going out here more often.
Jude plays the saxophone during Sunday services. He was practicing it this morning, and there were two saxophones, so I tried the other one. I used to play clarinet during middle school, but I pretty much forgot how to play. To my surprise, I could pick it up pretty fast. I hadn't played an instrument like that since middle school, and I quit clarinet for percussion because I didn't like clarinet. But now I really like saxophone (actually I always wanted to play sax more than clarinet, but the band needed clarinet players). I'm going to try to practice often.
The past week up to yesterday was a break from school for everyone because of Passion Week (or spring break, I guess). So six of the older children (two of them are son and daughter of Mrs. Kang) went to school. We took the younger six to Fontain (the site of new orphanage).
When we arrived, we found some parts of the fence and the water pump broken. The water pump that Pastor Baek built is open to the community, but it's made of PVC pipes, and kids use it very roughly, so we weren't surprised to find it in a few pieces. A part of the pump (a long pipe) sunk down into the well, so we used another pipe and some metal poles to fish it out. It took many tries and quite some time, so we were all excited when we finally got it.
Then we sang some songs (I played the guitar) with the local children (there are always kids around when we go there). Many of them don't go to school because they can't afford it. Figaro gave a message, we sang some more and gave out some bread. We'll be going out here more often.
Jude plays the saxophone during Sunday services. He was practicing it this morning, and there were two saxophones, so I tried the other one. I used to play clarinet during middle school, but I pretty much forgot how to play. To my surprise, I could pick it up pretty fast. I hadn't played an instrument like that since middle school, and I quit clarinet for percussion because I didn't like clarinet. But now I really like saxophone (actually I always wanted to play sax more than clarinet, but the band needed clarinet players). I'm going to try to practice often.
Haitian Diaries: Pick Me Up And Give Me Candy Because I'm Adorable
Sunday, April 8, 2007
I've been learning a lot these days. About the people here, the languages, the history, etc. I've been learning, but nothing much besides. Not nothing at all though. During the past week I've taught some guitar and English, and I've looked after (or played with... or been played by) the orphans. I love the children here. My heart aches every time I stop to realize that they are orphans. Most of them just want someone's attention. They need to be loved. There are only few of us adults here, so some kids often end up fighting for attention. Jasmine, the youngest of all, about three, would run up to you, burry her head between your legs, and when she lifts her face she would pucker up her lips, make a sad face, and say stuff like, "Porté" ("Carry me,") or "Sah-tang issoh?" ("Do you have candy?" in Korean). Peterson, the second youngest, has big round eyes, and he would giggle with a wide smile on his face all the time. He reminds me of Dixon, an orphan in Lenkijape, Kenya, except Peterson is a lot more aggressive because he has to compete with the older children for attention. Oh, how I miss Dixon. When one kid sees me playing with another, he or she will either try to push away the one I'm playing with or jump on top of me from the back. When there are two kids hanging from my shirt, then another comes running in, and then another. It's a chain reaction. Last night Pastor Baek scolded the kids and told them not to burden me so much and to call me Pasté Kim, not SunMin. So today I had a lighter load. Many of the kids didn't badger me for a lift, but sometimes I just can't resist Peterson's giggles. I would grab him and spin him around without him asking. Then more giggles. Of course I would have to pay for it by doing the same to each kid that sees me doing it.
I finally found a place I can go online today! There's an internet cafe right outside the alley we live on. I can only go when there's electricity though. At least I can tell when they have electricity (they do when we do). It's slow like the 90's, but I'm happy because I can use my laptop online. Some places will only let you use their computers (slower computer means more time spent online, which means more money for them, I suppose).
I've been learning a lot these days. About the people here, the languages, the history, etc. I've been learning, but nothing much besides. Not nothing at all though. During the past week I've taught some guitar and English, and I've looked after (or played with... or been played by) the orphans. I love the children here. My heart aches every time I stop to realize that they are orphans. Most of them just want someone's attention. They need to be loved. There are only few of us adults here, so some kids often end up fighting for attention. Jasmine, the youngest of all, about three, would run up to you, burry her head between your legs, and when she lifts her face she would pucker up her lips, make a sad face, and say stuff like, "Porté" ("Carry me,") or "Sah-tang issoh?" ("Do you have candy?" in Korean). Peterson, the second youngest, has big round eyes, and he would giggle with a wide smile on his face all the time. He reminds me of Dixon, an orphan in Lenkijape, Kenya, except Peterson is a lot more aggressive because he has to compete with the older children for attention. Oh, how I miss Dixon. When one kid sees me playing with another, he or she will either try to push away the one I'm playing with or jump on top of me from the back. When there are two kids hanging from my shirt, then another comes running in, and then another. It's a chain reaction. Last night Pastor Baek scolded the kids and told them not to burden me so much and to call me Pasté Kim, not SunMin. So today I had a lighter load. Many of the kids didn't badger me for a lift, but sometimes I just can't resist Peterson's giggles. I would grab him and spin him around without him asking. Then more giggles. Of course I would have to pay for it by doing the same to each kid that sees me doing it.
I finally found a place I can go online today! There's an internet cafe right outside the alley we live on. I can only go when there's electricity though. At least I can tell when they have electricity (they do when we do). It's slow like the 90's, but I'm happy because I can use my laptop online. Some places will only let you use their computers (slower computer means more time spent online, which means more money for them, I suppose).
Haitian Diaries: One Haitian = Five Gourdes
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
The currency in Haiti is a bit confusing. They have Gourdes and Haitian Dollars. One Haitian Dollar is 5 Gourdes. One US Dollar is about 37 Gourdes (that's the rate I got), so 7.4 Haitian per US Dollar. Even though the bills and coins are only in Gourdes, people use Haitian Dollars when selling and buying stuff. For example, if a soda costs 30 Gourdes, the vendor will tell you 6 dollars, so you have to do the math and give 30 Gourdes. Some places will tell you in US Dollars, like the phone company I went to today. Since I bought a cellphone in Kenya last year, I just needed a SIM card. The SIM card at a company cost $11. US dollars, I had to confirm. I only had Gourdes with me, so they told me 95 Haitian Dollars, which doesn't match my rate at all, but I was busy figuring out which bills to use that I didn't realize it was more than US$11 (only about $1.84 though). I was a bit surprised that it cost so much for a SIM card. In Kenya, one costs Ksh100 (about $1.43, even less than the amount I got ripped off today).
So now I have a working phone, but I forgot to buy a card to add minutes to it, so I can't make any calls yet. Receiving is free. I was bummed that they don't have WAP. In Kenya I could use my cellphone to go online through WAP. Even thought it's terribly slow, being connected at all is a world of difference compared to being totally disconnected. I'm beginning to miss the internet. It was a bit of an abrupt disconnection. I hope there is an internet cafe where I can plug in my laptop... and I hope I can find one. No one around me seems to be using the internet here.
The currency in Haiti is a bit confusing. They have Gourdes and Haitian Dollars. One Haitian Dollar is 5 Gourdes. One US Dollar is about 37 Gourdes (that's the rate I got), so 7.4 Haitian per US Dollar. Even though the bills and coins are only in Gourdes, people use Haitian Dollars when selling and buying stuff. For example, if a soda costs 30 Gourdes, the vendor will tell you 6 dollars, so you have to do the math and give 30 Gourdes. Some places will tell you in US Dollars, like the phone company I went to today. Since I bought a cellphone in Kenya last year, I just needed a SIM card. The SIM card at a company cost $11. US dollars, I had to confirm. I only had Gourdes with me, so they told me 95 Haitian Dollars, which doesn't match my rate at all, but I was busy figuring out which bills to use that I didn't realize it was more than US$11 (only about $1.84 though). I was a bit surprised that it cost so much for a SIM card. In Kenya, one costs Ksh100 (about $1.43, even less than the amount I got ripped off today).
So now I have a working phone, but I forgot to buy a card to add minutes to it, so I can't make any calls yet. Receiving is free. I was bummed that they don't have WAP. In Kenya I could use my cellphone to go online through WAP. Even thought it's terribly slow, being connected at all is a world of difference compared to being totally disconnected. I'm beginning to miss the internet. It was a bit of an abrupt disconnection. I hope there is an internet cafe where I can plug in my laptop... and I hope I can find one. No one around me seems to be using the internet here.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Haitian Diaries: Zanmi Lasante
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Wow, what a day. Today was a dream come true. I finally went to Zanmi Lasante! Although, I shouldn't say "finally" since I only finished reading the book about it just over a week ago. My wish was granted much quicker than I thought.
First of all, the place is amazing. Seriously, I couldn't believe that a facility like that could exist in Haiti, especially in a remote mountainous area. Zanmi Lasante (zanmi = friend, lasante = health. Basically it's "Partners in Health") is located in Cange, which is a small village along the north side of a lake (made by a dam), but as far as I could tell, Zanmi Lasante is Cange itself, or at least half of it. As soon as we entered the village, I saw the sign "Zanmi Lasante," but we just passed by. I was thinking we should have gotten off there, but then I saw another sign along the way and realized that the entire left side of the street was all concrete/rock wall. I thought, no it can't be... But then it is! The whole thing that we just drove along is the hospital! The tap-tap stopped right at the entrance, which I suppose is the center of the village. People were going in and out of the main gate freely, and there were tons of people inside the walls. I was shocked. It is a citadel just like the book says.
I took a couple pictures inside before one Haitian volunteer stopped me. I was with Jude and Figaro, so they talked to him in Creole while I stood there clueless. Eventually the volunteer (I will call him Tim for his privacy/safety sake) took us to the administration building, but no one who could speak English was available. They didn't give us permission to take pictures or enter any of the buildings, so I was a bit bummed, but Tim showed us around for a bit. His tour was a bit superficial, so the only thing I was impressed with was the size of the place. They have all sorts of departments and are still building more. During the tour, a white lady waved at me from a distance as if she knew me. I thought she was being friendly and was welcoming a strange blan (which means white in Creole... ok, I'm Asian, but I'm still a blan to Haitians), so I waved back. She walked toward me and shook my hand and said "Anglais?" I said yes and laughed with relief. Finally, someone who can speak English! But then she said she thought I was someone else and walked away. She seemed to be in a hurry. Bummer. After the tour, we came back to the administration building because I told him (through Jude) that I wanted to know how I can volunteer there. We talked to another Haitian employee (or probably volunteer) for a bit, but he was still clueless or couldn't give me any information to help me. Just as Jude asked if we should go, they let me into the admin building to see a manager who speaks English. He was right there behind the door the whole time! And he speaks English! I will call him Dr. John. It was such a delight to finally talk with some in English. He is a very friendly Haitian doctor. I told him that I read Mountains Beyond Mountains and that I was inspired to visit Zanmi Lasante. I guess that really got him excited, so he decided to give me a tour of the place himself. He really liked the fact that I wanted to become a doctor to help the poor. We went to the same places Tim took us, but Dr. John let us inside the buildings and showed all sorts of different rooms. Then I was really impressed. The place gets electricity from the nearby dam, so it's well lit, offices are air-conditioned, and hallways and patient rooms are equipped with UV lamps. AND they have internet! Most people (including we) don't have internet even here in Port-au-Prince, the capital, but they have it up in a little village that's not even on most maps! I even got to see the office where Dr. Paul Farmer used to see patients. I imagined the events that I read in the book. It was so moving. I asked if I could take some pictures, then he said, "No pwobwem!" I was happy just to be able to take pictures inside Dr. Farmer's office.
It was getting late (about 3:20PM), and we had to catch a tap-tap and a bus back to Port-au-Prince before too late. Dr. John gave me his e-mail and Dr. Farmer's e-mail, then found a hospital car that was going to to Mirebalais, where we were to find a bus to Port-au-Prince. I was once again impressed, this time by his hospitality. It was definitely nice to ride in the hospital car, especially since it was covered (and free). On the way to Cange from Mirebalais, we rode in a tap-tap without a roof, so all of us got covered in dust while riding. This time the car was also air-conditioned, so it was nice.
We took a huge bus (autobus, they call it) from Mirebalais to Port-au-Prince. It's more like a big truck with a passenger car instead of a shipment container. The ride was quite amusing. They don't have a TV, but they certainly didn't lack infomercials. People would just stand up and start promoting random products, anything from branded paracetamol to alcohol that enhances your romantic evening to little snacks that's especially delicious to soap from China (which the seller thought was a candy at first, and I corrected him because it said "Soap" on the box).
One interesting thing about Haiti is that anywhere and everywhere outside is considered a toilet. Or maybe there is no such thing as public toilet (except I used one at the beach, which was just a wall with a hole, probably for tourists). The moment we got off the bus, I saw a lady squat down in the grass right next to the bus, and men were basically peeing right on the side of the bus, next to the ladies. You can imagine a man and a woman talking and walking down a path, and all of a sudden they step aside onto a patch of grass. The woman would squat to pee, the man would pee while standing right next to her, and they continue their conversation. This is Haiti. Even in Sierra Leone, I got scolded by a native for peeing on a tree behind a house (it was really urgent). Haiti is such an interesting place. It's so much like Africa. Or I could say it is a miniature Africa without the red dust.
I just realized that my computer clock is one hour earlier than my alarm clock (and every clock in this place, including cellphones). I guess Day Light Savings is supposed to start the first Sunday of April, which was the first of this month. So that means we've all been living an hour late this whole time? And no one realized it? Or does Day Light Savings even exist here? Even if it did, most people probably won't know the difference... You just have to get up when the sun rises, sleep when it falls. Now the sun have been down long enough already. Good night.
Wow, what a day. Today was a dream come true. I finally went to Zanmi Lasante! Although, I shouldn't say "finally" since I only finished reading the book about it just over a week ago. My wish was granted much quicker than I thought.
First of all, the place is amazing. Seriously, I couldn't believe that a facility like that could exist in Haiti, especially in a remote mountainous area. Zanmi Lasante (zanmi = friend, lasante = health. Basically it's "Partners in Health") is located in Cange, which is a small village along the north side of a lake (made by a dam), but as far as I could tell, Zanmi Lasante is Cange itself, or at least half of it. As soon as we entered the village, I saw the sign "Zanmi Lasante," but we just passed by. I was thinking we should have gotten off there, but then I saw another sign along the way and realized that the entire left side of the street was all concrete/rock wall. I thought, no it can't be... But then it is! The whole thing that we just drove along is the hospital! The tap-tap stopped right at the entrance, which I suppose is the center of the village. People were going in and out of the main gate freely, and there were tons of people inside the walls. I was shocked. It is a citadel just like the book says.
I took a couple pictures inside before one Haitian volunteer stopped me. I was with Jude and Figaro, so they talked to him in Creole while I stood there clueless. Eventually the volunteer (I will call him Tim for his privacy/safety sake) took us to the administration building, but no one who could speak English was available. They didn't give us permission to take pictures or enter any of the buildings, so I was a bit bummed, but Tim showed us around for a bit. His tour was a bit superficial, so the only thing I was impressed with was the size of the place. They have all sorts of departments and are still building more. During the tour, a white lady waved at me from a distance as if she knew me. I thought she was being friendly and was welcoming a strange blan (which means white in Creole... ok, I'm Asian, but I'm still a blan to Haitians), so I waved back. She walked toward me and shook my hand and said "Anglais?" I said yes and laughed with relief. Finally, someone who can speak English! But then she said she thought I was someone else and walked away. She seemed to be in a hurry. Bummer. After the tour, we came back to the administration building because I told him (through Jude) that I wanted to know how I can volunteer there. We talked to another Haitian employee (or probably volunteer) for a bit, but he was still clueless or couldn't give me any information to help me. Just as Jude asked if we should go, they let me into the admin building to see a manager who speaks English. He was right there behind the door the whole time! And he speaks English! I will call him Dr. John. It was such a delight to finally talk with some in English. He is a very friendly Haitian doctor. I told him that I read Mountains Beyond Mountains and that I was inspired to visit Zanmi Lasante. I guess that really got him excited, so he decided to give me a tour of the place himself. He really liked the fact that I wanted to become a doctor to help the poor. We went to the same places Tim took us, but Dr. John let us inside the buildings and showed all sorts of different rooms. Then I was really impressed. The place gets electricity from the nearby dam, so it's well lit, offices are air-conditioned, and hallways and patient rooms are equipped with UV lamps. AND they have internet! Most people (including we) don't have internet even here in Port-au-Prince, the capital, but they have it up in a little village that's not even on most maps! I even got to see the office where Dr. Paul Farmer used to see patients. I imagined the events that I read in the book. It was so moving. I asked if I could take some pictures, then he said, "No pwobwem!" I was happy just to be able to take pictures inside Dr. Farmer's office.
It was getting late (about 3:20PM), and we had to catch a tap-tap and a bus back to Port-au-Prince before too late. Dr. John gave me his e-mail and Dr. Farmer's e-mail, then found a hospital car that was going to to Mirebalais, where we were to find a bus to Port-au-Prince. I was once again impressed, this time by his hospitality. It was definitely nice to ride in the hospital car, especially since it was covered (and free). On the way to Cange from Mirebalais, we rode in a tap-tap without a roof, so all of us got covered in dust while riding. This time the car was also air-conditioned, so it was nice.
We took a huge bus (autobus, they call it) from Mirebalais to Port-au-Prince. It's more like a big truck with a passenger car instead of a shipment container. The ride was quite amusing. They don't have a TV, but they certainly didn't lack infomercials. People would just stand up and start promoting random products, anything from branded paracetamol to alcohol that enhances your romantic evening to little snacks that's especially delicious to soap from China (which the seller thought was a candy at first, and I corrected him because it said "Soap" on the box).
One interesting thing about Haiti is that anywhere and everywhere outside is considered a toilet. Or maybe there is no such thing as public toilet (except I used one at the beach, which was just a wall with a hole, probably for tourists). The moment we got off the bus, I saw a lady squat down in the grass right next to the bus, and men were basically peeing right on the side of the bus, next to the ladies. You can imagine a man and a woman talking and walking down a path, and all of a sudden they step aside onto a patch of grass. The woman would squat to pee, the man would pee while standing right next to her, and they continue their conversation. This is Haiti. Even in Sierra Leone, I got scolded by a native for peeing on a tree behind a house (it was really urgent). Haiti is such an interesting place. It's so much like Africa. Or I could say it is a miniature Africa without the red dust.
I just realized that my computer clock is one hour earlier than my alarm clock (and every clock in this place, including cellphones). I guess Day Light Savings is supposed to start the first Sunday of April, which was the first of this month. So that means we've all been living an hour late this whole time? And no one realized it? Or does Day Light Savings even exist here? Even if it did, most people probably won't know the difference... You just have to get up when the sun rises, sleep when it falls. Now the sun have been down long enough already. Good night.
Haitian Diaries: Pasté Kim
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Wow, I didn't realize that it's April's Fools today until I typed the date and stared blankly at the screen for a while. I guess it's not part of Haitian culture, 'cause as far as I know, I didn't get lied to today.
The day started out with a service in Creole. Pastor Son, who graduated a "seminary" here, gave a sermon (I put it in quotes because it's nothing like seminaries in the US). Although I don't know what exactly he said (or more like, what he said at all), he was very passionate. Then we had a service in Korean where Pastor Baek gave a sermon and some guys (some of the Bible college students) attended. After the sermon, Mrs. Kang (the other missionary who has been here for three years now) gave them a summary of the sermon in Creole. We had lunch, and then children's Bible study.
After the evening Bible study (the one after dinner), Pastor Baek, Mrs. Kang, and I discussed what I will be doing this week. Apparently this week will be a week of rest, since everyone will be on vacation from school for Passion Week. Pastor Baek suggested that I go traveling to see some places in Haiti with the Bible college students. I might even be able to go to Cange to see Zanmi Lasante after all. I think I still should take with me someone who could really use the medical care provided there. Even though our medical team helped some number of people, there were several that we couldn't help, many of them requiring surgeries. So I hope the people in Cange can help.
In Korean, a missionary is called "Sun-gyo-sa-nim." Mrs. Kang is called that here, so it would be confusing to call me by the same name, so Pastor Baek decided that I should be called "Pasté Kim" (that's in Creole. In French, it would be Pasteur Kim, but pronounced similarly). I'm not really a pastor, since I don't have any certificate or degree in theology, but they call youth pastors here "pasté" so I guess it's ok. I was a youth pastor for a bit back in California. Actually, they call pretty much anybody who might preach a "pasté", qualified or not, so I guess it's really ok, whether I was a youth pastor or not.
Wow, I didn't realize that it's April's Fools today until I typed the date and stared blankly at the screen for a while. I guess it's not part of Haitian culture, 'cause as far as I know, I didn't get lied to today.
The day started out with a service in Creole. Pastor Son, who graduated a "seminary" here, gave a sermon (I put it in quotes because it's nothing like seminaries in the US). Although I don't know what exactly he said (or more like, what he said at all), he was very passionate. Then we had a service in Korean where Pastor Baek gave a sermon and some guys (some of the Bible college students) attended. After the sermon, Mrs. Kang (the other missionary who has been here for three years now) gave them a summary of the sermon in Creole. We had lunch, and then children's Bible study.
After the evening Bible study (the one after dinner), Pastor Baek, Mrs. Kang, and I discussed what I will be doing this week. Apparently this week will be a week of rest, since everyone will be on vacation from school for Passion Week. Pastor Baek suggested that I go traveling to see some places in Haiti with the Bible college students. I might even be able to go to Cange to see Zanmi Lasante after all. I think I still should take with me someone who could really use the medical care provided there. Even though our medical team helped some number of people, there were several that we couldn't help, many of them requiring surgeries. So I hope the people in Cange can help.
In Korean, a missionary is called "Sun-gyo-sa-nim." Mrs. Kang is called that here, so it would be confusing to call me by the same name, so Pastor Baek decided that I should be called "Pasté Kim" (that's in Creole. In French, it would be Pasteur Kim, but pronounced similarly). I'm not really a pastor, since I don't have any certificate or degree in theology, but they call youth pastors here "pasté" so I guess it's ok. I was a youth pastor for a bit back in California. Actually, they call pretty much anybody who might preach a "pasté", qualified or not, so I guess it's really ok, whether I was a youth pastor or not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)