Heaven

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Yesterday I talked on the phone with my mom for about an hour and she just kept telling me that I needed to post on my blog as soon as possible because my fans were getting antsy.

Well guys, I’m sorry I haven’t been writing as much as I would like but it gets pretty busy down here in Haiti.

Since my weekend “gateway” in the Southern part of Haiti, there are many stories I would like to share with everyone.



Thursday night was Gina’s birthday so we decided it was time to find some American food (something other than rice and beans). Everyone got as dressed up as they could as the days just keep getting hotter and hotter. We ate at this place near the airport called the shack. Brittany and I shared the biggest pizza ever and even though it wasn’t as good as New York pizza, it still satisfied my craving. I know I rave about the Coke here way too much but the real sugar cane really makes it taste that much better (so of course I ordered that with my pizza). After we made our way to see a Haitian band called RAM. They were playing at one of the nicest hotels in Haiti called the Hotel Oloffson. It was crowded with tons of tourists and some local Haitians all dancing and singing to the upbeat instrumental music. What shocked me about this hotel was it had a pool. This is the first time I have seen a pool in Haiti so I’m guessing it is an expensive amenity to have. Makes me really miss my pool at home (especially when I’m sweating bullets).

During our work hours during the week we got prepared for our Community Health Day, which took place on Sunday. I was in charge of Children’s Health and in my presentation I talk about head lice, whooping cough and tapeworms.

Friday we visited the metal market, which consists of tiny shops that sell artwork that is handmade from different metals. This little market is kept in very good shape. The roads are paved (weird sight to see) and there are even street lamps. I thought it was very interesting to see how put together they make it look to attract tourists like us. I wanted to buy everything that was being sold but my self-control kicked in and only bought a few things (I promise).

So now Saturday, oh Saturday. This is probably the best experience I have ever had. We headed out in the bed of a pickup truck to a small town in the mountains to see one of the only waterfalls in Haiti. I was super pumped. When we arrived, we encountered some racism. I’m not talking about racism towards Haitians but racism towards us. The Haitians were trying to charge us more than what a Haitian would pay. Uh hello, we are human too. After this little incident, I wasn’t going to let it ruin my experience. Just like the beaches here and how words don’t do it justice, it was the same thing. The water was so clear and the waterfalls gushed from the greenest trees. Everything was so lush and perfect. Even the view had my jaw dropped. Little Haitian boys helped us climb the rocks to let the cold, fresh water gush on top of us. Climbing the slippery rocks was difficult but it was just too amazing to stop. We spent a couple hours exploring and splashing in the water. I am thankful for that special Saturday in Haiti.

BIG DAY ALERT: Okay so Sunday. The morning was spent doing the finishing touches on our Community Health Day. All the vitamins were bagged and ready to be handed out to women and children in attendance. All we needed to do was go over and practice. HAC hired a translator to help us understand the Haitian women in attendance and that really helped. When I was presenting I could tell I was making a big difference in the lives of the women sitting in front of me. My presentation was about 35 minutes and I was able to hand out some free toothbrushes during it. The ladies seemed really enthusiastic about all the health products we gave out. I could tell how thankful they were. The other interns, Gina and Brittany talked about Women’s Sexual Health and Nutrition. This long day finally came to end and it couldn’t have gone better. Everything went really smoothly and it felt good to complete such a big task.

Ah okay! I have to go we are about to head out on another exciting adventure and it's a long work day.

The life of a Haitian intern.



Miss you Americans.



Bo,

Sarbar





P.S. Bo means kisses in Creole (I’m cool)

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Photos

Community Health Day
Catherine speaking

Community Health Day
Handing out vitamins

RAM
All dressed up?