- 30 days after promised date of Internet installation - the installation took place. Now you won't be able to constantly read our whiny and highly dramatic complaints. I know you'll really miss that.
- EDH is on at least 15 hours a day right now. Nice. Very nice.
- The Haitian medical system continues to confuse, baffle, and totally slay us. It is no wonder that most people never know what is wrong with them. Even with our persistence we don't really get yet what the deal is with Pierre. He does not have TB, we know that much. Right now we are needing to get fas-a-fas avek Dokte to figure out what happens next. Sadly, doctors sort of disappear for hours and days on end leaving patients to languish without answers and without another source to gather information about their own stinkin' health. It totally bugs.
- At the Women's program I've learned that often women have no idea why they had to have a c-section. Their Doctors don't tell them and they don't have enough power to realize it is a question they are allowed to ask and deserve to have answered.
- We had dinner with Kathy Kangas tonight. The ministry she and her husband operate carries donations down to bless ministries on the ground here. They are headed to Three Angels Orphanage this trip. It was a fun night out. Her daughter and Hope and Isaac are all adopted from the same Orphanage.
- On the route to school we pass a long cement wall with 100's of paintings. We have seen lots of Haitian art and this happens to be some of the least attractive art on the market. Yes, yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder ... but in this case the beholder recognizes they are looking at total crud art. Isaac, always one to be positive says - "Oooooh, these paintings are SO SO BEAUTIFUL ..." as we pass by the one horribly nasty naked lady one he says, "Ooooh that one! I don't wanna think about that one." If you need disproportionate naked lady paintings let us know. We can point you in the right direction.
- Today on the way home from Kindergarten I muttered "No one knows how to drive in this country." Hope informed me with enthusiasm "Mom, this is an island - I don't know why you keep calling it a country!??!"
- We have found four possible options for Hope after Kindergarten if we cannot get to her. This officially puts the motorcyle argument to rest. We can make-do with one vehicle. Thank you Clay - White - Hersey - and Gray families!
- Jeronne likes going to literacy class. She gets all gussied up and heads out early, she is not the typical Haiti-late -- she must be one of the first ones there most days.
- We got some rain last night, but none tonight. That storm looks like it is going North.
- Our weird, deep, spooky swimming pool rocks. The kids are way less insane with that here to help burn some spunk out of them. Lydia LOVES water. She has since day one. It does not matter how cold the water is, she just wants to be wet. It is so much easier to get my housework done when she is out of my hair and outside in the pool.
;) (Yes I was standing right there in the water. No hate mail.)
- The other night we were out in search of Internet - it was after dark, Troy was driving. Right at that round-about at the airport there were cones that forced you off the round about and into the airport. Once in you did a U turn to talk to the cops. They waved a few on then we were the only ones there for a moment. The cop aske for papers and a license. Troy handed him the license and I had the papers ready. The cop asked Troy what he had for him. Troy said, "I don't know - what do you need?" The cop said he was a little hungry. Troy told him he was out of luck, we did not have food. The cop put his hand inside the car and said "I remember you - you are the guy who just made jokes last time and had nothing for me then. We could buy some food if we had a little money." The cop never looked at the papers. Troy gave him some money and we were on our way again. I was up in arms, Troy just shrugged and said, "that is the way it is." Three observations- 1. Troy's tactic of joking with cops to get around paying bribes only works ONCE with each cop. 2. Giving cops money just because you don't want to find out what happens if you don't - is really lame. 3. This takes place more at night because with almost no power/light it can happen without anyone seeing it happen.
