Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Day 4

Today we all decided to go our separate ways. Rik went to the medical hospital up the street to help in the ER. Kat stayed with a group at camp to help create a professional development for the local teachers on disaster preparedness. Ryan went to a rubble sight to use his big muscles. We will each share our experiences separately since we obviously all had very different days.

Kat’s Experience-
Yesterday a group of about ten teachers from NY came to HODR, so as a result the HODR group decided since there were so many teachers here they could start a project that they had done in a previous country as a result of an earthquake. They asked us (7 people in the group) to create a lesson that we would be implemented with teachers from the Leogane community. We were given a pamphlet on basic disaster safety and two Haitians who spoke both English and Creole to help us think of ideas and ways to share the information effectively with the Haitian teachers. There was another guy in the group who’s family is Haitian but works as a teacher and grew up in NY so he was a great asset to the group because of his teaching experience and his ability to speak Creole as well.
The first thing we did was get to know the two people from Haiti. Berlyne actually lives in Leogane and experience the quake first hand so we got to hear her amazing story. She was at her mother in laws house at the time of the quake. When the shaking started she tried to get out of the house but the house was shaking so bad that she was pushed backwards into a wall. She said she prayed loudly as the ceiling began to collapse, “Please God! Please God!” The house did collapse but the family members were all able to get out safely. Her cousins on the other hand, who live down the street, were not so lucky. The three boys were playing together outside when the earthquake started. They panicked and ran inside to get out of harms way. The house collapsed and unfortunately their legs got stuck under a pile of rubble and they couldn’t escape. They screamed for help “I’m alive! Help!” but no one could get to them.
I wasn’t aware of this until we started working on the lesson but the people of Haiti aren’t even aware of what an earthquake is. They call it “goo doo good doo” because that is was the sound is when the shaking occurs. Berlyne’s story really made me see why I am here. I might not be able to clear rubble like Ryan but I can make a difference in the community. I can help these teachers spread the word about earthquake safety and how to affectively handle the situation if it happens again.
I will spare everyone of the details of the lesson but as nerdy as it sounds I think this is why I am in grad school for instructional technology. Sitting down with fellow teachers, coming up with a lesson in which I know very little about- earthquakes, Creole, and Haitian schools was the most rewarding experience I have had so far.
Tomorrow we will go take our lesson and hold a professional development for approximately 90 teachers. To prepare for the lesson we decided we wanted to know a little bit of Creole so we could show that we do care about the community and maybe have some connection with the teachers.
Here’s what I learned- Bonjou- Hello
Kouman ou rele? – What is your name? (Ko-ma ou we-le)
Mwen rele _____. – My name is _________ (M-wen we-le)
Kouman ou ye? – How are you? (Ko-ma ou ye)
Mwen kontran ronkontre w. –I am happy to meet you. (M-wen ko-ma ron-con-tre oo)
Meci anpil- Thank you (Me-cee an-peel)
Mwen konton an Ayiti.- I am happy to be in Haiti. (M-wen kon-ton an-ay-eeti)
Mwen soti ____________.- I am from________. (M-wen so-ti)
Sa feim mal. – That makes me sad. (Sa fem mal)

-Kat

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Day 2 (Part 2)- Saturday March 27, 2010-Trip to Haiti

Day 2- Part Two- Crossing the border into Haiti

Crossing the border was a bit nerve-racking mostly because of the language barrier. As we crossed into Haiti, we had to get off the bus and show our passport. We had no idea what to expect so we just followed the crowd. As we got back on the bus and settled back in our seats the bus started to leave. I looked over and noticed that the person sitting across from us before was no longer there. We still don’t know if she made it back on the bus or not. We also noticed about 8 fire extinguisher boxes in the bathroom that were not there before…hmmmm. As we continued on our journey, we noticed that the two-lane road was very narrow. On one side of the road was a rock wall and on the other side was the ocean, literally a few feet away. One wrong move and we would fall in. The roads were not paved at this point either so let’s just say I tried not to look out much. I did look out to see a male stripping down to nothing and washing his clothes in the ocean though!

This part of the trip is where we began to get nervous. The night before our taxi driver told us that our trip would take about 6 hours, but the end was nowhere near. As we traveled on, we were starting to see the damage from the earthquake more and more. The houses were indescribable. But the people seemed happy. People were talking and laughing out in the streets and generally enjoying each other’s company. As the sun started to set I began to panic. I knew we were not supposed to be traveling after dark and that our site was another 20 miles at least from Port Au Prince. We had a driver waiting for us at the bus station somewhere between 5 and 7 but we were going to either get there right at 7 or sometime after that. This is where we started to plan what we would do if the driver wasn’t there- find a safe place to sit until morning then take the first bus back to DR and go on vacation. When we finally arrived at the bus station, we got off and heard a man call our name- Thank GOD! Carlson spoke English very well so we had a nice, relaxing 2 hour trip in a 2 door Suzuki Sidekick. Oh wait, it was far from relaxing- the drivers in Haiti are the most ridiculous people I have ever seen, let alone the roads are bumpy and full of rubble. There are obviously no lanes so people pass you whenever and wherever they see fit. I think we came inches between either hitting someone or someone hitting us at least once every few seconds.

-Kat

Alright, imagine Frogger, but with people, and there are bonus points for hitting animals and almost tagging other objects in the street, while in the backseat of a tiny car holding luggage and trying to keep a box from falling out the back window, that won’t close. Nuf said.

-Rik

One note that I feel is very pertinent to add is that for the first time on this entire trip, I was acting as an interpreter for our driver Carlson. For those of you in our reading audience who now believe that I know the native language, I don’t. However, it was brought to my attention that my fast talking, heavily southern accented, North Carolina comrades, are even more IMPOSSIBLE to understand to the local English speaking Haitians than they are to the rest of us in the USA!! So therefore, I soon became the only logical interpreter and therefore feel that the credit due for us making it safely to our destination belongs to me!!

-Ryan

When we crossed into Leogane we immediately saw why we were there. Houses had completely crumbled to the ground. Rumble was out in the streets to the point where it was hard to travel over. There were tent camps everywhere. As we pulled into our camp sight we all let out a sigh of relief. We made it there safely and we were greeted by smiling faces. We were giving a brief tour of the site and then given time to figure out where we were going to set up camp. We decided to set up our tent on the roof of the building instead of down on the ground, mainly for the breeze but also for the safety that if the building collapsed we wouldn’t be the ones getting crushed. At this point we decided to set up our tent, eat a quick bite (a pb&j sandwich) and go straight to bed. As we laid down to go to sleep we realized how hot it was and how hard it would be to fall asleep so we took the cover off the tent to get as much breeze as possible. We then put in earplugs to drown out the noise but it was hard to ignore the cow in heat and the roosters crowing. As I was finally falling asleep I felt the ground shake for a few seconds. I thought it was a dream and I didn’t hear any screaming so I fell asleep. When we woke up in the morning we found out it was an aftershock but only a 4.2.

-Kat

Day 2- Saturday March 27, 2010-Trip to Haiti

Day 2

Up and at ‘em early today as we prepare for our trip by bus to Haiti. After an unusually expensive meal at our hotel, we travelled by cab to the CaribeBus station to purchase our tickets for the trip. During the short ride, our driver asked our destination and upon hearing where we were headed stated, “La Cunda? No seriously, where are you going?” He laughed when we told him we were serious. It seems that the Haitian people and their plight are not a favorite subject amongst native Dominicans. Most people we’ve talked to since our arrival have been glad to see that someone cares enough to cross the border and lend a hand, but just as glad that that person is not them.

Ryan stated last night that his biggest apprehension about the trip was probably the first bus ride from Santo Domingo to our worksite. When we reached the bus station, the air conditioned, coach type busses we encountered largely alleviated that fear. Only ooooone problem. Something I’ve encountered in other countries as I’ve travelled over the years is an interesting take on air conditioning. By and large, the rest of the world doesn’t believe in it, which is fine because they believe in windows and that forces you to breathe in the countryside as you see it pass you by. The problem with this bus is that the no A/C rule is still pretty much in effect, but the windows also don’t open. Also, Kat’s informed me that she will never again complain about my driving, a statement that I’m memorializing here so she can’t go back on her word later.

As we drive through this country, it’s amazing to see how the country changes as we leave the areas prepared to suit tourists, and begin to see what daily life looks like for most people here. My general impression is that people in the smaller settings outlying the main city of Santo Domingo seem much less hurried. As we drive, people are sitting, talking, relaxing in the sun, though oddly most are wearing jeans. Street vendors sell produce, men fix cars and trucks in garages, and everything is covered with a thin layer of dust that no one seems to notice. As we wind through the landscape, the mountains appear and the road becomes less refined… This is not a trip suited for someone prone to carsickness.

Travel Lesson #1- Ask for directions; people already know you’re a tourist. The only way to look more obviously American than I already do would be to wear an Obama t-shirt and a red, white, and blue top hat. I, however, as a male of the species, have a natural aversion to asking for directions and as a police officer, feel like I should be giving them rather than receiving them. So this lesson came hard for me. Humble pie, it seems, is a dish best served in multiple courses, but I’m getting it now. Ask for directions, people love helping dumb Americans.

- Rik

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Day 1- Friday March 26, 2010-Santo Domingo

We arrived in Santo Domingo around 1:30 and took a 30 minute taxi ride to our hotel. Our taxi driver spoke English very well so he was able to talk to us the whole ride. He told us about how the driving in the Dominican is much different than America- basically, no laws! You can drive however fast you want. People will turn in front of you or cut across the street in front of you whenever they feel like it. People are constantly honking at each other to get out of the way. There are no lanes and very few stoplights. The cars here are all old and banged up too, I wonder why!? Even with all of that, the drive to the hotel was beautiful. The oceanfront is gorgeous. It was neat to see all the houses with the clothes hanging out to dry and people just walking around and hanging out in the streets. Once we got to the hotel we were amazed at how nice it was. It even had a casino inside (we did not partake in this though!).

As we began unpacking some of our stuff, Rik turned to me and said “where’s the computer?” My stomach immediately went into knots. “Oh my god we left it on the plane!” Long story short, we called Delta and they had our computer, but we would have to come back and get it by 5:30. We were relieved yet frustrated that we now have to get back in the cab, spend another $40 just to get to the airport and not get to walk around and sightsee (or go to the pool). We did decide to stay at the airport once we got there and wait for Ryan’s 8:30 flight so we could split the cab fare back to the hotel.

Ryan’s flight arrived on time with no major problems. I actually enjoyed waiting for Ryan because we got to see the way airports in the US used to be before 9/11. Everyone waited along this “runway” for their families outside the baggage claim area. When their family members came out, the people would run out onto the runway and give huge hugs and kisses. A couple of people had flowers and signs too. It made me sad that we don’t value family like this in the US anymore. We get to walk outside and hop in the car before you get yelled at for taking too long in the pickup lane.

Once we got to the hotel for the second time we decided to take a walk up the street to get some food. As we walked to this area where we knew they had a bunch of different places to eat, I noticed a street vendor with slabs of meat just hanging off the cart. This is how many people get their meat! They sometimes even have the whole animal hanging off the cart too. I was too chicken to go take a picture but I will try to get one sometime while we are on the trip.

After a relaxing snack and sitting in the nice breeze we walked back to the hotel to get one last good night’s sleep in a bed!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Everyday Heroes

With our departure close at hand, it's been hard to keep the reason for our trip at the front of my mind as I've been planning so much as far as logistics, equipment, etc over the last few weeks. Tonight, as I was driving home from law school, rather discouraged, our goal got brought back into focus. At the Taco Bell drive-thru...

"Welcome to Taco Bell, would you like to try a combo?"

"Um, no, thanks. Um, give me a second..."

"OK, take your time"

"Um, alright, I'll have 3 soft tacos please"

"Would you like anything else?"

"Well, a small... a small Pepsi please"

"Alright, anything else?"

"No thanks."

"Alright, your total is $3.52. Pull up to the window"

"Um, are you sure that's right?"

"Yes, first window please"

As I pulled up to the window, I wondered if the young guy at the other end of that menu microphone had forgotten to charge me for my drink. So, I asked.

"Um, I don't think you charged me for my drink..."

I never expected the answer I received from the young, tattooed, unshaven employee that was working the window. This was the kind of person that you'd never give a second glance at ordinarily. No meaningful relationship has ever been formed through fast food service at a window, no wisdom ever gleaned. But apparently this guy hadn't gotten that memo...

"Yeah, you kinda hesitated when I asked you what you wanted. Sounded like maybe you wanted more than you'd ordered, but didn't know if you could pay for it. I always wonder when people order off the value menu, I mean I know times are tough, so I like to help when I can. It's $3.52 bud, you want any sauce?"

Recognizing the needs of others, often the unspoken ones, is what brings about change in people's lives. Going the extra mile means more than doing what we're asked and expected to do. As Gandhi once put it, "Be the change you want to see in the world." My change started tonight. For 99 cents.

-Rik

One week until we leave...

We are down to one week now! We are very excited and also very nervous. We have been trying to read through various blogs done by past HODR volunteers to help me get some insight on what I need to prepare myself for. This blog was a helpful one-http://philip.kiracofe.com/ Also check out hodr.org to see who we will be working with.

I have started the packing list tonight but I am trying to keep in mind that I will have to carry all of my belongings with me. I am also trying to remember that I will only be able to take a cold bucket shower each night we are in Leogane so what's the use in trying to look cute right!?

We are so excited to have the opportunity to go help in Haiti and be able to document it on here. We hope the internet is reliable enough that we can update the blog each day.

To my students: Thank you for thinking about me while I am in Haiti and for being so interested in my trip. I appreciate your support and enthusiasm more than you will ever know!

To our friends and family: Thank you for your prayers while we are in Haiti. And thank you to those who donated to help us make this trip possible. We couldn't have done this trip without your help!

To my Mom and Dad: I love you and I know you are nervous about this trip but I promise I will make you proud :) And Rik promises to be nice to me and protect me too (he doesn't know this part yet but it's in the job requirement since this was his bright idea!)


Kat