Well I'm finally settling in here in a good way.  I know I will not sleep good.  I will be bit by 10,000 mosquitoes and suck in a lot of dust.  It rained early this morning so it added to the puddles from the day before.  Actually it's the perfect obstacle course or agility test.  We walked the kids to school this morning and it was funny watching the pre school festivities.

Jean Mary School morning routine

Each day before school, the kids line up by grades or something similar.  It goes from littlest to biggest.  The principal comes out and they recite something.  I saw a kid get whapped (made up word) on the head with a ruler.  I guess he wasn't paying attention.  It got my attention.  They raise the Haitian flag sign the anthem probably of Haiti.  Next they form a line by each grade like they are in a chain gang in prison.  Each kid has his hand on the person in front of him/her shoulders.  If you are really late, they shut the gate and lock it and you are out of luck going to school that day.

A visiting goat troupe

We took three kids to water therapy.  I have learned I don't like sitting in the back with them.  Mostly I don't because well they are not seat belted or strapped in  Two of the kids have very spastic muscles and their limbs are a flaying.  The third one in like a wet noodle and flops over.   By the end of the ride they are all stacked on top of each other and on me.  I don't know how it really happens but it does.  We accidentally took a wheelchair without a front wheel thinking it was just a flat tire.  I'm not sure how we missed that glaring faux pas.

Caribbean Lodge Hotel made of shipping containers

We go to the Caribbean Lodge Hotel.  It's the one made of shipping containers.  It's kinda cool except it looks like the rooms have no windows.  I would not like this at all. But it does have A/C , a pool and booze so perhaps I could overlook the window thing.  We had an hour to work with the kids, and my kid took on water several times thanks to me.  I have attention issues, I can't help it.  I'm happy to report no casualties though.

When we got the kids back, I found my beef jerky and some trail mix and hoofed it to the roof.  Two of the guys were up there.  One of the guys right away eyed my jerky.  Ok, I'll share a little.  I said you can have a little.  Little my ass!  He took the largest handful ever.  I felt like slapping his hand and say, dude, this is my lunch every day so back off.  I later learned he was Schizophrenic so maybe it was good I gave it to him instead of him taking it from me.  He eyed me the entire time on the roof.  Secretly, I think he was telepathically willing the bag to get to him somehow.  He only wanted my meat.  Finally, I took my meat and left.  I felt used.

This doll has a hand coming out their heat, the one to the right has a leg.

Shortly thereafter, we got a ride to the iron market.  I'll just say it's not a family kind of place.  I was desperately looking for my knife.  I looked in a suitcase I sort of put some of my personal stuff in but did not bring it down.  It was a suitcase full of therapy supplies I had brought down in March.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something but got a weird feeling.  I took out some more of my junk and then a cockroach starting jumping around in the suitcase.  I screamed like a little girl.  We decided to leave it until we got back because we'd have to take everything out of the suitcase.  At least he was self-contained.

Midget Voodoo dolls with human body parts

Off to the iron market.  We were getting ready to walk in and a guy told up to go into a parking lot off to the side of the building.  We got back in the truck, drove 50 feet and parked.  We had our own personal concierge, and we had brought a guy named Roberto with us as our "heavy" per se.  It was actually not as bad as I was anticipating because we had an invisible shield around us.  Jamie was looking for "Pee Pee or Wee Wee" man.  Either way, it's a man with a barrel around his midsection and you either lift it up or lower it and surprise, you see his pee pee.  Personally, I think the scale was off and the man in relative comparison to his "little man".  We each found a hat.  I wanted a fedora but they were made for someone with a shrunken head.

The guy asked if we wanted to check out the voodoo section.  I was like oh yeah.  Along the way, there were all these turtles for sale and I was thinking they are not pets but they were so cute.  The guy later told us something like they use the turtle blood and maybe pig blood with who knows what and give it to a pregnant mother as she is getting ready to give birth.  This way the baby won't come out mad.  Mad, really?  You wonder why the mortality rate is so high.  I'm glad my doctor didn't hook me up with any of that crap when I was in labor.

In the voodoo section, there are all these midgets as in small people sized dolls all decked out in crazy gear.  Upon closer inspection, they have human teeth and a jaw attached to them.  I start thinking Hannibal Lector.   I tried not to think about it too much.  They had all these cool, funky, creepy, dolls dressed in various get-ups.  We saw a guy disassembling some dolls for the statues.  They paint them up with shoe polish.  Personally, I'd use spray paint but when I make my own voodoo doll, I use what I want.  I bought a doll contained in a bottle.  The said it was $50.  Ok, I could make one of these at home probably even more cooler for like 5-10 bucks.  I ended up getting it for $15.  

After I bought the doll in the bottle I started thinking of the Brady Bunch episode when little Bobby took the Tiki statue and then bad luck befell upon them.  My luck that would happen to me and I'd have to return to Haiti and throw the doll back into a heaping pile of garbage to erase the spell.  Hey, it makes for a good story.

My self-contained voodoo doll.  I took the cork off so he could breathe.

Ok, now back to the stowaway cockroach.  We put the suitcase on the bed and meticulously remove each object like we are playing "Operation".  Eventually, we find the bug that has been causing me great uneasiness.  Jamie now screams like a little girl.  I almost wet my pants laughing so hard because she had told me bugs weren't so bad.    Jamie goes out and asks Gertrude for a man.  I'm pretty sure she was wondering why.  But she told them of our impending doom if we could not rid ourselves of this critter.  Gertrude comes in with an industrial side can of bug spray.  First, she gets it on a stick and then she proceeds to spray/dose the bug until it flips over on his back.  I ended up cleaning the floor from all the hazardous materials that have now been left behind in our room.  It was a floral scent bug killer which in hindsight was bad because after 5 minutes we both got headaches.  We abandoned our room for the time being.  I am going through all my stuff tonight like forensic scientist combs through stuff to find clues.  I do not want to bring home any indigenous critters.

We took two of the kids out for a walk in the neighborhood.  Olgie who is a typical sweet Down's kid and Maryse who has two club feet and gets new casts every week or so.  Of course, when they took off her last one, the Dr. nicked her foot so she can't have a cast on one of her feet.  I don't know what her story is because one minute you talk to her and the next minute her eyes roll to the back of her head.  It kind of freaks me out.  I told Jamie I think she is just checking out the other side of her brain.  It would be so much easier if you knew what wrong with these kids so you could treat them appropriately.  I love taking the kids out on walks; people really don't know what to think about it.

After dinner, we were looking for something fun to do. So we thought of the best thing we could.  We were going to go out into the neighborhood on Jamie's motorcycle so she could practice.  The kids thought it was so exciting that we were cracking out the motorcycle.  I had to show them a picture of a real bike...my Harley.  The bike here is a 125cc.  I have to be on my tippy toes on it.  So first we gather a small audience over bringing the bike outside.  Next, the kids at the orphanage are so excited about this monumental event about to transpire.  I give Jamie a few pointers on starting it and pointing out a few key features.  It's a little different because this is a foreign bike.

Mattress carrying man.

After the bike is finally up and running, I hop on with her and off we go.  Talk about a freak show!  First, two white chicks out and about, then two white chicks on a motorcycle.  I kind of look at it like we were trendsetters.  Honestly, walking in the neighborhood is a show in and of itself but throw in the motorcycle thing in and it's bewilderment at its best.  I felt like we were in our own parade around the neighborhood.  Some people laughed, others just stared not knowing what to think, and some of the men were like oh yeah.  It was everything.  I drove back.  It was so fun.  The only thing I didn't like is the puddles and oncoming traffic, that and having a passenger.  I don't like having passengers.  I agreed to go on a ride with her on a public road tomorrow.  I told her if I lose a limb, I'm going to beat her with it.  

All in all, today was a fun day.  Each day I'm here, I like this place more and more.  I can't tell you why I like it because, on the exterior, there's not much to appreciate.  I do have to say this, the power has been on more since I've been here than it was in March and it has rained every day.  Both are rarities.

Free range future beef

raining sunset