Motos, Kenèp , & Craziness.
Well I have now been in Haiti for a week and 3 days, seems like much longer than that. I guess I have a lot to update you on. I apologize for not posting a blog lately but I have been busy during the days and at night I am completely exhausted. On the weekends I do not have internet access in Leogane. It has been crazy, but I am loving it. I spent most of last week at the hospital with Dr. Gousse & Rigan. I of course spent most of my time with the babies. I could stay there all day & night and watch them. I worry about them a lot. The smallest little guy weighed 800 grams the last time I weighed him. I took temperatures and fixed oxygen tubes that the babies kept ripping out of their noses. My favourite part of being there is watching them open their eyes and move around. This week was the first time I heard the smallest one make any noises. So cute. The other little boy is doing well, I think he will be going home soon. On Thursday his mom was there breast feeding him, it seemed to be going well. I also spent one day assisting Rigan in the ER. I learned a lot of new things and really enjoyed it. We had a Tap Tap driver come in with a wound on his arm. He was stabbed by a child because he would not give him money. His arm was bleeding pretty bad, he needed stitches and he was very dizzy. I felt dizzy as well, I do not handle blood well. On Tuesday, Rigan and I stayed at the hospital a little longer than usual and then went to the supermarket to buy groceries. We went back to the guest house and cooked dinner. We made pasta. One of Rigan's dogs just had puppies, they are adorable but the mom will kill anyone who tries to touch them. After dinner we took a moto back to Dr. Gousse's house. It was a long, bumpy, and rainy ride. It was scary going up the mountains. We got stuck a few times and Rigan and I had to get off so the driver could get out of the pot hole or up the hill. We also got lost a few times and had to call Dr. Gousse. Although it is terrifying at times, I love moto rides now ! I think I enjoy the adrenaline rush you get when the driver squeezes between two cars or when you have a car coming head on that is an inch away from you and swerves at the last moment, or maybe when you hit the pot holes or cracks in the road and have to hang on for dear life. I think I would feel a lot safer though if helmets were provided. Wednesday I spent the day at the hospital and spent the night doing computer work for Dr. Gousse. I had to make spread sheets and enter every childs name, age, and birthdate, who attended the orphanages and schools. There was over 500 kids. I was up until midnight finishing the work, but I actually enjoyed doing it. I learned a lot of names that way ! Thursday I spent the day at Rainbow of Love Orphanage & Hope Home. In the morning I went to the hospital and met up with Evelyn who is working at Rainbow of Love Orphanage. She is from Belgium and will be staying in Haiti for six months. We went to the orphanage together. The orphanage has 56 kids, all under the age of ten. We played with the children and coloured with them. Of course the kids, especially the boys, went crazy with my camera again. After hanging out there I headed over to Hope Home which houses 20 handicap children. I had a blast with them. I made necklaces with a few of the girls and then we coloured. At lunch time I helped feed all of the children, it is a big chore, and quite difficult because some of them do not want to eat and others are unaware of what is going on and you have to force the food into their mouths, I felt bad. Many of the kids had been sitting in soiled clothes all day, no one had changed them. It was heartbreaking but also so rewarding at the same time. Being able to make them smile was the best feeling in the world. I fell in love with all of the kids. The youngest one at Hope Hope is a baby girl. She is probably about 7 months old and is mute and blind. She is cute as button! Many of the children were injured in the earthquake and are now in wheelchairs, others have been neglected by their parents due to their disabilities. After spending the day with all of the children I headed back to the hospital to meet up with Rigan. Evelyn and I had to walk thirty minutes up hill in the scorching heat to the Tap Tap station. It was torture. I was so dehydrated by the time I got back to the hospital and was drenched in sweat. After cooling off and drinking some water I went back to have one last visit with the babies before I headed to Leogane for the weekend. Rigan and I left around four. The traffic was absolutely crazy !!! We didn't end up arriving in Leogane until seven, so it was pitch black out. We walked to Rigans house to drop off our bags and then took a moto to the "Pretty Lady" for dinner again. I was sick Thursday night and Friday with stomach pains, fever, and I also think I was very dehydrated. Friday morning Rigan hired a few guys to help him start fixing up the house. They tore down a wall in the bathroom to make the shower larger, fixed the door so it would close, put screens on the windows, painted and fixed the toilet. They got a lot done in one weekend !!! I spent the morning with baby Howard. He is approx 5 months old and all smiles. He was very hungry so I fed him some cheese.. it was hilarious ! He was covered in it by the time he was done and he bit my finger a few times. I had also brought along a few infant outfits with me to give away. One of them ended up fitting him. In the afternoon I went to the bank with Rigan and then to the market to find myself some running shoes (since I forgot mine at home) and a soccer ball for the kids. I also ended up buying an inflatable pool but was unable to use it this weekend since we didn't have a pump. On the way home from the market we stopped so I could buy a local phone. It only cost me $20 US. We also stopped for lunch and while Rigan was ordering food I hung out with a few street children. I gave them money in exchange for taking their photos. I do not think any of them had seen a camera before. Friday night I called home. It is great to finally be able to do that ! If anyone wishes to call my number is 011-509-4640-5127 :) Saturday morning the guys were still working on the house so Rigan dropped me off at a local orphanage owned by a Canadian woman named Jasmine. It is definitely a makeshift orphanage, they are not living in a proper building and they are still using tents. She has over 50 kids. I was in heaven !!! There were so many little babies. I spent almost my entire day in the nursery with the babies. It was crazy !! At one point I was feeding three babies at once. It seemed like every time I got one to stop crying or to fall asleep another would start crying or wake up. Many of the children have been adopted, but she has new babies arriving all of the time. Jasmine told me that I am welcome to visit whenever I would like, I am really looking forward to going back to visit and possibly staying with them for a few days. I definitely developed a new addiction this weekend to a Haitian fruit called Kenèp. The fruit comes in small berries the size of a golfball, with a peel that you bite off. The inside contains a sweet, sticky, fruit that wraps around a hard pit. It is more like candy or a snack, you will see many kids on the streets eating them. Sunday morning afternoon we headed back to Port Au Prince. We ended up going straight to the hospital and left around eight to take me home to Dr. Gousse's house. Once again we took a moto up the mountains, got lost once or twice, but eventually found our way. When I got home I hung out with Vicki and Ashley for a bit and they came up to my "apartment" and we made necklaces and watched a movie on my lap top. I have not been sleeping well lately and find myself to be very exhausted, especially after long, hot, crazy days like today. I arrived at the hospital at eight this morning and was picked up at nine thirty from Nadal who drove me to the guest house. I spent the day at HC Orphanage assisting with running a day camp for over 100 children. We picked up a group of 13 volunteers who had just arrived from California. We had a blast today playing soccer with the kids, doing crafts, dancing, singing, skipping, etc. However, it was VERY hot out and by the time Nadal arrived to pick us back up we were all drenched with sweat and exhausted. I will be working at the orphanage all week, we will be doing different activities everyday. I arrived back at the hospital around three and was ready for bed ! We got back to Dr. Gousse's around five thirty, ate dinner, I planned with the girls, and now relaxing. It will be an early night for me as I am sure it will be a long & hot day tomorrow as well. There is news that we have a hurricane on the way.. how ironic.. it is named "Hurricane Emily"... It is supposed to hit by Wednesday. I am praying for those still living in tents and hoping that they can stay safe and also find a way to secure their belongings. There is also another big cholera outbreak in the north. The rain from the storm will likely spark many new cases. I have a feeling the hospital will be busy for the next few weeks ! I am heading to the dominican republic on monday for 6 days.. It will be a much needed break from business.. hopefully I will be able to get some sleep finally. I am loving what I am doing and enjoying spending time with the kids, but things have definitely been overwhelming and my experience is a lot different than the last one, it will take some time to adjust to things! Hope everything is going well back home, miss you all xoxo
Well I have now been in Haiti for a week and 3 days, seems like much longer than that. I guess I have a lot to update you on. I apologize for not posting a blog lately but I have been busy during the days and at night I am completely exhausted. On the weekends I do not have internet access in Leogane. It has been crazy, but I am loving it. I spent most of last week at the hospital with Dr. Gousse & Rigan. I of course spent most of my time with the babies. I could stay there all day & night and watch them. I worry about them a lot. The smallest little guy weighed 800 grams the last time I weighed him. I took temperatures and fixed oxygen tubes that the babies kept ripping out of their noses. My favourite part of being there is watching them open their eyes and move around. This week was the first time I heard the smallest one make any noises. So cute. The other little boy is doing well, I think he will be going home soon. On Thursday his mom was there breast feeding him, it seemed to be going well. I also spent one day assisting Rigan in the ER. I learned a lot of new things and really enjoyed it. We had a Tap Tap driver come in with a wound on his arm. He was stabbed by a child because he would not give him money. His arm was bleeding pretty bad, he needed stitches and he was very dizzy. I felt dizzy as well, I do not handle blood well. On Tuesday, Rigan and I stayed at the hospital a little longer than usual and then went to the supermarket to buy groceries. We went back to the guest house and cooked dinner. We made pasta. One of Rigan's dogs just had puppies, they are adorable but the mom will kill anyone who tries to touch them. After dinner we took a moto back to Dr. Gousse's house. It was a long, bumpy, and rainy ride. It was scary going up the mountains. We got stuck a few times and Rigan and I had to get off so the driver could get out of the pot hole or up the hill. We also got lost a few times and had to call Dr. Gousse. Although it is terrifying at times, I love moto rides now ! I think I enjoy the adrenaline rush you get when the driver squeezes between two cars or when you have a car coming head on that is an inch away from you and swerves at the last moment, or maybe when you hit the pot holes or cracks in the road and have to hang on for dear life. I think I would feel a lot safer though if helmets were provided. Wednesday I spent the day at the hospital and spent the night doing computer work for Dr. Gousse. I had to make spread sheets and enter every childs name, age, and birthdate, who attended the orphanages and schools. There was over 500 kids. I was up until midnight finishing the work, but I actually enjoyed doing it. I learned a lot of names that way ! Thursday I spent the day at Rainbow of Love Orphanage & Hope Home. In the morning I went to the hospital and met up with Evelyn who is working at Rainbow of Love Orphanage. She is from Belgium and will be staying in Haiti for six months. We went to the orphanage together. The orphanage has 56 kids, all under the age of ten. We played with the children and coloured with them. Of course the kids, especially the boys, went crazy with my camera again. After hanging out there I headed over to Hope Home which houses 20 handicap children. I had a blast with them. I made necklaces with a few of the girls and then we coloured. At lunch time I helped feed all of the children, it is a big chore, and quite difficult because some of them do not want to eat and others are unaware of what is going on and you have to force the food into their mouths, I felt bad. Many of the kids had been sitting in soiled clothes all day, no one had changed them. It was heartbreaking but also so rewarding at the same time. Being able to make them smile was the best feeling in the world. I fell in love with all of the kids. The youngest one at Hope Hope is a baby girl. She is probably about 7 months old and is mute and blind. She is cute as button! Many of the children were injured in the earthquake and are now in wheelchairs, others have been neglected by their parents due to their disabilities. After spending the day with all of the children I headed back to the hospital to meet up with Rigan. Evelyn and I had to walk thirty minutes up hill in the scorching heat to the Tap Tap station. It was torture. I was so dehydrated by the time I got back to the hospital and was drenched in sweat. After cooling off and drinking some water I went back to have one last visit with the babies before I headed to Leogane for the weekend. Rigan and I left around four. The traffic was absolutely crazy !!! We didn't end up arriving in Leogane until seven, so it was pitch black out. We walked to Rigans house to drop off our bags and then took a moto to the "Pretty Lady" for dinner again. I was sick Thursday night and Friday with stomach pains, fever, and I also think I was very dehydrated. Friday morning Rigan hired a few guys to help him start fixing up the house. They tore down a wall in the bathroom to make the shower larger, fixed the door so it would close, put screens on the windows, painted and fixed the toilet. They got a lot done in one weekend !!! I spent the morning with baby Howard. He is approx 5 months old and all smiles. He was very hungry so I fed him some cheese.. it was hilarious ! He was covered in it by the time he was done and he bit my finger a few times. I had also brought along a few infant outfits with me to give away. One of them ended up fitting him. In the afternoon I went to the bank with Rigan and then to the market to find myself some running shoes (since I forgot mine at home) and a soccer ball for the kids. I also ended up buying an inflatable pool but was unable to use it this weekend since we didn't have a pump. On the way home from the market we stopped so I could buy a local phone. It only cost me $20 US. We also stopped for lunch and while Rigan was ordering food I hung out with a few street children. I gave them money in exchange for taking their photos. I do not think any of them had seen a camera before. Friday night I called home. It is great to finally be able to do that ! If anyone wishes to call my number is 011-509-4640-5127 :) Saturday morning the guys were still working on the house so Rigan dropped me off at a local orphanage owned by a Canadian woman named Jasmine. It is definitely a makeshift orphanage, they are not living in a proper building and they are still using tents. She has over 50 kids. I was in heaven !!! There were so many little babies. I spent almost my entire day in the nursery with the babies. It was crazy !! At one point I was feeding three babies at once. It seemed like every time I got one to stop crying or to fall asleep another would start crying or wake up. Many of the children have been adopted, but she has new babies arriving all of the time. Jasmine told me that I am welcome to visit whenever I would like, I am really looking forward to going back to visit and possibly staying with them for a few days. I definitely developed a new addiction this weekend to a Haitian fruit called Kenèp. The fruit comes in small berries the size of a golfball, with a peel that you bite off. The inside contains a sweet, sticky, fruit that wraps around a hard pit. It is more like candy or a snack, you will see many kids on the streets eating them. Sunday morning afternoon we headed back to Port Au Prince. We ended up going straight to the hospital and left around eight to take me home to Dr. Gousse's house. Once again we took a moto up the mountains, got lost once or twice, but eventually found our way. When I got home I hung out with Vicki and Ashley for a bit and they came up to my "apartment" and we made necklaces and watched a movie on my lap top. I have not been sleeping well lately and find myself to be very exhausted, especially after long, hot, crazy days like today. I arrived at the hospital at eight this morning and was picked up at nine thirty from Nadal who drove me to the guest house. I spent the day at HC Orphanage assisting with running a day camp for over 100 children. We picked up a group of 13 volunteers who had just arrived from California. We had a blast today playing soccer with the kids, doing crafts, dancing, singing, skipping, etc. However, it was VERY hot out and by the time Nadal arrived to pick us back up we were all drenched with sweat and exhausted. I will be working at the orphanage all week, we will be doing different activities everyday. I arrived back at the hospital around three and was ready for bed ! We got back to Dr. Gousse's around five thirty, ate dinner, I planned with the girls, and now relaxing. It will be an early night for me as I am sure it will be a long & hot day tomorrow as well. There is news that we have a hurricane on the way.. how ironic.. it is named "Hurricane Emily"... It is supposed to hit by Wednesday. I am praying for those still living in tents and hoping that they can stay safe and also find a way to secure their belongings. There is also another big cholera outbreak in the north. The rain from the storm will likely spark many new cases. I have a feeling the hospital will be busy for the next few weeks ! I am heading to the dominican republic on monday for 6 days.. It will be a much needed break from business.. hopefully I will be able to get some sleep finally. I am loving what I am doing and enjoying spending time with the kids, but things have definitely been overwhelming and my experience is a lot different than the last one, it will take some time to adjust to things! Hope everything is going well back home, miss you all xoxo
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