The Way We Saw It

One last view of the remains of the former Toyota inferno in front of the guest house. This resting place is a few blocks away and it sits upside down with all the parts removed. However, recycling is never complete in Haiti so there may still be more plans for what's left.

Meet John, Gorman and Omega who have come to the guest house for the last few Tuesdays for a few hour cram session on English pronunciation, word meanings and idiom explanations. They are three keen young English teachers who are committed to teach the English language as expertly as possible.

Tony, one of our street vendors is busy staining and varnishing window slats from the guest house. We have employed him to refresh some of our wood surfaces which also include panels, doors and a bannister. Not only does his labour improve the look of the guest house but he hires his two sons to assist him plus another friend so the good fortune of a short term job is passed on to others.

Pedestrians beware on any Port au Prince street. You not only need to look both ways before you cross but also during as the guest house location is on a corner. (try this at home with 50 pounds on your head) Brakes are used to avoid collisions and open manholes but those on foot need to constantly listen for vehicle sounds and horns as any part of the road or even sidewalk is fair territory for a driver.

Our guest house driver, Tillus, is the proud father of three of these girls and two of them and their friends celebrated their first communion today. He rented a suit and we provided him with our truck for the day to shuttle his family between home, church and reception.

One of the girls was enthralled with Pam's white skin as she pinched and rubbed her arm to see how it would react. Whites are a definite minority in Haiti and many people would never have the opportunity to interact with a white skinned person up close. Pam didn't mind the scrutiny and made another new friend.