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Anna in Haiti-Day 8
We Really Are The World….
Today is the day that I have been waiting for. Today is the big concert, and I am so excited! It is my only chance to meet most of the students and to see my colleagues at work. The Saint Trinite Music School was part of a compound in Port Au Prince that included the school of music, a trade school, and a giant, beautiful Cathedral. The earthquake devastated almost all of it.
The trade school was completely destroyed and there are still over 200 people interred in the rubble.
The Cathedral was completely destroyed, leaving only parts of the exterior walls, showing splashes of the murals that it was famous for.
Only the school was left partially standing. But camp has been taking place on the grounds all week long, among the rubble. This is where my friends have been coming everyday to teach and conduct the students. The day before I arrived, all of the volunteers and staff spent hours moving stones, bricks and debris from the floor of the Cathedral in plans for the concert to actually take place on the ruins, themselves.
Can you imagine how incredible and how important this concert is to everyone?
As we drove to the site, the surrounding areas showed more and more devastation. Bernard asks the driver to show me the Presidential Palace and by the time we arrive, I am close to falling apart. Seeing all of this on the news and seeing it in person are two completely different things for me. When we arrive at the Cathedral, the first thing I see are the giant bells that were originally in the tower. They are lying in a heap. And then Bernard shows me a room with a giant pile of crumpled metal and wood. It is unrecognizable and I have to ask what it was. The giant, beautiful pipe organ.
Everyone else here has been here all week, but for Robert and I, it is our first time and I am having a hard time keeping it together. Janet approaches me and asks how I am holding up. I am all choked up, but I tell her that all is ok. Today is a day for celebration, not despair. As we all take our seats, the concert begins with a reading of the names of the people that died in the Quake. There is such sadness on every face. Added to that, today’s concert is dedicated to a young deaf man that had worked for the School of Music. He was killed in a boating accident the day before I arrived.
However, as the Petite Chanteurs, (the children’s choir) start to chant and process in, the mood lifts perceptively. During the third song, a woman in her 80’s in front of us succumbs to the heat. But when they lay here down on the ground and start pouring water on her, she admonishes them to leave her alone…she just wants to lie there and listen to the music. J
I alternate between pride, sorrow, wonder and joy as the choir is followed by the young orchestra, the band and then the older full orchestra, the OPST. These students have worked so hard for this. They are playing on terrible instruments, many damaged by the earthquake, and some are living in tent cities. But they are here making music on this day. The conductors, all of my volunteer friends, have worked so hard for this. They have taught in substandard circumstances, using cobbled together equipment after spending their nights sleeping on the floor.
Do you remember me telling you that these are extraordinary people? They, too, are here making music on this day.
All of those clichés we hear about music making everything better and bringing people together and giving them hope……. Those have never been more profoundly true for me than they are today.
The concert ends with a big finale, “We are the World“. I finally let the tears fall as the words hit me over and over, “ We are saving our own lives…together we will make a better day, just you and me”. Half way through, the audience jumped to their feet and joined in singing, waving their arms in the air. It was so joyous that I could barely breathe. When it finally ended to tumultuous cheers and applause, I felt completely drained. And completely blessed. I cannot believe that I was lucky enough to be here and see this. How could anyone not believe wholeheartedly in the power of music and the human spirit? And the resilience of these amazing Haitians.
Extraordinary………….
(to be continued)
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |
Administrator
Extreme Luthierism- Haiti Day 2
Haiti- Day 2
“Language Barrier? What language barrier!?”
I wake up early this morning feeling pretty bad. I am not sick or anything, I am just feeling so out of place. Two big trips, back to back, I think, was a mistake. Ecuador took so much out of me…..all in a wonderful, great way, but it left me feeling emotionally and physically depleted. Of course, I blame Njål and all my new Tango friends for the physical part!! 🙂 Anyway, I should know better than to come to a place like this so drained. When I woke up this morning, I just lay on that hard floor, with unbelievably loud noise coming in the open windows and thought, “Seriously, Anna….what the hell have you done”. I just feel so low.
BUT……I am not so down that I have forgotten two things…..one, this is a life-time opportunity.
And two, I can be of real service here.
Oh, and a third thing….I asked for this.
So…..I will work on my attitude and I will come around. I suspect by early afternoon, I will be my old cheery self again. 🙂
For now, we are walking to the market down the street to change our US dollars into Gourds. We leave our house and immediately walk by a tent city. It is a bit overwhelming. There are people selling all kinds of things on the streets, and the atmosphere is somewhat chaotic! Traffic consists of tap-taps, cars, motorcycles and the occasional UN truck with machine guns on the back, all vying for the 2 free feet of space on the road. Steve, one of the violin teachers here is wonderful….he gently pulls me back each time I step out into the road. It will be a miracle if I don’t get run over!!
The market was small, but interesting and had just about anything you could want…from rum to frozen Friday’s Potato Skins. My favorite part, however, was standing in front of the cleaning products with Rob and the others, studying the Ajax, furniture polish and muriatic acid. We are trying to figure out what we can use to clean instruments and bows, and I have to laugh when Robert turns to me and says, ‘This really is extreme luthier-ism!”
I, for one, can see why this wouldn’t be for some luthiers!! But for me, this is great! I do love the whole, ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ thing.
However, I do suspect that by the end of the week, I will be putting face plates on bows, using plastic milk cartons. My bow teachers may just die….. 🙂 🙂
Oh well, off to fix some bows!!
So, it turns out that I was right……..It is now almost six and I feel somewhat better. I spent the day teaching two men, Tchoupy and Reginald, how to rehair bows. Without any interpreter after lunch, it got really difficult!! When I originally sent off the email to volunteer for this, I said that I do not speak the language, but that that wouldn’t be a problem. My dad said to me, “don’t you mean that you HOPE that won’t be a problem?“. To which I replied confidently, “No, that will not be a problem”. Well, he might have had a point!! You try explaining the angles of a bow tip mortise using nothing but sign language and my questionable drawing skills!!
And to top it all off, every time I try to say ‘Oui’ I say ‘Si’. I have a lot of gifts and talents, but languages is not one of them. And actually, a lot of people here don’t really understand my French so well. Could be because I haven’t spoken it in 20 years! But they all speak Kreyol which is now officially the hardest language I have ever attempted. It sounds like a cross between French and Swahili, which should make it fairly do-able for me, but the accent is really giving me a hard time. I will keep working on it!!
After dinner…..which for the record, they set out at 3:30, even though we do not eat til 7:30……..in 98 degree heat……. Needless to say, I am not touching the meat here!! 🙂
Anyway…after dinner, almost the whole group went for a drink several blocks away at a kind of upscale place. It is strange, you walk by tent cities and it appears that there is abject poverty everywhere. Then, out of no where, there will be a really nice place. Everyone tells me that Petionville, which is where we are working, was the nicest suburb in Port au Prince. As a result, there are these anomalies tucked away….a wonderful hotel with a swimming pool, a beautiful restaurant, a little market. All I know is that if my mother and father could see me walking through the dark streets of Haiti at 9:00 at night, dodging motorbikes and rubble, they would NOT be happy. But I am one of 14 people so I feel pretty ok about it. 🙂
Once again, for the umpteenth time in the last few weeks, I find myself sitting at a table with a big group of people laughing and talking over each other in different languages. I am sitting next to Bernard, a violinist my age from Paris and we are exchanging stories about traveling. He is wonderful, wonderful and offers to go with me to the market to buy some souvenirs. Between him and Steve, my traffic guardian, I feel like I am starting to have some friends here.
My first full day in Haiti is finished and I am interested to see what the rest of it holds. For now, as I brush the millionth mosquito away, I just really hope I get home without malaria!! 🙂 🙂
Bonswa,
Anna
Karen’s Waterfall Adventures-Part 3
Excerpt by Karen T.
Kilby Mill Falls – this was another one that took me three tries to find,
that turned out to be easy after all. This is actually a 2 stage falls, and
the trail to the lower stage is easy, the short trail to the upper falls is
not so easy – but it’s not bad.
Lake Trahlyta Falls – these falls are below the lake at Vogel State Park.
The trail starts down from the dam and is a bit steep, and near the viewing
platform not in the best shape, but not too bad.
Tiger Creek Falls – these are 2 falls on the grounds of the Tiger Creek Inn.
Talk to the proprietor and let her know you’d like to see the falls. The
upper falls are small, but pretty and are behind the lower rooms of the Inn.
The lower falls are higher, and down a long, long set of steep board steps
to a small viewing platform. They day I did them it had been raining and the
boards were wet, so I went down VERY carefully in case they were slippery –
there are handrails on both sides.
Unnamed falls Davis Creek-above Dukes Creek Falls – 2 falls – the first of
these falls is LITERALLY above Dukes Creek Falls. The short (maybe 200
yards) downhill trail comes out right on the top of the tallest falls the
feeds into Dukes Creek. There’s a nice flat area to “land” on, so it’s not
dangerous – but you do want to say out of the creek. About 30 feet or so
upstream is a smaller pretty falls. The other falls is further up the same
forest service road. You cross the creek, park immediately and walk through
the well-used camping area and the falls are just around a small curve in
the creek.
Falls on Barnes Creek – these falls are a long, steep drive up a forest
service road in the Cohutta Wilderness, but the falls themselves are in a
small picnic area and are easy to get to. There’s a side trail that goes up
a bit steeply to a viewing platform at the top of the falls.
Warwoman Dell Falls – this is a small, pretty falls at the far end of the
nature trail in Warwoman Dell, outside Clayton. The hike is easy, maybe a
little over 1/4 mile total.
Falls on Wildcat Creek – these 2 falls are right beside the forest service
road and are quite near the road that goes back to the trailhead for Hemlock
Falls. There is also a rock waterslide on the same creek that is very
popular with children.
Minnehaha Falls – this falls is a short hike from the gravel road and had
been a playground for children for generations. They are near Angel Falls &
Panther Falls.
Falls on Crow Creek Road – these are 2 falls, one easily visible from the GA
Power gravel road. The other is a short hike beside the creek and is a nice
area for a picnic. There is a rather elaborate rock built grill here that is
about 5 feet tall – so this is evidently a popular picnic area!
Bad Branch Falls – this tall waterfall is a bit difficult to find. Follow
the directions on Mr Anthony’s site and pay particular attention to the
distances he gives. Once you find it, it’s a short hike up a badly eroded
old road – but worth the effort!
(Panther Falls, Angel Falls, Minnehaha Falls, Bad Branch Falls, Crow Creek
Falls, and Hemlock falls can all be done in one long day of driving/hiking)
Toccoa Falls – this sheer drop falls of 186 feet is on the grounds of Toccoa
Falls College. The trail in is easy. There is a fee to pay to the college.
There is a very sad history to this falls, which I won’t detail here…but
you can look it up.
Falls on Davis Creek (Gilmer County) – this is a different Davis Creek from
the one that forms Dukes Creek. This one is in Gilmer County. The falls are
on private property, but you can get a pretty good – though distant – view
from the road.
Shoals on Soque River – this is not, strictly speaking, a waterfall, but is
a nice cascading shoals right behind “The Mark of the Potter” on Hwy 197
about 10 miles north of Clarkesville. There a nice parking area and a good
view of the shoals from the road.
Tallulah Gorge – there are several falls in this spectacular gorge below the
town of Tallulah Falls. The best way to view them is to take the steps into
and out of the gorge, but be prepared…there are over 1000 steps! There is
a fee into the park.
Becky Branch Falls – these falls are a little over 1/4 mile uphill hike from
Warwoman Dell. Park in the first parking area in the Dell and hike a short
way down the road to the trailhead. The switchbacks out of the Dell are
steep, but not too bad. Cross the road and hike the short, fairly steep
trail to the falls. The trail crosses on a wooden bridge right at the base
of the falls.
Martins Creek Falls – these falls can be reached by hiking past Becky Branch
Falls and then a further 2 miles to the viewing platform at the falls. Or
you can shorten that to 1/2 mile hike by following the directions on Mr
Anthony’s site. Your feet WILL get wet crossing Martins Creek following his
directions.
Keown Falls – the shortest way to these falls is follow Mr Anthony’s
directions. This is a nearly 2 mile hike, and the last part just before the
viewing platform is a little tricky as it is narrow rock steps around a
large outcrop. You can also get to these falls by driving up to the top of
John’s Mountain and hiking down from there…which is a bit longer, but to
me a lot nicer. The falls are a sheer drop and there is actually a hiking
trail that goes under the falls. The falls is very dependent on rainfall and
in dry times there might not be any water flowing over.
Raven Cliff Falls – this is a 2 1/2 mile hike in, all uphill but not too
strenuous. You practically have to be on top of the falls at the top of the
trail to see them as they are in a very narrow slot in the rock. there are
several other unnamed falls along this trail.
Falls near Unicoi Gap – these falls are on the same forest service road that
goes down to Horse Trough Falls and are right along the road, not too far
from Hwy 75. There’s no parking, you just have to find the closest wide spot
and pull over as far as you safely can.
Bean Creek Falls – this small falls is not too far from Unicoi State park,
but is hard to see when the trees are in full leaf. It’s easier to find in
the fall and winter, when it is easily visible from the road. The directions
on Mr Anthony’s site are accurate, except they say the falls are on the
right side of the road…they are not, going up the road the way he
describes, they are on the left side.
Sylvan Mill Falls – this small, pretty falls is on private property but is
easily seen from the road. The road is narrow and there is no parking. Just
park as far to the side as you can and try not to block any traffic that
comes by.
Nancytown Falls – these falls are not on Mr Anthony’s website. They are a
short way down a side trail off the Sourwood Trail in the Lake Russell
Recreation Area near Mount Airy. The easiest way to get to them is to park
in the hikers parking area, hike up the paved road past the group camping
area and where the Sourwood Trail goes to the left, turn right and cross the
creek on the bridge. Hike straight up this road (ignore the road that comes
in from the left) until you cross another creek. There is a pretty little
waterfall here, on the right. Just across the creek the trail goes upstream
to the left. Follow this trail maybe a little under a mile and you will see
a sign to the falls where the main trail turns left to go uphill. This is a
nice trail, but I don’t advise hiking it in warm weather. As much day hiking
as I do, this is the only trail I ever came home from with ticks. There are
several deer grazing areas and when the grass is tall – one year it was over
my head – you WILL get ticks. I only hike this one in the fall and winter,
and early spring before it gets too warm.
Karen T.
http://bellsouthpwp.net/d/d/ddoggone/Homepage/Homepage.htm
We are not in Kansas anymore Haiti- Day 1
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Haiti- Day 1
Well, I got up at 0’dark thirty and headed back to the airport. Wasn’t I just here?! In any case, it is time to go to Haiti!!! I am half excited, half scared and 100% unsure of myself. I have a sneaky suspicion that this time, I may just have bitten off more than I can chew!! Oh well, it is too late to turn back now!
My flights were fairly uneventful and late afternoon found me on a plane packed to the gills with church missionary groups all in matching Tee-shirts. You want to know who, six months later, is still coming to Haiti? Missionary groups!! I have to say, I was pretty impressed, although if the looks I got when I ordered a gin and tonic are any indication, they weren’t so impressed with me. J
When we finally landed, my anxiety went up a few notches. The original airport is condemned…something about big cracks in it from the earthquake. So we had to depart the plane, get on a bus and travel to a temporary terminal. We got off of the bus and walked into a huge warehouse-like room full of a million people, all talking loudly over one another and sweating in the 98 degree heat. I quickly got through the first wave of immigration, (now I have a cool ‘Haiti’ stamp in my passport!) and immediately was swarmed by men. Some guy grabbed my ticket and carry- on, admonishing me to ‘wait right her’ and took off through the crowds. I stood there in shock and realized that some guy had my luggage info and I had no idea who he was!!! He had a badge of sorts, so I felt like there was a good chance that he was supposed to be there, but I couldn’t have picked him out of a line-up if my life depended on it!!! So I dove into the crowds that were circling the big pile of luggage that was being unloaded. He saw me and came back, saying, “wait here, wait here”. I tried to explain that both my huge bags were black and that he didn’t have a snowballs chance of finding them in all of the other black luggage, but before I had a chance, he was back with my bags. I finally get the idea that this is a tip-driven system and dig through my bags for some money. By the time I get through everything I have gone through three porters and am $10 lighter. J
As the second porter deposited me in front of the customs woman, she looked at me stonily and pointed at my big giant black bag. “What is that?” she said. “Umm…tools for rehairing bows?” This was the part I had been dreading. All of the news in the US had been talking about the fact that Haiti was charging a tax on all relief supplies being brought into the country and that they were seizing stuff left and right. I had an itemized list with values on it, but who is to say if they will believe me? This was fairly obscure stuff I had here!!
I immediately pulled out a letter that Robert Cain, the fellow luthier, had prepared for us. It explained who we were, what we were doing and where, all in Kreyol, the local language. She read the letter, studied me for a moment and said, “Thank you, enjoy your stay in Haiti”.
!!!!!!! I can’t believe it!!!!
I am so happy to not have to pay the tax. I had the money set aside, but anything that I do not have to pay to the government, I can donate to the St. Trinite Music program, so I am ecstatic. J
My relief and joy quickly disappeared when I exited the building and found myself in front of a chain link fence holding back hundreds of men shouting at me. “Taxi?! Taxi?!” they said. Or, ‘Sister, do you need a hotel?!?! “ The sun is beating down on me and I do not see anyone with a little white sign saying ‘Anna Huthmaker-Bow Queen’ on it. One of the men looked at me and said that if someone was there to meet me, I had to walk a block down the side walk to meet them. Hmmm…..I don’t know about this. That looks as if you are leaving the relative safety of the airport. He saw the reluctance on my face and shrugged, saying that it was the truth and that I didn’t have to believe him if I didn’t want to. Oh well….in for a dime, in for a dollar. Off I went, down the sidewalk.
Luckily, I soon heard my name being called and looked up to see three volunteers from Appleton University in Wisconsin. Sarah, Sarah and Jordan were huddled in the shade waiting for me and Keith, a band director from Connecticut, and before long we were being bundled into two vehicles and heading out of the airport. Everyone else is in a van and I am in a pickup truck with a strange man that doesn’t speak any English. As he lurches out of the airport into the Haitian traffic, the full effect of where I am hits me. We immediately pull onto a road that is teeming with drivers that are accelerating and braking with all of the energy of Salmon swimming upstream. There are cars everywhere honking and vying for space, most of which seem like it is there personal mission to drive everyone else off the road. I am not kidding when I say that pedestrians are jumping out of the way for their lives and the wild dogs that are everywhere seem to have a canny sense for how to dodge the insane traffic.
The heat is stifling and the smells….well, they are terrible. We drive next to a giant tent city and all I can see are people everywhere, cars everywhere, trash and poverty everywhere. As we drove past devastated buildings I feel my chest constrict. I truly feel like I have entered hell.
I took a few deep breaths and told myself that I had that length of this drive to be overwhelmed. But that when we got to the church, I had to pull it together. As it was said to Frodo in the Lord of the Rings, “You can’t get anywhere by being shocked and sad”. And I wasn’t going to be that girl…the one that dissolved into tears every time she saw something terrible. That is not what the people of Haiti need, and if I am going to make it here, that is certainly not what I need.
We drove for about a half hour through tiny, winding streets full of so much smog, noise and trash that I thought I would go crazy. However, we finally pulled up in front of a church behind the van full of my new friends and started to haul our stuff in. As we shoulder our way through the men standing in front of the door, I wonder if it is as dangerous as it feels. I am so unsure about everything at this point that I am pretty sure that my head will explode!!
But we all make it inside and into our respective rooms with no incident. Everyone is super nice to me, coming up to introduce themselves. I frantically try and remember names and wonder how soon I can actually just go to bed, without being rude. However, a quick invitation to go next door to the hotel for a beer turns into a nice evening getting to know the other volunteers and when I finally do unroll my sleeping pad on the floor of the office that I am sharing with four other women, I breath easier. This won’t be so bad…….
Bonswa,
Anna
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |
Good-byes- Anna in Ecuador Day 10
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Ecuador- Day 10
Well, my final day has come and the exhaustion has finally hit me! I feel like I have been hit by a truck….but in a good way. J I have to pack up quickly this morning because I will not be coming back here before my flight this evening. Yesterday, Lizbeth and the family left to go to the beach, so the house is quiet as I throw everything into suitcases. I lug my bags the two blocks to the main road to catch a cab to the school.
Njål had an early appointment at the church so the ride to school was quiet. They have a famous instrument from the 16th century that they have invited him to see. The Vihuela is actually a relic of the church, having belonged to Saint Mariana, the first patron saint of Quito, so it is a huge honor that they are letting him see it.
When I get to class, everyone is puttering along, working quietly. I lay my head on the work table and tell myself that I just have to stay awake for 12 more hours, then I can sleep on the plane. We didn’t leave the restaurant until after 2 am and when I got home I was too wired too sleep so that five hour plane ride this evening is looking great! J
Before lunch, Njål came back and told me about seeing the Vihuela. It turns out that the priests were very, very nervous about letting him near it, despite the credentials he has. I am hoping that this first meeting will make them more comfortable so that he can study it more in the future.
We went to lunch with Amelia and Phillipe, but it was a quiet affair, with all of us a little subdued. Amelia and Phillipe are the two musicians whose bows I rehaired for the concert last night. They are both great, great musicians and they are tired from the concert as well. They also were the two others that had a Tango lesson with me a few nights ago. They are so much fun! They are young and terribly, completely in love and all week long, Njål and I would look at them and then look at each other, shaking our heads and smiling. They have been a blast to hang out with and I will really miss them!
The afternoon sped by and before I knew it, class was done, good-bye hugs all around. Njål and I decided to go to dinner before heading to the airport and ended up sharing a pizza in friendly silence. I will miss him most of all…..he has been such a great friend. He has been patient and let me be me, even when my ‘me’ wasn’t all that great. J Ecuador truly wouldn’t have been the same without him.
We finished our pizza and wine, took a cab to the airport, hugged good-bye and I got on a plane. As the engines revved to life, I found myself swirling one more time……happiness, gratitude, joy and pride. Really, who could ask for better souvenirs. J
Once I get home, I have 22 hours to prepare for my next adventure, Haiti. All I know is if it is a tiny fraction as great as Ecuador has been, it will be wonderful.
Buenas Noches,
Anna
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |