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Anna in Haiti-the last day
Today is my last day in Haiti. I am half sad, half ecstatic. Sad because I have come to feel like I now know part of Haiti and that I am blending in and finding myself a temporary home here. Ecstatic because I have not really been home for three weeks and I miss it terribly!!! For now, though, I have one more full day of bow teaching, bass teaching and a party for my boys. J
Robert is feeling much better today. The doctor came and gave him some antibiotics, so he is on the mend. He takes some of the guys into the workshop, so I am back down to 3-4 of the boys. I call them ‘my boys’ because age is very different here. A person is considered a child and still lives in the home of their parents until they are 30. They rarely get married before they are in their 30’s, and are definitely still expected to obey their parents. Even at the age of 28 or 29. As a result, a man can be in their upper 20’s, but they will still act like a teen-ager. Simply put, my boys may be in their 20’s but they still act like a bunch of Labrador retriever puppies. J J They are delightful!!
During lunch, Cynthia and I head down to the art gallery for some last minute purchases, and then I go to the market for party food. Armed with cookies, chips and lemonade, I made my way back up to the church. Sweat is pouring off of me…..the sun is out and it has to be 100 degrees!! The roads are packed and I realize that this is my last venture out into Petionville. It makes me sad and I try and take special notice of all of the sights and sounds around me. And yes, even the smells. J
After several more hours of class, it is finally time for the party. The boys bring in a boom box and an amplifier to plug it into. I have no idea where they got that!! However, it makes for a festive addition to the party and we all dance around a little as I set out the plates of cookies and chips that I brought. I perch up on the desk and nibble on a cookie as I watch the guys scarf down the food.
I am so proud of them that I could pop! Several of them aren’t even string players, and most of them had no wood working experience at all. But here they are, 10 days later, rehairing bows functionally. That was my goal….to leave and have them truly be able to work. Mission accomplished. Several of them can even do faceplates and thumb leathers. And of course, there is Allande and his silk wraps. J
At some point, the boys all ask Robert and I to come forward and they make us sit in two chairs as they line up in front of us, grinning. Reginald proceeds to make a heartwarming speech to us both, talking about how much they appreciate us coming and teaching them and giving them this new skill. And that they love us very much and hope that we will come back as soon as we can and as often as we can. Ruby translates it all into English for us and I get all choked up again. Seriously, how great is this? J
Then they present us with gifts that they had all gone in together to buy. We have carved wooden Haiti signs with little flags sticking out and colorful plastic Haiti bracelets. I immediately put my bracelet on, saying that I will not take it off until I get home. They also give us each a thank you note that they have all signed. I am touched beyond reason. J
Finally, the afternoon wears on and the guys start to leave one by one. I grab Cannis and dance with him to the music, him belly laughing the whole time. With this, we all say good-bye. Full of melancholy, I go up onto the roof one more time and am joined by Robert. We can hear the orchestra rehearsing Beethoven 9 below us and I am struck by how surreal this all is. I am sitting on a roof-top, in Haiti, looking out on tents and squalor, street vendors and families, in the midst of a beautiful sunset, while “Joyful, Joyful we Adore Thee” circles around me. I had yet another one of those moments…..”How in the world did I end uphere?”. Not bad for a nun from Georgia. J J
I am leaving at 6 am to go home tomorrow, so I will sign off from here. As far as adventures go, this has been one heck of a summer. I have learned and grown more than I thought possible. It has actually been quite painful at times, but mostly wonderful, and once again I am full of gratitude for this life that I have. All I can say for now is, ‘thank you, thank you , thank you…….”
Bonswa,
Anna
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |
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There She Was- Haiti Day 9
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Haiti Day 9
“There she was”
This morning was full of the hustle and bustle of everyone getting ready to leave. Robert and I are teaching until 2:00, but at that point, we have been invited by Bernard to go to the mountains. We intersperse rehairs and thumb leathers with good-byes until the place empties out. From here on, we will dwindle from 5 to 2 people over the next three days. It will seem strange after having all of these folks laughing, talking and playing all around. I will miss them all, but mostly I will miss Kristen, a soprano who is here directing to Petite Chanteurs. She is flat out the coolest woman and we struck up a friendship near the beginning. She makes me laugh a lot and is someone I can talk to so I hate it that she is leaving!! But at least Bernard is still here!!!!
For lunch, Maline, the woman that works in the kitchen, brings us all HUGE plates of food. Up until now, all food was served family style and if you were late for a meal, chances were there would be nothing left! But here she came with a mountain of food for each of us. The night before, we had presented her with a large cash tip and a card thanking her for everything and today, I am thinking that this kindness is her way of saying thank you back. However, I cannot begin to eat it all, and of course, I am not doing the meat at all, so I pile a plate with tons of food and take it to my boys. They all smile and tuck in, calling me “Mom”. It is so funny to hear them all go, “Thanks Mom!!”. Of course, I answer with, “Who is your favorite teacher?!” and they all cry out, “Anna!”. J J Hey, I have to do something to make sure they don’t forget me!!
After lunch, Marie-Noel, one of the violinists in the camp, shows up with her SUV and Robert, Bernard, Cynthia and I pile in for a trip to the mountains. I am so ready for this! I need to get out of Port Au Prince, and since everyone keeps telling me that much of Haiti is not like what I have seen, I am anxious to see it for myself. Poor Robert is really sick, but he comes along, being a good sport. As we twist and turn up the curvy, narrow mountain road, I am constantly throwing my hands over my eyes. Marie Noel laughs and says that she is an excellent driver. I explain to her that it is not her that I don’t trust….it is the other drivers!! Every time we go around a curve, there is a truck or tap-tap in our lane headed straight for us!! They always swerve over just in the nick of time, but it is highly nerve-wracking!
We stop at one point, hoping to see a small museum, only to find it closed. Instead, a guard gives us a tour of a tiny zoo with one crocodile, one monkey and a bunch of chickens. He gives Cynthia and I giant flowers to wear in our hair and we pose for pictures with them before giving them to members of the staff that have shown up in another van. Somehow, these beautiful young Haitian women look completely natural with giant flowers in their hair, while us ‘blanc’ look a little silly. J
As we are leaving the zoo, we get swarmed by a bunch of men that have souvenir stands across the road. One man approaches me with two big machetes and I laugh, trying to explain to him that it is not the best way to approach a woman!! I also explain that I cannot carry a machete on the plane home and finally I accompany him to his booth to see what else he has. After some bartering, we all leave with a few small things, enjoying the process immensely.
Our next stop was a giant fort up on top of the mountain and after much negotiation with a local young man, they forced open an old wooden door so that we could go inside. I think he worked there. I hope he worked there!!! Walking around was really neat, and there are 11 giant cannons at the top, all pointed out around the fort. There had been 12, but the earthquake had done a lot of damage up here and one had fallen to the valley floor below. We had picked up several small children at this point, and I had a great time taking their pictures and showing them to them.
Finally it came time to make our way down the mountains. Bernard had noticed a wood worker on the way up and was hoping that he was still there, on the side of the road so that we could stop and see his work. As luck would have it, not only was he still there, but the building he was working next to was his workshop, so we stopped in to see what he had. As we walked down six steps into the dark interior of his shop, you could smell dampness and wood, lots and lots of wood. As my eyes became accustomed to the dimness, I saw that there were life size carving of men and women all around me. They were stunning. Here we were, in the middle of nowhere, and here was this little tiny old man, and this was all his work?! As we wandered through his workshop, each thing lovelier than the next, I knew that I would love to have something to take home. I looked and looked. Everything was gorgeous.
And then I saw her……
About a foot and a half high, a woman playing what was unmistakably a bass. Ok, well, it kind of looks guitar-like, but it is as tall as her, and she is standing to play it, so in my book, it is a bass!!!! My hands were actually shaking as I took it to him to ask him the price. I didn’t have much money with me, and I was sure that I couldn’t afford it. As Marie-Noel bartered with him in Kreyol, the others were whispering that they would loan me the money if I wanted it. I had approximately $40 on me. When Marie-Noel turned to me and said “1,350 gourds”, it took me a moment to realize that that translated to about $30! I couldn’t believe it!! The next thing I knew, he was counting out my change, chiseling his signature onto the sculpture and posing for a picture with me!! I am so happy!!!
The day ended with us all going to a nice restaurant, Middle Eastern, as a matter of fact. Who knew that you could get hummus in Haiti! J Pere David joined us and we all sat around laughing and enjoying bottles of wine. Bernard leaves tomorrow morning and my time here is quickly coming to an end. I know I should be sad, but for now, I am too happy. J
Bonswa,
Anna
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |
A Nun?!?!? Haiti Day 8, part 2
| Anna in Haiti Day 8- Continued
A Nun?!?!?
After the concert, we all make our way back to the church for a party of sorts celebrating the end of camp. Robert, Bernard, Cynthia and I are staying on for several more days, but most of the volunteers are leaving tomorrow for another camp in Jacmel, another Haitian town on the coast. So, tonight we all celebrate the success of this camp…the one that for six months they were not sure would happen.
The kitchen staff has been working like crazy preparing a big meal, and someone has provided the customary bottle of rum that you often find at Haitian banquets. There are tons of people here tonight… not only us, but all of the Haitian teachers and staff members. As the dinner wears down, Pere David, the pastor of the church and co-director of St Trinity School of Music, stands up to speak. He begins by thanking us all from the bottom of his heart and saying that he has a gift for us all. “First”, he says, “We recognize a woman that is here for the first time.”. He goes on to talk about how all of the staff liken this woman to a nun and that nuns are very revered here and that nuns built Holy Trinite in the beginning so that they are very respected. I am looking around trying to figure out who in the world he is talking about when he says, “Anna!!!”
What?!?!? Me, a nun?!?!? The volunteers are all laughing, probably at the look on my face!!! As I join in with the laughter, I go up where I am presented with a beautiful little painting and ‘pinned’ with the Holy Trinite pin. I sit down, shaking my head, wondering what in the world I did to give them this impression! I mean, I am a nice person and all that, but I have done some decidedly un-nun-like things in my life!! J J Oh well………….
As Pere David went through the group, he introduced everyone, talking about the particularly wonderful traits they all brought to the program this summer. It was so great to be able to cheer and clap for all of my new friends. I don’t think they will ever know how much respect I have for each of them.
After all of the awards, speeches and accolades, the party broke up and the volunteers all headed next door for a final beer together at the hotel. As we sat at the long table, I asked why the local people thought I was a nun. The general consensus was that because I wore long skirts and a bandana everyday, I looked nun-like. Among lots of jokes, I remarked that my shirts were entirely too low-cut for a nun. At this point, Bernard dubbed me Saint Anna, of Our Lady of Perpetual Cleavage. Scott chimed in from down the table, “Now that is a church I would go to!!” and the conversation descended to lower and lower places. After offering to hear everyone’s confessions and insuring them of my completely discretion and confidentiality, I finally accepted my nun-ship. Hey, there are worse things you could be than Saint Anna of Our Lady of Perpetual Cleavage! J
Bonswa,
Anna
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |