Also watch how freaking cute they are here:

Keep English in Mind in Haiti from Heart to Haiti on Vimeo.

The Capstone

I've been home for a week now from Haiti. 

Everyone asks me the same questions-

What's was your favorite part? 

What was the worst part?

How was the food?

Wow you're so tan! (I lived in the carribean for six weeks people. What did you expect? I promise I wore sunscreen everyday....)

How are they recovering from the earthquake?

Or simply tell me about Haiti...

These all baffle me. How do you sum up such an experience in just one sentence? 

      

 "We all know that Western news media provide a constant barrage of images of snotty-nosed orphans wandering aimlessly around fly-infested tent camps. We’re supposed to feel bad for them, we’re supposed to give to charity because of the earthquake, and most importantly, we’re supposed to feel better about ourselves for giving. After spending some time there, everyone in the group can agree that this is not the real Haiti…well not the full picture at least. One cannot deny the reality that more than two years after the earthquake, more than 200,000 people still live in tent camps. However, down from a peak of 1.4 million not so long ago, that number doesn’t look so bad. They say that more than 50% of people in this country live on less than $2/day. But when you’re a subsistence farmer living in the countryside (like a majority of Haitians), you rarely spend any money because you live off your crops.

Each day we would drive by signs denoting million-dollar projects funded by USAID, CIDA, UNICEF, UNHCR or other big foreign players in the development game. Infrastructure projects have the opportunity to help thousands, if not, millions of people. But far too often, water tanks are built, roads are constructed and buildings are erected, only to be neglected and begin crumbling in the months/years after. Long-term commitment to maintain and repair these projects is always a challenge because let’s be honest, road maintenance does not make a sexy fundraising ask.

What lasts forever though? Education. Once someone is taught something, it can never be taken away from them. Education is the path towards freedom. The freedom to learn, the freedom to form new opinions, the freedom to exchange thoughts, the freedom to get a job/opportunity and ultimately, the freedom to make a better life for oneself, one’s family and one’s country.

After spending significant time with the students of English In Mind Institute (the Haitian run adult English school I was working at), we are just now beginning to understand these complexities. For as much English as we have taught them, they’ve taught us much more.

We didn’t go to Haiti with the expectation of “saving” Haiti. Nor did we think we were making a grand difference. So why was our trip so successful? To be honest, all we did was run some extracurricular test-prep courses for adults and some English/art classes at orphanages. What we did do was make a ripple that will be part of the greater wave of change this country needs. We formed life-long connections that will continue through our fundraising efforts and our knowledge that EIM is entirely Haitian-taught and Haitian-operated. EIM was here before we arrived and it will be here after we leave. That to us is success." - OG blog

I think the hardest things I've had to deal with since being back is not the cross-cultural shock. (with windows, AC, flushing toilets, paved roads, and all the above) I expected those. I knew they were there before I left an that wouldn't change when I returned. The hardest part about returning is that I've had this amazing experience in Haiti....and no one fully understands but me. No one really cares about Haiti, except me, or at least not as much as I do. No one understands when I say they lived in tent camps what that means. Or how orphanages are run, or the sad reality of restaveks, or how striven an motivated my EIM students are. 

This is the hardest part, caring so much for something that nobody can understand or relate too. 

Life must go on though. School has started and soon I'll get back into the swing of things called life and perhaps forget a little of what I learned this summer. But I think I will forever hold Haiti in my heart. 

If you would like to donate to English in MInd Institute to help keep my students learning english for free please visit: 

http://www.indiegogo.com/englishinmind

A school I believe deserves to be around for a very long time. 

There is only 11 days left to donate, so don't hesitate!

ITT

Individual travel time has begun. Which means my trip is near its end. Tomorrow I am going up to Cape Haitian to see the Citidel. I will return Tuesday. And then I am either staying in port-au-prince till Thursday working on a project with my adult English students teaching my orphanes English, or I'm going to hike across Haiti from port-au-prince to jacamel. I haven't decided yet. Either way my OG family will be meeting up in Jacamel at a fancy classy resort for our disorientation. After that I'll be on my way home. Time goes by too fast. I can't believe it.

I'll be in and out of contact this week. But every chance I get I'll let you know I'm alive an well ;)

Love you all!

It's So hard to say Goodbye

This upcoming week we start ITT (Individual Travel Time) On Wednesday I will be going to a private water resort staying the night there, then heading up to Cape Haitian in the north east of Haiti for friday-monday. Tuesday and Wednesday I will be in Port-au-Prince going to the steel market and the metal shop to buy some goods for y'all (potentially I will take a moto to Kenscoff) Then I will be going to Jacamel see a waterfall. Meet up with my crew on friday in Jacamel and tell of our adventures.
So we've had to start our goodbyes.

Yesterday was my last adult English class. And I had my last orphanage visit last week. I didn't tell the little kids goodbye. I couldn't bare it. I don't know if that was a good or bad thing. I gave them all big hugs and kisses and said goodbye. Usually I say see you tomorrow or later. So I think they understood that i was leaving. On my last day there I made a huge ABCs board that covered a whole wall. So that the young ones could continue on their alphabet recognition. 

And then yesterday at my last adult class we had a writing activity where they were given sentence starters and had to write a paragraph from there. After they wrote we went around in a circle and read them out aloud. And all of them were "I feel so grateful for our foreigners and hope that they come back soon!" or "I am grateful for Callie and her craziness. I am happy that I got to know her and hope I can be crazy like her!" or my favorite "I am grateful for our teachers. I hope god watches over their plane and they land safe. I hope that they come back soon in a private jet with pilot Callie co-pilot chantelle and flight attendant Jana." that's right pilot! Hahaha 

I made them do it again and they could only write happy things the second time around. It was too depressing. Ha

Tonight we are having a "see you later/thank you" party. When I was telling the students about the party I told them that they had to bring one thing to the party. A smile. Most of them said they weren't going to come to the party. That way we couldn't leave. We've had to explain to them that we are very sad to leave too. It's not just hard for them, but us too. They have already started adding me on Facebook. So I've promised them that we could stay in touch that way.

Bongu

So much has happened this past week. What I really like about being in
Haiti, is that we do a ton of volunteer work, but we also go out and
explore and have fun in Haiti with Haitians. So Monday night there was
a big event/parade/party in the streets called "Karnival de Fleurs"
Which is carnival of flowers. It lasted four days/nights
Sunday-Wednesday. Nobody worked it was declared a holiday. So Monday
night we decide to go its kind of rainy/windy so I wasn't really
excited. Plus everyone kept saying you're going to have your things
stolen you're going to get groped you're going to get lost memorize
someone's phone number.... which is pretty much what we get told every
time we go out at night. So I wasn't really nervous, but I was a bit
more cautious. So we hop in our rented taptap and drive on down there.
And literally the streets a PACKED I would say at least 200,000 people
were there. The best way to explain it would be like New York on New
years eve crowded/Thanksgiving day parade/ Mardi Gras party mentality.
So we get there and we are standing in front of the crumbled palace
(which hasn't been rebuilt since the earthquake....just like the rest
of Haiti) and everyone is dancing and what not. Well in the middle of
the streets pushing around people are these GIANT truck like floats.
Each float is participating in a band competition. So each float is
home to one band that is playing just one song and moving slowly
through the street/crowd. So we stand at our spot for like five
minutes and then my group leaders turn to me and say "Callie, you're
in charge. We are getting on that float." I was like lovely. So they
leave and miraculously end up on the float. And then some of the
Haitians we are with are like okay, lets all get on this float! So
they go up talk to the security (As the float is still wading through
the crowd/streets) and persuade them to let all us blancs on this
Bongu (evaporated milk sports shake) float. So we get in, walk up to
the second level. Everyone is wearing a yellow bongu shirt and
apparently bought VIP tickets to be on the float. All we had to do is
be white. White privilege in Haiti is crazy. The lighter your skin,
the more you get. Its so dumb. (But I'm not complaining about the
perks I get...just wish it was more fair ha) So we get up and the band
is on the front of the float. Our leaders have somehow made their way
to the front with the band. There is a security guard standing on a
railing not letting anyone pass. I crawl under his legs and join them.
Ha.
So we are dancing and watching the thousands and thousands of people
below either dancing or flipping us off (ha). We also watch the mobs
of people getting beaten by police and their batons. Men, women.
Didn't matter. If they were in their way they got of piece of it. I
was just super glad that I was up on the float and not down below.
Even though I know because of my white privilege I doubt I would have
gotten beaten, but still the crowds were crazy. It was just a really
awesome moment. (Besides the police brutality) Just seeing the nation
stricken with such poverty coming together and dancing the night away.
They don't care that they live in tents, they just laugh and have so
much fun and are so grateful for the things that they do have.
The best part, is that this whole Karnival was televised.
When I went to school the next day, guess what all my students told me?
I saw you T.V. last night!
What a great role model I am. Hahaha

Random scenes from around town.

Orphanage learning.

In Sadhana Desert the NGO we stayed with when we planted trees last week.

"Tap taps"

"Hole in the Wall" Where we purchase cold drinks throughout the hot hot days.

Screen saver DR private beach.

I know were not supposed to have favorites, but I really wish I could bring her home with me.

My dome sweet dome.

The street I live on. An our front door/gate.

Toilets and out in front of the Haiti history museum.

When we went "sailing" our first or second weekend.

Spoiled in Port-au-Prince

I don't even know where to begin. It has been such a long exhausting week. So on Sunday night we arrived in an- Sanpete Haiti (located five minutes from the DR) where Sadhana Forest is located. Sadhana Forest is a NGO that is focused more on the environment and mother earth instead of the community and the people. Its original location is in India for the past 8 years and they just started their Haiti location about two years ago. So we arrived there and late Sunday night and I felt like I took a step out of Haiti and arrived at some retreat center for alcohol or drugs or something. It was very zen and relaxed. Hippie central which is the only word I can use to describe it. So I was in complete culture shock again. Monday we arose to a guitarist wake up call. It was great, but groggy since it was at 5 am. It was really cool going to bed under the stars and waking up before the sun to watch the sunrise. Ate breakfast (Vegan) and then headed out into town to build some mounds, such hard work. It took like five hours to build 12 mounds which is just 12 spots for trees to be planted. After that we came back and literally lounged out. It was very hard for me because my whole time in Haiti so far has been about going going going and all centered around people. There is was like yeah, lets work three hours and then relax the rest of the day. Lets barely talk to the community. Its not about them its about the tress. Which was really heartbreaking to me because the Haitians have really touched me. And I just felt soooo out of Haiti. I hated that part. And I felt that they were just SO lazy. The hippies actually asked us if we were athletes because we work hard. Ha. So that was pretty much my days there. I told you about the chanting circle already. That was an experience. On Thursday we left the forest and traveled to the Domincan Republic. It is SOOOO crazy how a simple line or border can completely change everything. One step into Haiti and its pure poverty and nothing. A step over to the DR and there are established buildings with WINDOWS, and AIR CONDITIONING units. Girls driving motos. Something you do not see in Haiti. It was just so established. Baffled me that that could literally be in Haitis backyard. We went to a protected wildlife/beach there and camped out on the beach. It was so beautiful. We swam ate sea food on the beach, and then took a midnight swim. Then sat on the beach just being serious, talking, and just getting to know each other a little bit better. I haven't really said much about the team I am with yet, and thats because I have still been getting to know all of them. Each of them brings something really unique and insightful to our group. I'm really lucky to have such a diverse yet wonderful team to work with each day. So I fell asleep to the waves in the background (which made me had to go to the bathroom the whole night, and I actually had to stagger over at 3am because it was too much. Side note -semi flushing toilets! I'm sure you appreciate my toilet updates. Ha) But we woke up in the morning and five out of the ten of us were out with food poisoning and then myself and another girl were (me not so bad) had a flu/cold. So we were at this beautiful place, finally a day to be spoiled and relaxed but more than half of us were out for the day. Thankfully I wasn't so bad, so I still got to enjoy the freaking screen saver beautifulness. Another weird note the beaches in Haiti and completely Haiti style. Ghetto. Rocky. But a step over to the DR and its a beautiful Caribbean island treat. I completely forgot that we were in the Caribbean. The beach was so beautiful. We arrived back to the forrest on Friday night and on Saturday spent the morning actually planting the trees and then in the afternoon we had a Meranga Festival (which is the tree that we were planting. Apparently it is the most nutritious vitamin filled plant that works miracles.) Where the community was finally invited to our base and we talked about the trees and has lots of different courses with the meranga plant in it to explain that you dont have to eat the leaf that you can incorporate it in you meals. (Because they think we are weird that we eat leaves.) So that was fun. This morning we left at 6 am and arrived in PAP at about 3:30 pm. It was a long bumpy, hot, ride on non paved roads. We blew a tire, took a half hour to fix that, then we got pulled over and our driver didn't have a license so he had to bribe the cops not to arrest him, and then we blew our tire again. Travel in Haiti is insane. And very uncontrollable. It was a long day. When we arrived back on base in PAP we were warmly welcomed by our HC staff with giant hugs. It just felt good to be "home". Its crazy how a place can feel like home after such a short time. I'm really excited to see my students tomorrow and visit my orphans. I have missed them all week. One of my projects that I will be working on this week is creating a long term curriculum for the orphanages we've been working with. So that when other volunteers arrive they know where the children stand and what they know and where to go. Instead of just reteaching and reteaching the same things. Today is my half-way mark. Its bittersweet because I miss home a lot. But I really love PAP. Its just grasped its hand around my heart and I'm unsure if I will be able to break free. I know I say this every email but this has been SUCH the experience which I am so grateful for. I couldn't have even imagined this if I tried. I really feel that everyone should have this kind of mind blowing moment. I catch myself missing some of my homely pleasures and feel so utterly selfish and disgusted with myself for doing so. But I look at others whom have been to third world countries for longer periods of time and you all gradually resume to your normal life. An I understand that life goes on, but its just hard for me to understand that I personally cannot do more than I already am. What more am I capable of? I wish it was so much more. Love you all and your updates. They keep me going and stable. Thats a week update from me. Also, sorry last note, I've noticed that my writing abilities have severely diminished. Because teaching english as a second language all day everyday you take out the unimportant words and stick with basics. So even talking its very short slow and direct to help my students to understand and follow what I am saying. So sorry if I sound like a kindergartener writing to you. Love love love.

Sadahana Forest

Currently sitting in an internet cafe in the Domincan Republic. The guy next to me is looking at porn. Cool. 

We are going to camp out on the beach tonight, and have our day off tomorrow.

Sadhana Forest is quite interesting. Its 100% vegan hippie central. A few nights ago we had a chanting circle. Good times.

We wake up at 5am go out into the community and basically build these mounds and mulch them and water them to get the soil ready for planting on Saturday. we do that until about 12pm and then eat lunch take a nap etc. And then we either go to the beach or we listen in on discussions they are having at the base.

Two major things have happened.

1. I got sick sick yesterday. It was wretched. Either food poisoning or something equally upsetting. The toilet system here is 10x worse than in Port' au prince. Its squating and bum washing. Toilet paper please. So being sick in the southern region of my body this past week has been an unusual experience.

2. Trantulas. HUGE trantulas. Peeing my pants I´m so scared. They are over the base, usually only come out at night. But still. Apparently Steph went into her tent to grab her flashlight and one was crawling on the outside of her tent. I¨m not okay with this. Wretched.

3. Its funny how spoiled I was in port au prince and didn´t even realize it. It was also weird that on my first night here at Sadhana I was homesick, but for my port au prince home. Interesting right

side note computer doesn´t work well so if my grammer or whatnot is off don´t blame me its the dumb buttons.

 

Pushing my boundaries everyday. Greatful for such an amazing experience.
Love you all. See you in three and a half. 

Santana Forest

I'm off to the Haiti and DR border to a hippie base in sadhana forest. We are going to be re-forest ing Haiti for a week! Wish me luck. Love you all talk to you when I get back next Sunday night.

Bathed and Mugged

Today, as always I started my day out with an Orphanage. Mondays and Wednesdays we go to Carlos which is fully and overly supported by many NGOs and organizations. Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to LMP which is not supported by anything hardly. I secretly like LMP better because there are more little ones and they love giving hugs and being held. At Carlos it is a lot of older children who would rather not be learning or doing anything. (But they do wear diapers at carlos. The only place I've seen a baby wear a diaper) So today is Thursday so we went over to LMP. (On Tuesday an orphan bit me while I was there...) We tried to take a taptap (Basically a mini toyota truck which built in benches in the cab with a hood, painted in bright colors. Usually with jesus written on the windshield.) but we got on the wrong one and ended up walking a bit far to get there. We walked in and the main door is a garage door, but it slides over instead of going up (since there is no roof) So we slide the door open, walk in, get bombarded by children (Usual and my favorite greeting) Well right after I pick up a child and have two others pulling at my leg a lady comes up and says Bonjou! gives me a kiss on the cheek and moves on to Nicola (girl I'm with) and does the same to her. I've never seen her at the orphanage before, but I just shrugged it off. She then looks at nicola who has dirt on her shoulder from an orphan and takes her water plastic pouch (thats the only clean way they sell water) and starts cleaning her shoulder. Rubbing water on her face. Then she looks at my and starts doing the same. Rubbing water all over. Touching me everywhere, starts cleaning my legs intensely. While she is on the floor bathing me, Nicola has moved on and started getting out our activity for the kids. The lady turns over looks at our bag of markers, grabs it puts it in her backpack and then stands up. At this moment the lady that runs the Orphanage notices her and shoo's her out. Apparently shes mentally crazy.... We just stood there and let this all happen. We tell the owner that crazy lady took our marker bag, and the WHOLE orphanage tracks her down and gets it back ten minutes later. Interesting day. I got bathed and mugged by a crazy lady.

Mama

Everyday there is something I learn about in Haiti that breaks my heart.

Yesterday at the extremely nice orphanage (take that lightly because in America standards its uninhabitable) we were making bracelets and talking about colors. One of the little boys I was holding was really upset the whole day. When I had to leave he wouldn't let me go. Held on really tight. I just had to put him down because I had to get to my advanced english class to teach. He started screaming out mama!  Mama! This little one year old. And it just sort of shocked me. And I wished I could have just sat there the whole day comforting him. 

On a different note I learned that orphanages in Haiti are more of a business than anything else. They all compete with each other to get stuff. The more kids you have the more funds an money you get. So a lot of orphanages "buy" children. 

Carlos the one I was at today is a prime example of that. And that's why it is nicer because Carlo really knows how to run his business well. So dumb an corrupt. I really dont know how much more my heart can handle. 

Also the owners of the orphanages send their children to private schools, wear nicer clothes, and aren't allowed to play with the orphans.

Baaaah. 

End of the Week

Crazy time. I've literally been running from one end of Port-au-Prince to the other the past few days. Yesterday we went to our fourth orphanage. Half of us went to a really bad one about forty minutes away an then the other half went to one about fifteen minutes walk away. Usually when we go over to the orphanage we prepare a mini English lesson plan and bring art and crafts to do. But at all the orphanages weve been too so far they are just so excited that you are there to give them attention that they don't sit still. They caress your hair and pull you around. Ten of them want to sit on your lap at one time. Which is no fun because it is a billion an two degrees outside. And youre in a room with no windows, no fans, no air circulation. So you're already boiling an then you have ten other people sweating on you. It's really hard. Sometimes I just wanna be like no don't pull my hair, no you cannot sit on my lap, no I don't want to constantly be holding you and be sweaty with your sweat pouring down me too. With your bare bum on me with potential to pee on me. You just so badly want to say all of that when the heat gets to you. But then you take a real look around and you just can't be selfish. You have to give them everything you can for that moment. In hopes that for just a second that one extra love embrace gave them a little more confidence in themselves. So we went to different orphanage yesterday morning and these kids walked in the room in a neat line, sat down (on the hard dirty cement floor of there house) and just waited for us to say something no running, grabbing, or stealing my camera. We actually got to teach them as a class. It was amazing. After we had a lesson we broke up into four groups of different levels of English and each of us teachers sat with a group to help them more personally. I had the younger kids. We made fortune tellers -like those origami paper things you fold- and wrote some of the letters on it that they were struggling with an drew a picture of a word that started with that letter on the inside. They loved them. When we were l leaving I tried giving all of them a hug goodbye an they looked at me like a crazy lady. They did not like the touchyness like the other orphanages. I was talking to a local lady on my way back to base about how it's really eye opening to work at orphanages because in America they don't have them. She was super shocked. An couldn't comprehend the foster care situation an adoption. Literally right after that I ran to my FCE test prep class. It's the more advanced students class just kind of like a SAT prep class. We go over practice tests they will be taking and give them test clues an hints on how to succeed. The students are so eager to learn and are really good at English. But as we were going over the test is was really frustrating because the Cambridge English courses are all very westernized. All the question have to do with western ways of living. Very English. So our students can read, write, speak everything pretty decent, but they cannot comprehend the stories because they are about windsurfing, fancy dentist offices, movie critics etc. in a place where none of that is known. How are they supposed to answer questions if they don't know what the subject of the story is about. They can read it but can't relate to it. It was just really frustrating. So hard to explain. But they are brilliant students none the less and I know that they will do great. After class came home to base ate dinner, and then our leaders had set up a scavenger hunt for us. They put us in teams gave us a list of items to buy, pictures to take, an trivia to answer. We had two hours an ran around the town like crazy ladies. It was really fun, my group didn't win but in haiti it's really popular to have an extremely long pinky nail. So one of the things I had to do was go to a nail salon an get a long pinky nail. It was so hard not being able to communicate an they thought I was insane but it was a good time. Walking home some boy started talking to me wanting to know every detail (Haitians looooove meeting new people, ESP blancs. They could talk for hours) and asked to come to me house (typical Haitian thing to say) they don't understand the term "maybe" so you just have to be straight forward an say no sorry. Which is hard for them to understand because everyone wants to be friend an meet new people here. So not having time for that is a hard concept but you have to be straight forward or they will literally be on your tail telling you that you said you would do something. for our nightly social event we played poker (for money!) on the first hand I leaned over an whispered watch this money disappear in ten minutes....I mean it was only 100 goude ($2.50 us) so no big deal. But guess who ended up winning?? Me! It was all or nothing do I won about $30! Sweet right! This morning we became tourists on our morning off. We went down to the market and walked around. In Haiti voodoo is very very big. So they sell a lot of voodoo stuff there. Then we went to the Haiti History museum. Which had AC and. Flushing toilet. I was spoiled. At the museum they had the Santa Marias actual anchor (since Chris Columbus actually landed here not America) as well as other Haitian stuff. Really cool. We got dropped of at the school for our conversation class with our students. Which went really well. And they actually surprised us, they have planned a big beach picnic for us next Saturday! How sweet an fun. On of my student Paul asked me for my phone number and wants to take me out hahah I was like oh how sweet but I don't have a phone sorry. But I'll see you in class! Hahaha oh Haitians. One thing I learned today as we toured the city today was that the population of port-au-prince on the day of the earthquake was roughly 1-2 million. The week after it was 3 million, even though so many people died. And the reason is because of the earthquake so many outside resources came into the city giving out free stuff that these families living in the country said hey we are super poor and they are giving free stuff out lets go get some. So the population greatly increased. Crazy right. I love walking the streets and everyone yelling "blanc!! Hey blanc! (kiss kiss noises) and staring at you. Really makes you feel at home. You would think you would get used to it but really it just gets so annoying. You're like yes, I'm white. Thank you I know. There is a sign I saw today while walking around town on the airport big cement fence that says "Do not cross, or risk of molestation an jail." hahahahha we think it is just poor translation but who knows. I'm not jumping to fence an risking it. Everyday is an adventure an I care more an more for the Haitian people and my base mates. It's hard to believe that I have already been here for about a week. I hope you all like my emails. I kind of do them selfishly so when I get back I can remember every detail I want. If you don't just let me know I'm annoying an will take you off the list. But otherwise I love hearing from all of you. Mom don't worry I'm safe an sound. Also I think I am becoming a Haitian because at night now instead of sweating to death I'm starting to get cold an need a blanket. Weiiiiiiiird. Also I'm getting my appetite back which is good exept for my body wants to make up for all the days of starvation. An in a city of no food that's kind of hard. Love to you all. Tomorrow no class or orphanages. We are going on a sailboat out to a private beach. Should be good an relaxing finally no more running/walking. Forward to gma please.

Party Bus Be Rockin'

Last night we went to a real "Bushwa" place for our night out. (Bushwa, I have come to assume means fancy? Eh? -Canadians rubbing off on me) well naturally we took our bases school bus (which happens to be from north Carolina) that has no benches inside of it. So we packed it up with some of our bases ghetto crate/wood benches an off we went with our OG crew an some of our base Haiti Communitare team. We get out of the dirt streets an start a bumpin along. My team leader -Steph- an I belting out requested songs as we go. Karaoke style since a radio in a car is unheard of unless you're in a tap tap. (whole other story...) so were busting out with all our widows down in the bus. But don't you fret one of our many security guards from base was with us guarding the bus door. So we were safe from any paparazi or adoring fans. So we drive through town an I'm takin a moment to look at the new sights. Aka the shanty towns an tents rubble an garbage that is literally everywhere. And then we arrive at Latin Corner. We walk in an it's like faaanncy. White men business suites lookin clean an fresh. I look aroun an I'm like where do you come from?? There's a family chillin with their kids playing on their PS2s or whatever pacman handheld game device. And I was just like did I cross the border?? Where am I? How log was I on that bus??? We get there a girl from bases friend was singing so we watched her. Really good! And then we just hung out, went to the bathroom and it had running water! And wait for it wait for it.... a FLUSHING TOILET. I was so excited I went twice before we left. Gawking over a toilet. Check that off my bucket list please. While there we actually met the head director for habitates for humanity of Haiti. He is really interested in my bases Ubuntu houses an wants to get 800 of them started an built for his one billion dollar project. Crazy how one man has the power over 800 familie lives. The thing about Haiti why the earthquake was so ba is because everything was just built terribly. No permits, no requirements. So when the earthquake hit all that crappy construction went to shambles. An now they are just building more shambles on top of that. Great thinkin Haiti. Can't wait for your next quake in 20 something years..., Anyway went back to work this morning. Orphanage #1 out of 4. Every time I go it tares me. How is this even allowed. I'm not going to the other orphanage tomorrow. I don't think my heart can handle seeing the "bad" ones. Seriously I walked into their actual bedroom today to put a child whom had fallen asleep on my to bed. It's a room about half the size of our small downstairs living room. Half the size. With about 20 bunked smushed all together. No sheets. No pillows. Just a flimsy pee stained mattress. The babies at the orphanage who aren't potty trained walked around without pants on an just pee everywhere. Their one "toilet" has spiders and bugs crawling all over. Their play room is a dirt floor. No fans. No air conditioning. No toys. Nothing. 30+ kids an 3 adults to take care of all of them. Seriously this is terrible. It can't be true. And this is the GOOD orphanage people. I can't wait to show you the pictures. It's utterly tragic. Went to a creole lesson exchange class today after our adult English lesson class. Trying my best to learn. Im surprised by how much I love teaching the adults English. It really gives me the sense of the Haitian people. I love hearing all their stories an their love for their country. (I assume it's becuase they don't know about ice or flushing toilets). Everyday is such an eye opener. I can't believe this is real. And the sad thing is, is there really isn't much we can do about it. Their government is so corrupt, even the UN is corrupt here. Its a disaster. I think the only way it can truly change is through education. But not very many people receive a good education. Especially considering the elementary school building we use for our adult English lessons. It has NO toilet. No playground. Weeds everywhere. No fans. Nothing. Wooden benches to sit on. No offices supplies, because trying to get those are an absolute joke here. I have no idea what they do. How can you teach a generation when that's the atmosphere they are in. Horrid. Everyday brings something new. Pray my little heart can take it all in. Anyway that a long one. Wish I could show you pictures so you could truly understand the absolute devastation these people are still living in. Loves to you all. Keep me updated with your lives. Love hearing from you all.

Wednesday July something

http://operationgroundswell.com/og-blog/
This is my organizations blog. They put up a picture of us with some of the more advanced English students that we teach at night.
On another note, We have BED BUGS. Not in my bed, but a different bunk. We took EVERYTHING out and sprayed it with smelly stuff. Hopefully it all goes away. The poor girls legs are eaten upppp. Pray that they stay away from me.
I had the religion conversation with one of the girls. She asked me why I didn't drink if it was religion purposes. And I said yes, I was Mormon and she goes "Ohhhh....so your Dad has like two wives?" Um. No. Lovely.
We are going to some club/wine bar tonight. It will be interesting. We are supposed to dress up, but I didn't bring anything but D.I. clothes to Haiti. So naturally I'm going to be fancy. Not.
No matter how much bug spray I put on, I still get eaten up. like mad. Okay well maybe not that bad. But still I'm over that.
I miss a refrigerator, cold water, ice, air conditioning, and a flushing toilet.
Today has been our chill day, we had several meetings and they kind of gave us the layout for the trip. I found out that in two weeks we are going to go to the other end of Haiti. And pass over the the Dominican Republic and kind of see another side of the country. This Sunday we are going to a History museum and basically tour the city which will be fun.
Its hot hot hot hot. Constant sweating.
One cool thing about the base I'm staying at is in the back wall there is this hole to our neighbors backyard. And its called "The Hole in The Wall." And they sell cold beverages because they have a fridge.
I'm learning so much from the people of Haiti. It is ridiculous how grateful, kind, and what not they are.

Day 3

Today was full of Orphanages. I started the day thinking okay Callie Spilker you have to be smart, you cannot get attached to these children. Not allowed. But the moment the door to the first orphanage opened I was bombarded with little hands grabbing me wanting to be held an played with. At first I only played from a distance. Tickling an what not. But then this little cutie came and just held my leg. We played a bit and even though we couldn't communicate I started popping my lips together and then she started doing it too. We made up our own little game. It was just too precious. Even though we couldn't speak to each other we still found a way to connect. After that she rested her head on me an feel asleep. I am in BIG trouble ladies an gents. I mean realistically how many of them can store in my luggage to take home? One? Two max? Oh boy. The orphanage has already taught me one thing. The power of touch. How much a touch can give. We can't communicate with these little ones. But just to be held or hugged or tickled means the world to them. So if I come home all touchy touchy you just better start preparing yourselves now.

Other subjects: my hair is insane. No matter what I do. Braid pony etc. because we are literally walking an on the move from 7am-8pm it just gets so razzled. There are SO many stray animals mainly dogs. They are all bare bones an scare the poop out of me. Mainly because I'm always scared of dogs. But now they have the potential to give me infectious diseases.

Lots more I wish I could tell you if I had the time. Loving Haiti now. Really I can't wait to get my hands dirty with teaching etc. the people here are so amazing. It's rediculous. Over n out homies.

Day 2

Last night sleeping was quite the adventure. Besides the two next door neighbors blasting music till 1 am, and then the never ending dog barking from the assumed to be strays, the heat (because I broke the electricity in the tent an had no fan. Jolly time), and just being in a new place, I finally feel asleep around 2 am just to be woken up around 6 am by the rooster, naturally. We have like four cats here. Two are kittens named flip an flop after a company that builds flip flops out of recycled rubber. They are totally adorable. They make me feel right at home with their cuddliness. Also toilets. Its a compost system here. Aka huge bucket you sit on do your business an dump a little sawdust on. In the morning it gets dumped an clean. And guess who got the duty of emptying and cleaning the toilets this morning? Yes. ME. Welcome to Haiti. I almost lost my breakfast, (which was just a banana because the rest did not look very appetizing brown avocado, mushy tomatoes, and odd looking boiled eggs, luckily my lovely sister Heidi sent me with a care package of goods! And my momma too.) Needless to say I am missing toilets. Running water. And its only day two. I'm sure I will get very used to it shortly. I wish I could send pictures, but the internet is too slow here, plus Id have to download them onto other peoples computers and thats weird. But it really is so surreal.... Anyway I start at the school this afternoon. I'm really excited to get started and meet everyone. I arrived super early so the rest of my crew arrives this afternoon. So yeah, thought I would shoot out another email before my life starts to get hectic and I still have a calm moment. Love you all. Let me know how you are and life etc. P.S. malaria pills give me crazy dreams. Mom forward my emails to grandma, or send me her email. Mine that I have for her doesnt work.

Day 1

Ladies and Gents, I have arrived. And culture shock check. I started out my day in lovely Ormond Beach, driving a nice Highlander across a beautiful road (view and actual road). And somehow wound up on the completely other end of things. First of all, I've always thought that the Haitians would not like me, because of many reasons. (Clumsy, blonde, white, privileged, coming to their country etc. etc.) So I get on my plane to go from Miami to Port au Prince and naturally I sit in the wrong seat. I figure it out and have to crawl over this little old haitian lady with multiple sunhats on her lap. I pretty much scwash her hats and step on her toes. Sit down. Check haitians hate me. She then proceeds to do what I initially thought was hexing/cursing me, but turns out she is REALLY religious and extremely scared of flying. (Or atleast that is what I have presumed to think, as she spoke no english and I have no creole language in me. As we start our initial decent I look around Port au Prince and it breaks my heart to see how many buildings in rumbles, only dirt roads. And tents everywhere. Clearly a third world something, cause I couldnt call it a country. I get off the plane and am pushed into a bus to take me to customs etc. It is seriously the ghetto. No words to even explain. I visited the restroom there an the toilets didnt flush and it was just gross. And I thought to myself, Callie Spilker you paid to be here. Lets make the best of it. I also had a pep talk with myself to stop having a "scared look" on my face, because that is obviously like "Look at me! I am a target!!" So I continued on and right after that I finally ran into Steph my "guide" persay. She is very friendly and welcoming which is good. We leave the airport and our driver wasn't able to pick us up so we walked to our base. Naturally butchering my rolling bag (Dad, I'll have to buy you a new one because it aint gonna be pretty by the time I get back.) While walking ghetto cars that should not be running are driving by honking, everyone is staring, offering to give us rides which we turn down. Lovely times right? And then this extremely out of place nice silver pick up truck stops and says something to Steph, and obviously it is me and I don't pay attention to moments like this and I look and Steph is hoping in the truck. And at this moment I was like and this is how it ends. This is the beginning of the Taken movie for me. What do I do....so I hop in. And say a little prayer as Steph directs him where to go. A few blocks later I am getting out, and my pulse eases a little bit. We walk a few more blocks on an even more ghetto dirt road an knock on this big big steal like garage door behind a gate paint in extravagant colors. A little box opens and two eyes glare at us and then a little normal sized door opens from this steal gate. And I have arrived. I meet all of our security team here (all local Haitians) and they laugh and make some huge joke about my name apparently it means to whip somebody. Lovely. I arrived a day earlier than the rest of my team, but it turns out my base (haiti comintere Spelling?) is home to a lot of people, volunteers, but my group is the only group group. The others are individuals. Everyone here is super nice and friendly. And so far all I have really seen them do is drink and say F*** this and beep that. Then again it is Sunday their only day off. But that is a whole other story. So we arrive at base and leave shortly after to go to a local hotel that is still being build and hang out at their pool for the rest of the evening. (and yes Mom, I forgot to put sunscreen on. Hopefully I haven't contracted malaria the first night.) We have now returned and am I sitting on my bottom bunk bed in a dome like tent with four other bunk beds (8 people total aka my whole group who arrives tomorrow so tonight I am alone.) I'm sitting here with a rush of different emotions running through me, home sick yes, nervous yes, hoping to be liked yes, dreading that awkward moment when people find out I dont drink and yes I am a Mormon extremely nervous. (I think one girl from California is already prejudging me for this, which I am nervous about.) Anyway let me know what is going on, miss you all. Love you mucho. wish me luck. See ya in six. Ps I did not purchase a cell phone.