Haiti Children’s Home

Americans - Shaving Cream? Mangos are about to start!

15 March 2007

Howdy from Haiti!

It’s been a fun week, we had American visitors. Pat’s daughter Melinda, a city boy named David, a fellow named Scott who builds houses and his friend Allen. Allen was a real blessing to my Creole, he tought me how to say quite a few things and explained some of the grammer. He lived in Port-au-Prince 20 years ago with his wife and two boys. His southern accent and sayings were really fun too. Scott, he was southern too and always had a prank up his sleeve. We got him good though, cuz the last night we had a shaving cream fight… Pat started it! David’s first impression of Pat was a grumpy old lady, but he sure found out different. You should have seen me with that shaving cream all over me. Minnie stayed out of it, but I was a good sport. You know those cheeze cans that squirt out cheese? I was bad… I got ahold of that stuff since I didn’t have my own can of shaving cream. hehe.

Amanda’s uncle Bolivar tought me some Creole, Spanish and French while he was here for a few days, just before the Americans came. He’s from the Dominican Republic, and speaks fluently in 3 languages and OK in English. In the past 2 days, my Creole vocabulary has tripled. I bought a Bib la, which is a Creole Bible, and it’s really been helpful. I read it a lot with my English bible, and I am able to figure out what things mean. There are probably only about 100 words total in the Creole language, and concepts are basically what you come up with. M’ap Chante - I’m singing, M’pral chante ou sweya - I am going to sing tonight.

I played guitar one night at Church, which was pretty neat. I was supposed to watch Ketteline, but Thym gave me a look from where he was at the keyboard and nodded at the guitar that didn’t have a player… So, I left her with Minnie and went up front. It was fun, I couldn’t hear it at all and Allen was giving my looks to tell me if I was loud enough and on key. Scott gave me opposite looks, but I knew who was on my side. He had to tell the song leader to let him start the songs so we could do it in C, becuase those songs are crazy and go all over in different pitches…

One thing I am looking forward to is those Mangos. There is a huge Mango tree outside that is loaded with them, and they are about the size I am used to eating them. I think we wait until they get ripe though.