Saturday, August 28, 2010

Haiti the Final Episode (Days 5-8)


Day 5. Its our last day of fabrication work. Julie is better now. Instead Heather is having asthma again. We do yoga. June comes with us. We work, that is all we do. And we assemble things and we are staring to get to mile 24 by the end of the day. Came home tired, ate left overs. Played some cards, we lost again. And then to bed.

Our feet are swollen. Our toes look like cocktail sausages. Julie has Kankles and Heather is in the process of getting them too. Mike still looks pretty regardless of his cold. I sleep with my feet up on a pillow for the first time in my life.



Day 6. Wake up to go to Fond des Blancs again for fittings. On the way Julie and I want to pee. At this point the level of confidence and sisterhood is so deep that we don't mind peeing one near the other. The funny thing is that while this ecuadorian girl was used to pee in bushes since little, Miss Lanphere could not do it… and while waiting… we saw a donkey, a goat, a motorcycle and the people riding on them had the pleasure of seeing this blond girl squatting in the middle of nowhere with her naked butt on the air… the good thing is that the laughter of that whole situation made the girl finally pee. And we continue our way to finish the mission.
Im so excited that we could see the fitting and results of our creation. Heading back we all take an hour nap in the car. Arrived to FDB and saw Lauriane, was like seeing an old friend. We ate lunch, it was rice, with some green pea sauce and some fish that Julie said had feathers. Time for fittings! They all go really well. SOme pt's are very excited, others are disappointed, but they know that we did what we were able to do for them. "Rule 90: Do not expect anything so you ll never be disappointed". By the end of the fitting I see julie talking in a high volume and in english to Monique (deaf/mute)… she does not understand anything she says but still smiles to her… "Heather tries to speak in french and Maxo looks confused" (Julie) and finally Mike asks Julie to translate to the patients in french. i guess we were all just tired! After all the fittings we go for a walk. Found some Rum. Back home Chef Mike make some great grilled cheese sandwiches. Later Mike confesses that he has not had a soap or shampoo during the hole trip, he tells us that he has been using the soap that is inside the shower. He comes up with this theory of how by rubbing it with your hands the soap becomes "yours" … but he does not convince us. We are still grossed out and he still has his hair all wiry due to bad quality soap and lack of conditioning. Heather gave him a little shampoo and conditioner, it was a real treat. Next day Mike hair looks soft and shiny. We ended up playing cards, drinking Rum & Coke/lime, Heather drinks 4 beers and gets tipsy, but the game continues. Julie loves winning, even though i hate losing, i enjoy seeing her so excited. Time to go to bed. I look at us three and i feel so sad to say good bye… so for now i only say good night.


Day 7. Wake up early for our Yoga class. The teacher is rushing to get through class while suffering from a hangover. After that we shower. The girls decide to put on make up. They look so pretty but i cant, for me its too hot. Instead i tell it to Mike so he can tease them about it. Heather is excited to meet some british guys. After breakfast we go to say good bye to our patients and to Lauriane. I feel very sad to leave cause i know that ill go back to my easy life. They will stay here waiting for the next group that can make their days a little different. Gina asks us to write her, to keep in touch. We say good bye and we leave. Heather sleeps on the way and there is nothing that wakes her up. We enjoy taking pictures of her and she doesn't even realize that. Next stop: gas station for some lunch. We stop to get some sandwiches. the place look a bit sketchy but hunger was bigger than anything else, so we eat. Mike and Jules get macaroni and cheese. Julie tells me that she has found 3 ants in the plate but said nothing not to spoil their meal. I laugh. Then the market. We all get paintings. All trying to represent in a painting the whole experience. We also get some metal sculptures and bracelets. Mike loves art and authentic things, i love to see him with his hands and arms full with gifts and souvenirs. After buying we finally go to meet the rest of the group. We quickly change in our bathing suits. We jump in the pool. And just enjoy the rest of the afternoon. That day the pool just feel so right and so fair for all the work we have done. Later we have dinner, shared some more experiences and then just spend time together.

Everbody is excited to go back home, see their families. I know we are going to miss each other. One part of us wants to go back , the other wishes we could be room mates for a longer time.



Day 8. Last class of Yoga. We had pancakes for breakfast. The groups are so similar that John, Dawn and Heidi are all dressed up in black and showered while the 4 of us are a bit sweaty from yoga, still with our pajamas and with messy hair… John realizes how similar we have become and how stinky by the way, we are (LOL). Going towards the airport we say good bye to the city. Glad to leave behind the chaotic traffic, the heat and the garbage, but definitely sad to leave the people. As Heather said, we came back with a bigger heart and with a bigger appreciation for Haiti and its people. At the airport we find the perfect place to chill. Everybody get some drinks, and we relax for 2 hours. We are tired but we all know at least in our group that we gave up every bit of energy we had in us , and we know that regardless of all the adversities, we were able to enjoy our time, and to give the best of us, and to find new special friends. And im thankful because i know that these experiences help us become more humble and more compassionate people.


I thank every one of you guys that came for everything each one gave to the group. Im very proud of the things that we accomplished together, the love we shared and the hard work we put into the work. I hope to have the opportunity to work with you in future projects! Thanks also to everyone who supports ROMP and made this trip and all of our projects a possibility.

love you all,
Dani

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