What I like about Ayiti

I can’t believe how quickly time is passing here. It’s been a while since I’ve posted last time – and an even longer time since I’ve posted something that isn’t related to my work here. So here goes; a post about a few of the things that I’ve come to really love and appreciate about Haiti.

Fast food; I don’t mean mc d’s or arby’s or kfc or anything just as explosive – ahem – taco bell. I’m talking straight up can’t get it anywhere else Haitian street food. It comes in all types – always hot and fresh, very cheap and my favorite part; every vendor has a different recipe so you always get something different. A few of my favorites; plantains. These are addictive. Seriously, I go through withdrawal almost daily. And I justify the amounts that I eat because I know that I can’t get plantains on the mainland and seriously – where would Wisconsin get plantains? These guys come in all shapes and versions; chips, pressed, cooked and all are delicious. Another goodie; pate. Not pate as in ground up questionable meat you eat with a cracker at the hideaway. Pate like a stuffed with goodness fried hot pocket. There are all types; pate with cabbage and tomato, onion and chicken, mushrooms, hot pepper – each one is a little surprise. And finally; piklis. The wonder topping that goes on anything. It’s made from cabbage, carrots, hot pepper, vinegar, garlic and sour orange. Again, everyone makes their own version so some are pretty mild in hotness while others can be very spicy. It’s a great topping that goes on literally everything. I love it and eat so much of it my lips usually go numb.

I have my favorite vendors of course. There are two sisters who have arguably the busiest stand in all of Cap-Haitien. And yes, I am a VIP client. Their pate is so delicious and it is mystery meat free – a rare feat here. Plus, if they are out of something they will rush to make some more of it just for me. And I always get a little extra piklis.

Music: There are tons of different types of music here and the influences abound; there’s the rhythms and drumming styles of West Africa (holla back Senegal!) the percussion of the Caribbean, North American a la hip hop, classic folk via blues and blue grass. Yet, it is specifically Haitian. There’s the romance of kompa, the crazy Karnaval tunes of rahrah, and my favorite – Haitian folk. Yes, it’s traditional but there’s always a modern spin to it. Each of these songs tells a story whether it is happy, sad, funny – so if you got time check them out. A project that a few friends are working on; Lakou Mizik. There are some wonderful videos online by some wonderfully talented musicians. Just a warning, the videos are beautifully done but pretty damned catchy. They will be in your head for days.

Beaches: I’ve said it before how surprisingly amazing the beaches here are. And they still are. Breathtakingly beautiful, clear blue water that is every shade of blue to green you can think and then ten more. White sand, quiet, wind rustling through coconut trees, hidden coves. It’s beyond fantastic. My particular favorite is a beach called plage paradis – it’s only accessible by boat but once you get there fishermen greet you with crab, fish and lobster they just caught. (and the lobster is the size of my dog. Not. Joking.) the water is shallow so you can walk out almost 100 yards before you can’t touch. Flowing into the sea is a freshwater natural spring so the water is always cool. It’s idyllic and I get to go there every weekend. Oh, and there are waterfalls too.

Everyday people: You know that feeling when you move to a new place and you start venturing out to eat, drink, be merry and finally – finally! – you become a regular and everyone knows your name? I got that status immediately in Senegal, mostly because there were only two toubaks for literally miles and one was small and blond and the other was big and brunette. Easy to keep track off. In Haiti, for many reasons good and bad (which I will not get into otherwise this will turn into a very long post) it’s different. There are foreigners everywhere. We’re called blan – white – and are shouted such wherever we go. It’s annoying, but again, I’m used to it and my ability to tune it out is still one of my eight superpowers.

However, there are a few people who have come to know me more than just another blan. These are people I see and interact with on a regular basis. They usually provide me food in way or another (pate, plantains, coconut water, veggies, mangos…) but still, being able to walk up to them, greet them and talk with them and known as just another customer is a great feeling. I’m not singled out, charged twice as much, hassled – nothing. I am someone looking for a mid-day snack. A few of my favorites; Ivrose who is my snack vendor. See the paragraph above about fast food. Enough said why I love this woman. A few additional snack vendors at my schools – these women are great. Always friendly and happy to see me. And they’ve both been pregnant while I’ve been working so being who I am, make sure they are a) going to their prenatal visits b) taking their prenatal vitamins c) having birth assisted by a trained midwife. There’s also my drink family who I stop and grab a limeade about three times a week, the two young bucks who fill my drinking water for me, the happiest money changer in the world, my phone credit guy who always asks about my family back home since he knows he provides the credit which allows me to talk to them. I love interacting with these people and they always make me happy and put me in a good mood.

And finally… my apartment: Not just the palace that is where I live. No mud, no termites, but rather a balcony, kitchen, working bathroom, living room and bedroom (WHAT?!) My apartment is just one of about eight buildings in a larger compound. Each building has about four to six apartments and most are filled by UN workers, development workers, or other foreigners. We even have a small restaurant that serves some of the best food I’ve had in country. What I really love about this place is the sense of community it provokes. There are Americans to be sure, Canadians, Africans, Europeans, and more. Everyone is friendly to everyone else and it’s not uncommon to be impromptu invited to have tea or dinner someplace. It’s peaceful and quiet and beautiful. I have an exquisite view of the Citadelle – the most famous site in all of Haiti from my rooftop. I can see parrots play in the trees from my balcony and I can hear gatherings going on as I fall asleep at night. Spoiled really, but I am so thankful for this little oasis.

That’s all for now, I’m off to the schools to begin our last month of the study. It’s crunch time! More things I love to come next post as well as a project update!

Cheers!