I received an email from my aunt, Susan, with some great questions about my life in Haiti...little things that I might forget to describe in this blog. If you have questions, don't hesitate to comment on a blog or email me directly. I love to hear that people actually read this, let alone have feedback!
Even though my Creole is AWESOME, what happens if I need to say more than "I love you' or "how are you?"
At Grace Village, there a handful of staff members that speak English. I'm very fortunate to work on aquaponics with Salomon and Andre. Salomon speaks English very well and Andre is learning more everyday. We're not just using simple language, either. Salomon is able to talk about water chemistry, plant production and fish biology. Andre is great at fixing things and is very observant. If there are any misunderstandings, Salomon and I are able to talk through the issues. Salomon also helps translate conversations between me and Andre - plus he's great at teaching me Creole!
When I go to the market, I go with a person from the kitchen staff who helps me barter and pay for my food. One thing that always confuses me is the Haitian currency - or gourde (goud). 40 gourdes = 1 U.S. dollar but 5 gourdes = 1 Haitian dollar...so in the market I have to clarify Haitian dollar or gourde. Sometimes I just hand my money to the translator and let her pay for it!
Anytime I go outside of Grace Village, I am always with a Haitian, not only to translate, but more so for safety. Many of the drivers employed by Healing Haiti are also translators, making the car rides a little more enjoyable.
Are the Grace Village children in school? Are they being taught English? What's a typical day like for the kids?
The GV children are in school - it's literally 100 feet from their dormitories! The Grace Village School opened a temporary site last October inside the walls of Grace Village. Along with the kids that live at GV, there are approximately 250 kids from Titanyen in attendance.
School starts at 8 every morning, out on the basketball court where the Haitian flag is raised and the children sing the national anthem. Classes are taught in French but the older kids learn English and Spanish as well. For many of the children, this is their first time attending school, so there are an array of ages in every class. School ends at different times for the different classes but most kids are done by 2 in the afternoon.
This temporary school wraps around the aquaponics system so I get to hear the kids everyday while they work. The plan for the school is to move outside of the Grace Village walls into a larger building.
What is corossol?
Corossol is a fruit that Haitians use to make juice. It's quite ugly on the outside - green and spikey - and the inside has a strange consistency - mushy, grainy, banana-ish. Ha, this description is horrible, but I assure you, corossol tastes amazing. It's packed with flavor and to me, it tastes like a jolly rancher. I like it best cut into small pieces and frozen.
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