Day 67

Today is day #67 of our journey - starting with our time in Haiti.  Over the time we’ve been here our sense have come to adapt to the way of life here.

Sound - The first night I refused to wear earplugs as I did not want to sleep through our alarm (signaling breakfast for the next morning, which, coming from our scheduled Canadian life I assumed was only at one time and all must attend at 6:00).  That night was the loudest night I have ever witnessed in all my life.  The city that truly does not sleep….between the dogfights, roosters, horns and people, it was a sleepless night for me as well.  After that I thought, if there was one thing you could bring to Haiti, it would be earplugs… something I vowed to never sleep without.  Within a couple weeks I was sleeping without them.

Living at a school, and on the same grounds as a church brings with themselves noise as well.  From the children at 6:15am to the choir practices and prayer meetings at 10pm, there is noise.  When we leave the compound we are braced with the constant honking from every vehicle on the road.  The time when true peace comes is with the rain, causing the city to quiet.

Smell - The smells of  Haiti are something else… from the smoke and fumes of the burning garbage, to the exhaust coming from the vehicles past their time of expiry, and the rotting garbage in the stagnant water.  The first time we passed the garbage filled brown river of Cite Soleil I had to hold my breathe due to the stench.  Now I hardly notice the smell, if at all.  Our first hour long outing through the city left me grumpy because of all the fumes I had to breath in.  The last trip we went on I don’t recall the exhaust.  (Which is not the best sense to lose as my brain cells are dying with every breath!).

Sight - On first arrival to our new home, I could not look past the garbage, and the pigs, goats, dogs, roosters, cows...they are everywhere.  Now these things are are common as seeing a tree back home.  The guarding guns of the UN stand at large intersections, and innocence of nudity is present; yet we have grown accustomed to these as well.

Taste - As you all know we are very much used to our routine of eating rice and beans for lunch and supper (although frequently I rebel against lunch).  The first couple weeks, in our ignorance we would ask, “What’s for supper?”  I think it only took a couple weeks to realize…

When we are presented with a new food… usually not really a “food” but something else to eat, we cannot help ourselves but gorge.  It as though we are in survivor mode, and every chocolate could be our last!  We need to get rid of this mentality before Christmas if we want to keep our same wardrobe…

Touch - I have grown accustomed to the small hand of a child grabbing my hand or stroking my hair as I walk by; this is something I know I will miss dearly when we leave.  It makes me sad to think that this will be gone….