Of everything in the garden the squash is the most successful, and we didn't even plant it, they came up on their own, or more exactly crept in from a neighbouring empty lot. Gustave made Haitian squash soup (a traditional Jan 1st, Haitian national holiday dish) last Sunday, with potato and cabbage and carrots and parsley and tayota and garlic...there should have been meat too but I decided not to foot the bill for that...
Today I attempted an invention, "Squash Juice", a spin on the famed spaghetti juice. I acted like it was normal for me. Boiled squash, then peeled put in the blender with milk, sugar, ice, fresh nutmeg and vanilla, it tasted like a pumpkin pie smoothie. Was quite good! The squash have turned into quite the issue. Br. Louisson has been taking care of the garden, but everything he has planted has failed quite misserably, then there are the squating squash plants, that really don't belong to anyone. The first one of this season was ripe and ready last week, so we picked it, for the soup. Un beknownst to us Louisson had already promised it to Ana. So when he came and it had disapeared I got an earful. He likes to complain about the failing garden to every hearing ear. I didn't tell him at first that we had taken it. When I explained, he said we could keep it but the next would be for him. So Gustave made the soup, he took the next two and then he picked a small barely ripe one, the one I made the juice with.
Right now there is a couple from the States staying in Josue and Laura's place while they are in the States. He finally got his tourist Visa, they've been trying unsucessfully for the past three years. So this couple from the States are becoming quite buddy buddy with the guys. Right now Haime (pronounced that way, maybe spelt Jaime) the brother, is barbecueing on a home made barbecue pit they put together the other day in the front yard out of rocks, and Gustave is cooking two kinds of rice, while reciting a monologue from one of his favourite Haitian movies.
We've been making record meeting attendance the past few weeks, last Sunday we were 84, and Thursday 73. WAY over our average. The influx of new Haitians, refugees, and the stirring up of existential questions since the earth quake are really boosting our numbers. Pretty much everyone thinks either God or the Americans caused the earth quake (why the US of A would want to destroy P-a-P is beyond me...) So my strategy in service has been to ask people how they would feel if I went around telling people they are a thief. The responses vary from: angry, upset, ashamed...Then I ask "How do you think God feels about people spreading lies about him?" and then explaining Jehovah is not to blame for natural disasters and that saying he is is spreading lies about him. It gets quite the reaction!
I managed to waste 6 hours of my afternoon Monday. One day while broken down on the side of the road (well actually it ended up being that I had run out of gas) a Dominican guy stopped and told me he keeps seeing my stranded (it does happen fairly often, no big deal, maybe two or three minutes of trying to start the bike before it starts or I realize I am out of gas) he said he knows how to fix bikes like mine. The fact that I've been riding around without a headlight for over a year is becoming a bit of a running gag and the transmission keeps slipping gears, so I thought I would finally get both things fixed. As it turns out, my bike is really old, well I knew that, but it's so old they don't carry parts for it. So after getting the bike apart, the guy realized he couldn't fix it after all, but the worst thing is that he couldn't remember how the parts fit back together, the timing was off and the bike wouldn't start. He took it apart and put it back together three times befoe telling me he had to go to work, so I had to push the bike to Victor's, the guy everyone here goes to to get their bikes fixed. Since he hadn't taken in apart he had to try and try until he got it right, or almost right. Apparently it's still not in time. Then when it did run he decided to do his usual tune up and while revving the motor he burnt the resistor that runs the spark plug. So he had to change that, then fiddle with the carburator to try to get the motor to run better. Basically I spent 6 hours, and 500pesos to get my bike back running pretty much exactly how it had before. No light, no fixed transmission. Maybe it's time to look into another bike.
This should be a lot longer, but I finished typing it all and then lost the internet connection and the whole blog at the same time...so I had to redo it and lost the gusto.
Friday, 26 February, 2010
Thursday, 18 February, 2010
My stray dog drinks tea
Shuni is quite the dog...she’ll taste anything. A few minutes ago she was drinking the bit of tea I had left in my mug. Before that she was playing with a chicken feather, I just hope she didn’t pluck it herself. She’s turned in to quite the grounds keeper, chasing the neighbours chickens and dogs out of our yard. Even the boxer from next door that’s three times her size runs off whimpering. Shuni herself, though, is not that brave, she cowers when approached by most people, sometimes even peeing from fear. I got a package of raw beef bones the other day and she gnawed her way through one in no time. I took her to the beach on Monday, she hates being tied up and doesn’t run off when loose so I let her wander free. She had fun digging holes in the sand and trying to eat it, probably ingesting a sizable amount.
Why am I drinking tea in the middle of the afternoon in the tropics? It’s been raining all day and I got home soaking wet after lunch. It’s windy and zipping my way through town and up the muddy road to our place I got home freezing.So I have Debbie’s tuque on too. We have a lemon grass shrub in the front yard, the guys make tea from it all the time, it’s pretty good but they put a ton of sugar in it. It hasn’t rained much since I’ve been back, apparently it rained a lot while I was away. It’s actually been quite hot the past few days here.
I had a rather sad/awkward moment when we were in Santiago. After the meeting I was talking to a young brother who had just come over from Port au Prince. He is staying with Emelise, the matriarch of the Santiago Imbert congregation. I asked him if any of his family are in the truth, he answered “My mother.” I asked him how old he was and he said 15. So I said “Are you related to Emelise?” He said no. So I asked why his mother let him come by himself...He answered “She died in the earth quake.” I wanted to travel back in time and kick myself in the face to stop myself from asking that question. The conversation pretty much died at that point...
Emelise had asked me the day before if we could accommodate any refugees at our place or anywhere else in Las Terrenas. It would have been nice, for me and the guys to have someone stay with us, but the house is too full already. Among themselves they have elected Gustave and cook and dishwasher without a vote. He’s home the most and hasn’t worked in quite a while so in exchange for food, he cooks the meals. He likes to cook, probably doesn’t like washing all the dishes as much though. I wonder if he thinks it’s a fair trade.
While in Santiago I visited Jacsain and Ilrik too old students...neither one of them is still studying, it’s too hard for them to make it to the meetings, having to pay the car ride there and back each time. I think that’s what makes it easier for students here in Las Terrenas, they can just walk, doesn’t cost a gourd.
Gustave and Robenson are both going over the questions for baptism, and we have a new publisher, just arrived from Haiti: Ervé. He’s 23 but looks 13. His father and stepmother are Witnesses in Haiti, he’s been studying for quite a while, he studied the Greatest Teacher book and the Knowledge book twice (I don’t know why...) but the Bible Teach book at the bookstudy. He’s been a publisher for three years! When I first moved to Santiago I remember brother Rogers saying that it’s normal to study for a few years with Haitians before they become publishers and then it takes them a while again to get baptized. That seems to be the norm in Haiti too from what Ervé says. Maybe we’re too quick about it here in LT. Or maybe it’s just different circumstances and surroundings. Destiné and Deiby both want to enrol in the school and start publishing. They’re both in chapter 10 of the BT book. Hydrolique would like to too, but he works Thursday nights, he’s in chapter 17!
The Hall is more and more full each meeting it seems. Sunday we were 69! With 26 or 27 publishers. I don’t think we’ll be near that many tonight though, what with the rain. I have a 10 minute monologue on preparing service presentations tonight. My first official part as an MS, did I mention I was named an MS last Thursday? It wasn’t totally a surprise with all the questions the brothers had been asking me during the last CO visit. Dimi was named too, which is bigger deal than me. I got my first public talk outline this week, to be given in a month. A symposium though, with Leandre. Shouldn’t be that bad, I’ve given 20 minute parts on the Service Meeting before. The subject is the resurrection, to target the loss of lives in the earthquake.
I was all excited about my video camera being fixed to find out that the program that comes with it to transfer video to the computer is not compatible with my new Windows 7. The program hasn’t been updated by Sony. It works in Windows XP on the old computer I got back from Andy, the one I had lent him while he waited for the new one I was bringing for him this time. I guess I’ll just have to keep both laptops! If someone out there has a better idea let me know...I’ve already tried to compatibility option, it doesn’t work.
One of our cacao trees fell down in the wind the other day, the trunk was rotten, and half eaten away by the little ants that lived in it, the same ones that would bite me when I would pick the fruit and the bites would itch for days. Teach them to eat their own home!
Why am I drinking tea in the middle of the afternoon in the tropics? It’s been raining all day and I got home soaking wet after lunch. It’s windy and zipping my way through town and up the muddy road to our place I got home freezing.So I have Debbie’s tuque on too. We have a lemon grass shrub in the front yard, the guys make tea from it all the time, it’s pretty good but they put a ton of sugar in it. It hasn’t rained much since I’ve been back, apparently it rained a lot while I was away. It’s actually been quite hot the past few days here.
I had a rather sad/awkward moment when we were in Santiago. After the meeting I was talking to a young brother who had just come over from Port au Prince. He is staying with Emelise, the matriarch of the Santiago Imbert congregation. I asked him if any of his family are in the truth, he answered “My mother.” I asked him how old he was and he said 15. So I said “Are you related to Emelise?” He said no. So I asked why his mother let him come by himself...He answered “She died in the earth quake.” I wanted to travel back in time and kick myself in the face to stop myself from asking that question. The conversation pretty much died at that point...
Emelise had asked me the day before if we could accommodate any refugees at our place or anywhere else in Las Terrenas. It would have been nice, for me and the guys to have someone stay with us, but the house is too full already. Among themselves they have elected Gustave and cook and dishwasher without a vote. He’s home the most and hasn’t worked in quite a while so in exchange for food, he cooks the meals. He likes to cook, probably doesn’t like washing all the dishes as much though. I wonder if he thinks it’s a fair trade.
While in Santiago I visited Jacsain and Ilrik too old students...neither one of them is still studying, it’s too hard for them to make it to the meetings, having to pay the car ride there and back each time. I think that’s what makes it easier for students here in Las Terrenas, they can just walk, doesn’t cost a gourd.
Gustave and Robenson are both going over the questions for baptism, and we have a new publisher, just arrived from Haiti: Ervé. He’s 23 but looks 13. His father and stepmother are Witnesses in Haiti, he’s been studying for quite a while, he studied the Greatest Teacher book and the Knowledge book twice (I don’t know why...) but the Bible Teach book at the bookstudy. He’s been a publisher for three years! When I first moved to Santiago I remember brother Rogers saying that it’s normal to study for a few years with Haitians before they become publishers and then it takes them a while again to get baptized. That seems to be the norm in Haiti too from what Ervé says. Maybe we’re too quick about it here in LT. Or maybe it’s just different circumstances and surroundings. Destiné and Deiby both want to enrol in the school and start publishing. They’re both in chapter 10 of the BT book. Hydrolique would like to too, but he works Thursday nights, he’s in chapter 17!
The Hall is more and more full each meeting it seems. Sunday we were 69! With 26 or 27 publishers. I don’t think we’ll be near that many tonight though, what with the rain. I have a 10 minute monologue on preparing service presentations tonight. My first official part as an MS, did I mention I was named an MS last Thursday? It wasn’t totally a surprise with all the questions the brothers had been asking me during the last CO visit. Dimi was named too, which is bigger deal than me. I got my first public talk outline this week, to be given in a month. A symposium though, with Leandre. Shouldn’t be that bad, I’ve given 20 minute parts on the Service Meeting before. The subject is the resurrection, to target the loss of lives in the earthquake.
I was all excited about my video camera being fixed to find out that the program that comes with it to transfer video to the computer is not compatible with my new Windows 7. The program hasn’t been updated by Sony. It works in Windows XP on the old computer I got back from Andy, the one I had lent him while he waited for the new one I was bringing for him this time. I guess I’ll just have to keep both laptops! If someone out there has a better idea let me know...I’ve already tried to compatibility option, it doesn’t work.
One of our cacao trees fell down in the wind the other day, the trunk was rotten, and half eaten away by the little ants that lived in it, the same ones that would bite me when I would pick the fruit and the bites would itch for days. Teach them to eat their own home!
Monday, 8 February, 2010
Forgot..
I forgot to mention that while we were talking to Louisa she strared Robenson in the eyes and said "You be careful young man! You know us Haitians are unstable! One day we're going one way, one day we're going the next. You make sure you're standing on a rock! Not in the sand! To get carried away by the waves!" As she spoke she threw herself back and forth then stood with her two legs spread apart with her fists clenched. Staring him in the eyes, so concentrated her head was shaking. It was quite the show.
Yesterday I was invited for lunch at Dimi's, because so many of the family are here from Haiti since the earthquake they've split and now Dimi has his own place, with Phedorah his "Mom" and a great aunt. The funniest part is that when I got there it was just them and the Colas' but slowly over an hour the whole family trickled in to the little one bedroom apartment. We were probably 20 by the time everyone showed up. Grann carrying over a big pot of mushroom rice, half the food was transported from one house to the other. Why we didn't just eat at the other house I don't know...
Then Anita and Nadia had me over for supper with Colas' and Brosseaus. Jesenia made typical Honduran food, it was SPICY...supposedly not that spicy. Then for desert Anita had made Caramel Pecan Cheesecake...wow, it was good, but I got such a stomach ache after. Brosseaus stumped Colas' with "telepathic" games.
Saturday I took Peterson to the beach, digging in the sand I found an empty coconut shell, the whole shell, some one at some point must have drank the milk because one of the holes was poked out, it was full of sand and tiny pieces of shell. It must have been there for a while because it was polished smooth. So I kept holding it under the water to fill it up and then shaking it out to clean the inside. Then I brought it home and put it in the sun to dry, Shuni carried it off at one point and I found it laying in the front yard later on. Now it's sitting on my bookshelf in the living room, it's surprisingly light. Shuni has also decided that running off with people's sandals is a fun game...
Robenson and I are off to Santiago for a couple days, to see Andy, give him his computer and pick up more stuff to sell. He's been saving up his money to renew his passport and start the residency process, so he can be legal and pioneer after he's baptized, and then find a wife. His words, not mine. HAHA
Oh, and I was forgetting the best part! I brought my video camera with me, the one I've had since I went to BC, like 10 years ago, well almost. That I paid $1500 for, looking back it was a very poor budget decision. I haven't used it for the past two years because somehow it got water in the battery charger, so it only worked when plugged in to the wall. Not very practical. It's a SONY and they said it would cost me at least $300 to have it checked and that's before fixing anything, so I gave up on it. Well Wisley said he could take a look at it, he fixes everything eletronic: from TVs to cellphones. I gave it to him last Tuesday and he would take a look at it on Sunday, his only day off. So yesterday after the meeting I had Destiné's study, then lunch, then went over to Princime's. Wisly was in the living room unplugging the camera. So I ask him if he's had time to look at it. He says "I've already fixed it." I couldn't beleive it! Here I thought it was useless! Robenson has always wanted to be a screen writer, so maybe we'll make some home movies...then post them on Youtube for all to see!
Yesterday I was invited for lunch at Dimi's, because so many of the family are here from Haiti since the earthquake they've split and now Dimi has his own place, with Phedorah his "Mom" and a great aunt. The funniest part is that when I got there it was just them and the Colas' but slowly over an hour the whole family trickled in to the little one bedroom apartment. We were probably 20 by the time everyone showed up. Grann carrying over a big pot of mushroom rice, half the food was transported from one house to the other. Why we didn't just eat at the other house I don't know...
Then Anita and Nadia had me over for supper with Colas' and Brosseaus. Jesenia made typical Honduran food, it was SPICY...supposedly not that spicy. Then for desert Anita had made Caramel Pecan Cheesecake...wow, it was good, but I got such a stomach ache after. Brosseaus stumped Colas' with "telepathic" games.
Saturday I took Peterson to the beach, digging in the sand I found an empty coconut shell, the whole shell, some one at some point must have drank the milk because one of the holes was poked out, it was full of sand and tiny pieces of shell. It must have been there for a while because it was polished smooth. So I kept holding it under the water to fill it up and then shaking it out to clean the inside. Then I brought it home and put it in the sun to dry, Shuni carried it off at one point and I found it laying in the front yard later on. Now it's sitting on my bookshelf in the living room, it's surprisingly light. Shuni has also decided that running off with people's sandals is a fun game...
Robenson and I are off to Santiago for a couple days, to see Andy, give him his computer and pick up more stuff to sell. He's been saving up his money to renew his passport and start the residency process, so he can be legal and pioneer after he's baptized, and then find a wife. His words, not mine. HAHA
Oh, and I was forgetting the best part! I brought my video camera with me, the one I've had since I went to BC, like 10 years ago, well almost. That I paid $1500 for, looking back it was a very poor budget decision. I haven't used it for the past two years because somehow it got water in the battery charger, so it only worked when plugged in to the wall. Not very practical. It's a SONY and they said it would cost me at least $300 to have it checked and that's before fixing anything, so I gave up on it. Well Wisley said he could take a look at it, he fixes everything eletronic: from TVs to cellphones. I gave it to him last Tuesday and he would take a look at it on Sunday, his only day off. So yesterday after the meeting I had Destiné's study, then lunch, then went over to Princime's. Wisly was in the living room unplugging the camera. So I ask him if he's had time to look at it. He says "I've already fixed it." I couldn't beleive it! Here I thought it was useless! Robenson has always wanted to be a screen writer, so maybe we'll make some home movies...then post them on Youtube for all to see!
Friday, 5 February, 2010
Blackout
Last night the power went out halfway through the meeting, which is rare in LT as compared to other parts of the island. So the rest of the meeting was lit by odd mini keychain flashlights and cellphones. The Hall was full which is good to see, with quite a few new faces. Some didn't know I was back until they saw me at the meeting. It was announced that our District assembly is mid-August.
Andy had sent a box for Robenson with a lady he knows on the bus on Tuesday and she was supposed to call me when she got to town but never did. Before the meeting Louisgen came up to me saying his girlfriends cousin had a box for me. When we went to pick it up she seemed quite nonchalant about the whole thing. Here we were thinking she had stolen it.
This morning I was in service with Robenson, we ended up off on our own down a little road that leads out of town. The same road where I found Shuni. We ended up at Louisa's house. She studies with Ana, she's made comment at the Hall about the fact that she goes to her church on Sunday but the Hall on Thursday because she learns more there. She started talking about Haiti, and then started crying...I had just read the Watchtower on suffering in Creole and remembered a the part about why God allows things to happen and what he will do about it so I shared those with her. She thanked us, asked us to pray and then started talking about the rich people in Haiti and how they prance around in their supermarkets where she never dared shop and as she spoke she pranced around her front porch imitating them. I had to laugh. They are so much more expressive than we are.
By the time we met back up with the group most were on their way to do studies so we walked back to the Colas' house to pick up our bikes and I just hapened to run into Alain Fanol a guy I've talked to several times over the year or so that I've been here, and even tried to start a study with but either wasn't home or I couldn't make it the day/time he was available. He had been in Haiti, just got back. So I shared the same ideas we had with Louisa.
I had Peterson's study yesterday, he's young and doesn't read well so I have to repeat things and explain them different ways but he always understands without me having to outright give him the answer. It's kind of sad, that he is here by himself and is basically treated like a servant and is always being talked down about by the family with no one to stick up for him. His pen leaked in his school uniform pants so he has to wear them with a big spot, which is probably embarassing enough. But then it became a whole discussion about how he's lazy, so he hid behing the front door to eat his lunch. I drove him to school and gave him 25 pesos hoping it would make him feel a bit better. Nothing like money to replace emotions....
Tonight I had Hydolique's study, he had been in Haiti for a month or so, his whole family are Adventists, so we are going to look at the whole section on the Sabath together, they bombarded him with questions about it while he was there.
Then after driving him to work I went to find Jelly, he was also in Haiti but far from P-au-P. I was always inviting him to the meeting but he wouldn't come because of work...now today he says he can't come because he is going to church, he never went to church before so I asked him why. A friend invited him. He asked me if I go to that church sometimes, I said no. He asked why, I said because they lie. I think he was a little surprised by that answer. We're suposed to study on Tuesday, I think I'll explain myself then.
A truck drove by our place this morning and tore down one of our power wires, just shows how poorly things are dow here. So half of the house had power and the other half no. The guys thought all the light bulbs had blown at the same time.
Andy had sent a box for Robenson with a lady he knows on the bus on Tuesday and she was supposed to call me when she got to town but never did. Before the meeting Louisgen came up to me saying his girlfriends cousin had a box for me. When we went to pick it up she seemed quite nonchalant about the whole thing. Here we were thinking she had stolen it.
This morning I was in service with Robenson, we ended up off on our own down a little road that leads out of town. The same road where I found Shuni. We ended up at Louisa's house. She studies with Ana, she's made comment at the Hall about the fact that she goes to her church on Sunday but the Hall on Thursday because she learns more there. She started talking about Haiti, and then started crying...I had just read the Watchtower on suffering in Creole and remembered a the part about why God allows things to happen and what he will do about it so I shared those with her. She thanked us, asked us to pray and then started talking about the rich people in Haiti and how they prance around in their supermarkets where she never dared shop and as she spoke she pranced around her front porch imitating them. I had to laugh. They are so much more expressive than we are.
By the time we met back up with the group most were on their way to do studies so we walked back to the Colas' house to pick up our bikes and I just hapened to run into Alain Fanol a guy I've talked to several times over the year or so that I've been here, and even tried to start a study with but either wasn't home or I couldn't make it the day/time he was available. He had been in Haiti, just got back. So I shared the same ideas we had with Louisa.
I had Peterson's study yesterday, he's young and doesn't read well so I have to repeat things and explain them different ways but he always understands without me having to outright give him the answer. It's kind of sad, that he is here by himself and is basically treated like a servant and is always being talked down about by the family with no one to stick up for him. His pen leaked in his school uniform pants so he has to wear them with a big spot, which is probably embarassing enough. But then it became a whole discussion about how he's lazy, so he hid behing the front door to eat his lunch. I drove him to school and gave him 25 pesos hoping it would make him feel a bit better. Nothing like money to replace emotions....
Tonight I had Hydolique's study, he had been in Haiti for a month or so, his whole family are Adventists, so we are going to look at the whole section on the Sabath together, they bombarded him with questions about it while he was there.
Then after driving him to work I went to find Jelly, he was also in Haiti but far from P-au-P. I was always inviting him to the meeting but he wouldn't come because of work...now today he says he can't come because he is going to church, he never went to church before so I asked him why. A friend invited him. He asked me if I go to that church sometimes, I said no. He asked why, I said because they lie. I think he was a little surprised by that answer. We're suposed to study on Tuesday, I think I'll explain myself then.
A truck drove by our place this morning and tore down one of our power wires, just shows how poorly things are dow here. So half of the house had power and the other half no. The guys thought all the light bulbs had blown at the same time.
Wednesday, 3 February, 2010
What's the first thing you should check when your vehicle stalls?
The motorcylcle saga continued today...and it was entirely my fault. After leaving the house almost on time to make it to the group, with Gustave on the back seat, we stalled half way there. Seeing as we had so much trouble getting the bike started yesterday I presumed it was the same thing, either spark plug, clogged carburator...I ended up leaving it at Wisley's place and meeting up with the group. When I went back at noon with Deiby the first thing he checked was the gas tank...EMPTY...I do not have enough fingers and toes to count the times of ran out of gas. The great thing is that once you put gas in the bike and kick the starter two or three times it starts up like magic.
While walking to the group I ran into Annouce (Jesenia understood him name to be Anus, hahahaha). He is one of the numerous men that started to study, then took on a second job and just don't have anytime at home when they aren't sleeping. I will try to find a time when he is guarding that we could sit under a street light or something to study. His wife however has continued studying which is great because not very many women are interested. Gilles has been studying with a neighbour and she sits in, so this morning he asked Jesenia to take over the study.
I felt like I was in a time warp listening to Robenson preach, when I left he had just started, he's been out quite a lot, everyday since I've been back, and I guess the good thing about studying and going to the meetings off and on for years is that when you do start to go door to door you have an amazing store of knowledge to draw from. And to think on more than one occasion I was told I could be wasting my time studying with him and to be careful. He is quite untrusting and had this round about way of answering questions that makes it seem like he could be lying, also he likes to ask questions that come across as attempts at stumping you, but he's actually just making sure that what he has understood or believes is correct.
Deiby and I had our study at 11, no one had studied with him while I was gone even though I had asked two different brothers...we studied how the good news would be preached in the time of the end as one of the good aspects of the end. Then watched the Organization video, I'm sure he'd seen it before, but when we were done he asked if he could borrow it and watch it again later, with the portable DVD player I brought for him. He was in Haiti when I left in December, while he was there he told all his family he is a Witness. This morning he told me he left Haiti when he was 16 because he wanted to work to buy a motorcycle. He's been here 6 years and only went back one other time, then he had long dreds and was a "rasta". They were quite surprised by the change.
Shuni got bit by something today, maybe a wasp, they are building a nest behind the house, I'll try and burn it later. Half of her face was all swollen but she still managed to chase of the neighbours dog.
Laura (who lives upstairs)'s parents are here. He father is a mechanic and he spent his day working on different motorcycles and quads. He says he owned a bike just like mine and offered to help adjust the valves on mine...I really have no clue what that involves but I guess it's good. He was going on about how bikes a "mickey moused" together here, and I found out from him the spark plug on my bike is actually an automotive spark plug, but it's what they give you when you ask for one for my type of bike. No wonder it never quite fit right.
Grann made chicken livers today, for the first time since I've been eating there. They were good, but I still don't like the texture. They were making coconut jam yesterday so I asked for some and got a big bottle for cheap.
It didn't take long for the neighbourhood kids to notice I was back and come asking for cacao fruit. One of them also "helped" us try to get my bike started yesterday. Help as in ask "Is there any gas in the tank?" (now who feels dumb) and pulling off the spark plug cap and blowing in it. They seem so bored some times, just standing in front of our house and watching the goings on...or is it like watching fish in an aquarium...or reality TV.
While walking to the group I ran into Annouce (Jesenia understood him name to be Anus, hahahaha). He is one of the numerous men that started to study, then took on a second job and just don't have anytime at home when they aren't sleeping. I will try to find a time when he is guarding that we could sit under a street light or something to study. His wife however has continued studying which is great because not very many women are interested. Gilles has been studying with a neighbour and she sits in, so this morning he asked Jesenia to take over the study.
I felt like I was in a time warp listening to Robenson preach, when I left he had just started, he's been out quite a lot, everyday since I've been back, and I guess the good thing about studying and going to the meetings off and on for years is that when you do start to go door to door you have an amazing store of knowledge to draw from. And to think on more than one occasion I was told I could be wasting my time studying with him and to be careful. He is quite untrusting and had this round about way of answering questions that makes it seem like he could be lying, also he likes to ask questions that come across as attempts at stumping you, but he's actually just making sure that what he has understood or believes is correct.
Deiby and I had our study at 11, no one had studied with him while I was gone even though I had asked two different brothers...we studied how the good news would be preached in the time of the end as one of the good aspects of the end. Then watched the Organization video, I'm sure he'd seen it before, but when we were done he asked if he could borrow it and watch it again later, with the portable DVD player I brought for him. He was in Haiti when I left in December, while he was there he told all his family he is a Witness. This morning he told me he left Haiti when he was 16 because he wanted to work to buy a motorcycle. He's been here 6 years and only went back one other time, then he had long dreds and was a "rasta". They were quite surprised by the change.
Shuni got bit by something today, maybe a wasp, they are building a nest behind the house, I'll try and burn it later. Half of her face was all swollen but she still managed to chase of the neighbours dog.
Laura (who lives upstairs)'s parents are here. He father is a mechanic and he spent his day working on different motorcycles and quads. He says he owned a bike just like mine and offered to help adjust the valves on mine...I really have no clue what that involves but I guess it's good. He was going on about how bikes a "mickey moused" together here, and I found out from him the spark plug on my bike is actually an automotive spark plug, but it's what they give you when you ask for one for my type of bike. No wonder it never quite fit right.
Grann made chicken livers today, for the first time since I've been eating there. They were good, but I still don't like the texture. They were making coconut jam yesterday so I asked for some and got a big bottle for cheap.
It didn't take long for the neighbourhood kids to notice I was back and come asking for cacao fruit. One of them also "helped" us try to get my bike started yesterday. Help as in ask "Is there any gas in the tank?" (now who feels dumb) and pulling off the spark plug cap and blowing in it. They seem so bored some times, just standing in front of our house and watching the goings on...or is it like watching fish in an aquarium...or reality TV.
Tuesday, 2 February, 2010
Back by popular demand
While I was back in Canada I had several requests to "get back to blogging"...So here it goes, I will attempt to be regular if a bit less lengthy than I used to be.
Flying out of the cold and into the heat took up my whole day of Sunday. I did manage to shift myself into an empty row and thus slept most of the four or so hours from Newark to Santo Domingo. I could have lied and said I was on my way to Haiti and skipped the whole "tourist immigration" process on arrival, but no Mom, I didn't. haha
After a night in a 2 star Hotel on a camping mat (thanks Debbie!) I got my new phone (thanks Rhonda!) unblocked by a fourteen year old maskerading as a cell phone tech in a little booth at the Mall beside Bethel. Then, while Colby and two of his friends waited (which I felt guilty about) I did some big item grocery shopping, taking advantage of the lower prices in the Capital. Thirty pounds of rice, beans, dish soap, spaghetti for juice, etc...
The ride from SD to LT went by fast as I slept. In between comments about the men working in the ditch not being on a chain gang and the fact that one day I will hike into the jungle with just a machete...maybe.
Robenson was the only that was supposed to know I was back...but the word got around fairly quickly. I spent Monday afternoon from home to home dropping off things I had picked up and clothes generously donated. Pictures will follow of cute dark babies in mini suits. I got caught up on how everyone lived through the painful weeks after the earthquake in P-au-P. So far, of the people I know, few have lost loved ones.
Our place is in pretty good shape, Gilles has posted sticky notes in several places with comments like "Please wash your dishes after each use." and "Close the lid on the toilet when done." I don't blame him.
My room was a little worse for wear, Gustave and Robenson have been sharing it. Probably because Gustave didn't know I was coming back...and Robenson is just not a "home body".
This morning I woke up with the honorable objective of going in service...it turned in to a morning trying to start my motorcycle. After several trips either pushing or being pushed up and down the street trying to start on compression, Deiby and I decided to get our hands dirty. We changed the spark plug and oil, took apart and cleaned the carburator (which I should have done sooner seeing the junk that we found inside, and the fact that the website for owners of Honda C70s that I read when I first got my bike told me to do it as part of the "getting her running" section). Then when we did get her going, significantly better than before, I had a flat tire on my way to town...
As seems to happen each time I leave, half of my students were not taken care of while I was gone...but they're still doing well, at their meetings, and preaching for those that are publishers. Robenson told me this afternoon that he is going over his first section of baptism questions with Leandre next week. Of all my students he has made the most progress and has had to make the most changes to get to where he is now.
As soon as they heard I was back Nadia and Anita came by and dropped off Shuni. I owe them because she was very well taken care of. She's less hyper than she was, and has doubled in size, thus proving my chihauhau theory wrong...
Already this is longer than I thought it would be...things worked out really well while I was back in Canada...what started out hopeless ended up full of hope. Now I'm back, with some good goals, and if I'm lucky I just might get to go help in Haiti. By the way: I've decided to do a retro-blog and write in small bits abouts my trip to Haiti. With the events of the past month it just seems fitting and should help to understand the Haitian culture.
Flying out of the cold and into the heat took up my whole day of Sunday. I did manage to shift myself into an empty row and thus slept most of the four or so hours from Newark to Santo Domingo. I could have lied and said I was on my way to Haiti and skipped the whole "tourist immigration" process on arrival, but no Mom, I didn't. haha
After a night in a 2 star Hotel on a camping mat (thanks Debbie!) I got my new phone (thanks Rhonda!) unblocked by a fourteen year old maskerading as a cell phone tech in a little booth at the Mall beside Bethel. Then, while Colby and two of his friends waited (which I felt guilty about) I did some big item grocery shopping, taking advantage of the lower prices in the Capital. Thirty pounds of rice, beans, dish soap, spaghetti for juice, etc...
The ride from SD to LT went by fast as I slept. In between comments about the men working in the ditch not being on a chain gang and the fact that one day I will hike into the jungle with just a machete...maybe.
Robenson was the only that was supposed to know I was back...but the word got around fairly quickly. I spent Monday afternoon from home to home dropping off things I had picked up and clothes generously donated. Pictures will follow of cute dark babies in mini suits. I got caught up on how everyone lived through the painful weeks after the earthquake in P-au-P. So far, of the people I know, few have lost loved ones.
Our place is in pretty good shape, Gilles has posted sticky notes in several places with comments like "Please wash your dishes after each use." and "Close the lid on the toilet when done." I don't blame him.
My room was a little worse for wear, Gustave and Robenson have been sharing it. Probably because Gustave didn't know I was coming back...and Robenson is just not a "home body".
This morning I woke up with the honorable objective of going in service...it turned in to a morning trying to start my motorcycle. After several trips either pushing or being pushed up and down the street trying to start on compression, Deiby and I decided to get our hands dirty. We changed the spark plug and oil, took apart and cleaned the carburator (which I should have done sooner seeing the junk that we found inside, and the fact that the website for owners of Honda C70s that I read when I first got my bike told me to do it as part of the "getting her running" section). Then when we did get her going, significantly better than before, I had a flat tire on my way to town...
As seems to happen each time I leave, half of my students were not taken care of while I was gone...but they're still doing well, at their meetings, and preaching for those that are publishers. Robenson told me this afternoon that he is going over his first section of baptism questions with Leandre next week. Of all my students he has made the most progress and has had to make the most changes to get to where he is now.
As soon as they heard I was back Nadia and Anita came by and dropped off Shuni. I owe them because she was very well taken care of. She's less hyper than she was, and has doubled in size, thus proving my chihauhau theory wrong...
Already this is longer than I thought it would be...things worked out really well while I was back in Canada...what started out hopeless ended up full of hope. Now I'm back, with some good goals, and if I'm lucky I just might get to go help in Haiti. By the way: I've decided to do a retro-blog and write in small bits abouts my trip to Haiti. With the events of the past month it just seems fitting and should help to understand the Haitian culture.
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