Tita and the Apartment

So many times I sit down at the computer and I have no idea how to explain an event that I experienced. Most of the things that happen here in Haiti must be seen or heard to understand/believe. My experience yesterday was one of those events.

I need to give you all a little bit of backstory. My friend, Keziah, is a couple years older than me and she has lived in Haiti for over three years now. She's lived in various places: an orphanage in a ghetto, Dorothy's house, and a small rented house/apartment.  The little house (which she fondly nicknamed “The Shoebox”) was provided to her by an organization that she was working for. Recently, she resigned from that organization. So, she has had to find her own housing.

She wanted to stay in the same neighborhood as “The Shoebox” since she was familiar with it and she knows many people there. To many people, her neighborhood doesn't look like much (and I don't know many American's that would fight to live there), but to her it is home.

Thankfully, a woman that she was providing medical care for mentioned that she had a small place that she would like to rent out to an American. Before Kez left for the United States for the summer, she and Tita, the landlady, agreed on an amount for rent and a date for Keziah to move into the house. Tita promised Keziah that she would leave furniture in the house for her, fix the water pump, move all of her personal belongings out of the house, and clean it up some.

A few weeks before Kez came back to Haiti her friend and former employee, called her up to inform her that Tita had not done ANY of the things she promised, the apartment was not ready at all, and she was demanding more money. Kez made arrangements to stay with Dorothy for a few days until she got these problems solved.

After a long discussion argument between Kez and Tita, it seemed that they had everything resolved. Kez was told that she would be able to help move Tita's things out and begin cleaning up the apartment. Now, that is where I come in.

Kez asked me to go along with her to help clean up the apartment. I was warned, “It's pretty bad...wear old clothes.” Of course I agreed to help out. So, I met her on the street at 6:45 AM and we walked there together. It is about a 45 minute walk from my house (uphill the entire way over rocky Haitian roads) to get to her place. On the way, we stopped and picked up her two Haitian friends, Bill and Edjou, to help.

When we arrived at the house, we were greeted by a large rotund, old, angry woman, with quite a few missing teeth: Tita. She was in a wonderful very angry mood, and I knew it was going to be an interesting day. My Creole is improving everyday, but it is not good enough for me to understand everything that Tita was saying, rather, yelling. But, it did not take a genius to understand that she was angry.

We stood on the porch arguing (actually, I was just listening) with her for what seemed like at least an hour. Finally she let us into the house to start moving her things down to “The Dungeon” (the vacant very creepy basement apartment with no windows). Kez had explained her apartment as “a cute little place with lots of potential”. After walking inside, I realized she is a much more optimistic person that I am.

the living room: you can't tell in this picture but it was COVERED in thick dust and smelled rather stale

Although Tita owns the building, she has been living in a tent by choice. Partly because she is afraid of being in a building if another earthquake hits, and partly because then she can make money by renting out her home. So, her apartment has not been lived in for quite some time. Needless to say, everything inside was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. There was trash laying around, the refrigerator had a very disgusting odor wafting out, the kitchen was a cluttered mess of pots, pans, and dirt, the bedrooms were used as storage for clothes, and half a dozen mattresses, and the bathroom...well, let's just say it was scary.

The kitchen

kitchen

a bedroom filled with junk

cleaning up the kitchen

my broom for the day

The pictures don't even come close to showing what it truly looked like in person. Not only was the mess in the apartment overwhelming, but Tita did not stop yelling all day. When I say that, I literally mean that she yelled for 6 hours straight. No exaggeration.

She would yell at us to move something to “The Dungeon” then when we picked it up she would yell not to touch it. She would yell at us to leave something alone then two seconds later she would tell us we could move it. Then, intermittently she would go back to yelling about wanting more money or wanting to clean the apartment out herself. But, we all knew that if we would give her more time to clean it out, she would never actually do it. In fact, she was yelling SO much that a small crowd had gathered outside on the street to sit on the curb and listen to her. I heard more than a few people quietly whisper, “She's crazy!”

All day I was wishing that I could get her on video, but coincidentally, I was too afraid of getting yelled at by her. Kez and I came to the conclusion that in America, we like to play sports for fun. In Haiti, they like to argue. On the walk home from her apartment, we decided to get ice cream from Epi'dor as comfort food after the crazy day with Tita.

The Realities of Life in Haiti

I read this blog post tonight, and I just had to share it here on my own blog.  It is a vivid, very real, and extremely heartbreaking description of what life is like for many young women here in Haiti.

Click here to read the post: "Imagine, if you will..."

My Classroom Mural

As most of you already know, last week my family was here.  Both my mom and dad had been here once before, but for my sister, my Aunt Kathy, and my cousin Kara, it was their first time to Haiti.  For most people that come to Haiti, it is a very heart-wrenching and emotional experience.  Even after living here for a while, at times it is very emotional and difficult for me, too.

Not only was it my Aunt's first time to Haiti, it was her first time on a plane, her first time leaving the country, and her first time leaving her husband for that long.  Talk about a leap of faith!  For my cousin, she had to leave her husband and her business.  She had never been to a country as poor as Haiti, and she had no idea what to expect.  I know that the Holy Spirit has really been moving in my cousin and my aunt's hearts, and I am so amazed by their faith.

That is what makes my classroom mural even more special to me.  It was created out of so much love for others.  It was created out of a selfless act of faith.  Yes, it might just be paint on a cement wall to some people, but each time I look at it I am reminded of the sacrifice that was made to paint the mural.  And when school starts, I am going to be able to tell my students about the two amazing women that came all the way from the United States just to paint it for them.

Changes

I finally have had a few seconds to sit down and blog again. Since I got back to Haiti things have been pretty busy. As I mentioned before after my family left, I was down for a while. I guess you could even say that I still am. As long as I am keeping myself busy, I do alright, but it is the times that I am alone when I really miss my family. However I am slowly adjusting to being here on my own.

Friday morning, I did some laundry. I do not have the luxury of a washer or dryer here at my apartment, so I had to do it all by hand. After cleaning my apartment, I stopped by Dorothy's to use her sewing machine and say hello to the kids for a little while. When I got back to my apartment (which is on the same property as the school) Mr. Nickson, the principle, was here. He was sorting children's sneakers and doing an inventory. At the start of school all the students get clothing, shoes, and hygiene products. So, he asked that I help him. We spent several hours sorting sneakers and figuring out who will be getting each pair. Friday evening, I went to the church for prayer and worship with the church youth group (two of my friends lead the youth group). It was great to be surrounded by other believers and lifting each other up in prayer.

Yesterday morning, I took some time to clean my apartment. I've only been here a few days, but the amount of dust that collects in just a day or two is incredible. This is a VERY dusty country and we have not had any rain for a while (despite the fact that it is hurricane season). Just about the time that I finished cleaning, I saw that Dottie and Nickson were down at the school. So, I walked down to greet them and see if there was anything that I could do to help out. They were getting ready to distribute rice to students. So, I helped distribute rice and I got to meet many of the students that will be coming to TLC in just three short weeks. After the distribution was finished, I went with Nickson and Dottie to the grocery store to pick up a few more things. At 1 PM I picked up Dorothy's truck and drove with my friend Marc to pick up our other friend Keziah from the airport. That whole ordeal took several hours.

While I was at the airport waiting for her delayed flight to arrive, I got a phone call from Dorothy. She called to tell me that Emory Wilson (a missionary/friend in Gonaives) came to the house to pick up the twins, Frances and Francesca, to take them back to Gonaives. If you have been following me for a while, you know that Dorothy and I took Frances and Francesca in back at the beginning of November. They were three weeks old and only weighed 4 pounds. My mom was visiting at the time so she and I took on the responsibility of staying up all night to care for them and try and restore their health. In my heart, I have looked at them as my own little girls and given them as much love as possible. Needless to say, the twins have a VERY special place in my heart and I feel very connected to them. This whole time, I have known that one day when they were healthy enough they would have to return to live with their father in Gonaives (their mother died during labor). Typically when a baby leaves Dorothy's house, we have at least a couple of days notice to prepare. Not this time. They called just ten minutes in advance to tell Dorothy they would be stopping by to pick them up.

Luckily, after getting the twins, they were headed to the airport to pick someone up. So, I called Emory and met him in the airport parking lot to say goodbye to the twins. I know they have a HUGE transition ahead of them: going to live with their very poor father and grandmother who they do not even know. Please keep them in your prayers.

When I got back to Dorothy's house to drop off Keziah and the truck, it just did not seem the same without the twins there to greet me with their adorable little smiles. This week has been so difficult in so many ways. Saying goodbye to so many loved ones all at once.

As I sit here alone in my little apartment writing, tears are hard to hold back. It is quiet except for the hum of my little fan, and the boys at the orphanage next door. It is these times that I miss my family even more. Times when I am alone with only my thoughts to keep me company. I know that God never promises us that life will be easy. I knew when I decided to move to Haiti on my own that it would not be easy. But, now here I am living it. I've heard and I've been told many times that the only way to make your comfort zone expand is to step out of it. I know that is true, and I am doing my best each day, but I need a lot of prayer as I navigate life here on my own.

My Aunt Kat with Frances

 Kara with Francesca

Rosa wearing her beautiful dress made by Robin Bogler

Claudine wearing the adorable dress that Robin Bogler made

Abby with Rose Mitchel (she's SO SO BIG NOW!)

A Week Recap

Oh my, where do I begin??  First of all let me apologize in advance if this post is hard to follow.  I am very tired, emotional, and I have way too much to try and remember to put into this post.  I suppose since I only had the opportunity to post on my blog once this past week, I need to do a recap for all of you. This week seems like such a blur. Time in Haiti seems as if it passes so slowly and yet the days and the weeks are a blur.

Although I know this week was difficult for some of my family members, it was also great. We were able to play with the kids at Dorothy's house, see various parts of the city, repaint and clean Dorothy's living room, paint a mural on the wall of my classroom (mostly done by Kara and Aunt Kathy), help at feeding program, visit “The Apparent Project”, and move all of my belongings into my new apartment. A lot was accomplished in about five days.

I know that for my family, the heat was one of the biggest struggles. It was INCREDIBLY hot here this week. The majority of the time at Dorothy's was spent without electricity. We were fortunate that only one or two nights were spent trying to sleep without fans. I admit that the heat this week was (and still is) miserable, but it did not seem to bother me as much as everyone else. I think that because I know I am staying here for so long, I am in a different mindset than others that are only staying here for a week.

The kids were very happy to play with all of us and spend time with us. We were so busy bouncing from place to place or from Dorothy's house to my apartment that quite honestly I didn't feel as if we spent as much time with the kids as I am used to.

Last night (my family's last night here) we took six of the kids from Dorothy's out for pizza along with my friend Marc. So in total, we ended up having 7 adults and 6 children piled in a pick-up truck (driven by yours truly). I think that the adults enjoyed the delicious pizza as much as the kids. Chacha managed to eat 4 pieces of pizza and even three year old Lovensky ate three whole pieces!

We decided that for my family's last night here in PAP some of them would stay with me at my apartment so that I wouldn't have to be there alone for my first night. Mom and Dad decided to stay at Dorothy's while my cousin Kara, my Aunt Kathy, and my sister Abby all came to sleep over with me. Because I only have one full sized bed in my apartment, Kara offered to sleep on the floor, Aunt Kat took the couch, and Abby and I shared my bed. It was pretty cozy in my little place! I got a great night's sleep and I'm thankful to have such a beautiful little apartment to live in.

Today, my family left. I will be honest and say that it was difficult for me. Being left behind in a foreign country, no matter how much I love this country, is always hard for me. Saying goodbye to my entire family and watching them get on a plane home without me is hard. Dorothy's driver Samuel drove us all to the airport to drop them off. After quickly saying our goodbyes on the curb in front of the airport, I got back in the truck with Samuel. I was fighting tears and didn't say a word as I waved goodbye to my family. Samuel simply said, “Miss Katie, I know it is very difficult for you to say goodbye to the people you love. It is ok if you don't want to talk on the way home.” I was very thankful for that.

When I arrived back at Dorothy's I had a sinking (almost sick) feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew that her house was no longer home for me, and with my family gone it seemed even more strange there. It was too quite and I was wishing that they were still there with me. I was still fighting tears, and I just did not have the energy or enthusiasm to go play with the children. So I talked with Dorothy for a little while, then decided to gather up the rest of my belongings and take them to my apartment.

After carrying my things to my apartment, I unsuccessfully tried to e-mail my family (even though I knew they were still on the plane). The internet was not working, and I wanted something to get my mind off of the fact that I was all alone. Cleaning and organizing my apartment and classroom was not going to be enough to take my mind off of things. I knew that if I did that, I would just think about my family while I did it. So, I called Dorothy's driver, Samuel. I asked him to call me when he was finished with work so that he could teach me how to “tap-tap”.

In Haiti, a tap-tap is a Haitian taxi. It is a small pick-up truck with a cap over the bed of the truck. In the bed, there are two benches welded in place (one across each side). There is no limit to how many people can fit in a tap-tap. The running jokes is: Question- How many people can you fit in a tap-tap? Answer- One more! Since I am living on my own now without a vehicle, I want to learn to get around like the Haitians do. I want to be able to be independent. So, I walked with Samuel from my apartment to the nearest tap-tap route. We flagged down a passing tap-tap and squeezed inside. It was about as comfortable as you would imagine riding in the back of a stuffy pick-up with 13 other grown adults to be (in other words not comfortable at all). We rode that tap-tap to the end of its route, got off, and paid the driver 10 goudes for each of us (roughly 25 cents US). From there, we walked the remainder of the way to the grocery store where I went shopping. From there, Samuel had to take one more tap-tap ride, a bus ride, and a motorcycle ride to get all the way to his house on the mountain.

At the grocery store, I only purchased as much as I could fit into my backpack because I knew that I would have to carry everything home. For about $35 US I bought a small bottle of cooking oil, butter, spaghetti, tomato sauce, salad dressing, yogurt, a small package of powdered dish washing detergent, a scrub brush, a toilet brush, and four rolls of toilet paper. Don't worry, I am not going to starve! I already have a few things in my fridge besides that. Not to mention the heat really affects my appetite. I feel like I've barely eaten all week. Shopping on my own today made me realize how much more expensive things are here in Haiti. I already knew that in theory, but shopping today really brought that to light. I won't be having very many gourmet meals here at my apartment, ha!

After paying for my groceries, I loaded up my backpack. Since Samuel was on his way up the mountain I was on my own. I walked from the grocery store to the nearest tap-tap station. I loaded up with 12 other people, paid my ten goudes, and road to my stop at Rue Catalpa. Then from there, I walked the remainder of the way to my little apartment. I really appreciate Samuel helping me, he is a very nice man. I called him as soon as I got home because he wanted to make sure that everything went ok for me on the tap-tap alone. To be honest, I could easily walk the entire way from my apartment to the grocery store. But, I wanted to practice riding a tap-tap (and it is really hot out, too).

Everything went well, and I am back safe and sound. It is raining lightly right now which has cooled things off a little. The puppy at the orphanage next door does not seem to be enjoying it. He is yipping and whining and it is making me miss my doggie, Jake. I am praying that my family is safe on their flight. They should be landing soon in New Jersey. I am praying that the internet will work so that I can actually post this blog (I'm typing it in Word right now). I am praying that the heaviness on my heart will lift as I settle back into life here in Haiti. I am praying that I will not feel alone. I am praying that if God is calling anyone to Haiti, that they will hear and obey His calling despite their own desires. I am praying for protection and guidance as I learn to live on my own here.

To end this blog post, I would like to share some of the highlights of my week:

-when our flight touched down in Haiti

-when I got to see “my kids” again

-having my family here in Haiti with me

-knowing what a leap of faith it was for my aunt and cousin to come to Haiti with me

-seeing the joy in my Dad's face throughout the entire week

-watching my mom work hard all week

-my sister being so easy going (like always) and just going with the flow no matter what we were doing

-my cousin, Kara, being so happy-go-lucky all the time and always brightening the room

-my aunt toughing it out despite being homesick and not feeling the greatest

-Kara and Aunt Kathy painting such a beautiful mural on my classroom wall

-Dad traveling “Haitian style” with Samuel for one whole day. He rode on two tap-taps, a bus, and a 125 cc motorcycle with two other grown men (if only I could have see that with my own eyes!)

-knowing that God's hand was in every part of this week

-seeing everyone in my family interacting with and loving on the kids

-having my family with me for this big transition into my own apartment

-having my family sleepover with me on my first night at the apartment

-listening to my dad attempting to speak Creole and building relationships with the nannies at Dorothy's

And now for the funniest sayings of the week (mostly from Kara):

-”Are you going to drink a Preggers, Steve?” (she was confused and reffering to a “Prestige” which is a Haitian beer. Needless to say we all looked at her funny and were a little confused)

-”Livingston” (Kara accidentally called Lovensky “Livingston”)

-”Wilmington” (again, Kara accidentally called Wilmerson “Wilmington”)

-”Wilkerton” (another one of Kara's names for Wilmerson)

-”Stinky” (Kara's name for Stripey, Dorothy's dog)

-”I wish I had diarrhea” (Abby after not being bound up for nearly the entire week) **hopefully this doesn't offend you**

-”Oh, I don't need anything to eat I still have a little bit of reserve fat on my love handles that I am living off of” (Kara after we hadn't eaten all day)

***I apologize for the poor quality pictures.  I left my camera transfer cord in the US so I cannot put any of the pictures from my camera online or on my computer.  So, I have resorted to using my iPod to take pictures (no flash)....it is better than nothing though!

My classroom (view facing doorway and chalkboard)

My classroom

Kara petting the poor little starving puppy that we found

poor baby :(

If only we could save every dog that looks like this...there are just too many

walking to Dorothy's from my apartment

walking

handmade paper beads at "The Apparent Project" in my neighborhood

Kara picking out jewelry to sell in her shop.  All the proceeds go to the Haitian men and women who made the jewlery

Abby checking out the jewelry and purses

My cousin Kara and my Aunt Kathy priming the wall of my classroom to paint a mural

Kara sketching the mural onto the wall

Starting to paint!

Abby and Kara painting

the almost finished mural...it is BEAUTIFUL!

in my apartment--the view from the kitchen into the living room...the bedroom is behind the living room and the bathroom is to the right of the kitchen

the view into my kitchen

my living room looking in from my front door

my bathroom

my bedroom

the view from my bedroom looking out into the living room

the view from my front door to the orphanage next door

the view from my balcony

Abby at feeding program

mom at feeding program

Kara at feeding program

Kara at feeding program