After school art school.
Team with artists
Tebo, far left was teaching children, many that lived in the streets in the poorest neighborhoods to give them something to do and possibly some skills with which to make a living.
Contemplation Day...Sunday. Its like a family day. Maggie is sitting on the porch playing cards with Isaiah and his friend. Melissa, Corissa and Cristy are reading and relaxing. I'm no sure what Fiona is doing...earlier we were all out at the pool working on tans. Sun was hot. Nice.
I did a little 'work' in my creole workbook. I've been too busy or distracted to work on my creole. I had a nice Skype conversation with my daughter. I love it now that I don't get cut off after the first hello!!
Yesterday Team Portland arrived. Maggie is making her 3rd trip. Corissa is a PT coming from Portland for the first time. The other 2 girls are OT's from Las Vegas on their first trip as well. This team will have to be called Port Vegas or Las Portland. It seems strange to have only 1 of the old team here. Life changes happen there as it does here. We went to an art school that I learned about. Its just past Al's house in Nerette, and is a small school for children. Its after school when about 75 children show up, receive some food and learn to become artists. They had the usual paintings like one sees in the streets along with some wood carvings, sand paintings, crocheted clothing~ I figured I would buy one of the childrens' paintings since it is to support the school however the price was a bit out of my budget. They wanted $30 for a small 7x9 painting done by an 11 year old. I saw another larger painting I really liked and it was painted by one of the art teachers, Mike. I was told it was an original painting and was for sale for $800 US. I probably should have bought the small one. (No I didn't buy the big one either). At least not yesterday.
Friday night Fiona and I went to the Press Cafe with a couple of HI friends, Carli and Brooke. We had a pretty good time, music was good and we danced a little. Nice just to get out occasionally.
Last night someone asked us if we had hope for Haiti. Yasmine said it was hard to have hope, because nothing ever changes. However, she said maybe a little bit is tucked away. Magnus, journalist that has been here for a month said in his first 2 weeks here, he couldn't feel hope but the past 2 weeks, as he's met and talked to more people, he is beginning to feel more hopeful. He said the people he has met are trying to make changes happen. I have a sense of hope (most days anyway, or I probably wouldn't be here). The 2 days of manifestations in December, which could have lasted much longer was more like a statement for change. Since then the January 16 run off elections did not take place; there was the announcement that it would be Martelly in the race against Mrs. Manigat rather then Celestin. Jean Claude Duvalier returned after 25 years in exile and February 7 - the day Preval was supposed to leave passed~ all with minimal to no disruption. I have a sense people just want to see a change without constant disruption, without violence. Thats what gives me hope.
Here is an interesting story about a sustainable project in Haiti- another sign of hope.
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/13/comprehensive-development-project-plants-8-million-trees-in-hait/
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