Christmas Eve

The eve of Team Portland...kind of feels like Christmas for me. I'll pick up the first 12 at 10:30 and 3 more at noon with all the luggage, bags, bins- 31 pieces =1550 pounds of donated supplies plus all of their own personal luggage. It always amazes me to see that much stuff in one place...I'll take pictures for sure.

Stephania - the UN worker living next door to me returned from a visit home to Italy this afternoon. She will have a bit of surprise when the team arrives. Good thing she is cheerfully having a reunion with friends tonight. She won't be so cheerful tomorrow night from past experience. ;-)

The staff has been cheerfully preparing for my team- excited for me to have them here. It is very touching. They all want to make such a good impression.

It was quite pleasantly warm today and a good day to drive to Fermathe. Its cooler up the mountain of course. Joel and I delivered the invitation to Wings of Hope, then stopped at several places for me...Mission Baptiste for some home made raisen bread and carrot bread. They didn't have any peanutbrittle unfortunately. Maybe Friday when I send some team members up to Wings of Hope to work. It is a delicious treat. I broke down and bought some black berries from a tiny wizened old woman as well so may have them for breakfast. She is always outside the bakery selling her berries.

Coming back down we stopped at a pharmacy so I could get more chloroquine tablets. It was way easier that going to Fred Meyer- in about 5 minutes I paid 200 gourdes (5.00 for 48 tabs.) took my little packet of pills and left. Next stop the Caribbean Market on Delmas 95. I was told I could find about anything I wanted there. I found diet coke and a few other items for team but forgot to look for corn tortilla shells. They have all other ingredients for tacos so one day I'll be making those. I'll go back again.

My last errand was to find scales but I forgot that it was on my list. It will be added to the to do list again.

The woman fed me well tonight..goat, creamed spinich, fresh vegetables, rice/ beans. fresh juice and desert. Too much food but delicious.

After dinner, I sat out by the pool for an hour waiting for it to be dark- it is staying light longer. When I first arrived here in January it was very dark by 6 pm. Tonight it was 6:30. I watched the bats swoop down and get bugs off the water. You can't look for them but focus out towards the sky and catch them in peripheral vision. The make a little a little splash on the water. I know, I am easily entertained with bats and geckos eating bugs.

I watched the stars come out as well- a beautiful night sky. I was beginning to think none of the neighbors were home because no lights came on in the apartment as it became darker but then they began coming on one room at a time. I'll have to look up southern constellations -its certain I'm not seeing the North start so bright above me.

Someone asked me what my top 10 annoyances were so far...roosters or the makak (monkey) birds? The birds are large like crows or black birds and very loud - they sound like monkeys in the trees. I named them makaks because no one I asked had a name for them. Neither would make my list.

Probably because I don't have one yet. (sleeplessness would be number one now that I think of it.)

I think not having hot water is a bit of annoyance but apparently not severe or I would go upstairs and shower. The cat fights are startling but rare. Mangos fall from the trees making a large bang on the roof or

thump on the ground- that might be annoying if one hit me.

Big bugs in my room make the list for sure.

So 5 weeks into my stay I have 2 things on my list. Lack of sleep and big bugs.