Rumours and Cholera

A man holds his own IV bag outside of an overcrowded clinic
-Photo from CBC.ca

For a two days now, the death toll has been relatively stable at around 300 with well over 4,000 infections. It seems that Haiti has been given a little bit of time (or breathing space) to prepare for what the experts are predicting will be a large second wave. Actions on the ground have been frantic - NGOs have leapt into action setting up medical sites, the government has been pushing public messages out to radio, and the UN agencies have attempted to consolidate needs lists to appeal to international donors.

All the while Haitians are legitimately wondering where the cholera came from - after all, this is an island that hasn't had a case in over 200 years (or maybe ever). So eyes are turning to the foreigners. And who is easier to blame than those who are resented by many Haitians? The Peacekeepers. The current rumour spreading is that Nepalese troops must have brought the bacteria, based on the logic that they are stationed near the outbreak area.... and the fact that their country occasionally has cases of cholera. One of my drivers, who a few days ago surely had never heard of the country of Nepal, is now an expert on the country's previous cholera epidemics.

The worst part about the rumour is it can't be completely ruled out since there isn't a better (or more popular) theory right now. If it proves to be true, it will be another paragraph in multichapter tomb on foreign-caused problems in Haiti.

For now the country is coping with the outbreak. Though the cholera will almost certainly breach Port au Prince in the coming days, the health and sanitation (government and non-government) agencies are preparing quickly to lessen the effects. With a quick mobilization, the epidemic will hopefully end after a couple of months. But long after the NGO emergency tents are taken down, the bacteria will remain lurking on the island for generations.

Silence explained

Over the last few weeks, I finished my internship, interviewed with more organizations, and finally accepted a job offer. Then we went on R&R to NY and DC for a few days. Our flight back was delayed a day so on the morning we got back we pulled two clean shirts out of our suitcase at the airport, were picked up by our organizations and went straight to work. I started a new job, Graham went back to juggling three different projects, and then out of nowhere we received news of a cholera outbreak. Yes, Cholera, as in the Gabriel Garcia Marquez book. According to the last Ministry of Heath update, 200 people have died and more than 2600 cases have been reported.

You can read more here

at the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/americas/24haiti.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

at Al Jazeera

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/10/201010238172616899.html

and at BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11614639

Thank you all for your messages. We are both fine. Our organizations have taken extra precautions as we try to help contain the outbreak so that it doesn't reach the 1.5 million IDPs living in tents since the earthquake. We are scared by how fast it is spreading but truly impressed by the NGOs response. Let's hope it can be contained.

Pink is for girls...

Conversations with my male co-workers

Stuck in traffic- talking to the driver

-In Colombia do girls wear pants?

Me: Yes, why?

-Because under the good governments in Haiti women had to dress well

Me: You mean they had to wear skirts? By law?

-Yes, there was a type of police that would make sure women didn’t wear pants

Me: That’s crazy. What’s wrong with wearing pants?

-Well, it must get really hot when they wear such clothes ~as he points to a girl on the street wearing tight jeans-

At the bakery buying birthday sweets for a male co-worker

Me: Let’s get chocolate cake!

-Tania, chocolate cakes are for girls

Me: Really? What do men like?

-They like square cakes, and they have to be simple

On cooking

Me: Is it true that Haitians eat cats?

-Yes, some people do.

Me: Have you eaten cats?

-Yes, sometimes when I drink with my friends. It’s really good

Me: How do you cook them?

-Cooking them? I don’t know. I don’t know how to cook anything. But once last year I made coffee.

Fragility tested

A girl ties her hair next to her tent after it fell down due to heavy rain at a camp
for earthquake survivors in Port-au-Prince, Haiti - AP

The hurricane season has been an active one this year and yet Haiti continues to be spared. NGOs have assisted the government in setting up 48 hour warning systems by SMS and radio. Plans have been drawn up to attempt to evacuate certain areas if necessary.

Unfortunately, the unusual storm that hit Port au Prince Friday night was not a hurricane and came with no warning. At about 4pm, dark clouds descended on the city and within a matter of minutes tornado-like winds and heavy rains were lashing the fragile city. Trees toppled, streets flooded and the several camps were shredded.

The residual shock from the earthquake was evident: people panicked. Reports said people started running through the streets. Traffic came to a gridlock. The Haitian staff members of Tania’s organization were visibly frightened – for themselves in the warehouse and for friends and family that might be outside. In my building, we had to secure all the shutters except for one where we helplessly looked up on the flapping tarps of one of the precarious mountainside camps above Petionville.

International estimates say that over 5,000 tents were either damaged or destroyed. Power lines went down all over the city, forcing the utility to shut off electricity. Many of those most affected by the winds and the rain were forced to spend the night in the dark. In the end, five people are said to have lost their lives.

All this was created with winds of up to 100km/h – definitely a violent storm, but far less than a hurricane would generate. This is our first glimpse of what another natural disaster could do to this structurally and psychologically fragile area. Despite the construction of temporary shelters, early warning systems, and better storm drainage it is difficult to imagine how the over 1M still living in tents would be sufficiently protected.

Erase una vez...

Once upon a time in a land full of mangoes, SUVs, potholes and enchanted waterfalls, there lived a boy and a girl lost in the kingdom of NGOs and development aid...

He wore Italian jackets and fancy shoes to work. He spent his days having meetings with Ministers and deputies, high representatives, Commissioners, NGO directors and one or two famous people. His week included business lunches, and conferences at sophisticated conference rooms where diplomats and international aid decision makers used fancy translation devices much like the ones we see in movies that show the United Nations- whether the actual UN headquarters actually have them, he did not know...

She did her paperwork at a dusty office. Her work involved visiting sites and thus entailed spending countless hours under the sweltering sun of the Caribbean trying to convey logistics procedures to the locals in tongues she could not speak. Alas she did not have fancy translations booths that could rescue her (but she is not bitter). She often resorted to drawings and hand gestures instead. She wore logo-ed t-shirts and baseball hats that every day collected almost as much dust as her old Bologna apartment....almost. Her lunch came in styrofoam and was purchased on the side of the road.

Will they get tired of eating mangos and avocados? Will she finally find gainful employment? Will he get another haircut from the local barber? Will she lose some pounds
on her gelato-less dietary regime or gain some because of her repeated consumption of du riz avec poids?

Stay tuned for the next episode....

Haitian Barbers: It’s all in the edging

Some barber shops fare better than others

It seems colourful barber shops pop out at you from every street in Port-au-Prince. With a low start up cost, constant demand and little training involved, it’s a very popular business to run. But as in any business, many simply don't cut it (excuse the pun) and fall into disrepair. The question is how to make your barber shop stand out amongst the rest? After all, virtually all Haitian men get the same buzz cut from an electric clipper. No price wars either – it seems to be a standard 70 gds (about $1.80). The skill, it turns out, is not in the scissors (or the clipper), but in the razor. Neat and crisp lines are paramount –it’s really all in the edging.

No need to look elsewhere for a haircut
and t-shirt printing combination

A few weeks ago I decided to try my local barber (which, like every “local” barber is no less than 50 meters away from any given house). This is an adventure rarely braved by foreigners who chose to get haircuts while on vacation in Santo Domingo or Miami (“at least they’re used to straight hair”, says a colleague). But as a reckless risk-taker in matters of appearance and grooming, I decided I would try my luck anyway. I entered the hot little cement room and expectedly got a surprised stare from the man sitting inside. I politely said I would like a haircut in my best Creole (backed up by a gesture of my index and middle fingers chopping away at my head).  He then shouted something and a few moments later “Carli” came in towards me with the look of a rarely used pinch hitter sizing up an unknown pitcher. It seemed I was a special case after all. Skipping the small-talk, we went straight to the strategy. I gestured to him a shortish length on the side, and a little longer up top. Other than that, I said he could do what he liked – after all, he’s the pro. Carli nodded and got to work.

Carli and the shop

He started by running the clipper over the back of my head. His strokes quickly gained speed and he began to furiously whittle down my hair. He moved from the back, to the sides, and back again – misting tiny bits of hair down onto my stylish nylon bib (I couldn’t help but notice the odd tinge of grey that seems to be in the mix these days).  And so the clipping went on – for 10, 20, 30 minutes –buzzing around and around my scalp with the air of an unsatisfied artist. As sweat beaded on my forehead, I began to wonder if the unbelievably cheap price painted on the wall behind me was in fact being charged per minute. I attempted to read it, but the faded mirror failed my straining eyes.  

Finally, the machine stopped. My scalp, and the hairs that had been spared, were relieved. Carli then reached for a new razor blade to put on the final touches. I briefly considered stopping the man, but I thought it unwise to opt-out of the raison-d’être of the whole experience. So Carli then spent another quarter of an hour cutting a crisp line as the border of my hair and dabbing me with cotton soaked alcohol.

My razor edges - with the tan
lines to prove it

Almost an hour after he started, Carli flashed a huge smile to show that his masterpiece was complete. I thanked him and paid the 70 gourds (it turned out it was a flat fee). I then happily emerged into the sunlight of the street drenched in sweat, but with an immaculately even, expertly edged marine buzz cut. Close enough to what I wanted, I suppose. And well worth the experience!

You're in our thoughts...

Today we learned that four of Graham's Bologna classmates were involved in a car accident in DC. An intoxicated driver crashed her car into the two girls as they were waiting to cross the street at an intersection. Both of them sustained very serious injuries, and one is still in critical condition. Luckily the two guys were not injured.

Our thoughts are with Melissa, Julia, Teddy and Moran in this difficult moment. May family and friends bring you strength, comfort, and support to fully recover and get well soon.

With much love, all the way from the Caribbean,

G&T

Nou Jacmel...

Last month we visited Jacmel, one of the most tourist visited cities in Haiti. Since I work on Saturdays we were only able to leave in the afternoon, and knowing Port-au-Prince traffic, especially on the weekends, it was anybody's guess how long the drive was going to take. 

Our friend Ian had looked it up on google maps: 1 hour and 26 minutes! he said. Having had a couple of misleading driving times in Colombia, Graham and I calculated it would be 2-3 times as long. Boy were we wrong. The traffic was so much worse than expected. It took 6 hours but it felt like much longer. The good thing is that it provided us with the opportunity to see parts of the city we hadn't visited before.

As we sat in traffic, we passed endless markets that brought a relief of colour to the otherwise bleak environment of garbage and rubble. 

Once we neared the edge of the city, we also saw  UN presence. We expect to see more of this as we near the elections in November.

   

Once out in the countryside, the drive to Jacmel is absolutely beautiful. You have to go over the mountains that separate the north coast from the Caribbean, and it makes for wonderful views on both sides. The road is not in such a bad shape compared to the streets we take everyday to go to work. And a very good driver made it very comfortable.

Graham had made a reservation online at what he thought was a nice hotel. It ended up being a classic Jacmel house, truly representative of the architecture and details that made this city famous in the Caribbean. It was built towards the end of the 19th century, and although it suffered some damage after the earthquake, it was repaired and reopened a few months ago.

The style resembles that of the French quarter in New Orleans, with adorned balconies in every room, rooms that open onto another room, courtyards, more balconies and beautifully decorated bathrooms. There was Haitian art in every wall, and 19th century furniture carefully restored and well-kept. We slept in four post beds with giant mosquito nets, and our balcony looked over a quiet street from where we could see the neighbours gardens and shaded patios.

The restaurant of Hotel La Florita where we enjoyed some of the best coffee we have had in the country

The next morning we learned that Jacmel has been a famous destination dating back to the early 1800s. Their most famous visitor of that era was none other than Simon Bolivar. Even though it was hot and we were looking forward to enjoying the beach, we walked around the historic quarter looking for the house where he stayed at. It turns out there isn't much to see at the site except for a plaque that indicates Bolivar's place of residence during his visit. There, in 1818, the leaders of Haiti allowed him to stay and plan the triumphant revolution against the Spaniards, provided that upon winning he would abolish slavery throughout the Americas.

Though it bears the scars of decades of neglect and the recent earthquake,
the town still retains a certain vibrancy of its past.

We walked around a bit more, and visited the main plaza, and a few of the sites. Soon it was too hot to not be at the beach so we packed up and drove for 10 minutes.... and then cut to one of those scenes you see in postcards and travel brochures. A nice, clean, quiet and almost empty beach....bliss! 

Thanks to our travel companions, Stacey and Ian, for waiting until I finished work, providing snacks for the trip, bringing Ipods full of worldly music and one or two Spanish lessons, buying and wearing ridiculous sombreros and being fantastic Simon Bolivar house hunters.  We miss you guys!

 For an interesting stories on Jacmel and post-earthquake projects going on, check out the Project Jacmel blog with the Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/project-jacmel/

You smile, he smiles, they smile, and I ….don’t sleep

It all started on Monday night. I wanted to get at least 7 hours of sleep so I went to bed at 10.30pm. The music outside our window was a bit louder than usual. You see, we live close to what looks like a shack with a small stereo and some really really big speakers. We are not really sure if there is space for dancing, and it’s possible they don’t even sell alcohol. They just play music, mostly loud music. Though it can get a bit noisy on the weekends, it’s never kept me awake. My 50 or so roommates over the past 10 years can attest to the fact that I sleep through anything: music, lights, dancing all around me…when I’m tired I sleep whenever, wherever. On Monday night that was not the case.

Ti Sourit on the dark streets of Petion-ville

An hour after we went to bed, whistles and loud cheering woke me up. The music had gotten louder, and it was now coming from more than one source. To make things even worse our nice and quiet fan had stopped working and there was no AC. So there we were... 1am, it was extremely hot, I had to get up in 4 hours, and the music just wouldn’t stop. Finally we decided to bring in a really old and loud fan into our room to cool us down, but mostly to drawn out the music. It kind of worked and we were able to get some sleep.

The next morning Graham asked the house staff about the noise. Was it a party? Or a soccer game perhaps? "Championat" -a championship! They said. We figured they were having a soccer tournament and the previous night had been the final game.

Alas, when we got back from dinner last night a big crowd had once again transformed the street into a soccer field. Obviously the car could not get through so we got off and walked. Graham’s bodyguard was unimpressed. However, instead of having to avoid being hit by a soccer ball we found ourselves surrounded by a happy crowd that was just hanging out and dancing. Apparently much more than a football championship has been keeping awake us this week. We now know this kind of street party is called "Ti Sourit" translated as "little smile" or "you smile" or "everybody smiles" according to my co-workers. It is an end of summer celebration, an invitation to do whatever you want on the street. There’s drinking and partying but mostly dancing and playing soccer all in the same space (!)

I have been told it will last all week. If only we could remember where we packed the earplugs….

(by Tania)

Sweet Mickey – the other Haitian singer who wants to become President

Late last Friday, the electoral commission finally the delivered the news that everybody was expecting: Wyclef Jean, the presidential front-runner, would not be participating in the November election because he had not fulfilled the constitutional requirement of living in Haiti for the last five years. Wyclef’s supporters have behaved rather well since the disappointing announcement, but they are not expected to give up the fight to get their candidate back on the list.

In fact, it turns out that Haitians seem to be particularly fond of supporting politicians who are barred from running for office.

Graffiti reads "Have a good trip home Jean-Claude Duvalier"

“The old support the Duvalier regimes and the young support Aristide” said my driver yesterday in a matter-of-fact voice.  Though this is a bit of a simplification, it is true that these figures still loom large over politics today. But of course nobody can cast a ballot in their favour.

The result seems to be that the vast majority simply don’t vote. Time and time again Tania and I have asked our Haitian friends and colleagues whether they are planning to vote. It’s as if we’re challenging them to walk to the other side of the island – they give you a perplexed and painful look. Jean-Pierre, a supervisor for the Cash-for-Work program at Tania's NGO said, “I’ve never voted because it may be dangerous to vote. Also, why would I stay outside in long lines under the sun?” Others we talked to just conclude that their vote makes no difference, whether it be because the election could be rigged, or because all presidents do the same thing: push the country further back in time.

Though Haitians will continue to pine for past dictators and disqualified hip-hop artists, they are now also beginning to look through 19 candidates who they will actually have the chance to elect. The most entertaining figure of this bunch is undoubtedly the other singer-turned-politician, Michael Martely, better known as “Sweet Mickey”.

Martely is considered a pioneer of Haitian kompa music, which began as a fusion of Afrolatin Jazz and African folklore rhythms. Apparently, his performances were full of obscenities and social political satire which used to cause quite a stir. His career began with the hit single “Pa Manyen” (Don’t Touch) in 1989 (see video) and he went on to churn out a new album almost every year during the 90s. Running out of steam, he settled to Florida in 2006 with his wife and their four children. It’s still not very clear why he wasn't restricted by the residency requirement that ousted Wyclef. It seems like the Hip Hop Fugee-Gangster was outmaouvered by the self proclaimed “Bad Boy President of Kompas.”

Nobody really thinks he has a chance at the presidency, but for the millions of Haitians who have nothing good to say about politics, at least “President Sweet Mickey” might give them something to smile about.... temporarily.