Another day  off

Well it's back to the old stuff in good ol Port-au-Prince.  The elections took place last week but the results weren't released until last night.  Schools were our all yesterday and today.  Actually yesterday there was no good reason for them to be closed since all was peaceful  at least until the late afternoon.  That's when I was coming home from Heartline where I see the sick babies and mothers on Tuesdays.  Things seemed relatively normal as I was driving home except for the fact that the amount of traffic I found myself in was gradually growing by the minute.  What I had not realized was that "they" whomever they are, had announced that at 6pm there would be an announcement about the results of the election.  So as I drove by the stores that I was supposed to have stopped at to buy the food for our dinner I found them closed or closing as the streets quickly were changing from somewhat full  to full.  

So I gave up the idea of obtaining food but made my goal change to getting home by 6pm so I could get the car in a safe place before the rocks and fire started flying.  

After eating I noticed my neighbor was outside our living room window and calling for me.  We don't see Phillip very often since he's a very famous Haitian Artist and spends much of his time in other countries at shows and sales.  He had just come up the mountain also and said that he had a new phone number and wanted me to have it and wanted me to have his just in case things got dangerous around here.  He had heard rumors that Martali, the famous "Sweet Mickey"Rap star, who was running for president had not placed within the top two vote getters and it was expected that his supporters would try to burn the country down or other idiocy.   

Actually the announcements came much later than what had been expected but was right on with what Phillip had called.  Actually though the only violence happened down town in Port and Petionville.  We did here some of the gunfire that was going on but luckily it never moved up our mountain.  The biggest disturbance of the night was simply a lot of drums from the local voodoo temple that let us know that we were probably not only in a political battle but also a spiritual battle and no! we're not going to debate that one.  

So anyway, it seems that Martali's gangs are still in the streets but to be honest I doubt if this going to go on all that much longer since these guys are going to get tired and they'll simply give it up.  It always happens.  Not that they won't get a new breath of air and start over again sometime when we least expect it but they will take time off to eat.  Another day in the life of a young (200 yo) democracy. 

Now it's time to get back to school and work.

If you're interested in seeing some of the pictures that a friend of ours posted on their website from this morning go to : http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2010/12/haitidelma-758-10-am.html

And so it Goes

John

We have an annual insurance that we have to purchase for each vehicle that we have. Actually we simply view it as more of a tax for driving than anything like insurance. If and when I have had an accident in the past and would report it to the insurance office they were nice enough to look at the damage to my car, told me they would be in contact with me but I never heard from them. I guess I never expected to hear from them. You see, it is simply a tax.

The main problem with this little tax isn't having to pay the tax but rather the time and hassle it takes to get it done. First of all you have to find a place to park and take your papers into the building and give the car ID and old insurance papers to someone there who will then give you a paper in return. It has questions all about the car that is to be filled out by the inspector downstairs.

So the next move is to drive the car into a line and then into the basement of the building that I had just walked out of. After a long wait in line you (I) was to raise the hood so the workers filled out the papers with all the numbers, colors, license plate numbers, and number of rocks in the tire tread. Finally after this fun was completed you again try to find a parking place and take the "golden" paper into the building and wait the decision to see if we would be allowed to pay the costs. In my case they came out and advised me that the color was wrong. How could the color be wrong? Their own inspectors filled it out! They pointed out that the color written on the paper was beige. Well that is the color of the car! No, it's Champagne. For cryin stinkin out loud! So I again went downstairs and luckily the inspector wasn't at lunch so he changed the color to Champagne and all was now legal.

I did go in for the inspection a couple years ago and since the engine had a little dirt on it's numbers the inspector took this dirty, ugly rag from the ground and proceeded to dip it in my brake fluid well so he could wipe the mud off. I wanted to kill him. (This is my Christian missionary side coming out at this time. Actually the Christian part was that I didn't.

And so, after this fun I waited about 45 more minutes and paid about $150 to people who never had the right change and left. End of story. There are just days like this.

I know, it's my fault. I chose to live here.

And so it goes.

Instead of Bringing Down the Prices
They Brought Down the Prime Minister

Well, it has been a fun week! We spent most of it inside our house since it was too dangerous to get out and run around. School was canceled for the week and I went ahead and gave into the obvious and canceled the Thursday clinic.

One thing that made it particularly difficult for us was that we had visitors. Jessica's friend from South Carolina was here. They spent most of their week watching DVDs of Gilmore Girls. Now wouldn't you like to take your spring break and fly to the Caribbean and watch old videos? Also Jess, a young teacher from Michigan who used to teach at Quisqueya was in town and was stuck in another home where we couldn't get to visit with her. Anyway, on Friday we did get out and went to see Jess,who had been sick all week. I guess if you're going to be closed up in a home for a week you may as well be sick.

So both the visitors are now gone. The looting, rock throwing, tire burning, and demonstrations are now history. Of course the prices are still going to be too high for most Haitians to purchase food for their family but they have the satisfaction of knowing that their mass destruction has led to a change in the government. It seems that those who were protesting agreed to stop if the Prime Minister was fired. So it happened. One more out of a job and a population who still can't eat. Sounds normal to me!

And so it goes!

John