Haiti: Part 2
Day 2
The first night wasn't too eventful. One member of the team woke up with a frog on her face, but other than that there was nothing too crazy.
Although I suppose if you were to consider carrying children as physical labor, then yes, I did quite a bit of physical labor. The kids were just like any other kids, they wanted someone to play with them. They wanted to hold your hand, to braid your hair. They wanted you to carry them, to give them piggy-back rides. They wanted attention and contact, something I was able to provide for them in the moment.
That’s what I’ve learned to love about laughter and even a simple smile─they’re both universal. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, a smile and a burst of laughter are understood wherever you go.
The first night wasn't too eventful. One member of the team woke up with a frog on her face, but other than that there was nothing too crazy.
Breakfast was served at seven.
The whole team gathered around the long dinner table and sat in expectation. Okay, maybe I was the only one expectantly waiting to see what we would be served. The previous night, we had been served rice and beans. Before coming to Haiti, everyone I spoke with mentioned rice and beans. And after arriving in the country, we were told that the Haitian diet consisted of three main dishes:
1) rice & beans
2) beans & rice
3) rice or beans
Did I forget to mention that I don't like rice and beans?
So I sat there, fingers crossed, hoping and praying that we weren't served rice and beans. Lo and behold, the ladies came with the food and we were served─not rice and beans! Please imagine my excitement.
We were served toast, scrambled eggs (that smelled like Chinese food), and even─wait for it─mangoes and pineapple. If you know me, you know how much I love fruit.
After breakfast, our team set out to pour the first of two cement floors we would complete that week.
I'll be honest, I felt as if I didn't do an ounce of physical labor. I carried a few buckets of water a grand distance of twenty feet (after a Haitian man gestured for me to come and help) but beyond that minuscule task, my muscles didn't contribute much to the project.
Although I suppose if you were to consider carrying children as physical labor, then yes, I did quite a bit of physical labor. The kids were just like any other kids, they wanted someone to play with them. They wanted to hold your hand, to braid your hair. They wanted you to carry them, to give them piggy-back rides. They wanted attention and contact, something I was able to provide for them in the moment.I came to truly understand that morning the truth behind the fact that we were not there to save the day.
It wasn't just our team doing the work. Every able-bodied Haitian, no matter man or woman, worked right alongside us. In all reality, they could've done the whole project themselves.
They worked hard, got down and dirty, and got the job done.
It really hit me that first morning how difficult communication would be throughout the week.
I knew very few words in Creole (besides hello, good morning, and sit), which inevitably made speaking a challenge, but when I smiled, they smiled back. And when they laughed, I laughed with them.That’s what I’ve learned to love about laughter and even a simple smile─they’re both universal. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, a smile and a burst of laughter are understood wherever you go.
[Interested in reading more? Check out the Blog Archive to the right to find links to my other posts.]
Comments
Post a Comment