Random Thoughts from India

This part of the country is flat F-L-A-T--flat! And I am from Saskatchewan, so I know flat. I mean this is watch-your-goat-run-away-for-6-days-standing-on-a-chapati flat! I can't imagine where the water goes when it rains. It must go into the soil. If you were to put the proper slope on an average sized parking lot here, the center would be the tallest hill for miles. I guess it makes it easy to make rice patties and there is no shortage of those.

Hair. These people know how to grow hair: long, thick, shiny, black hair--and not just the women! The men all have perfectly quaffed, Elvis-sized, thick, black hair. It is like there is some naturally occurring Minoxidil in the water. And it is not just that they all have a lot of it. Their hair is always clean and shiny and never seems to move in the wind. Maybe it is so thick that there is nowhere for it to move. I, on the other hand, had an emergency haircut 10 minutes before leaving for the airport, and it is the best thing that I could have done. (Thank you, thank you, thank you to my daughter for that!) Even with all my hair only 3/8 of an inch long, I somehow still manage to look like I have just been drug through a hedge backwards.

Sari's in the surf. It seems that bathing suits have not made it to southern India. We stopped at the beach where three seas meet. The sand part of the beach was very small and packed with people. Most were wading in the water, some swimming, but I was the only guy in a bathing suit. The women were in their saris, and the men were in pants or shorts. I am glad I didn’t bring my Speedo! The crowd seemed to part as I walked through, and there was no problem finding space to swim. They were all very polite, but you might have thought Moby Dick had just washed ashore with the stares I got. I would have been less conspicuous in a sari, I think.

Chipmunks! Yes, there are chipmunks in India! I guess there is no good reason that there shouldn’t be, but I was quite startled to see a couple of chipmunks running along the wall in front of my window this morning. I wonder what Alvin would sound like with an Indian accent?

St. Luke's

St. Luke’s is so much more than a leprosarium. They have adopted a much more holistic approach to the problem of leprosy. Curing leprosy is a simple matter of the right antibiotics; changing the root cause and the social attitudes around leprosy is a whole other issue. I am not sure how many people in North America realize that leprosy is still a problem in the world. India is by far the world hot spot for new leprosy cases, accounting for about 75% of new cases globally. Fortunately the number of new cases is dropping, but even if there were no more new cases starting today, we still have a 50 year problem.



Early detection is since the bacteria that causes leprosy can be completely wiped out with cheap antibiotics, but the problem is the social stigma. People, especially women, tend not to act quickly because lepers are still shunned from their community. Once the bacteria advances to the stage of damaging nerves, the condition can be halted, but the nerve damage cannot be reversed.


Many of the people I met at St. Luke’s have been there for many years. Damaged limbs prevent them from regular employment, and the community is not welcoming toward them should they try to return to their home village. St. Luke’s retains them and gives them meaning and purpose in their lives. Depending on the degree of damage they have some can work in the fields or do handicrafts. One man is making candles. Others help to care for their fellow patients less fortunate than themselves.




In addition to helping patients suffering from leprosy, St. Luke’s works with the children of patients providing schooling and a home to live in. There are agricultural training programs for these children that include gardening, goat farming, and pig farming. Education of the community is key to integrating people back into society, and although this is a slow process, St. Luke’s is working hard to bring this about. Although I am sure that leprosy will be eradicated from the earth at some point, I also predict it will be long after the roof we are building crumbles. My thanks to the staff of St. Luke’s for their dedication to helping our brothers and sisters in a time of need. When you do this for the least of these...

South India Spa & Weight Loss Program

If you are looking for a great way to tone up and lose a few extra pounds, try a trip to South India in April. The program starts as you leave the plane. You can feel the fat melt away in the +40 degree heat. As a matter of fact, it's not just the fat--you melt! You receive plenty of encouragement from all around as you struggle to retrieve your bags from the one small luggage belt carrying everyone's bags from both flights that have just arrived. This becomes your first cardiac workout. The drive to your final destination is a great core workout. It is far too hot to sit back in your seat, so you try to remain upright as your driver navigates the very busy, ever-changing roads. Three hours later you will be 3 pounds lighter, more fit, and have no appetite because of the heat. Only 4 more days to go! This is just what I needed to break that fitness plateau I have been on for the last 6 weeks!

In all seriousness, I was very warmly received (pun intended) by the staff at St. Luke’s Leprosy Colony! I am impressed with the level of organization, professionalism, and care the patients are receiving. There are more than 150 people under care here, and many have been here for more than 20 years. The buildings are aging; many were built in stages as funds were available. Three of the buildings have metal roofs that were supposed to be temporary many years ago! Granted, this is the hottest time of the year, but being under a tin roof at 42 degree C is unbelievable! I can feel the heat radiating down from the roof like an infrared heater. I wish I brought an IR heat tester with me. Or maybe I don’t want to know the surface temperature! We are proposing to replace one roof, and there is a German NGO that will be doing a second roof, but there is still one to go!

This group is well organized and accustomed to doing projects with NGOs and individuals, so I am confident that this project will go smoothly. Reporting is possible because they have internet on campus--not just internet, I was informed, but fast internet! Sure enough, there is one computer connected to the internet at a blistering 10Mb! It reminds me of my office in Ag Mech when I started.

I have not done much to earn my keep yet, but this morning I looked at the playground equipment outside my window to see one broken swing. I knew I brought my Leatherman for something. I found some wire in the ditch (don’t ask) and wired up the swing. I took it for a spin to test the repair. If it holds me, it will hold an entire class of these young kids. I hope that will not be the sum total of my contribution from this trip. Oh yes, I have also donated quite a bit of blood to the local night creatures.

It All Computes! - April 18

It was great to see Grace and the CCIT again today! The place was as clean as a whistle, as always, and Grace was welcoming, as always. It was good to hear the students working hard. They ARE dedication! Some of the students are nearing completion of their course ahead of schedule--a feat even more remarkable considering all the power failures the area has had. You learn to save and save often!

Grace will be moving her computer training skills to a new home under a new name to better serve the needs of the people of the Champai area. I am very excited for her! This will become a true family business as more of her family members graduate. Some will come back to work with her and help her build the business. Grace is always helping someone in her extended family; it will be good for her to get some help back. This is a great example of the sense of comunity that is so common here. I keep learning from Grace and others like her as I travel around the world. I wish Grace the best of luck in her new adventure, and if there are any unused laptops out there, I know where they could find a home...

You can't believe the difference an education makes in a place like this. Too often we take our education for granted in Canada. An education does not guarantee you an easy life here, but having no education guarantees you a hard life! The students thank all of you in Canada who sponsored their tuition. I assure you that you have made a huge difference!

Trigger

It was a busy day yesterday: lots to take in, lots to deal with. I went to sleep at about 10:30 mostly due to exhaustion--a good exhaustion--but that was not to last. By 3:30 a.m., my mind was wide awake, processing, not interested in sleep. This is not new for me. It happens often. I can only take in so much before I have to stop and think about it. I am great in a crisis. I forge ahead, directing others, solving problems, always walking out of the smoke. Then, some time later, I deal with what I have been through. Life has been busy lately, with Haiti thrown in just in case I dared to think that I might get my head above water, and I know I have a backlog of “stuff” to process. It is great to have 4 solid hours of think-time this morning, but why now? What triggered the need to process this morning? Children singing. The universal language of music.

Yesterday we went to an orphanage where 4 of the students we sponsored come from. Dr. Ray wanted to check out some of the local orphanages anyway, so we killed two birds with one stone. They have 99 orphans here from age 2 to age 17, both boys and girls. They had very little warning that we were coming but warmly received us and gave us a tour. I am not the kind that loves to hold the kids and play ball with them. My strength is more in evaluating buildings, drainage, security and so on. That is pretty much what I did--asked about the agriculture they teach, looked at the mulberry seed harvesting they do, stuff like that--while Dr. Ray talked to the house mother and the kids.

All the kids assembled in the chapel to hear a message from us, and I took the opportunity to meet with the boys taking classes from Grace at CCIT and talk with them a bit. We took a picture (note: they are smiling this time!) and then we went inside. There were opening remarks; Dr. Ray gave a motivational speech about education, caring, and community; and then the children sang for us. Not just Mary had a little lamb, no! They sang hymns in three part harmony. They did not just sing out of duty; they sang with joy and heart. They smiled. They beamed. Music is a part of this community, and it is alanguage that we all understand. I stopped thinking about the construction techniques of the chapel, of the politics of helping, of the flight we might not catch because of the rain. I stopped thinking about it all and was simply inspired.

It was the voices of the children that triggered my minded this morning, their voices focussing me on what needs to be done and reminding me why I am here, why this matters. Their voices are helping me process all that I have experienced, put it into perspective and carry on. Thank you, and keep singing!

Clinic to the Stars - April 17

Sorry...That should have been "Clinic Under the Stars." The power is a bit flaky here! I have just returned from the new Zowkathar clinic building, and it is a thing of beauty if I do say so myself. No Kappa says it is the nicest building in town, and I have to agree with him. Although the official opening will be in January, The community will start to "test drive" it next week, I suspect. The current clinic is a small, 2-room, wooden building; the new clinic is 9 rooms and made of concrete, brick and tin--a big improvement!

Many people have worked hard to make this happen, and many dollars have been raised abroad. Medical Mercy Canada has worked with their sister organizations in India and A Better World has worked in Canada. Ultimately, it is the local people who will run the clinic with guidance and financial support from MMC. There is no shortage of need in the area, that is for sure! This has been a great example of a collaboration that has worked.

There are always technical issues with a new building--that is why I am here--but sometimes the issues are bigger than expected. When we started this project, the town was to supply water, but, since then, the town demand for water has outstripped the supply. There has been a draught, and the amount of developement in the area makes this place look like a boom town. Be that as it may, we still need water. We have looked at a number of options including pumping from the river, storing rain water, and having water trucked in. The cheap farmer in me is thrilled that we now have a composite solution that will meet the immediate needs of the clinic, at least.

I met the new doctor at the old clinic I suspect he is anxous to move into the new digs! He will be living in the clinic until a house can be built. He should feel lucky. If I had this building in Haiti, I would have 20 families living in it! Now matter how bad off you are, there is always someone else worse off! The same holds true in the other direction: no matter how well off you are, there is always someone with more. Perhaps we should learn to be content with what we have? But, I digress. The people of Zowkathar will be very happy with their new clinic, and if you had something to do with making this happen, pat yourself on the back. Good job!

On a completely unrelated note, every trip seems to have a first of some sort. This trip is no exception: I saw my first pineapple growing! It would be a fun exercise to list everything you have ever eaten then see how many of those items you have touched while they were alive.

Unplugged, But Not By Choice - April 17

I am unplugged again, but it is different this time. I didn’t plan this, for starters! I can usually count on getting internet at certain spots along my route, but this time it has not happened. The hotel was full; we did not stop at CCIT in Champai; and there is not even cell phone out here in Zohkathar! I am still writing when I have a minute (usually early in the morning when I can’t sleep), but I feel more cut off this trip than ever before. I am safe, healthy, happy, but cut off. I did a week unplugged before without trouble, so what is the difference now?

Expectation, is all. This morning I was up with the first light of dawn. I am staying in a very nice guest house overlooking the Burma boarder. Again, it was very quiet. Again, it was the voices in my head that pulled me from my sleep. But today I looked out at those on the receiving end of the racial rant. As I worried about being disconnected from my family and friends, I looked down at a Burmese family on the India side of the river--truly unplugged, disconnected. Unplugged not just from technology but from their homeland, their family, and their culture. Children who will not see their parents birthplace, children who will be judged by their name first and their actions second, children who will have to create a new culture with elements from their past and present.

I have yet to make the trip from Aizawl to Zowkathar without our driver stopping somewhere to drop off a letter or a package along the way. It just seems to be a community service the driver provides. Although I am unplugged, this blog is getting to you because of a network of friends: a driver willing to drop off a memory stick with Grace at CCIT; Grace willing to download and email this it my editor, Crystal; and Crystal willing to work her magic and mount this for the rest of my family and friends to see. As long as I have friends, I will never be completely unplugged.

Aizawl Again - April 16th

The silence is deafening! It is sometime in the early morning, and the power in out. No fan, no lights. Even the birds and bugs are unplugged. My internal clock is shot, and I never really had the chance to reset my mind after Haiti so here I lay with a thousand voices screaming in my head and no sound to drown them out. This is not the time or place to deal with Haiti, so I will occupy my mind with more immediate and familiar issues.

Getting to Aizawl, again, is never an easy task. The worst part is that you can only fly there from Kolkata, and that means spending a night in Kolkata. This time around, however, the experience was comparatively good! It was 43 degrees when we arrived, but there was a room at the airport and the air conditioner worked. I even got water to come from the shower head! We managed to board the aircraft to Aizawl with a set of badly distorted permit papers. Photocopiers these days!

Rama met us with a truck, and off we went to find all the hotels full. This sounds familiar, eh? The very helpful young lady at David’s Kitchen hotel took a while to recognize me without the beard, but, when she did, she gave me that familiar big smile and said I looked 10 years younger, very good. I figure any time you are told you look very good after 40 hours of flying, it is a banner day. We spent the night in a very nice, private residence. I look at Aizawl differently after having been to Haiti. I love Aizawl--one of the last places that really took my breath away--but in the light of my earthquake experience, I feel less comfortable here now.

The voices screaming in my head are not the voices of earthquake survivors but the voices of average people all over the world screaming at each other. I have had too many conversations lately about how this group of people are bad or how that group of people needs to go away. I am uncomfortable with prejudice, although we all possess it to some degree. People should be judged on their actions, not the color of their skin, the spelling of their last name, or the church they attend or don’t attend. We are all different, but we are all together on one very small rock that is getting much smaller! Within any group, there are people who want to make a positive difference. Those are the people I want to work with; those are the people I want to support.

It's an Icelandic/Germanic/Indian Birthday

This is the oddest birthday I have had, that is for sure. It started flying over Iceland and carried right on through to Kolkata, India. For many years, Donna would make me an angelfood cake (yes, I get the irony) with whipped cream and frozen blueberries for my birthday. Often, my Aunt Winnie would follow this with another angelfood cake with high-quality vanilla icecream and a great cup of coffee. This year everything seems to have changed. I got a McDonald's egg McMuffin and chased it with a German beer; you make do with what you have!

This should be the time of my life when I am wrapping things up, shutting things down, looking to retirement, and I do think like that sometimes but not often. I have learned too much the last few years--mostly that I know nothing and that there is so much I want to learn. I don't mean book learn or letters-behind-my-name learn; I mean the type of learning that comes from experiencing. And I want to share that learning and lead the experience for others. I want to open my mind and open others near me.

Last year at this time, I was in the middle of a cancer scare. Shortly after my birthday, while I was on top of a mountain in Bolivia viewing ancient Incan ruins, I learned the good news that I did not have cancer. I had the mental flow chart ready for the other answer--plan A,B,C,D and E--but it turned out I got to pick the first box that said,"If no, exit flowchart."

I have no idea what this next year holds for me other than being sure it will not go the way I plan. I do know that I will continue to attempt to do what is just; I will work at loving constantly; and, I promise, I will try harder to live humbly.

No Rest for the Wicked

I can't believe I have been back from Haiti for 6 days already, and tomorrow I leave for India! Some mornings I am not sure if I can use the tap water to brush my teeth; I have to stop and think of what country I am in first. Although life is a blur for me these days, there are some recurring themes that pop up regardless of where I lay my head:

Be thankful for what you have! The people of Thor's camp reinforced for me the idea that we are better off to be thankful for what we have than to complain about the things we don't have--a lesson I need to remember, especially coming from a country with so much. Don't stop trying to improve your lot in life, but make sure that which you seek will truly bring improvement. Spend more time reflecting on what you have.

Be thankful for who you have! It is the people in your life and the community you create that will be there for you when you need help. There is a great Haitian proverb that, translated loosely, says, "cooked food has no master." The evidence of community in Haiti is overwhelming, and I am jealous of them. Not everyone in the camp are best friends, but when one family gets food, everyone eats. The knowledge that they are stronger together than they are apart is something that they live by but that we too often forget. And now I am off to India--again to a community that truly believes that together they are stronger than they are apart.

Be thankful for the time you have! Life is short; it can be very short. Working in disaster zones makes you value life and the short time we have on this earth. I have often said I would rather live 50 years like a lion than 100 years like a chicken. Live each day to the fullest; don't put off opportunity, and don't put off connections. To seriously paraphrase: do what is just, love constantly, walk humbly.

In true Scottish style, I want my tombstone to read, "he got his money's worth!" But let's not put that tombstone up any time soon. I'm not done yet!

Hope Floats...

...or, more to the point, hope stays dry. I am done taking damaged building pictures. I can’t take another. I have seen enough darkness. I know it is there; I don’t need any more reminding. I need all my attention to be focussed on looking to the light. Hope is contagious. I caught it from the people in Camp Thor.

Things have changed in Port au Prince in the last month--some good, some not so good. I want to build on the good. When we arrived at Camp Thor a month ago, the mood was one of desperation, despair, and just a hint of hope. Not everyone believed that we would do anything other than look and leave--a pattern they had witnessed many times before. The mood that dominated was the never-ending tension in the camp. Sometimes it would flare up and then ebb a bit, but it was always there.

Today the predominant mood in Camp Thor is hope. People are smiling; kids are playing, making kites and laughing. Don’t get me wrong: there are huge problems still, but the mood has switched from tension to hope. There has not been a food delivery since ABW delivered food last month; the water money has dried up, so to speak; and employment is still scarce. But even in the face of all this, hope rises above all.

Why the change? Well, water makes a huge difference. Being able to wash your clothes, your hair, drink without fearing disease--these are huge factors--but the shelter project has added even more hope. Eleven men have steady work and will continue to have a job after this project ends. Families have a chance to be dry during the rain as soon as the roof is done. They move into the shelters during the night and move out during the day to complete the work. I noticed that my pictures taken in the camp this time have many smiling faces.

With such massive problems, why smile? Too many of us concentrate on what we don’t have instead of concentrating on what we do have. I admire the hope that floats through the camp. Some rubbed off on me, and I too have more hope. We all need to spend more time thinking about what we have and be thankful.

It Takes Time to Process by Karen Fyles

Prior to this trip to Haiti, I viewed many pictures and even first-hand video of the quake devastation. I talked with people who had visited Haiti soon after the tragedy and with a Haitian friend who was here at the time. None of that really prepared me for the magnitude of the situation. Having now spent three days here, I can only say I am still processing. We have spent hours driving through towns and countryside, and the damage goes on and on. Evidence of this catastrophic quake is everywhere. Tent camps dot the landscape. Some are well organized, sporting new tarps and tents, even lights in the evening. Others are put together from what can be found: sticks, sheets and blankets create a makeshift shelter. As the rainy season approaches, I can only imagine the misery of living in a blanket shelter.

In Camp Thor, the wood and sheet metal shelters are going up. Optimism is evident. Young men fill and carry buckets of rock and earth to create the raised floors. The carpenter and workers are busy building. After only a few days, people are moving in. These shelters, the size of a garden shed, are luxurious when compared with those in which people of the camp are currently living.

Food and water are a constant need. Current aid is short term and often intermittent. While aid is allowing people to survive in the short term, one can only wonder at the long term solutions. Haiti’s problems are complex.

Resiliency is evident here. Children keep busy building kites. Schools are not in session. Town centers are lined with stalls of fruit, veggies, grilled chicken, live chickens, ducks and turkeys, shoes, auto parts, newly cut sticks for shelter supports, whatever can be found to sell. Rubble piles line the streets as buildings are dismantled. Teams of workers making $5 a day cart rubble in wheelbarrows. Some rebuilding has begun. Life continues.

Haiti's problems are monumental. I feel conflicted about the role of the global community in providing aid. Haitians undeniably need help and will continue to need support for years to come. What that support looks like depends on your perspective. I feel priviledged to have had the opportunity to see first-hand Haiti's state of affairs. Haitian's are passionate, hospitable people who exhibit a strong entrepreneurial spirit. I am still processing how we can best help.

It Is a Man's Prerogative to Change His Mind!

First off, the shelters are going up! After some interesting politics and some supply issues, the work started about a week ago. Eleven men from the camp are working with Paco's foreman to build in a very manual way: 1x2 lumber is not available, so 1x4 lumber is ripped in half with two hand saws, one from each end. I think it becomes a bit of a race with men switching off the saws as they tire.

My question to Paco was if we could speed things up by getting two more saws? He replied that if I was serious about getting things done quicker, I would figure out how to get a generator on site so he could use his power saw. Now, those who know me know that I am opposed to generators in general. I launched into my usual reply about how the generator would put 4 men out of work and so on. He assured me that, when this project is done, he has many more lined up and that he would hire all the men to work on those projects. "Besides," he added.....

"THE RAINS ARE COMING!!!!"

Point taken, Paco. I am off shopping for a generator today!

Mastering Mixed Memories

I have been looking, with increasing intensity, for a stand-mounted mixer ever since I took the gearbox out of one making gingerbread at Christmas. I may have been a bit obsessed with my quest for a mixer. I am far too cheap to spend $300 on a new mixer, so I have been cruising the second hand stores to see what is on offer. Most of what I have found has not been quite right--no beaters, no bowls, wobbly turntable, etc. I knew I had crossed the line from casual shopper to obsessive searcher when I caught myself "putting the word out."

So, I was thrilled last week when my dad called to tell me that they had found a mix master at the local thrift shop. It had a cord, beaters, bowls, everything! Dad and his wife kindly dropped it off and had a visit. The mixer was great, better in some ways than the one we had growing up. It even has a splash cover! I used it to make a batch of corn muffins, and it worked perfectly. Case closed--or it should have been.

I am madly trying to get ready to go back to Haiti on Monday. There are about a million things I have to take care of before I go, but in spite of all that, I've become aware that I still have some unresolved mixer issues. The logical side of me doesn't understand. I was given a perfectly good one already. And, as my daughter has pointed out, I really don't need a stand mixer at all; she does everything with a hand mixer, and so could I. I am going back to a country where a mixer would be the last thing on anyone's priority list--far below tarps, clothes, food, jobs--but yet it lingers in my mind even as I pack and plan.

Yesterday, I was at the bank getting US cash, and thought I would pop into the second hand store next door. I am always looking for suitcases, a 3/4 size (48") box spring (if anyone has one!), and aquarium stuff. On the way out, I passed the appliance section and, to my disbelief, there was a stand mixer. Not just any stand mixer--our stand mixer! A Mixmaster stand mixer complete with the two original bowls, beaters that are not bent, no wobble in the stand, dough hooks, and even the manual! And all for just $20!

Transfixed, I was drawn to the mixer and picked it up. Instantly I understood! This was not just a mixer; it was a memory trigger. That mixer was my mom's mixer with the same beaters I got to lick off, and the same bowl I got to clean out. Those were the beaters I had to straighten in our little shop when I ran the spatula through them.

I know now that, as I head back to Haiti and to families torn apart, I needed that Mixmaster to connecting with my lost family. My mother died of cancer when I was in my 20s. Many of my fond childhood memories include cooking with her. I am really glad I found her mixer but even happier that I figured out why it was so important to find it. Cheap as I am, I would have paid $300 for that old mixer. It is currently sitting on my piano with the family photos, I will find a home for it in a cupboard at some point, but am in no hurry.

P.S. I have about 10,000 songs that play randomly while I work at my computer. In the middle of writing this blog, the Tractors version of "Lord of the Dance" came on. This is the song that my mother wanted to be played at her memorial, and I remember her saying, "Don't let them drag it! It is a celebration! It is dance!" Well, it was played at her memorial, and the organist didn't drag it. But today, as I remembered her yet again, the Tractors took it to a whole other level! She would've like it I am sure! Coincidence?

Plugged Back In

What a great week off! It seems odd to me that, in my year off, I have only taken four weeks off. My favorite week off was the one I spent with my son on the west coast. I forget that although I have experienced many things, my kids haven't. It was even better to watch him experience things for the first time than for me to experience things for the first time. I could really enjoy his reaction and wonder.

My next best week this year was the trip with Murray to the Reno air races. There are not many people that would enjoy driving 5000 km in a week, but he and I did just fine. Attending the Reno air races was the second last thing on my bucket list, and it was great to share it with the man who was so influential in molding my working life. We spent many hours doing road math, with just enough time on the internet at night to verify our formulas and such.

The last thing on my bucket list was to try surfing. This week was a lot more work, but it was rewarding as well. I really appreciate the people who gave me good advice and the mothers who watched my stuff and took pictures for me! I should have done that trip about ten years ago!

Last week I unplugged and had a stay-cation. I needed a break from the neverending stream of emails and requests for my services. I needed to recharge, re-evaluate and reflect. Too many days have been spent sitting in my room in the basement pounding away on a keyboard, conference calling online and uploading photos. Being so connected was slowly causing me to disconnect.

I started the week by hosting my first dinner party. (Not exactly as shown above.) I made a complete turkey dinner including homemade buns! Ok, I had a little help, but it was mostly me. I have learned that I like to cook--which is handy because I love to eat! The best part is that I ate turkey leftovers for most of the rest of the week, made a big pot of turkey soup, and still put 6 turkey platter dinners in the deep freeze for later, if my son doesn't find them and eat them for late night snacks.

I took apart my big aquarium and rebuilt it with new everything: rocks, shells and fish. I am sure Big Al's and Pisces were really happy about this! I sexed all the guppy babies that have been born lately and split them up into different tanks, and I did it all without breaking anything or flushing any fish down the drain, I think.

I had more face to face contact with other people than I have had in a long time. I met new friends and re-connected with old friends. With the help of Carole and Wilma, we put on a presentation about my last trip to Haiti and auctioned off some great art work. Thanks to all who bid and donated. There will be 10 more people in Haiti drier and happier because of you, not to mention about a dozen artisans who are better able to look after their families.

I had some great times with my kids and grandkids. At one point there were 5 stinky boys in the house and only 2 girls. I mostly cooked and did dishes. It was great. I didn't cook all the time. I did get out to eat a few times. I had lunch with an old friend at a new-to-me Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Y2K. Y2K? Where does that come from? Anyway, they serve a great simple lunch.

The week was not all good. I don't intend to discard my connected lifestyle. I became aware of all the people who I am only connected to by ether. I missed them. I have friends all over the world. Many started as work collaborators but have evolved into more. I guess I just took it for granted that I knew what the weather was like in northern India or how much rain Bolivia had this week. Knowing what the roads are like in Ontario became just as much a part of my life as what the roads are like in Alberta. I like to know what crop is coming off the fields in Kenya, or isn't coming off for that matter.

Here is the point. People matter. All people matter. At the end of the day family and friends are all I have that really matters. The stuff is great, but only if it is making it easier to connect with family and friends. I love the convenience of having my car so I can go and see the grandkids when I want, but as long as the car gets me there, it does not matter to me what it looks like. Being plugged in has given me the ability to have more people in my life, but being too plugged in can get in the way of the connections I have in front of my face. Life is about balance and the trick is find the balance that works best for you.

I am back to Haiti on the 29th, and I will be plugged in but not as plugged in as last time. I will blog while I am gone, but not every day. There are huge jobs to do down there, and they deserve my 100% attention. Thanks to all that have helped so far. If you aren't sure if you need to get involved, look up tonight as you lay in bed. If there is anything other than a bed sheet or a tarp over your head, you need to get involved!

Un-Plugged

I have become increasingly plugged in--my choice--and I like it that way, but I am now past the halfway mark on my one-year leave from work and have yet to wake up and wonder what I might do today. I hate to admit that I don't even have to get out of bed to plug in. I have a computer on my bedside table, another at the foot of my bed, and third in my living room next to the TV, and a fourth that fits in my fanny pack. My phone gets my email from 3 accounts, instant messages from 2 more accounts, text messages anywhere in the world and, oh yes, it gets phone calls on a bluetooth earpiece, too. It is not uncommon for me to get up at 3am to pee (I am getting older) and have an IM chat with India or England. I sleep with an ear open for the "bing" of incoming anything, and I wake to the glow of a flat screen. I am not complaining, and I know that I am not the only person who lives this way. I do choose to live like this, and, for the most part, I like it. I am plugged in!

I have been threatening to take a holiday, to grab a last minute deal and spend a week snorkeling or something. That idea is not working out for me. I am too cheap. What if there is a better deal next week, after all? But, after returning from Haiti, the need for a holiday has gotten even greater. A trip like that is stressful, and my life has not been event-less this year even without the earthquake. If a holiday is out of the question, maybe I could schedule a small breakdown, but who has the time?

Here is what I have decided to do: I am going to unplug. No, really I am! At noon on Saturday the 13th, I am going to unplug. I am not going to check email, write reports, answer questions, answer emails, text, or solve anybody else's problems for 1 week and 1 day. When I told my scheme to various members of my family, I always got the same response. You guessed it: laughter. Well I am going to do it! I am going to get up in the morning and go for a walk, or fly my plane, or fix the plane I flew into the barn yesterday morning, or whatever I want. I might throw a dinner party or learn to cook (order would be important here), or I might read a book (Okay, quit laughing). So, for 8 days I will be as good as dead to the e-world, and my guess is that little will change, and few will miss me.

Haiti was a very powerful and sobering experience that I wish no one would ever have to repeat. But if such a thing should happen to my family and community as happend there, I hope that there will be those who will assist us as we assisted them. I do not regret in any way, shape, or form going to Haiti. As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to returning on the 30th of this month, but I need to breathe for myself for a bit. Paradoxically, I need to unplug to recharge. So I will see you all in a week and a bit. I suppose the safe money is on me surfacing sooner. Maybe someone wants to start a 50/50 pool going as a fundraiser or something, but I won't know about it, because I WILL BE UNPLUGGED!