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!

Printing, Packing, and Pizza

Today was an odd day...a little of everything. I spent most of the morning drawing up the shelter plans. There was a bit of a time crunch because the printer lady was going home. She was very efficient before she left, however, and produced two copies of the plans Pat and I have settled on. In farm structures class I tell the students that if all they want to do is keep the outside out and the inside in then the cheapest way to do that is a pole frame building. It turns out, that is just what I need to do down here: keep the outside out and the inside in. So, guess what? We will start construction of a pole frame building on Saturday. We just received word that it is raining in Port au Prince tonight. By morning there will be a quarter million Haitians in varying degrees of wetness! Now is not the time to pontificate; now is the time to act!

Eric and Pastor Ron packed up today to head into Port au Prince. You know that a guy has not ever been camping when he asks you how to roll up a sleeping mat! Eric received his fair share of ribbing while he tried to get the air out of the mat and get it stuffed into the carrying case. He prevailed in the end,though. Pat and I stayed behind to finish up some things and to go to the artisan group in Jacmel tomorrow.

The food here has been great albeit a bit unusual. I am thrilled that it is not spicy! Tonight had fried chicken and pizza with potatoes and gravy. Not the usual combination, but it all was very good!

Last night, I had the munchies. I went into the kitchen and a few of the guys were there talking. When the subject of snacks came up, it was mentioned that there was a bag of animal crackers on the counter. I went to retrieve the bag and discovered more animal crackers than I have ever seen in my life. In fact, the bag weighed 30 pounds! They tasted great! I ate too many.

On the way to the beach there was a very nice little restaurant (was being the operative word.) Just about all that is left of it is the door and, sad as it is, the sign on the door is very funny. Have a look and tell me what you think the sign was supposed to say?

On the road tomorrow. I am anxious to get the community starting to build their new homes! I don't know if we will have internet from here on in. We are not staying at the same place as last time. (I guess when you run from a house scantily clad they think twice about asking you back! Go figure!) So, I don't know when you'll hear from me again, but 'til then, appreciate just how dry you are tonight.

Smile

I slept last night! The day looks brighter on a good night's sleep. Makes it a little easier to look to the light and forget the night. The previous night will be hard to forget, and it is important to remember that there are about 3 million people here who have had to repeat that night for six weeks now.

On a much lighter note, Ray from A Better World read my blog and sent Eric an email suggesting that we take adult diapers on the next trip. It seems he thought that Eric offered me a towel as I streaked passed him because the aftershock had literally scared the crap out of me! Eric explained that his offer was not because of any incontinence but because I had streaked past him. At this explanation, Ray laughed so hard that Eric was afraid Ray would need diapers. I want to set the record straight, however. I was not naked; I did have my underwear and glasses on! I am glad my experience could bring a smile to someone's face, at any rate. It didn't bring one to mine at the time, but, in the light of day, I have to smile, too.

Yesterday, Pat inspected a number of buildings for structural integrity and had to deliver some bad news to some families, but was able to offer suggestions to others on how to repair their houses. Some houses received a clean bill of health, and that is the kind of news that will put a smile on your face. There are some very clear trends emerging about why some structures failed and others didn't, but I won't bore you with the technical details here. Unfortunately one of the buildings that had to come down was the trade school here at the Haiti Arise campus.

We walked out to look at a potential site for a clinic and school, and what struck me was the irony of Haiti's gang culture. Pre-earthquake, Haiti worked long and hard to clean up the gang problem, to get rid of the colors. Now there is a new type of gang culture with the the makeshift tents acting as symbols of the organizations at work aound them: blue tarps mean Samaritan's Purse; white tarps mean Canadian armed forces; white helicopters mean the UN...You know helicopters always put a smile on my face.

We went to a local hospital because the team doctor had some questions. Pat and I were drawn to the building's damage and concluded that this hospital had probably had the roof removed by a hurricane sometime in the last few years, only to be damaged again by this! Our suspicions were later confirmed. We stopped at the local government school to find it in good shape but not functioning yet. Schools have children, and children always have smiles, even after an event like this! There is a lot to be learned from children.

There was a comment made about my pictures, that there are none of me smiling. I guess that is because I have had little to smile about. Not that because I am depressed or feel hopeless, but just because there are more questions than answers (and maybe because there is not enough sleep!) I started drawing up plans for temporary housing in the camps today--an answer! Pat agrees we are on the right track with the design and approach--an answer! I am involved with supporting an artisan co-op to export their work--an answer! The piles of questions in my mind are being cleaned up. Even my body got a break today; it was so hot we had to retire to the sea, and that put a BIG SMILE ON MY FACE!