Found: Nail's From Jesus' Cross

Two things that I found interesting yesterday...

A woman is arrested for wearing a burqa yesterday in Paris. See more here.  They have banned wearing burqa's in France.  Many people feel this is impeding on their human rights.

And since I always like to see what those crazy anthropologists are up to-

They have found the nails used to nail Jesus to the cross.  See what they have to say here

 Yea.. see you thought I was playing with you huh.  Well I more unconvinced of this than the gay caveman I told you about the other day....

The Blessings That Come From Listening

Monday, March 8, 2011- Ferrier, Haiti  6

"Today was day two of the clinic.  I went back to the school with Sharon and Jim.  We took pictures of Kids who that were replacing others and who do not have sponsors.  There were 25 new kids we took pictures of who needed sponsors from Jackson's school, however he said there were more than 100 who still need sponsoring...

Mom and Jeveline

Joraldine- my sponsored child

I dont like homework either

Somebody sponsor Jimmy

After lunch we went to the market.  There I met a man named Andre, who was trying to talk to us.  I told him I did not speak creole, but I spoke some Spanish.  So he started talking to me in Spanish.  I tried to understand as much as I could.  He said he saw us at Baraka on Sunday.  He is from Ft. Liberte.  He asked us where we were from and then told us about Haiti.  "There is no clean water" he says to me "It is always hot and a lot of people are sick."  He asked where we were staying and when we would be back.  It made me feel so good to finally be able to communicate with someone one on one.  I only wish my Spanish was better.  By the end of the conversation there were a lot of people around us laughing at both of our communication misunderstandings and nodding when they understood some of our conversation.  He said thank you to us so much when our conversation ended and repeatedly kissed my hand.  He said he was so glad to have someone to help, some friends to help...."

Andre and Me

Thinking back on when I spoke with Andre, I realize how speaking with him humbled me in so many ways.  When he spoke to me, he got a chance to talk about Haiti as he saw it.  What he felt they needed and what he thought of us.  That is something we always question while there- what do they think of us?  Andre showed me that all he really wanted was someone to be there with him.  He just wanted a voice.  Someone who can hear their views, their problems, their ideas.  Sometimes listening is the best way to help.  I was able to listen to some of the people on the trip who worked in the clinic talk about some experiences they had and what effect it had on them.   I really wanted to know how this trip affected someone other than myself, and I was interested in hearing what they had to say.  I tried to write as fast a I could so that I could get down everything they said without interrupting them since I did not have a tape recorder.  Mistee Spry allowed me to share her thoughts on my blog.  What is to follow is what she said about her day at the clinic:

Mistee working with a patient

Mistee:  "There was an older woman who was nearly blind.  I took her to Dr. Johnnie.  She was so sweet and beautiful and before I even started doing triage she started thanking me.  She was so full of need, but she was still thanking me.  She was dressed up with her hat and had come to the doctor.  She was riddled with arthritis.  She came with a younger person and they left her so Dasney found someone to take her home.  She had vision problems,  pain in her abdomen, and her knees were hurting.  We couldn't do much but give her pain medicine and Ibuprofen.  I will always remember the dignity of the old ladies here... 

Another patient was the little girl was saw at the end of the day.  She was five- years- old.  I have never seen anything like that on anybody's foot, especially a child's.  The girl came over because her mother was standing by the door after we were closing and told her to come go to me.  She was so compliant and the only time she cried was when Georgine pulled the rocks out of her feet.  She was a little nervous and heart was beating so fast.  After we gave her some candy she calmed down..."

Future Dr. Ricky

"I enjoyed hearing other's stories and thoughts on things that they experienced.  I was talking to Ricky yesterday and asked what he wanted to do when he graduated.  He is 23 years old and in the 12th grade.  He wants to become a doctor and said he would rather go to school in the Dominican Republic or the U.S.  The Dominican Republic would be easier he told me, they have great schools there.  Dr. Rob has been allowing him to work under him in the clinic.  He said he Ricky is doing great, he just sits back and lets Ricky handle things.  When speaking with Dr. Rafael, Ricky said he would love to be a doctor but did not want to live in the States.  If he could he would rather come back to Ferrier and help his people.  They say he is a good student and works really hard to understand things that he has trouble with.  They have a full- time doctor here now, Dr. Johnnie.  He went to school in the Dominican Republic.  With a full-time doctor and a new clinic, they will be able to keep records of people and begin to have regular check ups.  



I saw a man with a prosthetic leg today in the clinic.  His left leg was amputated below the knee.  He got hit by a truck on his motorcycle and had to get his leg amputated.  It was interesting to see that he had a prosthetic, that is something that unfortunately seemed out of place to me.  He was complaining of itching on his legs, I told Rob I thought it was phantom pains, and he agreed.  His prosthetic looked like it was made specifically for him.  It was the correct size and length, with all the socks that I have seen on my grabby's prosthetics.  It made me wonder where he had to go to get it...


Hygiene is a serious problem here.  That along with maintaining a clean water supply.  If clean water is available 80% of sickness will be cut out.  Most women seen in the clinic have vaginal infections.  Such necessities such as water and good hygiene really need to be addressed...

Dr. Rod with a patient

The presidential elections are coming up soon so there are ads everywhere and people driving around with loudspeakers campaigning...."

Sweet Micky supporters

Campaigning at 1 in the morning...

COWABUNGA!!!

Let's take a trip down memory lane shall we... not too long ago.. October of 2009.. freshman year... we had a football game on Halloween.. and of course.. I miss no opportunity to dress up...

Well, my roommate and I decided to team up with the girls next door and be...

The Ninja Turtles

with a little creativity I was able to get us looking like turtles in no time...

they were responsible for the amazing shells and weapons...

After preparations we were ready to make our appearance

They CONFISCATED our weapons despite our logical argument on the necessity on having them on our persons just in case Shredder were to show up....  they wouldn't have it, so we made sure they understood that if anything were to happen to the fans during the game and we were not able to protect them it was on their heads.. they agreed to this and told us even without our weapons, we were the ninja turtles we could do anything..

This is true of course.

We also told them there would be serious consequences if we did not receive our weapons upon leaving the stadium...

Everybody at the game loved it.  Little kids were saying "MOMMY LOOK ITS THE NINJA TURTLES"

College Kids were saying "Hey, Donatello can I get a picture?!?!"

Adults were saying "DUDE! ITS TMNT!!!"

all in all it was a great day....

Shout out to my turtle homies...

The Blue School

Who doesn't love the blue man group?  Well now they have a blue school.  Check it.  you can see more on their website The Blue School.  Their views on education are just as creative as their music.  They are hosting a benefit concert with the original blue men to raise money for the school.... want a ticket? they start as $2,500 and the most expensive ticket is $25,000.  If only I could have gone to this private school...



WARNING

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Remnants of a Sodom or Gomorrah Resident?

So some archaeologists "discovered" a gay caveman. Check it out.

yea....

I am not holding my breath about this discovery... and neither is this guy.

my thing is even if there is evidence that he was gay... how do they know the sexual preference of a person based on their skeleton...

smh...

what do you think?

Sweet Micky on PBS

What they have to say about the Haitian President- Elect

It's Good For The Heart

so my roommate is making ramen.. because we are hungry but do not have time to cook because we have to much work, it being the end of the school year and all.  The sleepless nights, constant meals of ramen, and cramming reminded me of what we did while we studied for finals last year....

made a minute-maid orange juice commercial.  

Filmed by Maribel, my roommate this year.  Here's to studying for finals!... Or.. Not studying for finals!!!

Like Ricky Bobby said "That there is trademarked, not to be used without written permission of Ricky Bobby, Inc. "

However, if you work for Minute Maid, or know someone in advertising.. Talk to us.. we may be able to work something out...

Dont Take This With A Grain of Salt

Haitian Funnel Cakes

Monday, March 7, 2011- Ferrier, Haiti Day 5

"Today was the first day of the clinic.  I went to the school with Sharon and Jim.  We took pictures of 95 kids who are sponsored.  We did that for the first half of the day.  For lunch we had what i called Haitian plantain meatballs.  They were made of plantains and goat.  The other day we had what I called plantain hushpuppies because thats exactly what they tasted like.  At dinner we had DONUTS! they were so delicious.  Taylor and I ate so many of them, we were pouncing off the walls. They tasted like funnel cakes from the carnival.  The second half of the day, Kim and I, along with the kids, sorted through all the things we brought for the schools and divided them between the two schools.  There was one large suitcase full of clothes for different ages and  a large suitcase full of school supplies and toys... 


They had 112 patients at the clinic today.  There was a boy with a hole in his heart, of course he can not have surgery because there are no facilities and there is a lack of money.  The doctors said he will only live for a few years.  There was also a patient with cataracts  but she can not have the operation so she will most likely go blind.  It is sad knowing that such readily accessible procedures can not be done here and so many people die or are permanently handicapped because of it."


We started the day off by a ribbon cutting for the clinic. It is amazing how it looks just after one year.  I can not believe that last year we helped build this building.  They are building more on the new school.  While we were there they were building restrooms while we were there.  I got to talk to one of the workers, but I will talk about that in a later blog.

Sharon and all her babies

Cergi walking

Pause. I have to suck my thumb. 

Brusha Brusha Cergi

Cergi's mommy!

Future doctor