Monday, April 30, 2012

Creole language books... finally!

After several shipping delays, we are so excited to have our first CD and workbook Creole study night tonight! 



"Piti Piti Zwazo Fe Nich"
or,
 "Little by Little the bird makes its nest"

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Thank you Chaparral drama students, led by Rafael Loza, for collecting for us at your production of "The Matchmaker!" Thank you Michele Loza for spreading the word around our school and for making our donation box. Also thank you to Barb Hass for organizing the Top Model competition at Chaparral and allowing us to talk about Haiti at the show! I love the amazing support from my co-workers!



Two newspaper articles about the Fashion competition tonight! Barb Hass has done an amazing job putting this together!





Saturday, April 14, 2012

On Fear

One of the questions people ask me the most when I tell them about our upcoming move to Haiti is: “Aren’t you afraid to go there?”

“Yes.” I usually answer. However, I am afraid every time I kiss my husband goodbye that I might not see him again. I am afraid to drive to the store because of the probability I might die in a car accident. I was afraid to buy our house because we might not have waited long enough for the real estate market to drop. I am afraid that a black widow spider might make a home in one of my shoes. I am afraid that the zombie apocalypse will happen and I will not be prepared! I am afraid a hundred times a day that one of my children will get hurt descending the stairs, falling off a chair, crossing the street, playing at the park. I am afraid that I will let fear, not courage dictate my life’s decisions. I am most afraid that I will be so successful at avoiding all of the things that scare me in this life that I will wake up one day and realize that I have lived an incredibly safe, boring, and empty existence. 

So I push aside fear, I open myself to possibility, to daring, and to life.


Friday, April 13, 2012

Cholera Concerns



Clean water will soon become a luxury for our family!

I have linked some interesting articles about the cholera epidemic in Haiti. Sadly, it seems to have been brought to the island by UN workers from Nepal. Over 7,000 people have died from the severe dehydration that happens quickly with this disease.

We are working on partnerships with Asaiah from the Clearly Filtered Company, and possibly with the Water for Life Company in order to bring long lasting, cholera resistant filters for ourselves and for the children at the Good Rest Orphanage.

I am learning all I can about boiling water, water storage, chlorine, and different methods of filtration. It is hard to believe that soon we will not be able to turn a faucet handle and have water that is safe to drink. Any advice for us?

Vaccinations Begin in a Cholera-Ravaged Haiti : New York Times Article




Monday, April 9, 2012

Today is my first day back at work from spring break. I got here early, unlocked my room, sharpened pencils, attended a department meeting, enjoyed standing at my door and welcoming in my students. Then it hit me: I am really going to miss this. I have been a high school teacher for seven years. I agonize over how to best teach my students to write essays and how to help them solve the quadratic formula. Every day I encourage someone, calm down someone, and crack lots of jokes to help my teenagers deal with the pressures of high school. I love seeing their successes, I love helping them navigate through disappointments. I am a teacher, in my heart and in my soul. I will miss every one of my students next year.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Food Thoughts


      
Things I will be researching today… Food Preparation

  • How long do I have to boil water to completely kill cholera and kill any bacteria or viruses?
  •  How will I design meals without relying on a refrigerator? How long do eggs and other basics last unrefrigerated? 
  • How much does peanut butter cost in Haiti? Powdered milk? What meals will we be having? (I should probably start weaning my kids off of their steady diet of Honey Nut Cheerios, Uncrustables, and frozen pizza, haha!)      

  • Our current plan is to cook using a propane camping stove! We have one in the garage, I should probably figure out how to use it without burning off my eyebrows. I’ve heard those don’t grow back!
  • What seeds can I bring to plant that will grow in Haiti’s climate and poor soil?
  • We have a mango tree in our front yard, I should research some simple mango recipes!
  • What are all the other questions I should be looking into? So much to think about! If any of you know the answers to these questions or have advice for me, please let me know. Thanks!