first haiti update

i’ve been in HAITI for 18 days now and so far, so good.   :)

 

path to the river

i got in on the same flight as my friend, franck, and he invited me to spend some time w/ him near gonaives.  there, i took a nice walk each morning, through fields of beans and millet, to a sweet little creek where i would start my day w/ a cool bath.    i made a handful of new friends there, including the members of my friend’s haitian roots music band (called Asakivle) and the neighbors (mostly children).  i spent almost all of my 10 nights there going to voodoo ceremonies in both badyo and soukri (where we were staying). 

voodoo ceremony in badyo

i must say that i did see a few things in these ceremonies that i haven’t seen in others (picture lots of dancing people covered in goat’s blood.  aaah!). 

mountains near gonaives

other than that, i spent a few days hiking over sparse mountains (with blisters to prove it) and attending a good ol’ cockfight (with a speck of blood on my pant leg to prove that ;).

my momma in soukri

makenzy

then i set off to visit petite riviere de nippes (my old stomping grounds from my peace corps days) with a couple of stops on the way.  i stopped over in port-au-prince for a night where i reconnected w/ a couple of dear old friends (anasthase & some peace corps folks) and then made it to paillant the next day.  i spent a chilly night in the red dirt mountains, visiting my good friend garry and checking in on the little sliver of land i have there (still there ;).  the next day after lunch i hopped a motorcycle and rode into my little village on the coast, petite riviere de nippes.  it was like homecoming, for sure.  i rode in on market day and the sound of so many people calling out my name filled me full up w/ joy. 

beach camping in ti riviere de nippes

i wasn’t sure exactly where i would spend the night but i figured i’d put my tent in the sand by my friend poupette’s house so i could jump in the ocean.  however, the moto driver (a friend of mine from the village) knew poupette and he informed me that both she and her husband had passed away from some illness.  what a heartbreaking blow.  i stopped by her place anyway and gave the few photos i’d brought of her and her youngest son to an aunt who is now taking care of her two kids.  then i put my tent on the beach under some coconut trees near an abandoned house.  i spent two days and nights there, catching up w/ my haitian family and friends.  i recognized so many faces but forgot so many names.  little kids i knew 5 years ago are now so grown up and new kids have been born.  things seem well there and, other than my 2 friends passing away, people seem happier than ever.  a  few friends now have motorcycles that they use as a taxi service and there is a new hotel/ bar/ restaurant in town where another friend of mine is working.  the road to get there is currently being worked on and will one day (hopefully in the not so distant future) be paved (no more dust, mud & rocks, oh joy!).  i’ve decided that that is where i want to live and work.  it is my haitian home.  so, my next project will be to find some land and build a hut of my own.  that will be fun.

with some of the youth leaders

i am now staying in cap haitien for about 3 weeks.  i linked up with a friend from hawaii (hunter) who is teaching a permaculture training for an organization called Nouvelle Vie Haiti and i was asked to volunteer as a translator for the training.  the organization then asked me to stay on for an additional week to translate for a week-long yoga course (with pay!).  the way i see it, i can use any money i can get a hold of.  plus, the visiting yogi is a world renowned dude named andrei, whom i’ve heard a bit about, and i’m curious to see what he’s got going on.  

site visit to rice farm

after this stint in cap haitien, i have no idea what’s up.  i’m totally open to getting a real job here so that i can stick around a while but i’ll keep you posted on that.

big love from ayiti cheri!  sending oodles of hugs & mangoes & coconuts your way.  xoxo   

ayiti cheri

it's great to be back in haiti!  and despite all of the catastrophe that tends to linger here, it is still the same place as i remember.  dancing, drumming and smiles all around.  aibobo! 

Hello Again! .... & Happy New Year!

i know.  i have been a major slacker on the blog front, but not without good reason.  i promise.  i've spent the majority of the past two months at my sister's house: a family-sized cabin in the heart of pike lake state park, ohio.  read: no cell phone reception and dial-up internet.  yes, DIAL-UP.  it does still exist in some parts of the world and it still makes that annoying screechy dialing tone as it's attempting to connect.  dial-up, for me, has been good enough to check into my cyber life, but as far as participating in it...no ways.  no viewing of photos, no up or downloading of anything.

the good thing about being there, tho, other than spending much quality time w/ my sis & her fam and learning how to work some gum paste and fondant on some extreme cakes (my sis is a cake magician), is that it's just plain lovely and consists of forest trails, white-tailed deer and beaver dams around the icy lake.  anyhow, it's been nice reconnecting w/ so many dears.

now it's 2011 [!]and i'm spending new year's day/night in the miami airport, along w/ my old pal, franck (it's been about 7 years!).  tomorrow we'll be en route to haiti where we will get right to work on a development project, building a community center and diversified organic garden.  i'm really looking forward to being back & spittin' creole on a daily basis.  many updates to come!
check out franck's organization (Asakivle) at  www.asakivle.org .  :)

share your bounty

while roaming around the winding roads of kauai with my girl, niki, we came upon several unattended little fruit stands, run by either the honor system (the fruits/veggies are individually priced & you put your money in the box for what you take) or the bounty share system (take what you need & share what you have when it's in excess).  

WHAT A WONDERFUL THING!

'cause, you know, it sucks to see a fruit tree dropping it's luscious fruits all over the place (although, i'm sure the other critters just love it). AND, it's so nice to just go grab a perfect, organic lime from the neighborhood box when you're making salsa or guac and you realize you don't have one.  anyways, it's all part of building a happy, healthy, trusting community. :)

kauai: a vacation from my vacation

i just spent a most excellent week on the island of kauai, visiting w/ one of my favorite ladies on earth -- the one and only niki otero. woohoo!


niki is, no doubt, the hostess w/ the mostest. read: 8 nights and days of island rambling in the infamous "red dragon", up cool green mountains and across sandy beaches, riding surf, paddling rivers, campfire jamming, volleyball spanking, wild fruit foraging, hearty home/camp cooking, hangin' w/ rad peeps, climbing waterfalls, drinking sunshine, and sippin' tasty, cool libations all along the way. Pure joy.

the red dragon will take you there

waimea canyon

riverside camp in koke'e state park

our friend, jameson (he brings the party)

paddling upriver to the falls

kilauea falls

a princess of a dog named kaya

mediterranean feast

kava on the go

i'm not surprised that i missed my flight back to oahu, and thank god, cuz i would've missed a crazy night of dancing w/ dj mark farina!   i think i'm recharged.

the lovely niki

love you niki!

my sister, the wacky cakestress

this post is in honor of my big sis, SARAH, for today is her birthday.



 she's got moxy and mad creativity and has been dabbling w/ art over the years.  just this year, though, it seems she has found the perfect vehicle for her artistic expression, and which brings in some money, too.  so now she has her cake and can eat it too... literally. 

yes.  she started up a cake business, called "LET THEM EAT CAKE" and her designs are limitless.  seriously, i'm floored every time she posts a new pic of one of her cakes on fbook.  check out her page, and if you live anywhere near southern ohio, hit her up for your next cake-eating occasion.



love you sista.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  and big ups on the big talent.  xo



(here's a sneak peek of her stuff ;)

"jamaican me crazy"

wedding cakes

kids' cakes (mater, from cars)

cakes for a cause

scream

baby showers

http://www.letthemeatcake.cc/

asian fix

i can't even say how much i miss the food in korea but, somehow, i haven't even attempted preparing anything korean since i've been back. last night, though, there was a sudden asian inspiration in the kitchen, which resulted in a satisfying meal of unagi & veggie maki and gyoza (w/ an herbed potatoey filling) w/ stir-fried arugula on the side. that's what i'm talkin' about.