Haiti: Top Ten List

For those of you who missed out on my Haitian adventures, here's a recap of the highlights in my TOP TEN LIST. Join me as I bid a final farewell to paradise found! Coming in at number ten:

10. MY TRUSTY FRIENDS FROM THE UN

Everywhere I went, there they were. But how could I not feel safe and loved with pals like these fellows? 9. TANNING BY THE POOL

Living next door to a new, swanky hotel really wasn't so bad. It gave me great incentive to work on my tan.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the prognosis was not too good.
I did however, have no shame. I was just too captivated by the lovely blueish-white shade of my legs. Not everyone is blessed with natural pigmentation like this.
8. PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Riding in "tap-taps" would have been fun... if I were allowed to do so.

Cram 'em in,
jam 'em in,
...and do it in style. These pieces of art work on wheels were nothing short of captivating.
7. THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Ahhh, living in "Juvenant"-the residences of Embassy and UN folk of all sorts.

My daily walk on this lovely, semi-protected strip of road, was sure a treat.
Beverly Hills meets Port-au-Prince. Hiding behind high, sheltered walls
and gated fences, I sometimes forgot where I was.
Deep crevices and ditches in the road near my house, quickly reminded me.
6. THE FOOD (of course!)

Oh the pleasures one can derive from dazzling the culinary senses in a foreign land.

Including, THE GOOD...

(seafood delicacies beyond your wildest dreams)
(and the occasional crepe parties at my house---living with my French supervisor and her Cameroonian husband did have its perks!)
THE BAD...
and even THE UGLY (how could we forget "goat-hash," one of my weekly staples)

5. FAMILY LIFE

I loved the fam! Living my with Supervisor, her husband, and their 2 children (both under five years old) was sure an adventure....

never a dull, or a quiet moment.
Some of the highlights included:

(1) My daily have-at with the Disney Channel (when we got reception). I know more about Hannah Montanah and The Jonas Brothers than I care to admit. I could feel myself getting dumber by the day.

(2) Perdiodic flooding and plumbing festivities-- I absolutely loved my bathroom. The toilet never flushed and I didn't have electricity for two months. I'll also never forget the night we had a waterfall cascade down from the second story into our living room. We spent the night slip-sliding on bathroom towels and receiving periodic electric shocks.

(3) Waking up at 5:30am, or before (how do kids do it?) Thank goodness for ear plugs.


4. WORKING WITH THE IDEJEN PROJECT

Well, this is an obvious one.

I absolutely loved the time I spent working with this project. I associated with the best people, and was inspired by everything we were working for... but mostly by the youth themselves.

3. A COLORFUL PARADISE AT MY FINGERTIPS

Colors, colors, everywhere. Bright, vivid, and full of life.

I truly did find a little bit of paradise (and my retirement location of choice).
2. MY ROOF

Yes, it sounds strange, but I just loved the view from my roof.

Every evening at twilight, you could find me up there-- taking in a deep breath, and soaking up the beauty around me.
No matter how trying my day was, when I got to "my roof," everything just seemed a-okay.

1. THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE

This one's a no-brainer. I met some of the greatest people in the world, in Haiti.

Beautiful, full of life, generous, fun, and inspiring. (Above: my co-worker, Chantal, took me to an authentic dance club to introduce me to some Haitian night life. And yes, it was a night I won't be forgetting any time soon!)

So there you have it folks. It was a rip-raoring adventure of a lifetime. And yes, I WILL be back!