Part II

Blog entry for November 7,2014

I think this is the first day I have had time to write.  I am sitting at FLI and have about an hour to just sit.  The teachers are all off somewhere doing something—mainly roaming around and sitting and finding something to eat.

I have found a dish to have almost every night for dinner at the hotel.  It is rice and beans with a creole sauce.  It is unlike anything that I ever had in New Orleans.  Not spicy at all, well maybe a little with all the garlic.  It is a tomato-based broth, with some oil, green papers, onions and lots of garlic.  I pour this over the top of the rice and beans mixture.  I have eaten this for four days, and it never quite tastes the same.  Last night I added sliced tomatoes and avocados on the side.    Almost every morning for breakfast I have a peanut butter on bread, some fruit jelly—and here they leave the seeds in the fruit— some I am messily trying to get the seeds out of the jelly and whatever fruit they put out— mangoes, bananas, some pineapple or watermelon.

I did go shopping today for some art to bring back home.

I have been watching the chickens and animals as they roam around.  In Jacmel, the dogs, chickens, goats have free range.  They wander about the streets the same as the people.  No one bothers the other as each tries to eek out some nourishment from the soil, or selling fruits or exchanging goods and services.   I have seen dogs whose ribs and hip bones stick out and I know they are starving.  No one seems to notice or try to feed them. They just wander around picking up what they can from the streets and garbage piles.  Some have better luck than others.  Everyone scratches !  Another chicken just walked into the area pecking around for food. Outside another motorcycle tax honks to scare the dog out of the street.  Next door, the pastor is having the students sign while down the street a boom box blasts a song.  Two people are having an argument about something, or they are talking really loudly.  Then, it quiets.  People come in off the street to get water from the spiket.

It’s almost 4 and the meeting is about to start. At 5, I have the English Club, and after that I will have a dinner of rice and beans at the hotel, grateful for all that I have.