Here’s a list of the things that comprise everyday life in Haiti:
1. Phone calls from one Thermador Viragot: “Hello, Thermador. How are you? No, I still don’t have mattresses. We do tents. TENTS, Thermador. What? Okay, fine. Talk to you tomorrow, but I still won’t have mattresses.”
2. Misting fans at The Deck on the MINUSTAH base.
3. Helicopters as the daily backdrop to breakfast and lunch if we’re eating at The Deck.
4. Wild goose chases: One day we were sent to Customs HQ, DHL, our warehouse, and Petionville, only to be told at all four places that we didn’t need to be there anymore. This is normal.
5. Seeing lovely ShelterBox tents wherever we go and feeling proud that they are still standing after 7 months when everything else has gone to poo.
6. Communiques with press.
7. Trying to manage social media for a business in Philadelphia first thing in the morning, when my head and heart are 900 miles away.
8. Electricity outages.
9. Beer and rum each night.
10. Debrief and review of day (see #9, above)
It’s time for me to go home. I’m tired and cranky and I need to be around people I love, who can smooth down the ragged edges that have become a part of my makeup here.
I’m so proud to know you, and am constantly amazed at all the things you do!
aw, man, aileen, i’m just happy to be back among people i know and love, like yourself! thanks.
And totally unrelated, you should totally use “Thermador Viragot” as a name for a character in a novel.