A Day in the Life

Wake up call is between 5 and 6.

During the week I don’t set an alarm but usually God awakens us before the sunrise.

I head to the roof for the essential Quiet Time. Electricity shuts off between 5 and 6, usually, as well, and before too much is stirring the air is actually cool and quiet. You can hear the ocean.

From the roof I watch the sun come up as I read the Bible, pray and sing, usually preceded by a brief yoga routine to loosen muscles and circulate the blood. These days it’s so cool that exercise gets me comfortably warm.

The sun rises at about 6:40—cresting over the trees so the roof is lit and probably uncomfortably warm.

At 6:45 I should return to my room to prepare for the day : dressing in our purple and black, pulling back my hair, taking a vitamin and then heading downstairs.

I make coffee with an old style percolator—the kind which accepts no filter and boils on the gas stove (no electricity required!)

Breakfast is between 7 and 7:15 – many days it’s spaghetti, cooked with oil and diced hotdogs, often onions. We eat it with ketchup.

Sometimes Pastor returns from his daily Sport (exercise group) with a welcome bag of bananas, avocados, and fried paté (a treat of fried dough encasing shredded meat and egg)

We depart the house between 7:30 and 7:45, trying to arrive at school before 8.

Beverly is the common chauffer, driving one of Pastor’s vehicles, a 2014 Suzuki she was here to help purchase.

But if the vehicle is needed by one of many family or church members, or Pastor himself, Pastor will drop us off.

We stop at the shanty house beside Pastor’s to pick up Sandrina, one of the four year old class. Mama or Papa hoists her up to sit on a lap, as we’re always crowded in the backseat.

If Beverly drives, Adrianna and Saintilus (one of our 2^nd grade students who lives at the house), and I are in the backseat and Madame Rose is always riding shotgun.

Sometimes we drop the youngest son off at his school.

Always we crowd the hatchback with our “luggage” for the day

When we arrive the students are assembled—not usually in their proper lines but clumped, buzzing about the small courtyard. By this point with 122 of them the space is really too small.

They form an orange swarm.

Teachers gather at their arrival to sing and pray together in the first classroom. The children wait outside for however long it takes.

We sing in Creole or French and English, and then pray together. Everyone prays at the same time and then usually Madame Rose closes us in the “nom de Jezi.”

We then greet one another with the customary kisses on the cheek and the custom of our school: “Jezi renmen ou. Jesus loves you” and “Bondye beni ou. God bless you.” That’s ten women of faith praying together. There’s mighty power in that room.

After greeting we go to the children.

Together we sing the song of the week, are led in prayer by one of the teachers, sing the Haitian National Anthem to the flag, and finish with the Pledge to the Christian flag in English and French.

Students are dismissed to their classrooms, beginning with the oldest second grade and down to the tiny three year olds.

I accompany my class upstairs, usually diverging into the first floor office for whatever the day’s needs are.

Madame Alice usually begins the day with a warm-up assignment of math or grammar. By the end, when the slowest of students are almost finished, we usually have our morning crackers.

Each child receives a cracker with a dollop of peanut butter.

Some of them eat before school. Some do not. Some are sent down to the office to get a second cracker because there’s no food at home.

Before eating we must wash hands.

After crackers I take over for Bible time. Sometimes we focus on the weekly story, reviewing vocabulary and lessons, then coloring a page that includes the vocabulary and appropriate sentence, always in the three languages.

Coloring is one of the very few creative outlets the children have. Madame Alice, too. She enjoys taking a rest and sharing colored pencils with the students.

Sometimes this time is spent practicing the verse and then copying it into notebooks.

Sometimes we play the arrangement game, when each student is given one word on a strip of paper and they must arrange themselves in the proper order to complete the verse.

After Bible there should be a movement break.

Despite its rigidity and majority of rote and lecture, Haitian curriculum is full of songs. Haitians have amazing ability to remember not just words but melodies.

Madame Alice may start a song, or I may, and this includes parading around the room. A favorite is “Father Abraham,” where we march around the room and do the motions of right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot, et cetera.

Sometimes we do “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” or “Mickey Mouse,” where the motions are simple but can be vigorous.

By this time it should be after 10 AM, and there’s only an hour and half left of our morning. Madame Alice usually teaches math, grammar, reading, and experimental or health sciences at this time. I generally circulate and aid those students who need coaching: we have several.

When they’re finished students ask for a board or a book from the shelf. We don’t have many books: some French/English picture dictionaries, a set of “Dlo Sal” books that instruct against contaminated water, and the few books I’ve contributed, which are in English.

At 11:30 we go to Recreation, where Madame Beverly fills 30 minutes with as much amusing movement as possible. Recreation is also the first English lessons the children receive, from the baby three year olds up to the second graders. They practice counting and reciting the alphabet in French and English, doing simple movements to accompany the recitations. They also sing the weekly song and recite the memory verse. Then they pray before they commence the new exercise of that day or week.

The past weeks have introduced dance routines. The children now know and love the “Chicken Dance” and the “Macarena.”

After Recreation everyone lines up to wash hands and then collects their food. Even the students who bring food from home are required to eat “piti, piti,” a very little bit, to ensure they’re sharing in the vitamins packed into the manna-pack rice we receive from Feed My Starving Children.

If they’re dancing, I stay in Recreation. If they’re not, I probably stay for the introduction, reciting the verse, counting and alphabet and prayer, and then depart.

I collect my own food, the teachers eat what the students eat, sometimes purchasing a Malta for additional energy and nutrients, and usually browse news on my phone for a few minutes.

Haiti is a turbulent place, so there is often news to be seen. But lately, America has been turbulent as well.

After eating I usually talk with Madame Beverly or prepare for the upcoming English lesson.

We both do intensive English from 1 to 2, she with first grade and me with my class.

The class eats from 12 to 12:30 officially, but is usually finished before then. We copy homework into agenda books, Carnet de Leçon, and Madame Alice has each student recite for her what they ought to have studied the day before.

By 1 I have started teaching English.

Sometimes we do math, currently we’re working on addition and subtraction.

We review the alphabet with the Wilson Language alphabet chart that helps the students practice phonics sounds.

By now we have several sight words and sometimes practice spelling with the individual chalk boards. The children love this—to write and then proudly display their boards in the air for Madame Alice and I to see and approve. The competitive edge motivates them. Who can finish first? !

So far they have three books. One is already assembled—an alphabet book that features three words for each letter and corresponding images. I created and put these together, and we’ve been going through them, focusing on three pages at time. The children can color the pictures and we review the vocabulary, how to sound out the words, and their Creole translation.

We practice the word “have” and common vocabulary, including bottle, board, colors, floor, desk, shirt, skirt, pencil and notebook.

The other two books are growing. One is an “All About Me” book that lets the children fill in the spaces with their individual answers. I am --- years old. I live with --- and --. I have – brothers and sisters, et cetera. This helps them practice essential introductory conversation.

The third book is “In Class” and is phrases useful for the classroom. The phrases are typed in English and we have been going through writing the Creole translations.

Our class is quick to pick up and eager to perform.

We try to do something more low-key between 1:30 and 2, such as coloring or a movement break. At 2 we descend, the kids filing down to sit in a classroom awaiting dismissal.

Parents should pick-up at 2. Consistently there are students until 2:30. Sometimes there are students until 3. But if this happens more than once the parents are supposed to pay a fine.

After school we go home. If we have the car Beverly drives. If we don’t, we may walk.

Once I’ve taken a moto taxi home, behind two children and the driver. Madame Rose took another taxi holding onto the large cooking pot that we use to serve the meal.

School is very close to our house. We take the safest, best-maintained route, no more than five minutes on a normal day. Usually the biggest risk upon leaving is backing out from the space in front of the school gate.

Once home we unload. Saintilus carries the pot to the kitchen. The three year old who accompanies us from school toddles off to join her mama in the kitchen or yard where she cooks, washes dishes or clothes, and we ladies head inside.

We call out greetings to the vicinity. I often head upstairs immediately afterwards to deposit bags and change clothes.

Sometimes we have errands to do and purposely retain the uniform.

Food is usually on the table shortly after 2, so we can eat upon returning.

This is the large meal of the day: rice and beans or rice or corn—the meal centers around a carbohydrate which is accompanied by sauce. There’s black bean sauce, sos pwa; legim, a thick almost paste like sauce with shredded vegetables, bits of meat and usually crab; there’s red, soupy Creole sauce with onions and bits of beef or fish, et cetera.

We drink water.

“Lunch” is usually eaten quickly because there’s so much to do—and the table has a miraculous ability to collect the hot air from the house and retain it, and an understandable tendency to collect biting flies.

After eating we wash dishes. We wash with soap and water and rinse with bleach, klorox, and water.

Now we may leave for errands, take advantage of temporary electricity to communicate or research, take a rest, organize or plan.

Errands include walking to the copy shop to pick up or drop off. We go at least once a week to make Bible activity pages or our English classes.

We may go to the bookstore to purchase books for students who don’t have them. We may head to the pharmacy to buy inhalers for students with asthma or formula for Madame Eunide, our lovely three-year olds’ teacher with baby twins.

On any of these errands it’s probable we stop for a drink. If we are driving we almost certainly go to Black Star market, which is the surprisingly well-stocked convenience store in town. They carry Coke Zeros, Gatorade, Bongu “milk” shakes, the usual sodas in plastic bottles, Malta and juice in refrigerators! The store is good for a cold, refreshing beverage, and the manager speaks good English, and finds us highly amusing.

Beverly relishes Coke Zero for its caffeine. I appreciate Bongu for its milkiness. We both appreciate Malta for the energy.

If we’ve purchased formula we then deliver it to Madame Eunide’s house and hopefully spend some delightful time holding her twin little girls who were born at the end of July.

At least once a week we try to walk to our quiet place: a compound owned by the John Weslyan church just two blocks down from our road. Here we can sit under the mango, almond and coconut trees beside the ocean, enjoying the view and sounds of nature, and attempting to ignore the inevitable haranguing of passing locals who can’t resist calling up to foreign blan.

Sometimes our visits there are spent conversing with other visitors, usually high school students who come to study and enjoy engaging in English.

Sometimes these visitors will sing with us.

Sometimes we are left in peace, and can enjoy time in silence, interspersed with Bible reading, singing, praying and reflecting.

Our preferred visit time is between 4 and 5, so we can watch the sunset over the mountain before walking home.

Sometimes I meet with a church member, a pastor’s daughter who’s preparing to go to Florida for study. We talk and go over her English homework I’ve assigned and she departs before dark.

Sunset these days is about 5:15. We avoid being out after dark.

Usually electricity at the house turns on at 6 PM.

Shortly before sunset and until electricity is available, the roof is the best place to be. Air is moving up there.

I spend as much time as possible on the roof.

There I can work, study, read, or simply gaze at the stars in peace. Usually.

In the evening we do school work.

Between 6 and 7 I give Lhens, the eight year old son, English lesson. These are generally about 30 minutes, which may be productive or continuously distracted.

Around 7 there should be “supper.” This is usually labouie, which is creamy, sweetened oatmeal with cloves and ginger. It’s served with bread and peanut butter.

There are then more dishes to wash—always there are dishes.

At 8 the household gathers for “service.”

This is a roughly thirty-minute devotional time which everyone enjoys, even if they drift off. Everyone is tired from rising early and working hard, not sleeping enough and having very little time to relax, but everyone attends and everyone sings.

There is singing, praying, and usually Pastor speaks about a scripture.

We close with greetings of “God bless you,” and “good night.”

After this the house begins to wind down.

Most members do not go to sleep, although Lhens and Saintilus are sent to bed, because the students must study and the house be secured for the night.

I often retreat to the roof for a little more time under the stars in the cool night air, sometimes talking on the phone.

Possibly I meet with another household member who wants to practice English.

Sometimes Beverly and I meet to plan or discuss or share some work.

Usually around 10 I close my door for good—take my shower and wash the day’s clothes. Then there may be unwinding time browsing news on the internet and sending messages.

I may take the quiet time to finish off and post a blog or photos.

I may be utterly spent and drift off while reading my Kindle.

Bedtime is usually about 11 PM.

Sleep is always welcome to my fatigued body, and often mind, but most days also taken with a mite of wistfulness: another day is passed, and how very blessed it was.