Today I went to Port-au-Prince in search of the lawyer who has been helping us get NGO status in Haiti. We’re a certified NGO in the USA, but not yet in Haiti, and it has been a long long process. There is one more paper to fill out and I’ve been emailing and calling this woman since I’ve been here, but to no avail. Today I thought I would go try to track her down in person.
We drove into Port-au-Prince by a different route today - via the market road of Kafou (Carrefour). Busy busy. Jean Claude told me we usually don’t go this way because it is generally “blokis” (traffic jam). The market was along a main road and stretched for miles. There was anything you could ever need – vegetables, clothing, bread, live chickens, sausages, fried foods, fruits, shoes, candy, buckets, toiletries, water, big blocks of ice…you name it, it was there.
Port-au-Prince is all decorated for Flag Day tomorrow. There were flags everywhere and stages set up for the celebration. We saw some school kids having an assembly in the school yard, too, in honor of the holiday tomorrow. Tonight is also the celebration of the mobile phone company Digicel’s one year anniversary in Haiti. There will be a big open concert with many well known singers, including Shaggy!
It turns out the lawyer was not there and I was told to come back Monday. I had a feeling that would happen and so I wasn’t frustrated. I look at it as just another opportunity to practice my French. I was able to communicate and understand everything. It’s coming back...
Back at the hospital I visited the kids and tried to get some admin stuff done. The CNP is in the process of an audit right now and needs all of the bank statements for 2006. I asked for them on Wednesday and I was told they would be ready yesterday. They still weren’t done today. So I had to get the head admin lady, Mme. Aphonse (not the nicest women) to go tell the accounting guy exactly where he needs to look for all the bank statements (in the cabinet by his desk). He’s a nice guy and has only been there 2 months, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. I know how confusing things can be around here. I was told they will be ready on Monday…we’ll see.
This afternoon I went down the street to buy mangoes. I was immediately joined by a young man who called himself “Romeo” (most likely not his real name). I knew he was going to be annoying the moment he said, “hey there, what’s up”. He followed me down the street and when his conversation passed the acceptable line (a line that was fixed in Bangladesh and won’t budge), I told him that he was rude and crossed the street. Everyone else I encountered was nice and I happily returned with 7 gigantic mangoes for $1.40!! Yummy.
