This list was compiled over the summer by the staff in Haiti (I’ve made the occasional edit to make it more understandable to those that weren’t there). Hope it can give you a little insight into some of the things that become normal in Haiti that…well….aren’t in other places. Enjoy!
You know you’ve been in Haiti too long when…
Marcio – When you know how to convert between both Haitian currencies (yes, there are 2) and US dollars better than the Haitians in the grocery line
Steph C – When wood shavings look like Ramen Noodles
Ben – When you have rice and beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Mark – and like it!
Marcio – When you find yourself at the airport telling Americans to move in French
Mark – When you’ve seen road construction actually progress.
Cristianna – When you subconsciously compare, and take pride in, your
chaco tan. (except for Ben Valentine, who has a rockin’ sock tan.)
chaco tan. (except for Ben Valentine, who has a rockin’ sock tan.)
When you know the electricity is off because it got quiet all of a sudden.
Katie: 1) a mouse runs across your feet while washing dishes and
you just laugh. 2) getting ready for bed involves bug spray, deodorant,
a fan battery check and earplugs.
you just laugh. 2) getting ready for bed involves bug spray, deodorant,
a fan battery check and earplugs.
3) when it doesn’t surprise or phase you to see unflushed poop in the toilet.
WHEN THE J.C. is betta then A.C!!!!!! (‘cuz “prayer conditioning’ is better than ‘air conditioning’)
When 100% deet is only 20% effective
When you know to check your camp towel for ants before drying off.
When you’re not concerned about how many bugs are in your food, but how much food is in the bugs
When you get to see Marcio, Ben, and Mark leave Haiti
When you start dancing to our neighbors music (we lived behind a night club. There are no noise bylaws. Eventually hating it takes too much energy. Then you find yourself dancing)
When you wash your hands with 409 without second thought when you’re out of soap.
Megan – When your last cleanest shirt becomes your last clean shirt. Therefore, you never run out of clean shirts.
Carrie – When you brush your teeth with your water bottle even if there is gatorade still in it.
Sarah – When you stop brushing your teeth with the water from your water bottle (and just use tap water).
Or when you’ve never brushed your teeth with water from your bottle.
Katie and Megan – When you think its funny to catch a cockroach and mail it to somebody, as a friendly memory (as an add on…yeah, that was me they mailed it to. I got a Haitian cockroach mailed to Abby)
– When Carrie and Matt start writing diarrhea songs too. (There were a lot of those. For the reasons you can imagine)
– When you see the generator finally die……and as a result the
only use for the kingcab chevy silverado becomes to power a computer printer.
