Thursday, January 25, 2007
PVC
No, not the pipe- the club-- Petionville Club. Every Wednesday night they have a happy hour which stretches into the happier hours. (The crowd really shows up around 8 or 9). Last night I went with my neighbor, Pam. At one point she said to me, "You see that short guy with the short hair? I think I know him from somewhere." Considering that we were swimming in a sea of short men with short hair, the comment was a bit comical.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Petite Goave
Allo Mes Amis!
This past weekend I went with the Port-au-Prince team for an outing to Petite Goave on Haiti's southern peninsula. The trip was fantastic and I'd encourage anyone with an open weekend to take a trip there. The hotel, Relais du l'Empereur (or something close to that) was Emperor Faustin's place of residence while he reigned in Haiti. In the 1970s and 80s it was a posh hotel for the jet set from France and the US.
The hotel is on Petite Goave's main square, but the associated beach, Cocoyer Plage, is an hour-long boat ride away (or 30 minutes in a power boat). But, worth the ride! Here are a few pics to tempt you to this little jewel in the Caribbean.
The hotel has 10 bedrooms, all with king-size four poster brass or mahogany beds. Every room except two have luxurious bathtubs and all the bathroom fixtures are gold-plated. Every room also has a balcony with a view facing the ocean or the mountains. One of the other impressive things is the stairway. Huge steps lead up the three flights of stairs to the bedrooms. It's good exercise, but well worth the climb!
This is a view of Cocoyer Plage. Gorgeous white sand and aqua water!
Guylene, Kurt and me drinking coconut water.
This past weekend I went with the Port-au-Prince team for an outing to Petite Goave on Haiti's southern peninsula. The trip was fantastic and I'd encourage anyone with an open weekend to take a trip there. The hotel, Relais du l'Empereur (or something close to that) was Emperor Faustin's place of residence while he reigned in Haiti. In the 1970s and 80s it was a posh hotel for the jet set from France and the US.
The hotel is on Petite Goave's main square, but the associated beach, Cocoyer Plage, is an hour-long boat ride away (or 30 minutes in a power boat). But, worth the ride! Here are a few pics to tempt you to this little jewel in the Caribbean.
The hotel has 10 bedrooms, all with king-size four poster brass or mahogany beds. Every room except two have luxurious bathtubs and all the bathroom fixtures are gold-plated. Every room also has a balcony with a view facing the ocean or the mountains. One of the other impressive things is the stairway. Huge steps lead up the three flights of stairs to the bedrooms. It's good exercise, but well worth the climb!
This is a view of Cocoyer Plage. Gorgeous white sand and aqua water!
Guylene, Kurt and me drinking coconut water.Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Electrocution
One of my fears is electrocution. It ranks somewhere near death by fire. I thought I might experience both of these last night when the cord to a light that is connected directly to my inverter batteries began smoking....and melting ..... and letting off sparks.
This is what happened:
1. It was raining.
2. I tried to close the window.
3. The cord that is looped through the window and the fer forge had been rubbed to the bare wire over the past ??? years.
4. The bare wire connected with the metal window frame and the fer forge causing smoke and sparks.
5. I freak out.
6. I rip the light off the cord so it is no longer connected.
7. The smoke and sparks continue.
8. I turn off the invertor and search for the handy magnetic flashlight my friend Bridget gave me.
9. I run around my house frantically searching for something to touch the cord to move it away from the metal.
10. I can't find anything suitable in my state of panic, so I move the cord with my hand. I am not dead.
11. Smoke subsides but there are still sparks.
12. I call my neighbor Tim. He is at the Vervloets, so I end up talking to Stephan, a mechanical wizard.
13. He tells me I have to disconnect the wire from the invertor batteries.
14. I unpadlock the fer forge door to go outside, but can't find the key for the lock on the battery cage.
15. I find it. I stand in rainwater as I unlock the cage and listen to Stephan tell me what I'm supposed to do.
16. I don't understand what he's saying except, "Don't touch one one of the two connections because it will shock you", and "You must disconnect it or the short will drain the batteries".
17. Tim is coming home, so he will come disconnect it.
18. Thirty minutes later he arrives (its still raining).
19. He looks everything over and yanks the wires off the battery with a few, "Are you sure this is the right one?" questions.
20. The situation is resolved. The invertor works. I am not electrocuted, nor did I die by fire.
I'm adding 'must know about electrical stuff' to my list of qualifications for a good husband.
This is what happened:
1. It was raining.
2. I tried to close the window.
3. The cord that is looped through the window and the fer forge had been rubbed to the bare wire over the past ??? years.
4. The bare wire connected with the metal window frame and the fer forge causing smoke and sparks.
5. I freak out.
6. I rip the light off the cord so it is no longer connected.
7. The smoke and sparks continue.
8. I turn off the invertor and search for the handy magnetic flashlight my friend Bridget gave me.
9. I run around my house frantically searching for something to touch the cord to move it away from the metal.
10. I can't find anything suitable in my state of panic, so I move the cord with my hand. I am not dead.
11. Smoke subsides but there are still sparks.
12. I call my neighbor Tim. He is at the Vervloets, so I end up talking to Stephan, a mechanical wizard.
13. He tells me I have to disconnect the wire from the invertor batteries.
14. I unpadlock the fer forge door to go outside, but can't find the key for the lock on the battery cage.
15. I find it. I stand in rainwater as I unlock the cage and listen to Stephan tell me what I'm supposed to do.
16. I don't understand what he's saying except, "Don't touch one one of the two connections because it will shock you", and "You must disconnect it or the short will drain the batteries".
17. Tim is coming home, so he will come disconnect it.
18. Thirty minutes later he arrives (its still raining).
19. He looks everything over and yanks the wires off the battery with a few, "Are you sure this is the right one?" questions.
20. The situation is resolved. The invertor works. I am not electrocuted, nor did I die by fire.
I'm adding 'must know about electrical stuff' to my list of qualifications for a good husband.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Supper
Ah, to be single and not responsible for anyone else's eating habits! Last night in the 10 minutes I was home between work and Bible study, I supped on 6 peices of pepperoni and a grenadia flavored yogurt.
I did take a loaf of apple bread that I'd made with me to share at Bible study; it was a nice supplement to the pepperoni and yogurt.
Now, you know, if I were male and single in this country someone would have made a real meal for me. I know because it has happened to several single men I've known over the years here.
I did take a loaf of apple bread that I'd made with me to share at Bible study; it was a nice supplement to the pepperoni and yogurt.
Now, you know, if I were male and single in this country someone would have made a real meal for me. I know because it has happened to several single men I've known over the years here.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
New Year's
Wow! I can't believe someone, let alone several someones are still looking at my blog. I figured everyone had given up on it because I never post! Thanks for hanging in there!
I had a fantastic New Year's doing absolutely nothing. I spent four days in Jacmel with Ana and her fiance and soon to be in-laws. Did I say it was fabulous? Because it was! We watched movies (which I haven't done in months). We went to the beach (which I haven't done in months). We spent New Year's Eve at a party given by Jacmel's mayor (which I haven't done in months--- okay, never.) And a new first-- driving around with the gwo police chef patrolling the city. I was given the official tour of Jacmel by none other than the Director of Police for the Southeast Department himself. Here's two pics of my New Year's Holiday. One of the beach where we were on the last day of the year and one of Valine (sister-in-law), Ana, myself, and Sonny (fiance to Ana and gwo chef).
The only stress the whole trip was trying to get back. I'd chosen to fly since it was only $55 for a round trip ticket and the trip was only 17 minutes compared to three hours in the car. I made reservations the week before, paid when I arrived at the airport and asked to verify my return trip. The lady behind the counter said she couldn't confirm it....okay. So when trying to leave on Wednesday to come back, we called ahead to verify my name was on the passenger list. Nope, it wasn't. Of course. We went to the airport since Ana was on the same flight, but was confirmed and wanted to double check my name, too. If there wasn't room, I wouldn't be able to come back to Port until the next day. Lo and behold, my name was not on the list and they said the flight was booked, but Dave Carwell happened to be there with a MAF plane! I hopped aboard, paid by $30 and was back in Port before my original flight.
When Ana's flight arrived, there were only 7 passengers! Oh, well. I still have a flight that I can use to or from Jacmel in the future, which means I just HAVE to go again!
I had a fantastic New Year's doing absolutely nothing. I spent four days in Jacmel with Ana and her fiance and soon to be in-laws. Did I say it was fabulous? Because it was! We watched movies (which I haven't done in months). We went to the beach (which I haven't done in months). We spent New Year's Eve at a party given by Jacmel's mayor (which I haven't done in months--- okay, never.) And a new first-- driving around with the gwo police chef patrolling the city. I was given the official tour of Jacmel by none other than the Director of Police for the Southeast Department himself. Here's two pics of my New Year's Holiday. One of the beach where we were on the last day of the year and one of Valine (sister-in-law), Ana, myself, and Sonny (fiance to Ana and gwo chef).
The only stress the whole trip was trying to get back. I'd chosen to fly since it was only $55 for a round trip ticket and the trip was only 17 minutes compared to three hours in the car. I made reservations the week before, paid when I arrived at the airport and asked to verify my return trip. The lady behind the counter said she couldn't confirm it....okay. So when trying to leave on Wednesday to come back, we called ahead to verify my name was on the passenger list. Nope, it wasn't. Of course. We went to the airport since Ana was on the same flight, but was confirmed and wanted to double check my name, too. If there wasn't room, I wouldn't be able to come back to Port until the next day. Lo and behold, my name was not on the list and they said the flight was booked, but Dave Carwell happened to be there with a MAF plane! I hopped aboard, paid by $30 and was back in Port before my original flight.
When Ana's flight arrived, there were only 7 passengers! Oh, well. I still have a flight that I can use to or from Jacmel in the future, which means I just HAVE to go again!
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