Ways I've become Haitian

Following are a few lists including ways I have and have not become Haitian and a list in ways I have YET to become Haitian.

Ways I've become Haitian:
1. I don't kill bugs any more
2. I listen to my music louder
3. I'm ok with sitting and talking to friends to pass hours
4. I'm comfortable in my own sweat :)
5. I shower twice or more a day
6. I'm more relaxed and "Caribbean" in my mannerisms, I've got "flow"
7. I say "yes" or "no" at the end of my phrases
8. Time is flexible (to an extent)
9. Kissing on the cheek is the only way to greet people properly
10. I'm comfortable in awkward positions
11. My concept of "enough room" has greatly decreased in size
12. I can sleep through a lot of noise
13. I can move my hips, yes ladies and gentleman, I can dance Caribbean-style! (Or at least Kompa)
14. I'm more narcissistic
15. No meal is complete without rice and beans (Sós pwa all the way bébé!)
16. I share my food with my friends; I share more things in general
17. I wear bright colors
18. I avoid the sun during my daily activities if possible
19. Any temperature below 80˚ F is cold!
20. Blackouts? Normal!
21. I like my sugar!


...Interestingly enough, it's hard for me to write the ways I've become Haitian because they are so much a part of me now...


Ways I have not become Haitian
1. I still like my alone time
2. I still like having times of silence
3. I don't wake up at the break of dawn or before
4. I Do NOT like Roosters or listening to them "sing" before the sun comes up
5. I don't write my last name first


Ways I need to be more "Haitian"
1. Have better concept of space (especially in driving)
2. Be able to balance and carry objects on my head
3. Haitians have a way of totally releasing every muscle in their body, especially when they sit, travel, or whatever. I have yet to be able to do this well, but I have made some progress from my normally tense self!

Créole Progress Report

Learning a Language with Kelsey

  Step 1. Always listen

  Step 2. Make as many mistakes as possible—the sooner they get corrected, the sooner    you’re on your way to speaking bon Kreyol (good Creole)

Step 3. It’s ok to be very confused and in the dark most of the time at the beginning—you  will only be surprised by how much more you understand of what’s going on around you as you learn.

  Concept 1. Language is very important

  Concept 2. Don’t be alarmed that you understand everything being said as long as they are not talking to you; it’s only when they speak to you that you suddenly don’t understand anymore

  Advice 1. Learn the important things first: where’s the bathroom; I’m hungry; I’m thirsty; words of your favorite food; words that pertain to your job. Then branch out from there.

  Step 4. Take your time to learn—language is NOT something you can force yourself to learn. Your brain will only hold so much at a time. You have to abide by your limit

  Step 5. Body language is very important to help understanding: Gestures, facial expressions, hearing everything well—not until you understand a language well can you piece together a phrase that you only partially heard or reflect back on what is said and understand it after the fact.

  Step 6. Don’t be afraid of the weeks when you have set-backs and feel like you’ve never heard a word of Creole in your life

  Step 7. Phone conversations are a learning curve all its own, that will come with time

  Step 8. Repeat after people

  Concept 3. Don’t be offended by continual correction from native speakers. Yes it’s humbling but it’s worth it if you want to learn the language.

  Step 9. Try making up words—you might be surprised. If it’s a Latin based word, it probably works. If nothing else, say it in English and just add the right accent—it might just work!

  Advice 2. If you don’t know how to say something exactly, figure out another way you could say the same thing with words you know.

  Concept 4. Entertaining people with silly Creole is really fun—by silly Creole, I mean Creole I’ve made up and/or translated from English and it just doesn’t work in Creole.

  Concept 5. Don’t worry about the moments when people ask you if you speak Creole well or say you speak all of Creole and then suddenly you can’t understand anything.

  Concept 6. Don’t TRY to understand. Understanding will just happen.

  Concept 7. Each person speaks a bit differently and sometimes it’s like learning the language all over again, just getting used to how they sound when they speak. (there are still a few people I cannot understand no matter how much I listen to them).

  Step 10. Write words that you don’t think you’ll remember and keep them handy.

  Step 11. Repetition Repetition Repetition. Seriously. After maybe 8-10 times I’ll remember the proper way to say that one word or that phrase, etc.

  Step 12. Get ready for the revelations when a certain word clicks or a phrase pops out of someone’s mouth and you’re like “I was wondering how to say that!”

  Step 13. Don’t try to speak as fast as everyone around you; take your time to form the words in your mouth, etc. Speak slower and the phrases come out faster

  Concept 8. Language creates images—when one understands, one creates images from the words being spoken

  Concept 9. Sometimes, miscommunication is not a language problem

  Concept 10. It’s not as frustrating to speak English with someone when you know you can speak their language too.

  Concept 11. Overcome the intimidation you feel when someone speaks your language better than you speak theirs. Go ahead and speak Creole with them! Most of them prefer to speak Creole with you and are not comparing their language skills with yours.

  Concept 12. Little by little the darkness of non-understanding is lifted and you understand more and more of what’s going on around you, what is being said; Language is the key to the chest of understanding. Listen to what is being said, watch what is being done, perceive how those things work together, and you slowly put the puzzle pieces of a culture together.

Funny Faux Pas and reflections:

Cringlish is the language I claim to speak right now. This happens both when I’m speaking mainly Enlgish and when I’m speaking mainly Creole at any given moment. But now I’m at the point in my understanding of Creole that I understand most of what people say to me so I forget when I don’t know a particular word in Creole and throw an English word in for it’s substitute, they don’t really understand (usually the English word is the critical word of the phrase). Thankfully, there are enough English speaking Haitians around me that it’s not always a problem and they give me the correct Creole word.

I’m very grateful for my understanding students and friends who understand my silly Creole. They are very patient when I try to make things up or just plain can’t say anything. 

Highlights from April

Haiti Baptist Mission

or as all the Haitians know it

"Kay Wallace" or "Pasteur Wallace"

With Reinhards

My Taïno man

The Landscape

This is where I will be living next year!!! 

...I wish...

Kindred spirits: Tim and Joan with Pastor Wallace and Eleanor Turnbull

Stopped at a restaurant with a grand view of Port-au-Prince 

on the way back down the mountain.

 PRESENTING!!!! ...

PORT-AU-PRINCE!!!

Pi bon zanmi'm!!

Bel peyi

Orchestre Philharmonic Sainte Trinité

and

Petit Chanteurs 

Concert featuring all Haitian composers

Haitian drummer--the best kind of drumming 

Bel Fanm Ayisyen

All of us

Petit Chanteurs wave the Haitian Flag

Student Recital, April 21

 MC, Madame Nicole, our fabulous vocal instructor

Cutie Petuties waiting to go on stage

Me and my girls

Braiding My Hair Monday, April 29

How many people does it take to braid a head? 

I never thought my hair could do this!! 

Sunday evening Skype date with the Coolest Person EVAR!

Sunday, April 28

....And the Adventure continues into MAY!!!! 

A week in the life of Kelsey

Daily Musings:

Sunday April 21

Student recitals should not last longer than an hour...ouch...

My students are some of my favorite people EVARRR!!! 

Below are Hilary, Anne Christine, and Valencia.  They got for the "Best Looking Studio" Award

Monday, April 22

It's rainy today...it kinda reflects my inner feelings. Or maybe my inner feelings reflect the lack of sun. But today I am kinda sad but restful.

Why are there so many flies???

Not sure if I will be going downtown today because of HEAVY traffic. And when I say heavy traffic, that means it takes 2 hours to travel 6 miles--a route that should only take 20 minutes normally. 

Tuesday, April 23
Cockroaches beat dry leaves 100% in crunchiness factor! If you like leaves, try cockroaches...I discovered this on the way to my bathroom in the dark this morning.
I am most assuredly a choc-oholic now.
I decided I should own a motorcycle or an ATV when I live in Haiti--it facilitates maneuverability.

Wednesday, April 24

Fit eight people in a 5-passanger vehicle today. In Haiti, there's always room. One of riders said we could fit in another 3 more...
Wore a yellow tank top and a brown skirt with my hair in low pig tails. Guess that's a winner with Haitians as I received lots of compliments on how beautiful I am.
So, student monthly reports are a pain in the .... but Ashley made it very entertaining as she made a report of my lessons with her and Fritz...in picture form. We had very exciting lessons this month!

Lessons with Ashley: unicorn riding, walking on the moon, moto taxi driving, sword fighting on a pirate ship
Lessons with Fritz: Cowboys and Indians, swimming with sharks, parachuting, and rock climbing 

It turns out that chocolate and playing violin by candle light is perfect therapy for loneliness.

Thursday, April 25
Only in Haiti are the dough balls stronger than the spoons...

I have a bathroom friend. He only comes out when it rains though. He's a handsome fellow. With 6 legs, reddish brown wings, and looooong antennas.

Friday, April 26
I like Fridays...yes.
Marlenn (our cook) is one of my favorite people ever. She is seriously so sweet, and makes delicious food! And she puts up with my craziness.
Some of my daily musings are not internet appropriate...
i.just.stepped.on....a.mouse....
I want to eat chocolate all the time!!!

Saturday, April 27
I do not like Saturdays...I think I will start a club. And call it the "let's skip Saturdays" club.
I NEEEED CHOCOLAAAATTTTTEEEEE!!!!!

Highlights from March

Visual Tour of March....until I lost my camera charger...

MESDA group came for two weeks to help out teaching

This is after a pedagogy class

My special audience members

Fritz's Teleman solo

Brandenburg 

Honoring the soloists

Fan Club! Where are the "We <3 Kelsey" posters...??

Highlights from February

This is the visual Show and Tell, Highlights from February

Ashley's Birthday! 

I got to join the missionaries from Les Cayes for their retreat at 

Kaliko Beach Resort

My wonderful aunt Desma!

Delicious Banane Fwi or Banane Peze--my favorite Haitian food!

Dirk and Karen!!! I love them!

Snorkeling in the Caribbean!

Rudolph, my good friend and chofé for the day

I got to visit Les Cayes during Kanaval and stayed with

Lee and Desma, my aunt and uncle and their family

Ladies Tea

A typically amazing Haitian Paysaj

Since I only have three months left here...

I've decided to start being better about blogging...now that my time here is almost at a close.

It's hard to believe I've been here 9 months already and that the time I will leave is closer than the time I came.

My daily schedule looks something like this:
Monday - Friday
9 - 11 teach the advanced violins (private lessons)
11 - 12:30 maybe eat, wait for the yell "ANN ALE!!!" to go downtown, check emails, etc.
12:30 (or whenever we arrive) - 2:30 Primary school. I help by giving private lessons while group lessons go on.
3 - 5 Teach Intermediate to advanced violins (Private Lessons)
Evenings: chill, read, hang out with friends, catch up with family, sleep, work on school stuff, workout, etc.

Saturday
9 - 11:30 Teach intermediate (private lessons)
12 - 1:30 Rehearse Petit Orchestre de Chambre, the intermediate string orchestra
2 - 5 Rehearse with Orchestre Philharmonic Sainte Trinite, the pre-professional orchestra

News update:
I started Taekwondo. Yeah! It's pretty awesome!

Sunday:
Morning go to church
Afternoon - Evening Concert or recital sometimes, go to the market, practice Taekwondo, chill, maybe spend time with friends