There wasn’t anything too exciting that happened today except for falling backwards off a pile of rubble onto another pile of rubble (feet over my head an all - of course the Haitians laughed...they find it insanely comical when blans fall) and being jabbed in the chest with the rebar cutters (I've got a nice Haitian tattoo now) all in order to prevent the three older men I was working with from having heart attacks due to the extreme heat, hard manual labor, and - quite frankly - their age. Besides that, not much.
So I thought I’d take this time to tell you some interesting things I’ve learned about the Haitian culture.
1. It’s considered very rude to show the bottom of your feet in public (ex: not sitting with your leg crossed and your foot resting on your knee.) VERY RUDE.
2. You should never call anyone an animal (ex: if someone is eating a lot of food and making a mess and you call them a “pig” – no good!) It’s considered a terrible insult.
3. NO making fun of anyone’s mom. (That means no “yo mamma” jokes.) Good way to get yourself seriously hurt, even if you're only kidding.
4. Haitians love a joke. And when I say “love” I mean LOOOOOVE! They thoroughly enjoying laughing.
5. You should never smell your food or drink. It’s insulting to the cook. (Dogs small their food before they eat. Are you a dog?)
6. You have to pay for your child to go to school. Even public schools. And most children only go for part of the day (either in the morning or in the afternoon. A small amount of children go at night.)
7. Haitians are extremely clean, despite the dirty streets, muddy tents, and garbage everywhere. They will change several times a day - depending on how much they sweat. They are constantly cleaning their hands, dishes, and anything else that is filthy. (You would never know this if you saw a tent camp.)
Just in case you come to Haiti in the near future you’ll have a few cards up your sleeve. Tell them Angie sent you. ;-)
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