As many of you have probably explored the little bit I have up so far on my website, it is mainly photos. Well, I think it is important to share some background on the photos and why I selected these to be featured.
My home page is compiled of seven photos, a few of children and a few landscape styles pictures. The young girl in two of the photos, is Mika, she is three and LOVES to have her picture taken, probably because that is the only chance she has to see her reflection (crazy right?!). She is super happy all of the time, and we made quick friends back in December, when we took afternoon naps together, and spent new years eve celebrating and dancing! The little boy in my first picture is Johnsly, he was the little boy we were building the house for. I was also able to make quick friends with him, because he is an educated little guy, who spoke french (like myself). Lastly, is our group picture of my work team the first week I was there, we dug trenches for eight hours a day for five days together, and had a ton of fun while doing it! My about page showcases my custom made logo for 'The White Haitian", featuring the flag of Haiti in black and white. Next is a picture of the cutest and sweetest little baby, his name is Castro, and in the photo, he is about 26 days old! He is the son of one of the gem makers, Michaelange, since there is no real childcare programs and Michaelange has three other children to feed and take care of, Castro goes to work with her, and we all happily watched him! Lastly, is a picture of me, Johnsly, and another team member Abby Cruz, we all had so much fun in the second week I was there, taking funny pictures, hiking the mountain, and dancing to whatever music Jonas had found for us to listen to! Less than three weeks until I continue my journey to Haiti, more pictures and blogs will come and hopefully some videos of the friends I have in Haiti! Until next time...
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Have you ever learned the entirety of another language? Have you ever needed to learn another language to thrive?
I have..... For the past three and a half months I have been working nightly with Jonas to learn Creole. He teaches me vocabulary words, how to structure a sentence, and how to ask and answer questions. So far, I have about seven hundred vocabulary words compiled, and with that, I also have the knowledge to take those vocabulary words and create phrases and questions. Since beginning to learn the language, the members in my family have also began to learn the very basics of Creole, such as "Hi, how are you?", and a fan favorite between every Haitian and non-Haitian "What's up" or "Sak pasè". Jonas teaches me different dialects of the language, and how to address different audiences. My goal is to be proficient enough to communicate with patients, the staff, and the Haitians in the villages to break the language barrier. I will continue lessons when I return to Haiti, and become more fluent so there is less of a language barrier between us. I have had many people ask me, what the most important phrases I have learned so far, and every time I say "Pale dousman tanpri, mwen toujou anprann Kreyol!" which means "Please speak slowly, I'm still learning Kreyol!", as well as asking "Do you speak any English?"! yon lot fwa... I have had a ton of questions, all revolving around "Why, are you going back?"
The simple answer is because I cannot stay away, I love the country and I love the people! But quite honestly, my first trip changed my perspective on life, and what I was put on this Earth to do. I felt like before my trip, I had an extreme sense of "what is my purpose? what am I on this Earth to do?" and I really started feeling the pressure of choosing a career path. Since I returned from Haiti, I changed my major to Health and Wellness, with a minor in Biology, and decided I was going back to Haiti to continue helping. When I was reached out to but the organization I stay with, it was a simple decision, of course I was going to return this summer for an Internship. I have realized over the past few months that the world is so much bigger than the world I had been living in, the world is bigger than you, than me, than us, and I had not put that into perspective. Frankly, none of my trips are for me, they are for the people who are benefitting, the Haitians. until next time... Jonas is a friend I met the first time I went to Haiti, he speaks English, and acts as a translator for the teams when they go out into the surrounding villages. Jonas is currently my Creole teacher, and when I first reached out to him when I applied for this Internship, he jumped on the opportunity to help me out. We connect every night on the phone, by video call, he teaches me Creole, as well as dialects, so that when I arrive in Haiti I will be prepared for conversations!
Jonas is one of the few Haitians I know, and I consider him a dear friend. We have built a playful and unique relationship over the past 4 months, and I tell him each call how many days until my arrival and tell him "Get excited!!". Jonas does not just act as my teacher, but as a mentor through the ins and outs of Haiti, where I have only spent two weeks, I felt it necessary to learn more about formalities when meeting people for the first time, and how to present myself to people I may come across. Each time I connect with Jonas I show him the compiled stack of index cards I have gathered that are all the words in Creole he has taught me, each time he says "Mez ami, Saman!", which means 'my friend, Samantha!', because he is in such shock that I would write down seven hundred vocabulary words and phrases. until next time... |
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