3.01.2011

10 on Tuesday

So today is 10 on Tuesday: Thoughts and Random facts edition.

I've decided that the 10 pictures on Tuesday gets a little old week after week, and its too much pressure for me to remember my camera all day. Also, there are always moments I miss on camera or can't actually take a photo of.

So this afternoon I made a decision. 10 on Tuesday is no longer going to be only 10 pictures (or word pictures) on Tuesday. It can be 10 of whatever I want it to be. At first I felt like I failed because I'm "giving up" on the pictures, but its my blog, and I've decided I can write what I want to write about... because when I do its typically much more enjoyable for everyone. I'll try to have a theme for my Tuesdays, but I make no promises!

So. Thoughts and Random Facts: go!

1. It is so hard to get anything done in this country. I don't know why. Maybe because I'm living in a world without subtitles... Today I felt like I worked hard, and was even borderline stressed out. Looking back, I acomplished barely anything. And I still feel like it was a productive day here in Haiti. Strange. This is a very strange place.

2. Speaking of strange... Tala wore bubblewrap on her head today for her headscarf. (Yes the kind that comes in packages with fragile things.) It was all I could do not to laugh at her every time I saw her.

3. This weekend is the Haitian equivalent of Mardi Gras in Port Au Prince. Lots of loud, loud music and drinking and other crazy stuff. So Gersan's church decided to have their youth retreat here! We are so excited. This is going to be the first retreat group to come here. We are going to do our very best to show the city kids how to really camp!

4. I have been staying up entirely too late recently. I have decided that I need to institute a bedtime. I would like it to be somewhere around 8, but I think I'm going to go with 9 o'clock, and make exceptions for weekends and busy days. Yes, I'm fully aware that I am a grandma. Call me names if you want. I don't care.

5. I have learned it is astronomically more difficult to speak and understand Kreyol if I am tired.

6. I love living here. I am so thankful for this opportunity that God has given me to live here. God is the best. I love every day here. Some are hard. Some are very, very hard. But I am very happy here and love living here. This trip has given me a lot to think about for the future..... which will require a post all in itself. I'll come back to this sometime when I have all my thoughts together.

7. There were numerous encouraging moments today that I would be explaining something in Kreyol or just making conversation and whoever I was talking to would say, "You speak Kreyol so well!" or, when I would explain something, or reference a conversation I had overheard, they would look at me shocked and say, "You are very smart, you know everything that goes on around here!" Which, frankly is my goal!

8. At the end of the day, today was a lot more sucessful that I anticipated. This morning skype was making me want to sit and cry and pull out my hair all at the same time. I was depending on skype today because "mwen telephone pov." (my telephone is in poverty... poor... I have no minutes.) Waiting till the weekend to recharge, but may buy some tomorrow to hold me over. Skype worked well this afternoon and I just turned up the volume really loud so I could hear it if it went off without me around.

9. I was grateful for outdoorsmanship class with Wes Woodard at Frontier Camp today because my job for the day was to set up tents. We currently have enough bunk beds to sleep about 44 people here. We had plans to set up another couple of beds because we were planning on having 46 people for the retreat this weekend, so we were going to put a few in the tent....This afternoon I found out that our 46 people had turned into 81. Hence the tent scramble.

10. My 10th fact of the day is that it is now past my newfound grandma bedtime!! And my brain is out of things to say.


 Honestly I was out of things to say after I told you about the bubble wrap. Sorry if you could tell. You probably could. I'll try to do better next Tuesday. Until then, please don't be too dissapointed in this post. My creativity is nonexistant tonight.

Thank you, and goodnight.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

As usual, I'm out of the loop on fashion trends. I just took a huge bag of bubble wrap to Nancy M., not realizing that it is the latest accessory. Now I'll have to wait until we get another package full of it. And, by then the trend will probably have passed. :-( (I love you blogs--and I love you!) Mom

Unknown said...

I wish you would have gotten a picture of Tala with the bubble wrap on her head. :) Thanks for the update!
-Greta

Rebecca said...

Noelle, your posts make me smile! :-)

Unknown said...

Praying for the weekend retreat.

Unknown said...

Marilyn says, Going to bed at 8pm in Haiti is a "good thing"..spoken from a grandma :) So proud of you for working on your Kreyol and how exciting for a Haitian to tell you that you speak good Kreyol...way to go Noelle!

Jenny said...

I agree--so thankful for Wes Woodard's outdoorsmanship class! Enjoy the retreat this weekend! Praying for God's work in Haiti!

Joan Guite said...

I just read your blog and it made me feel I was in Little Guinea again. Keep us informed and in touch. Don't hesitate to use supplies we left after our medical mission. Just let us know what you have used so we can bring more in Sept. I am continuing to pray for you. Peace, Joan

Anonymous said...

I just had lunch with your Dad. If your driving skills are as good as you say, I do not know where they came from.

Balusek

Anonymous said...

Hi Noelle,
I'm a friend of your mom's and in the military prayer group. My son is currently deployed to Iraq. I feel that what you are doing is just as brave, selfless and courages as all those who chose to serve our country. You have chosen to serve God's people in an amazing way. I am praying for you. I enjoy your blog and following the God-journey you are on.
God bless you.

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