Friday July 16
Today is our last day with the teachers. We are having a celebration and a graduation party! We have accomplished a lot but still there is so much more we could do. But all good things must come to an end...
It is also our last walk to school this morning. I savour every smell and sound as we walk along. We have become part of the morning routine, this gaggle of white women, and people greet us with smiles and bonjous. We have seen progress with the rubble clean up from our first few days. The work crews have made a dent in the mountains of broken concrete. We hand out the last of our water bags as we pass by the busy workers and the shoe shine boys. Lots of laughs and smiles!
We are greeted at the school by all of the teachers clad in red and white!! It is a beautiful expression of their love for us and Canada. We listen to them sing songs of thanks and appreciation and laugh as they present us with funny poems about each one of us...they think we are a little crazy!! We give each a certificate and a card with a very special "present" inside. We know that this monetary gift will go far to alleviate some of their need. And of course, every party needs food! We stand around eating and drinking together, saying our good byes with lots of hugs and tears and beautiful smiles.
Since it is our last day, we take our translator, Carl, out for a special lunch to one of the ritziest hotels on the side of the mountain. We cannot believe how beautiful it is. We walk out onto the terrace of the restaurant to a spectacular view of the city below. Again another sharp contrast of the two worlds here. We watch yet another storm roll in as we sip on wine and reflect on our time together.
Our driver cannot make it up the steep streets because of the rain so we walk down to meet the van. We walk past gated mansions and beautiful gardens, breathing in the fresh air, relishing in the beauty. We get to the bottom of the street and are instantly hit with the noise, the heat and the chaos of the main road. I think this is how I will remember Haiti - it hits me over and over again...the beauty and the squalor, the extremes of life here, the insanity of poverty and wealth side by side.
So my friends, thank you for accompanying me on this journey. I know I will never be the same.
Connie
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