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  Archaie, Haiti
Monday, September 1, 2003

Hello !

I am in Haiti living with a host family and learning to speak Kreole ! I have class twice a day, language in the morning and culture in the afternoons. I have breakfast lunch and dinner with my host family. My mom's name is Kilene, my father is Pol A, and my little sister is Luna. Breakfast is usually fried plantains, deep fried spaghetti or fried hot dogs ! The rest of the meals usually consist of some kind of grain and fish or goat. For dinner most nights I have bread and butter and fresh squeezed juices. The heat is out of control here and because we have no electricity or running water the only relief is a bucket bath three or four times a day. Haiti is like no place I have ever been. It is both beautiful (the beach, the mountains, the Carribean sky, the people) and ugly (the poverty, the disease, the malnutrition, and the trash). People are very warm and friendly and everywhere you go people say hello and want to know how you are and what you are up to. I live among bannana fields and I can see the beach from my front yard. The water is too dirty to swim but it is beautiful none the less. At night the sky is bright with stars and in the distance you can see the mass of lights that mark Port au Prince about 40 miles away. I am doing great so far but I have to say that I have a lot of adjusting to do. Five people from our group have already left so that makes you wonder if its all worth it but I know that it is. The limited conversations I have with my host family and the laughs we share are wonderful. Its nice to take things slowly and look at my surroundings through a new language and a new cultural approach. Life is slower down here and it is somewhat refreshing. If you send me anything, make sure that it is not in a box because anything in a box will be stolen. Padded envelopes are safe but for extra precaution write For Religious Use and declare the value of the contents at $0. Please send me letters if you get the chance. I will write to all the addresses I have. As I understand it, it takes about 10 to 14 days for letters and about 20 days for padded envelopes. I can get almost anything I want down here which is nice. The problem is communication but I will do my best to check internet about every two weeks. Peace and love to everyone ! If you have questions, drop me a line and I will address them in my next entry !

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