In the meantime, I have just finished co-writing my new one-woman show, “I’m An Acadian-Canadian, Eh!” with “One Funny Lady”, Deborah Kimmett, comedian, writer, keynote motivational speaker & author.  She is HILARIOUS!!  Check out her website here: http://kimmett.ca/ and her new book is now out:   That Which Doesn’t Kill You makes You Funnier.  Excerpts from her new book were featured for a full week in the National Post.

“I’m An Acadian-Canadian, Eh” pays tribute to my Acadian heritage through story-telling & songs I’ve written over the years such as “Acadian Moon”, “J’M'Appelle Evangéline”, “Josephine, Acadian Queen”, “I Am An Acadian” and the famous & favourite MicMac Song.

I’m currently in final rehearsals and plan to launch a series of small concerts starting in February.  Stay tuned, eh!

College Ste. Anne Choir & musicians

This was a first for me to have a dance choreographed to 2 of my songs, “Women of the World” and “Angel In Disguise”.  What an experience!  What a breathtaking show it was, too.

Erica, Stephanie, Gabrielle, Shaun

Sonia Balazovjech is brilliant as far as I am concerned. She not only choreographed but also danced in most of the numbers.  However, the most breathtaking to me was her duet with her beautiful daughter, Autumn, as they danced to “Angel In Disguise” to raise awareness for gendercide.

In Rehearsal

“Ensemble” is the first full length production for SBDC (Sonia Balazovjech Dance Company), an independent non-profit dance company.  Their goal is to have the power to produce a single effect & to use dance as an educational tool to raise awareness and funds for important charitable organizations.

Under the masterful supervision of another brilliant woman, Lyne Depatie, “Ensemble” debuted November 19, 2011 at College Ste-Anne in Lachine, Quebec to raise funds & awareness for 60 Million Girls, a Foundation that builds schools for girls in underdeveloped countries.

This group of dedicated & passionate women asked me to participate and together with the stunning dancers, fabulous musicians and a superb choir, they made my songs come alive.  There was so much energy, love and enthusiasm in that auditorium both from all the participants as well as the audience.  Saturday night’s show was sold out and I’m sure the thunderous applause could be heard clear across the river.

Something special happened that day – “Ensemble” took us all through an emotional journey encompassing compassion, caring. hope and empowerment.  And this was not a one time show.  More are planned and if these two shows are any indication, SBDC will be in great demand.  It was an honour for me to have had the chance to be a part of “Ensemble”.

“You added such a special dimension to the event. You are definitely at the roots of our phenomenal success.”  Lyne Depatie.

I enjoyed my interview with Shannon who made me feel comfortable and welcomed as I shared my journey. She asked some insightful questions which, in turn, allowed me to share my philosophy on life, the music business & things that are important to me. I enjoyed her “60 second” segment called her “Good to Know Minute” where she asks her guests for their “top tip” on living a successful life.

She has a great website which you should check out because there are many interviews with interesting women from different walks of life. www.extraordinarywomentv.com.

Here is a quick description:

Extraordinary Women TV with Shannon Skinner is a weekly lifestyle talk show featuring successful women from all walks of life, Canadian and international, who share their dramatic and extraordinary insights on how they made it. Shannon marries her media expertise with her coaching prowess to unlock the secrets of their success. Tune in, see through a new pair of eyes – and be inspired.

Sailing About on Smiths Bay

A peaceful paradise – that’s what the County is.  I simply look out my window to see how much beauty abounds here in Prince Edward County, Ontario where I live.  I took this photo from my bathroom window (it’s the only one without a screen at the moment!).  The thing about Mother Nature is that you have to capture her in her splendour because her beauty is in constant motion.  I was lucky that all elements came together in this photo as I ran to the window with my camera – the sailboat had reached the perfect spot, the bay was mirrored just right, the colours were perfect…..for me it was just point & shoot.

I am thrilled that local artist, Susan Moshynski, painted this scene in watercolours!  She captured the essence of the photo beautifully and I am happy to say that her masterpiece is now hanging in my office.  You can visit her website to view her gorgeous artwork at http://bythebay.squarespace.com/.

Sailing About Smiths Bay

June 22

Morning sightseeing & shopping.  To airport at 2PM.  Trick to flying Air France – self-serve electronic boarding pass – DIY!!

Left about ½ hr late.  Arrived Paris 6:30 – no problems getting bags.  Found a taxi and 75Euros later…!!!!!traffic was horrendous – should have only cost 55Euros but construction & a big event going on at the stadium tied up traffic.  Took us 2 hours to get to our hotel which is downtown – Hotel de l’Avenir on rue Madame.

Met up with Doris & Karin of BPW Canada & went out for Chinese food – delicious!

June 23

Met for breakfast

Walked through Jardins de Luxembourg & walked from 9:30 to 3:30 – saw La Seine, Le Concorde, Basilique Notre Dame, Jardins des Tuilleries, ate lunch at a quaint bistro, taxi back to hotel, slept 2 hours, walked to Café Cassette for delish supper then Café Monsieur Richard for yummy dessert & tea then back to hotel for a nice chat.  Lovely evening – weather is beautiful, no bugs, quiet neighbourhood.

June 24

Start off with croissant & baguette for b’fast at 8:30, walked to St. Germain des prés & take Batobus tour on La Seine.  Saw Eiffel Tower (when I first caught a glimpse of it from a distance, I exclaimed “is that little pointy thing the Eiffel Tower?”  And that’s what we called it throughout the whole trip!), Arc de Triomphe, ate a chocolate éclair on Champs Elysées.   The crowds were so huge that we never went inside to view any of these landmarks.  If, no WHEN, I go back, I will visit in either early spring or late fall when there aren’t thousands upon thousands in the lineups.

Dined at one of France’s best kept secrets – le resto “Au Bon St. Pourcain” on rue Servandoni .  It only seats 26 people so when more arrive, they have this fake tree in a pot on rollers which they simply move up along the sidewalk as people arrive looking for a table outside.  The street is very narrow cobblestone road so cars & people have to share it when the sidewalks are full of hungry patrons!  Very charming.

June 25

We took a long bus ride to visit Sacré Coeur Church.  It is on top of a high escarpment so it was quite the climb up a huge set of stairs to get there.  I took photos but somehow lost them when I was transferring from my camera to my computer which was too bad.  It was a beautiful church inside but the view is what struck me the most – it was a magnificent view of Paris.  I’m so sorry I lost this photo as well in the transfer because it was truly breathtaking from that high vantage point.

This was also the day for the Gay pride parade – our whole section closed down all around our hotel.  We got on a bus to head back but it stopped at one point and we all had to get off because it was not going any closer to the blockaded area.  We found a taxi stand and about 40 minutes later we flagged down a taxi & climbed in.  When the driver found out where we wanted to go, he said he didn’t want to take us because he’d never be able to get out of the area.  By this time, everyone was tired, sore feet and could not possibly walk the rest of the way back because it was too far.  I convinced him to take us to the outskirts of the blocked off area – turned out it wasn’t as bad as he had thought and we were let off about a 10 minute walk from the hotel.  Needless to say we all collapsed in a heap!

June 26

Doris & Karin headed off the airport in the morning – we were sad to see them leave because they were great travelling companions and we had so much fun seeing Paris together.

Fran & I headed for the train to visit the Château de Versailles.  Train left at 10:21 and we arrived at 11AM, HUGE crowds.  We were used to waiting in line ups by this time and this was no exception.  Finally got our tickets & walked over the palace – talk about breathtaking!  The enormity of the palace is unbelievable.  The sparkling brass gate at the entrance is a marvel in itself.  The gardens are spectacular in their size, beauty and upkeep.  The fountains, the lake, the statues – they were right when they said it takes several hours just to view the gardens.  There are about 20 smaller gardens each set in a different maze pattern.  We never did see all of the 1800 acres as it would have taken a full afternoon but we decided to see inside the palace which was an experience in itself.

Imagine going through a museum shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people.  Squeezed in on every side, standing on tippy toes to see what you can see, pushing your way to the viewing area in each room to catch a glimpse of the most opulent, decadent furniture and paintings.  The whole room is covered in artwork – floors, walls & ceilings – it becomes hard for your eye to take it all in.  I couldn’t help but think of all the poor starving people who could have feasted a lifetime on the money that was spent in this palace.

And the palace is so huge I can’t imagine how Louis XIV ever saw most of the rooms (there are currently 700) or paintings for that matter (there are currently over 6100), or 1250 fireplaces.  Hard to fathom the immensity of this place until you see it for yourself.

There was a delightful “Water Dance” show in one of the gardens where water spouted up in different patterns to the rhythm of classical music.  It was beautiful to watch but hard to capture with a camera.  So I recorded a bit of it on my cell phone.  The spray from the water felt good on that hot day too!

That night, Fran & I went to dinner at Le Coupole, on the recommendation of the night clerk who said he takes his family there all the time.  We were not disappointed – it was beautifully decorated and the food was delicious.  We had a typical flirty waiter serving us and he worked us for all he could for a good tip – which we left him for his performance.

June 27

Typical scalding hot day in Paris which helped me understand why Parisiens escape the city in the summer.  It was truly sweltering with no breeze.  Fran & I decided to have a quiet day in Les Jardins Luxembourg, a one minute walk from our hotel.  They have all these well maintained paths around grassy areas & gardens with chairs all along the way where people sit & read or sleep.  I saw some people on the grass so I decided to lay down & tan.  Within 10 minutes or so, a “lawn police” guy came over to tell me to get off the grass.  I pointed out the other people and he said he was on his way to tell them the same thing.  I found it hilarious that this guy spends his day walking on the grass telling people to get off the grass!!!

So made myself comfortable in the chair on the pathway & we had a lovely quiet day.

June 28

Our last day in Paris so we decided to take a bus to see Musee d’Orsay.  However, once again the lineups were huge so we decided to walk back through the market we saw along the way.  Good thing too because we got to experience the French market.  Fran said that in Paris, people buy their fruits, fish, bread, veggies every day – it’s just part of their routine.  So everything you see in the market is very fresh.  There are also jewelry, clothing, art booths along the way and I bought a beautiful silk scarf for myself.

Alas the time had come to leave Paris – we had to arrange for a taxi yesterday because they are so scarce.  However, that didn’t seem to matter because it came ½ hour late.  Then there was considerable traffic then he dropped us off at the wrong terminal!   We literally ran to the right terminal, huge line ups, had to go to duty-free exchange to collect on some souvenirs we bought and wait in another long lineup at security.  We were late getting to our gate but fortunately, Air France did  not let us down as they were running an hour late.  This time we were glad they were!!!

Back on a double decker aircraft, comfortable seats, good food, we were tired but feeling like we certainly packed as much as we possibly could have into our 6 days in Paris.  I started planning my return trip even before I left!  I know what I want to see again, I know what I do differently and I know when I would go back.

You don’t just see Paris – you experience it.  The sights, the grandeur and beauty of the architecture, the sounds, the aromas – you feel Paris.  It’s vibrant, alive, relaxed – at least that was my experience.  The only sounds I heard in the morning when I woke up was the cooing of the pigeons – it was that quiet.

But there is another side too.  I have created a photo album called “This Is Paris, Too”.  I did see signs of homelessness, street fighting, I almost got pickpocketed, and I saw cigarette butts everywhere as well as doggy doodoo – they don’t scoop the poop so you have to remember to look down every once in a while as you are looking up at the beautiful buildings.  Every morning, water gushes up from the sewers & runs down the gutters cleaning up the roads.  There are workers who sweep the sidewalks and there are trucks that drive up & down the roads with a long blue hose which is held by a worker walking beside the truck washing down the sidewalks.  Oh well.  I guess the butts & doodoo keep people employed.

What a journey filled with great memories and souvenirs.  And I have over 1500 photos to prove it! But I promise not to bore you with them all – just a select few.

Thanks for reading & sharing my experience.  If you have not been, I hope you can make it to Paris one day.  You have to live it for yourself.

June 17
Got about 6 hours sleep then headed over to the Finlandia Hall where the Congress is taking place. Sat in on a constitutional workshop session, sang “Women of the World” to wrap up the session – everyone got up & sang along! Ended all the business sessions with the song and every time, people stood up to sing & dance along. After that, headed back to the hotel room for another couple hours of much needed sleep. Then it was time to get ready for “show” time!

The Opening Ceremonies took place at 7PM back at Finlandia Hall which is a huge auditorium and it was impressively decorated with flags from countries around the world. BPW International is represented in 97 countries around the world and 60 of them came to the Congress. – about 600 women.

There was a lovely young singer who played an instrument that resembled an autoharp but larger along with a violinist representing the “new folk music” of Finland. There were speeches and awards and a native folk dancing group who did the most intricate weaving in & out dance moves I’ve ever seen – it was so fun to watch.

I sang my quadrilingual version of “Women of the World” and was thrilled to see people responding to the song! So many people came up to me after the show to say that play the song “all the time” to keep them motivated – they were from all parts of the world. Those who spoke French, Italian & Spanish were particularly pleased to know that the full versions of the song are available on the souvenir special edition “Women of the World” CD produced for the 2011 Congress.

Unfortunately, the shipment of the CDs was delayed and will only be here on Monday. But I will be singing it at various workshops & business sessions so maybe we will do great sales by the time they arrive on Monday!

June 18
Spent most of the day in business sessions & workshops that start at 9AM and end around 5PM with a ½ hour for a quick bite to eat.

That night, we are bussed to the harbour where we get on a cruise boat that takes us to a casino for the “Friends & Fellows” dinner – a select group of delegates who can bring along their spouses for an evening of fun, camaraderie & good food. There was a white grand piano in the centre of the restaurant so I sang “Women of the World” with a “choir” of women who joined in. I think we entertained the other patrons in the restaurant too as we sang out with gusto!

Oh – a note about the “bus” – It had a “side” door halfway down the bus where people could get on & off. It also had a door which led down a few steps to a washroom in the bus!

June 19
Again it was all day in business sessions then we all went to different restaurants for the “Dine Around” evening – you pre-select a restaurant from a list of recommended eating places in the host city. We chose the Seurohonne Restaurant which had a buffet-style feast and was delicious. At one point, some women stood up & started to sing songs in their native language, then other women did the same then someone came over to get me & brought me to the middle of the restaurant to sing – you guessed it – Women of the World – & everybody joined in singing out in full voice!

June 20
We had the usual business sessions but today they wrapped up early because it was “Gala” night! Everyone will be dressed in their finest for tonight’s elegant dinner in Finlandia Hall.

The meal was scrumptious and they had a lovely program of entertainment which included a male tenor singer as well as a fabulous Korean dance complete with gorgeous costumes & fans.

I debuted my new song “Women of Spirit” which was well received. I also sang “What Would I Do Without You” and there were people dancing to it in the aisles! But the best part of the whole night was when I sang “Women of the world” – 600 women rose up & danced/sang along with me. They also had 2 jumbotrons so I was on these 2 big TV screens, people were dancing in front of the stage, all over the room and singing out the song. WOW – it was one of the best performing nights ever for me. It was such a thrill to see a sea of women, elegantly dressed singing out with such enthusiasm. It was the perfect song for the perfect group and I was caught up in the magic of the moment along with everyone else.

It’s like having a child & watching that child grow up, interact with the world & watch how the world reacts to that child. You kind of beam with pride! That’s how I felt.

Video by Anastasia Safarian ©2011
View Anastasia’s blog here: http://bit.ly/pRLPmS

June 21
The final day of business sessions wrapped up with singing Women of the World again – it was nice to see that they weren’t tired of the song!

That night, we were bussed to a restaurant for the Farewell Dinner & we had a fabulous buffet that was so good, I went for seconds. This was the night that everyone could just relax and enjoy themselves having worked so hard on ratifying their Constitution. Not an easy task with delegates from 60 different countries. The International President, Liz Benham, was superb as she facilitated all the sessions and kept decorum, respect & civility all round. I have much admiration for her and I am not the only one.

I was invited to sing Women of the World and this time, the stage was filled to capacity as women in their bright colours joined me on stage to sing. In front of the stage was a crowd of people singing out & waving their arms in the air. It’s their song now!!! They embody the spirit of the song and I am humbled by the ability of song to unite people of different cultures, different languages.

I met many people who could not speak English but they would see me & say “Hey Hey Hey woman!” and do their best to sing along. I keep telling people I felt like a rock star in Helsinki! Everywhere I went, people wanted their photos taken with me, we exchanged business cards, they told me they play the song to start their meetings or even to start off their day. People from Germany, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Switzerland, Italy, France, various countries in Africa, Egypt – it was just incredible.

That wraps up Part 2 of my Helsinki Journal.  Next installment next Monday will be about my trip to Paris from June 22-28, 2011.

Flying over Montreal

June 14, 2011

The Helsinki Adventure started before we even left Picton!!

I went online to confirm that our flight was leaving on time on June 15th only to discover that it was cancelled!  The phone was in use so I had to run next door to tell  my travelling companion, Fran, the bad news.  She came over to my house so we could figure out what to do & her husband got on the phone to try to contact the travel agent he had dealt with.

I called Air France and for one hour, we tried to figure out why my computer was showing that the flight was cancelled and the ticket agent kept insisting that the flight was not cancelled – it was showing on her computer that it was delayed 1.5 hours.  By the end of the conversation, she said that in fact, the flight was just given a new number and was leaving at the same time as originally scheduled.

June 15 & June 16

So, panic over, at 10:30 we leave Picton & arrive in Beaconsfield around 2:30 where we visited with Fran’s daughter-in-law, Diane and son, Matthieu.  It was a beautiful sunny day, warm and traffic was not too bad.

Off we went to the airport at 5PM & when we check in, we are told that the flight had been re-named AND it was 1.5 hours late.  Well, we say, this is a problem because we have a connecting flight with not enough time to make the connection.  Not to worry says the nice polite gentleman Air France ticket agent – because of staff unrest, all flights were delayed so our connecting flight was most likely going to be delayed too so we should be able to make it.  Could we have our boarding pass for the Paris to Helsinki portion of the trip?  Well, says he, it’s actually Finnair flying that portion so we will have to get our boarding pass in Paris at the Air France desk.

Off we go on our flight – it’s a double decker plane!  And, we get to sit in the upper deck!  So cool – but even cooler, is that each seat has a TV on the back of the seat in front. And, on the screen, we see the view of the airplane from the camera mounted on the tail of the airplane so we view our takeoff.

Slept on & off for the 6 hour flight to Paris and we get to witness the landing thanks to the “Tail Cam” on the outside of the aircraft.  We arrive in Paris 1.5 hours late which means we definitely missed our connecting flight.  Fran gets in line at an Air France line up at the arrivals gate & I head off to get our luggage.  However, I am told at the security check before the baggage carousel that if I go through I can’t  come back in.  So I head back to meet Fran who is still in a long long line up.  We were there at least 45 minutes.  We finally get to a ticket agent who informs us that we have to go to the Finnair desk.  We find one.  He tells us we have to go to another one.  The 2^nd one tells us we have to go to a third one and the third one tells us to go back to the first one.  Then this nice young man takes us on as a personal case and does everything he can to get us on a flight which was leaving in 15 minutes.  Long story short, he can’t do it and tells us we have to go to Air France to book our flight for 3:25.  We look at him incredulously….so much so, that he personally calls Air France to let them know our story.

We arrive at yet another Air France desk and meet Mr. “just call me honey” and his co-worker, Cendrine.   He made us laugh most probably because of how distraught we were by that point.  He books us on the 3:25 flight, gives us free food vouchers  and tells us to be back to see him by 1:25 to get our boarding pass because it was too early to issue it.

We go to 2 different restaurants which would not take the vouchers and find a 3^rd one which was so busy we couldn’t get in, eat & be back in time to meet Mr. “Honey” by 1:25.  So we head back to the desk & wait till 1:25.  His coworker Cendrine then walks over with us to the Finnair desk and the TWO of them work together to get us our boarding passes.  TA DAH – finally!  Success!  Now we just had another 2 hour wait to fly out of Paris finally.  So we head over to the one restaurant that takes Air France vouchers and wait in a long long line up.  Finally get seated and it takes FOREVER to get served.  SO MUCH SO that we end up having to leave halfway through eating our meal because there was NO WAY we were going to be late for our flight out of Paris.  Our nice young friend at Finnair GUARANTEES us that our luggage WILL be on the flight and be ready to be picked up in Helsinki.

2 hours flying time and we land in Helsinki.  We head to the baggage carousel.  And wait…and wait….and wait…and…..you guessed it…..no luggage.  Fran heads off to find “someone” and comes back with “Nancy Drew” she says who is on the case.  Well, “Nancy” came through & managed to find our luggage which had made it on an earlier flight.

We take a city bus to the Crown Plaza hotel and finally, finally have a chance to catch our breath.

Oh…I forgot to add my RAINBOW story….we were flying in & out of clouds and at one point, I saw a rainbow off in the distance.  Then,  a couple of minutes later, I saw something that was truly incredible:  we flew through some clouds and I saw the shadow of the plane completely encircled by a rainbow!  A full circle!  I wonder if that is a common sight for pilots – I should ask them.  I wish I had had my camera at that moment to capture it…darn.

The rest of the day/evening is spent settling into our room, grabbing a bite to eat, and connecting with the Canadian delegation.

photo by Norma Langrish ©2011

What a fun, fun day it was on July 1st.  And these 2 gentlemen from Ottawa played a happy part in it with their musical ride and antics.

We held the 4th Annual Picton Rising Star for the first time on Canada Day and it was a huge success.  We had 16 acts with young talented performers ranging from 11 years old to 17 years old showcasing a variety of musical styles to suit all tastes.  There were 3 rounds of judging with 3 sets of 4 distinguished judges who have expertise in the music, theatre and production industries.  They had their work cut out for them and some of the marks were very close as the artists vied for a spot in the semi-finals (8 spots) and then the finals (4 top spots).

When all was said & done, 15 year old Amy Rutherford took top prize!

Amy Rutherford, Picton Rising Star Winner 2011

We were all impressed with the calibre of talent this year – the music scene in Prince Edward County will continue to thrive for generations to come.  The future is very bright!

I just opened the World Congress for Business and Professional Women International (BPW) 2011 in Helsinki, Finland!

BPW have been tremendous supporters of this song which has already been heard around the world thanks to the enthusiastic endorsement of the current international President, Liz Benham of New York.  She honoured me twice with naming me International Woman of the Week over the past 2 years and invited me to kick off the Congress with with a quadrilingual version of my song, “Women of the World”  in their four official languages:  French, English, Italian and Spanish.

They also commissioned a souvenir CD with all the versions of Women of the World as well as my newest song, Women of Spirit which will be launched at the Gala on Monday evening.

BPW is best summed up this way: BPW International is giving high priority to create opportunities for women to rise to the level of top executives by collecting evidence on the return on investment when women become top executives. The aim is to use this testimony to persuade the relevant stakeholders such as companies, institutions, academia and governments that they would perform better if the percentage of females at top executive level increased and reached a par with men.

I am in the midst of collecting as many languages as I can for the phrase “come on you Women of the World” – so far I have about a dozen. BPW clubs are located in 97 countries around the world and 60 of them are represented at this congress so I have my work cut out!

I will upload photos and my journal within the next week hopefully.

March 15, 2011

Up at 3:30, on the shuttle by 4:30, seated by the gate by 5:15, flight at 6:45 to JFK.  So far so good.

Then the fun began.  Supposed to arrive at JFK airport in NYC at 8:00.  Arrived at  8:45.  My connecting flight leaves at 9AM & we land at gate 34.  My gate is #8.  So the sprint began  and I followed the arrows overhead but the numbers were going up, not down!  Kept running, looking up, was going in the right direction according to the signs – was in a full run and made it by 8:55.  Took a good 15 minutes to catch my breath.  Time to take up running again!

Stirred up something at the bottom of my lungs because I could not stop coughing for those 15 minutes.  The guy across the aisle  I think was fed up so he offered me some gum!  I told him it wasn’t a cold so not to worry.  We got to talking & it turns out he is a Reuters photographer on his way to photograph the elections in Haiti.  His name is Shannon Stapleton.  He lives in NY but is away a lot on assignment.

My seat mate is Haitian but he lives in New York.  He is on his way to Croix de Bouquets – WOW!!!  Now that is a God-moment!  That is exactly where the Gospel Crusade Canada mission team, with people from Picton, is building their school!  Small small world.

Landed at Port au Prince about 1/2hour late.  Huge airplane so took a while to unload.  Greeted by steel band which was nice and a heat wave!  Went to luggage area and have never seen anything like it – people everywhere climbing over suitcases to find theirs – they were strewn all over the floor , on the conveyor belt, guys were there (workers) to locate luggage but people were ignoring them & looking themselves.  Chaos!

Long line up through immigration, finally through then we head outside & walk under a white covered canopy quite a distance to where people are waiting.  Bombarded by offers to help with my luggage and for taxis.  Keep plowing through and incredibly, get to the waiting area and a man approaches me & says “Jeanette?” – it’s Brutus.  I had told him to look for a petite blonde with a red coat so I guess I wasn’t that hard to spot in the crowd!  HAHAHA!  I meet his wife (and I still don’t know her first name because I’m told to call her Mme St. Cyr).   They  drive me to their home and after some pleasantries, I have a siesta for about an hour because I am exhausted.

Wake up & they have supper ready – goat meat, rice, baked banana, carrots, green beans & some sort of tomato-based sauce.  Lovely meal then we retire to the roof patio up some pretty scary metal staircase where we chat and eventually sing.  They sang some Creole hymns which were simple enough so I was able to add a 3^rd harmony so we all enjoyed that experience.  I sang “Akiwowo”, “Malaika” and “Vishten” which they seem to enjoy.

There is no electricity at this point – they say it comes on & off sporadically.  Eventually, I wake up at 2AM & it’s on so I charge up my computer & cell.

They are a lovely Christian family & their house is a gathering place for Christians in their neighbourhood.  They meet every Wednesday eve 9-midnight, Thursdays 4-6 and Saturdays.  They constantly have people coming through their house so you never know how many are sleeping in the house at any given time.  The house is simple and clean.  The washroom’s sink doesn’t work so I have to use the foot faucet in the shower to wash up.  I use my bottled water to brush my teeth.

March 16, 2011

Woke up at 2AM & could not get back to sleep….roosters crowing, dogs yelping, cats fighting, horns honking, some guy yelling something about “Roger” so I lie there till about 6:30 then they tap on the door.  They want to leave around 7.   We have a bit of goat meat & a baked banana for breakfast & head out by 7:30.

The photos will best describe the sights that I saw.  What they do not capture are the sound and also the smell.  Port au Prince, from what I saw, is a city in chaos – the driving is atrocious – a mix of vehicles & people crisscrossing every which way.  It completely befuddles me how no one gets hurt.  Cars/trucks/buses/scooters/motorcycles all scurrying about, passing each other & honking, honking, honking to say get out of the way or I’m coming through or move over!

There is rubble everywhere, garbage, tent cities, people, people, people everywhere.  We drive through it for at least an hour and it’s always the same scene.  We drop off Mme St. Cyr at their “office” – a very dirty, overflowing cubbyhole filled to the brim with car parts.  That’s the business they are in.

Left in the car are Brutus, his daughter Julie and also Rosena, a niece and me.  The car is dilapidated and falling apart.  They had to use a wrench to knock the battery to get it to start.  It sputters up the mountain en route – thought we’d have to get out & push at one point!

So it takes us 5 hours to get to St. Georges.  Along the way, it’s mostly the same kind of scenery – a lot, a lot, a lot of poverty & destruction & mess.  The roads are not paved for the most part and the ones that are, have huge “shifts” in the road where the earthquake tore it up.

As we near St. Georges, it gets lush and green and we stop for photos at the beach –  totally different scenery.  Forgot to mention the stripped mountains that we saw along the way – it’s heart-wrenching to see the way the mountains have been deforested!  That’s a whole story unto itself.

We finally make it to St. Georges which is a section of a town called St. Louis du Sud.  We arrive at the house & settle in for a bit before the children come.

I was told there were 20 – but there are actually 36.  When they arrive, it’s kind of formal, no one smiles much except for politely, including the family members all eyeing me not sure what to make of me I guess.  They line up the children so I can take a photo and it’s nice – they are all clean & dressed in their best, well behaved, polite.  They sing a welcoming song.  I sing Akiwowo, Vishten, they clap along, smiling, warming up.  Their smiles are spectacular!  From the heart!  So I start clowning around to get them to smile and start shooting photos of the group, of one at a time, then two then three, show them the photos & they love it.  Even their families want their photos taken.

So 500 photos later…!!!!  We had a ball!  The difference in their smiles at the beginning & at the end of our time together is noticeable.  I got hugs all round when they left and I was left feeling uplifted & blessed.  They are wonderful, wonderful human beings.  They seem happy, full of life, not stilted but joyous, spirited and I think it’s a tribute to those who are caring for them.    The director opened up by the end and seemed to relax – I guess she felt a lot of pressure.

Had a bit of a snooze then we sat around & talked in the dark cuz there is no electricity.  Am typing this by candlelight.  They gave me a bucket to go to the washroom.  There is no hot water.  No supper offered so had a cookie that I had bought when we stopped for gas.  Shared some with the girls, they made me tea and we all went to our rooms at 9PM.  Tonight’s sounds include a yelping dog under my window, barking dogs in the distance, mosquitoes buzzing my head, honking traffic, crickets…those are the Sounds of Haiti tonight.

March 17, 2011

Woke up at 5AM roosters still crowing then some sort of bird fight – squawking, screeching, on & on….

Internet won’t work – have come to learn how much I rely on it!   Then look around and realize that it’s pretty shallow to worry about no internet when the people here have no electricity, not much food, no hot water, they cook on a dilapidated makeshift barbecue with charcoal in a cement room just outside the house – it’s filthy and sparse.

There are coconut, banana & mango trees everywhere – in fact I think the whole village is set in a fruit grove as the houses are all built in and about the trees.  This morning, a gentleman came into the yard & proceeded to climb up the tree, barefeet and shake down some coconuts & mangos.  I took photos as it was quite an unusual sight – well, for me at least, not for anyone else watching him.

They served me breakfast which was cooked plantain and one boiled egg.  I have started waiting until others are ready to join me to eat – I want to make sure there is enough for everyone.  They are so polite that I think they would not eat in order for me to have something.  I’m on to them now!!!  So now, we all eat together.

Went for a visit through the village to see what conditions the children are living in.  It’s a poor, poor, poor village.  Small one room cement square houses – one had 9 people living there.  Looks like a slum area, filthy-garbage-ridden yards but yet their clothes seem clean and they are clean.

I have a following!  Of course I am the “stranger in these parts” so there is a group of children – up to teens – following us from house to house.  I am being guided by the director of the children we are helping.  She is very young – maybe early 20s at most but really pleasant & has a great way with the children – she looks like she loves her job and they love her.

I am quite appalled at the conditions I witness and with how many children there are because it means they are not in school.  School costs money so a lot of families cannot afford it.  The total cost per student per year is….$32.50 USD!!  Imagine – $3,250 would send 100 of those children to school per year – a pittance!

We then head over to the school & I meet the director who takes me into each of the classrooms.  They start at kindergarten & go all the way up to high school.  It’s all very clean, the children are all in uniforms & they allow me to take photos of every class.  It is part of a church complex (the Director is a pastor) so I take a photo of that too.  They call me “le blanc – the white one!!”

We head back to the house & prepare to leave but Brutus’ car won’t start so people start to push.  Problem is, he is backing up onto a very busy highway – there is no traffic limit in Haiti as far as I can tell.  They go screaming by at top speed so this driveway is just around a bend and it’s a miracle they manage to back it across 2 lanes & out of the way.

It’s supposed to be a 4 hour drive home.  But it turns into 7 hours on the road.  A huge truck blocks both ways as it is stretched sideways across the road.  Come to find out that the driver did it deliberately (and walked away with the keys) to protest not being paid.  We wait 1.5 hours before we can get around it.  And it was the most incredible chaotic situation I had ever seen in my life.

There were lots of people around, lots of police too but no one directing traffic so everybody was just gunning it, in both directions to get around the truck. And, to do so, the cars had to go on a slight angle.  Some tried to drive down the ravine & back up but couldn’t make it because of everyone else in both directions up on the road trying to get by on the road.

We finally get back on our way and when we get to Port au Prince, traffic is at a standstill so it takes us 1.5 hours to get across the city.  It’s mayhem in that city!   People everywhere, drivers and people crisscrossing, barely getting by each other, noise, smells, rubble, garbage, lean-to’s, tent cities, dust, women with baskets on their heads, market sellers.

When we got back to the house, there was a Christian gathering going on – maybe 30 people out on the patio.  It takes place every Thursday 4-6 .  The singing was fabulous!

We had potato fries, fried banana & fish for supper.  We were quite tired so we said goodnight around 8:00.

March 18, 2011

Slept till 5AM from 9:30!  Woke up to the sounds of…guess…yup:  roosters & dogs.  Worked on my journal then had breakfast which was a cooked plantain, and a potato.

Took a “taxi” with Julie & Rosena to P au Prince market – LONG ride, traffic congestion as usual, found nothing then another taxi to another section & found some souvenirs.  Then lonnnnnnnnng taxi ride home to meet with my driver to take me to BPW luncheon – took over an hour to get there so I basically spent most of my day in a vehicle!

Need to tell this quick story – as I was leaving my host’s house to get into the car to take me to the luncheon, the family stopped me.  They called one of the BPW ladies and asked her to describe the driver & the vehicle before they would let me go.  When I got to the luncheon, they called to make sure I had arrived.  When I left, I had to call the family to say I was returning & when I got back to my host’s house, I had to call BPW to let them know I was safe & sound.  Quite the security system.

Met the MOST extraordinary women from the Business & Professional Women – Haiti branch.  They invited me to lunch at a beautiful restaurant atop a cliff called “la Reserve”.  It was like being in a little haven far from the noise, dust, hustle/bustle of the city that never stops.

At the luncheon, we talked about the plight of Haiti, the overwhelming challenge of where to start to rebuild their country, they told me their personal stories during the earthquake of January 12, 2010.  We spoke about the political situation & the upcoming election, the need for women to be in the higher echelons of government, the desperate situation of the poor, the young girls being violated, the need for education, honest government officials, how Haiti was ruined over the years by foreign governments.

These women are smart, compassionate, tireless, dauntless, courageous, fearless and need to be heard.  We all agreed that Haiti needs women to help make the necessary changes but how that proves to be an uphill battle.  Other women have been in positions of power and one in particular, turned 180 degrees and left these women baffled with the political choices she made – I gather it could be described as a “turncoat” though I did not get the full story of what she had done.

Interesting to note about the markets:  the clothes and the shoes seem to be 2^nd hand.  Makes me wonder if they are items that have been donated from other countries which the Haitians, in turn, sell.   Who can blame them – there are no jobs so they have to be creative and find any way they can to feed their families.

Did some more singing & dancing & bonding with the family & with some of the neighbours I met – Yolette & Maria Jules (teacher).  Had a long conversation with Maria about Haiti & how the hope is in the children and how the women need to get to positions of power.  I am going to connect her with BPW Haiti.

Met a young man named Stephenson – very talented musician.  Speaks English well.  Taught him to play spoons & stepdance!  We had a good laugh.  Wrote out the words for Akiwowo – they  just love that song.  We also sang a song in Creole which I recorded on my cell – the harmonies!!

7PM & sitting in the dark.  Electricity is out again.  But at least rooster is not crowing!!!  However, baby is howling, people are boisterously chattering.

March 19, 2011

Woke up at 5 to the sounds of….you guessed it…cockadoodledoo!!  All packed up, was served a rice dish for breakfast which was delicious – had vegetables & meat & a delicious sauce.  Took some more photos of the family.  Headed out to the airport around 9 – plane boarded at 11:15 and we were in the air by 11:45 which was 15 mins ahead of schedule.  Never saw that happen before!  As we flew over Haiti, tears welled up in my eyes as I said goodbye.  They stole my heart!  I fell in love with the hope-filled people of Haiti – wonderful, generous and joyful.  They gave me an amazing parting gift of their friendship.