Monday, February 13, 2006

Language Barrier

Today I had planned on going to Port-Au-Prince to take care of paperwork, house supplies, propane cookstove replacement parts, and learn my way around a bit more. After some phone calls this morning to check out the current conditions, we heard about the unrest stirring up because of the election results. Everything is quiet as can be out here, but I guess the "natives are restless". I wonder what life in the US would be like if we closed schools and most businesses whenever there were people in disagreement with each other. That is what happens in Haiti. It's ridiculous, if you ask me. No one asked me though.

There is this guy, Eddie. He does some contract work for Lifeline and handles legal paperwork for the mission. He is very helpful, although he has been best described as a "racketeer". (If there's money involved, he's involved.) At any rate, his English is best described as kinda-sorta-ok. There are many words that he struggles to say and I struggle to understand. After discussing the roads and troubles in Port today, he wanted to say "Keep in touch with me, man."

but instead he said...

"Keep touching me, man."

I'd better speed up my Creole lessons, because that's not cool.

-Troy