Monday, August 28, 2006

Monday in Port with Eddie

Today was a Port au Prince day. Here are some photos from our trip to town.

First stop, "One Stop" the place where you go to exchange your U.S. bank account check for cash ... Haitian money. It is an all cash society, with a few exceptions. We had never been accustomed to using cash much, we found that if we had cash it seemed to spend faster. But here, there are not a lot of merchants or street vendors excepting Visa, MasterCard or checks from Wells Fargo. So, off to One Stop we go. It is an easier way to keep your spending in check- simply because you cannot over-spend with credit cards the way you can in the land of plenty.

See that, the glass is half full. ;-)

Next we met up with Eddie. On the way to meet up Troy had gotten on Eddie's case on the phone and basically chewed him out. (Justified, totally justified.) I was entertained. Troy was annoyed and frustrated. Eddie was pissed mad.

After a few minutes of chatting he said "Good Mowning Tawaaa, I fowgot say good mowning cuz your husbant is piss me off."

HA, good times.

They made up, we went on our way. Next stop, the Department of Motor Vehicles, to attempt to get my Drivers License. Eddie calls it "circulation." We have no idea why.

Eddie called us from inside the building to ask my blood type. Just being a liar and making it up, Troy said "O - " so I asked him what he had said his was? Troy said, "B+" was the made up blood type he had given back when he got his license. We laughed that he was BE POSITIVE and I am OH NEGATIVE. Mean! Is there such a thing as O-? Do most people know their blood type? Are we alone in our ignorance?

After about 30 minutes Eddie reappeared with a 90 day license for me and a lot of stories about why he is not all done with an old project and what we need to do next and blah blah blah. He encouraged Troy to take me out to lunch as a distraction from the conversation about what Troy wanted him to get done. Eddie is not great at the bait and switch, but we give him credit for trying.
This is a common sight. Both the dirty windshield, and UN vehicles/troops.


Troy had his fancy new camera along. These photos come from my very average camera, so Troy will have to do his own blog and share his pics. He is like the Paparazzi with that thing. It's embarrassing. ;-)