A new voyage

And voyage is voy-aaaaaahge. Because I'm now in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Where Haiti in Kreole is Ayiti. And ain't nothing like an international trip to make me reconnect with my blogging roots!

After much preparation, I left my fair country in the dust. I now have about 36 hours of experience on me, which I suppose is sufficient blog material.

Here the office opens, no, starts at 7:30am. That is not super fun given I have long enjoyed starting my mornings by starting work at home with a cup of coffee. Additional piece of fun: my housing is about a 30 min drive from the office, so that means leaving around 7 if I really want to get there on time.

I've driven around PAP quite a bit, but that's probably just because the traffic is so bad. There are still tent cities all over the place, and the city is swarming with UN, police, and NGO vehicles. That is quite a trip. I haven't seen much damage of the earthquake, though I am quite sure it is there and all around.

Some things I think will be bummers:
1) mosquitoes. I don't really want to get malaria and I don't really like bug spray. What's a girl to do?
2) the food situation. It's all American imported stuff. It's insanely expensive. Even people telling me the cost of things ahead of time has not prevented me from practically going into shock. There are a very limited number of places where I can eat (and go, generally). The restaurant I had lunch at today was beautifully decorated, breezy, tropical chic. But the food?! My sandwich could have been called a "mayonnaise sandwich" because it was really just bad bread with a ton of mayo.
3) the limited movement. While the guest house I'm at is very nicely decorated and spacious, my life will be pretty much divided between the guest house and the office. Therefore, it should not surprise anyone that my working days at the office will generally be 12 hours or so. Fun? And I quote myself here: That's debatable!
4) concern about getting my job done while here. Yes, I'm worried that the rigorous schedule I've set out will not be possible to fulfill. Lots of hurricane, delay, etc contingency planning.

But instead of focusing on those things, let's talk about what I am really looking forward to:
1) the professional opportunity to be here. My project will teach me so much, and I have already been able to contribute.
2) the people. So far the people I've met have been very kind and look forward to more face-to-face time with people I corresponded with for weeks.
3) an occasional chance to see the country, to meet communities, and get out of PAP.
4) speaking French. Did I really just write that?!
5) staying in touch with folks. Internet is widely available. My anniversary (3 years!) is tomorrow, and though I will be so sad to not be with my man, I am glad that I would at least be able to see an email from him and write him one in return.

Overall, I'm learning the ropes here as fast as I can. How does it work at a guest house? What food can you eat? Who cooks? How do you get your wash done? Do I need a mosquito net? How can I turn on the AC? Where do I sleep? How do I get to the office? Where's the bathroom? What do I do with my computer? Where can I go outside of the office? What do I need to be thinking about in terms of security issues? etc etc etc

All those questions are slowly but surely being answered, thanks especially to a few truly kind and hospitable souls. It really is all about who you know.

And it turns out that in spite of the many things I don't know, all in all, the extensive preparation I got (about 10 meetings and phone calls with colleagues who'd been, security people, and staff wellness people), I feel pretty darn prepared for this experience. At least on day two!