LIVEALITTLE

We went to Biteau today. It's the poorest community we have serviced this week. Homemade tents are erected upon soil right next to a cemetery. Last night's rain linger still and we wonder how these people stay dry. Ultimately we concluded that they probably don't. The elements are a part of life, not something you seek to avoid.
The saddest thing I have realized so far is that the population is so traumatized by the quake, they are fearful of going back to living in cement structures. They will be living in tents for quite a while and tent conditions are not conducive to a healthy life. Many patients come in with skin conditions, like scabies (a highly infectious condition whereby numerous mites burrow under your skin!). It is difficult to irradicate if one is living in a tent and sleeping on a dirt floor. I hope there is a nearer term solution for these people. Living in a tent cannot be a long term solution...
Another week in Leogane has come and gone. I am saddened to know that I have become a bit numb to the rubble and difficulties of living in Haiti. But maybe it's because I have also become a bit more Haitian! I have become fairly comfortable conducting pharmacy work sans translator giving all my instruction in Creole. Responding to questions asked is a different story though. I've noticed my brain becomes very spongelike when I travel. Possibly the adrenaline from the travel experience gives my brain a bit of a hormone-induced high allowing for rapid synapse firing and vocabulary absorption. Or maybe it's because I LOVE to surprise our beloved translators with pearls of unexpected Creole. It's great to see them break out in elated awe when I toss out Creole in general conversation. Although I do wonder when they praise me on my good Haitian accent. I sincerely hope I am redeployed here to spend my final full week in Leogane. I can't imagine a better way to conclude my trip!