So, the second day here I jumped right into the toughest job we have here. Cleaning out rubble from sites/houses that collapsed during the quake. The entire country seemed to be made of brick and rebar because the entire place is just fallen bricks. So, we go with wheel barrows, shovels, sledgehammers, and pick axes etc and clean out the wreckage. It's extremely hot and we take a water break every thirty minutes. I'm like a fuckin snowman out here, just melting... So as we goto these houses the families who once lived in them, now live in front of them in a tent or some type of tarp. They always come out and help dig out. It's really beautiful to work side by side with someone who's clothing and possessions you're pulling out of thousands of lbs of stone etc. It's amazing to see their emotion as each piece of belonging is recovered. They really appreciate what were trying to do and it's good to catch a glimpse of hope as you walk away from each site. We ride what's called a tap tap which is a Haitian taxi. We have about twelve of us on the back of a pickup truck that's already filled with tools. We line the entire outer rim of each truck, including three of us just standing on the back bumper holding on for dear life. It's INSANE. Just to give you a quick rundown of our days. Breakfast is 5-7am. Work from 730-1130. Lunch and break 1130-1. Work from 1-430. Dinner 430-6. Mandatory meeting at six where we pick out our jobs for the next day, such as rubble etc.(I'll explain them all as I go). Than from 7-10 freetime. Curfew at 10. Sundays off. Holla!
So, after a day of rubble on my 2nd day my entire body was cramping. It was like nothing I'd ever felt. My fingers were bending and wouldn't straighten out without my physically bending them. I drank plenty of water, but anyone that knows me knows I sweat during the winter. Imagine me working basically side by side with the sun. I sweat out so much I can't even just drink water anymore. I have to drink this special electrolyte shit. Tastes like fuckin bleach. So, after cramping from my gut to my legs fingers and toes they made me goto the hospital. Spent the night in a Haitian hospital, which is quite amazing. In the er I have already seen birth, death and many other things I never thought I would. Thankfully the USA has opened up these tent hospitals and they have an awesome team of doctors and nurses here helping train the Haitians on what to do. No americans on duty over night though. I had to get about five liters of iv fluid from dehydration over night and by the 2nd one I was hooking up my own iv bag, getting the air out of the stream and adjusting my own flow. It's insane. Infuckingsane. At that point I had still refused to eat the food. I know I know. I'm an idiot. Whatever I'm spoiled!
After my night in the hospital I felt like a newborn. Ready to take on the world! So I got back to base and enjoyed some fake corn flakes in powder milk and warm water. Mmmmmm. Everything we drink looks like it's gonna be cold than you goto take a sip and it's as hot as fuckin soup. It's such a letdown haha. After breakfast they wanted me to just laydown but it's fucking 100 degrees anyway so where the fuck am I laying. We don't run electricity all day so it's not like I have a fan or anything. Everytime you fall asleep you're prepared to wake up in a puddlbe of sweat. I have an air mattress but I get too hot in it so I've been sleeping on just concrete. Awesome... So instead of laying down I decided to just paint shit. Were building a school for the kids and as well as the actual school were erecting, we also made them tons of furniture etc. I helped paint all the furniture and by the end of the day we had about fifty chairs desks and benches done for the kids. I felt good during the day and even ate my first lunch which was spaghetti with ketchup. We get one piece of meat but I've still refused to try it so far. Oh, we also get like a few pieces of lettuce and tomatoes that I wouldn't even throw at someone in the US, let alone actually eat... For dinner it was rice and beans with the same lettuce and grass looking shit. Foul.
as the night went on it didn't get any cooler and I didn't stop sweating any less. By 4am I was wide awake drying myself off and puking violently. Anyone who knows how I puke can only imagine what my fellow volunteers thought when they heard me yacking at 4am in complete silence and echoes. I did that for about eight hours and couldn't take down any fluids. Boom, right back in the hospital. That was yesterday. I got my Iv, as I'm a pro now obv and was forced to lay around their all day yesterday once my fingers started going numb from the dehydration. It's not joke. We send at least three people ther a day. Holy shit, this fuckin heat.
On a side note. Today is Sunday so I'm headed to the beach bitches! Don't forget I'm still in the carribean, so I get to enjoy one day a week on an amazing beach.
Next time I'm gonna tell you the first real emotion I felt here. A connection between me and a 25 year old Haitian who's girl broke up with him the night before. He was asking me for advice etc and we connected as if he lived right next door. Fuckin awesome. The reason I'm here. To feel the beauty of life and hope and to gain the true understanding that we are all equal and most of us just want the same thing in life; happiness and love.
Hundreds of pictures to come but can't upload them until we leave. We only have x amount of Internet and no uploading photos etc.
Miss and love you all. You guys are what keep me going. I appreciate every single comment, message and thumbs up I get from all of you. It's what keeps me from quitting. Please don't stop. Your support for me is just as important if not more than the support we give here. Without you their is no me. God bless.
Welcome to Haiti.
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