Haiti is Gorges

TTFN

2010-10-18T20:53:00.002-05:00

Feel like I need to officially say Ta Ta for Now to this blog and any readers who might be hanging on and continuing to check in from time to time. I've got 6 months to finish this Phd thing... and well, every minute counts...

inverse insomnia

2010-08-22T10:50:00.014-05:00

I woke up at 6:30am this morning - more than an hour before my scheduled alarm. 6:30 am isn't too bad considering that over the last two weeks I've managed to open my eyes at 3:30 am, 4:20am and most days 5ish. Not quite sure what to make of this inverse insomnia. I've had plenty of periods in life when I toss and turn until 2am - but this consistent too early rising? This is something

Haiti is not Hell

2010-08-04T10:21:00.002-05:00

Laura Wagner, an anthropology student who was doing research in Haiti at time of the quake, has once again captured many of the thoughts and feelings that blans like me are experiencing these days. Highly recommend reading the entire Salon.com piece here.Some highlights"I am told that the American reading public has "Haiti fatigue," that they don't want to read stories about the disaster and its

6 months on...

2010-07-29T06:53:00.002-05:00

Not easy to watch - primarily about violence in the post-quake camps - but important....

reroute

2010-06-04T15:23:00.003-05:00

So my very good intentions of doing RAGBRAI with some old roommates where thwarted more than a month ago when I discovered that we missed the group registration deadline . So I've decided to train for a century (100 mile) ride right here in the Finger Lakes. The Southern Tier AIDS Ride for Life is on September 11 this year...which in theory gives me plenty of time to train. I just ordered a new

on the party trail

2010-06-01T09:14:00.004-05:00

The celebrations continued through the last week of May. After Haiti/Kentucky I came home to Ithaca for 2 days and then hit the road again for Wichita, KS to celebrate the ordination of SM into the United Methodist Church. While it was great to celebrate S's accomplishment, it was equally great to spend time with 4 dear Wheaton friends...and 1 very cute Wheaton baby. I just submitted the "

Hongera and Kwaheri

2010-05-31T20:16:00.003-05:00

On route back from Haiti last weekend, I traveled to rural Kentucky to celebrate the graduation of a dear friend's husband from his Phd program at Asbury Seminary. R and I became fast friends during the 18 months I lived in Kenya in 2002-3. The last time we met in person was when arrived they in the US in summer 2005 to start the Phd program (the same time I started mine - wish I could say we

Gates (hearts) GHESKIO

2010-05-18T19:54:00.002-05:00

A quick post to share some very good news from my research site in Haiti. Dr Pape and the GHESKIO team have been awarded the 2010 Gates Award for Global Health. You can read about the prize and see video here.

Another Clinton confession

2010-03-22T07:41:00.005-05:00

No, not another intern scandal....in early march Bill Clinton testified before the US Congress about the role his former administration's agricultural policies that protected US farmers had in undermining the Haitian agricultural sector."It may have been good for some of my farmers in Arkansas, but it has not worked. It was a mistake, I had to live everyday with the consequences of the loss of

Miiltarization of Aid by MCC Haiti

2010-03-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Back on the bike

2010-03-18T08:57:00.005-05:00

It's been more than 2 years since I've ridden a bike - I attribute that to living in mountainous and congested Port au Prince but I do have some hardcore biking friends who brave the Haitian hills for their love of cycling. Ithaca is hilly enough to intimidate a Midwesterner - but definitely more bike friendly than my last place of residence. The spring weather this week inspired me to have a

gran moun

2010-03-13T13:31:00.002-05:00

Washington Post ran a beautiful / heart wrenching slide show of an elderly home in Port au Prince here

street level commentary

2010-03-09T09:16:00.003-05:00

About two years ago a graffiti artist known as Jerry started tagging compound walls across Port au Prince with cartoons that carry political/social messages. Within days after the earthquake he responded with new images. My friend and professional photographer BD just posted a great series of photos highlighting some of his work. Check it out here

anxious

2010-02-27T20:18:00.007-05:00

I was scheduled to fly out of Haiti today but changed my ticket to next Saturday with hopes of having things with the nutrition programs at the clinic and the IDP camp a little farther along before I return to Ithaca. Am so thankful that E - the recent Cornell undergrad who had joined our nutrition team just 5 days before the quake - returned to Port-au-Prince on Wednesday ready to jump back

ordinary people in extraordinary time

2010-02-21T09:10:00.006-05:00

The other day I received an email inviting me to a 1 year old birthday party next weekend for my dear friend's daugther. All I could think was "but I thought she is only 10 months old??" Well, she was only 10 months old back in early January when I was getting ready for my week-long trip to Haiti - she was 10 months old before the earthquake.My world is very small right now. My world is a

Back in Port-au-Prince

2010-02-14T12:07:00.003-05:00

Four weeks post quake I find myself back at my very familiar desk in the nutrition office at the clinic. Sitting here - facing the wall in the back corner of the room - it's easy to pretend that nothing has changed. But it just takes a glance over my shoulder to see the piles of donated supplies and the relocated accounting department to remind me that most everything here is different.

a time to mourn

2010-02-05T09:44:00.003-05:00

A poem shared by my dear friend AD - who along with her husband BD continues to live and work in in Haiti.A moment of silence please, A time of reflection on The casual destruction And near immolation Of much that we love. Whenever the reason please, Cease from absconding with The mutual horror And engorging on murder Of much that

Telling stories

2010-01-24T09:38:00.003-05:00

Many of my friends who are still on the ground in Haiti have been sharing their experiences through their email message, blogs and even interviews with the media. While I am lost for words, they have thankfully found them. Encourage you to check out these sites:Ben and Alexis http://blexi.blogspot.com/Kim, Patrick and Solomon http://kimandpatrick.blogspot.com/The Livesay

Day nine

2010-01-21T22:57:00.004-05:00

I've thought about writing something here almost every day since I arrived in Santo Domingo 36 hours after the quake...but have found myself pretty much at a loss for words. I don't feel like it is my story to tell any longer. Many people I love are still living the story - and so I will wait for them. Kenbe fem ayiti, kenbe fem.

Preval's New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-02T14:52:00.003-05:00

According to this brief Washington Post article, Haiti's president made a New Year's speech promising fair elections, a restored agricultural sector and improved infrastructure in 2010. If his NY resolutions tend to follow the same trajectory as my own, then I'd be a hypocrite to hold him to them.

a smashing start to the new year

2010-01-01T16:30:00.023-05:00

All week I was looking forward to spending NYE with some dear friends down in Charm City. The weather report predicted light snow the morning of Dec 31 down most of my route between Ithaca and Baltimore. I thought about leaving a day earlier but figuring that I am a Chicago girl who knows how to drive in winter weather and with hope of maximizing my academic productivity, I decided to just do

2009 in motion

2009-12-29T15:11:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure that 2009 wins the award for most time I've ever spent on the move - including a record 5 new stamps in my passport! I don't think I managed to sleep in the same bed for 4 weeks straight. In recent months I haven't stayed put for much more than a week. 2010 promises to be a little more stationary due to my TA commitment for spring semester....but I'll keep in motion right up

Haiti

2009-12-29T15:10:00.001-05:00

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

2009-12-29T15:09:00.001-05:00

Windhoek, Namibia

2009-12-29T15:08:00.001-05:00

Johannesburg

2009-12-29T15:06:00.001-05:00

Malawi

2009-12-29T15:05:00.001-05:00

Peru

2009-12-29T15:04:00.000-05:00

Chicago

2009-12-29T15:01:00.000-05:00

Waterford, Wisconsin

2009-12-29T15:00:00.001-05:00

NOLA

2009-12-29T14:59:00.001-05:00

NYC

2009-12-29T14:57:00.001-05:00

Ottawa

2009-12-29T14:51:00.001-05:00

Baltimore

2009-12-29T14:45:00.000-05:00

Washington DC

2009-12-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia

2009-12-29T14:43:00.003-05:00

Ithaca, NY

2009-12-29T14:42:00.000-05:00

...and I was in Houston, TX and London, Ontario too - just no photos to prove it!

tainted vote

2009-12-13T15:55:00.003-05:00

Today's Miami Herald online featured an editorial calling the UN and donor nations (e.g. USA) to address recent political manipulations leading up to Haiti's parliamentary elections scheduled for February or March next year. The longer I am in Haiti the more convinced i become that the total lack of a stable government run by honorable and decently competent leaders is the primary barrier to

it can take a village - if you let it

2009-12-05T21:17:00.002-05:00

Great NYT article on a program in Malawi that provides support to families who take in orphans rather than building orphanages. This was the approach supported by World Relief - the NGO I worked at for 5 years before starting my grad studies.

here fishy fishy

2009-11-24T07:51:00.004-05:00

Interesting article in today's NYT online about the surprisingly good condition of Haiti's marine habitats and their potential to draw tourists. I've been snorkeling in one of the areas mentioned. While there is some lovely purple coral there is one very obvious thing lacking - FISH? (which the article acknowledges) The condition of the beach also leaves something to be desired.Beyond the cruise

a longer road

2009-11-19T15:47:00.003-05:00

I had a meeting with my thesis committee this week - for the first time in more than 18 month. I like my committee and really appreciate the wisdom/focus/feedback they offer. This week they gave me one piece of wisdom/focus/feedback that I didn't like quite so much - that there is no way I'm going to finish this PhD by August 2010. They think I should be planning for a December defense. On

Officially out

2009-11-02T10:47:00.004-05:00

Just after midnight on Friday morning the Haitian parliament voted the Prime Minister out. Reports say that a new nominee has already been named by the president - who know what that actually means given that the last time the PM was ousted it took more than 6 months and vetting 3 different candidates to fill the position. This time there is some pressure to fill it quickly and maintain some

Lettuce in the Desert

2009-10-31T22:21:00.003-05:00

Check out this NYT article about efforts to bring fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthier options to corner stores / convenience marts in low income urban neighborhoods. Many residents of urban neighborhoods rely on mini-marts for the majority of their food purchases as chain grocers do not build stores in the communities and transportation options are limited. Public health types have

getting closer

2009-10-29T23:59:00.002-05:00

Today's Miami Herald and the AP say the current PM is all but on her way out... but that she won't got without a fight. She refused to answer the Senate's summons today which would most likely result in a vote for her removal. Interesting comment by the MH author that foreign governments are more interested in protecting support for the Clinton investment plan that standing behind a strong

real deal environmental health

2009-10-29T23:53:00.002-05:00

According to this NYT article Sweden recently released new dietary guidelines and food labeling that give equal weight to the environmental impacts of food production as they do to nutritional value...brilliant! The challenge is making the information meaningful to the consumer in a way that doesn't overwhelm them and really helps them make balanced decisions.

Biotech and world hunger

2009-10-29T13:07:00.003-05:00

Highly recommend this debate in the NYT a few days about whether or not biotechnology is the solution to world hunger. PP Anderson is a faculty member in my program - a very smart guy and a really nice one too!

here we go again... already?

2009-10-27T15:03:00.008-05:00

News report from Miami Herald reinforcing rumors that the Haitian prime minister is on the verge of being ousted. According to several Haitians I deeply respect, Michelle Pierre-Louis is(was?)a ray of hope in a largely corrupt and ineffective government. It is almost laughable that members of the Haitian senate would accuse her of being ineffective given then until only a few months ago 1/3 of

more than just a moment?

2009-10-09T09:01:00.003-05:00

Been hearing lots of people and news sources talk about how we are experiencing the most stable social/political in Haiti in the last decade. While I'd have to agree that this is the "quietest" Haiti has been in my 5 year history here, I've seen things go up and down and up and down so quickly that it's hard to know what to believe about the future. This article gives you a little more info on

Up to the challenge

2009-10-01T09:30:00.005-05:00

Many of my Haiti-connected friends have been sharing this link to the BBC's World Challenge. 12 finalists have been named for the annual cash prize that honors innovation by small businesses and grass roots organizations towards sustainable development and renewable energy. Who wins the prize is up to the public - online voting ends November 13th. I encourage you to check it out. I'm tempted

forward thinking

2009-09-27T11:35:00.005-05:00

Really great BBC slideshow about buses that provide mobile internet services in rural Rwandan communities that lack electricity. More impressive to me than the physical technology, is the vision/leadership/planning behind the effort. The person directing this a young Rwandan professional who recently completed his masters in Engineering at Cornell and has returned to join the faculty of

a not so royal secret

2009-09-26T08:03:00.015-05:00

Well, it used to be a "secret" that Royal Caribbean cruise lines leases a beautiful private beach on the north coast of Haiti. Until the late 1990s or so the company's brochures and customer service agents said that the water-sports focused port-of-call was on "an island in Hispanola" - never mentioning Haiti out of fear (I assume) that revealing the real location could be bad for business.

progress

2009-09-24T08:17:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/health/research/25aids.html?hp

a whole lot of money

2009-09-22T12:25:00.011-05:00

Really liked this image from Information is Beautiful (follow the link or click on image to enlarge) showing relatively how many "billions" of dollars are spent / given / needed / earned for everything from annual financing of the Iraq War to Walmart's revenues/profits to how much is needed save the rainforests to the cost of the Beijing Olympics. No sources are included...but it's still pretty

reading notes - 1

2009-09-21T07:42:00.004-05:00

"When a movement for liberation inspires itself chiefly by hatred for an enemy rather than from the vision of possibility, it begins to defeat itself. Its very motions cease to be healing." - Susan Griffin as quoted by Denise Ackerman in After the Locusts Letters from a Landscape of Faith

on livin' patiently in Green Acres

2009-09-20T22:33:00.009-05:00

I am coming to the end of my first full weekend in Ithaca. It's been harder than I expected to settle back into this funky little college-town community. I can’t say that I have ever gotten into living in Ithaca the way that I expected to when I first moved here to start grad school. As a relatively-outdoorsy/into the arts/ foodie/ academic person with some distinct granola tendencies (e.g.

a new (aademic) year’s resolution

2009-09-20T21:03:00.012-05:00