Well, I made it through my first real day with something to do. I watched Thamara and Jabez until about 4:00. It wasn’t hard at all. (Thamara is fat. She needs to cut back on the food. She ate the whole time she was with me. If it were my own kids at home I would say no more. But when I quit giving her food she would cry. I was afraid all the Haitians next door would think I was beating her. So I just let her eat and eat. I think that was why it was so easy.) At about noon they took naps and Jabez didn’t wake up until after four. (It might have been all that Benadryl I gave him, just kidding!)
After Edaline came back to get them I just worked on my website trying to get the cameras to work (They work. I just can’t make them so everyone can see them) and get all the kinks out. A couple of little neighbor boys hung out by the gate and kept calling my name. “Hey Bhoob, hey Bhoob”. First they want me to pump up their tires on their bikes. So, I do that. Then they come back with a couple more kids with more tires to be pumped up. Then about a half hour later I hear a knocking on the gate and “Hey Bhoob, hey Bhoob” This time I ignore them for awhile, but they are persistent. I know they are testing me. Checking out the new guy to see how far they can get. I don’t want to be mean. But I also want to set some boundaries. So this time I go out and they want me to go back in and get them some water. So now I resort to talking as fast in English as I can hoping that I sound to them like they sound to me. They might then get confused like I do and just go away. Or if that doesn’t work, I just shrug my shoulders and smile a lot and say “what?” Or “No comprendo”. Actually, that is Spanish but it makes me feel like I am trying to communicate. Then I feel better about myself. Better because I don’t feel like a lazy American who doesn’t even take the time to learn the language. But, I realize that all cultures have pros and cons. I know that sometimes people think we Americans are too rich. Or don’t have enough compassion, etc, etc, etc. They might be right but, we have some good attributes too. Like, I don’t knock on people’s metal gates pestering them to death. I started to feel bad though so I did go back out with a cup of water. Which they drank and then wanted me to get them something else. I honestly didn’t know what they wanted this time. So I just smiled and said your welcome and went back inside. They finally left me alone after I threw some rocks at them. I’m just kidding again! I’d never think of doing something like that.
I almost forgot, some old guy with a fishing spear came by and wanted to know if I wanted to buy some lobster he caught. So I showed him some of the Haitian money I had and basically motioned “how many can I get for this?” After a little negotiation I bought two lobsters. He threw in another one too. I think I got a really good deal. So, after the kids left I got on line and googled how to cook lobster. So I boiled it and ate it and it is almost midnight and so far I feel fine. I think I’m safe.
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