Where is Bob picture.

Find me in the Chicago Conservatory. (visiting friends over the weekend on my way back to YYZ).

My last night in Haiti and I am not sure what to end with. The month has gone quicker than I thought. Among other things I feel healthy which is a good thing, since people have been falling around me like tin soldiers. I still don't have a very good answer to the overwhelming nature of the earthquake and all that it has caused, and will continue to cause for a long time to come, but please at least accept this photo below of trees planted in our most recent project in the north of the country. These are less that 3 years old, and have been well cared for which is why they look so great.

On the way to the above site, as occasionally happens during field visits in hard to get to areas, one has times where one stumbles across women bathing in tropical mountain streams. Today was one such day, but my finely tuned cross cultural skills told me that it was not a good time to take a photo. Sorry.

Below find a photo of one of my favourite spots in Haiti, and where I am staying tonight, the Hotel Roi Christophe. Very historical, and where Henri Christophe one of the founding leaders of the country first worked as a baker. It was also a place where Napoleon's officers are supposed to have stayed. Very nice and oozing with history. If you ever visit, order the french toast for breakfast.

Finally, staying with this eclectic theme, I leave you with the lyrics of a song which have been running through my head the past few days, and seem at least marginally appropriate.

"Doctor, my eyes have seen the years

and the slow parade of fears without crying,

now I want to understand.

I have done all that I could

To see the evil and the good without hiding,

You must help me if you can.

Doctor: my eyes.

Tell me what is wrong,

Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?

As I have wandered through this world

And as each moment has unfurled

I've been waiting to awaken from this dream.

People go just where they will;

I never noticed them until I got this feeling

That it's later than it seems.

Doctor: my eyes.

Tell me what you see.

I hear their cries,

Just say if it's too late for me.

Doctor: my eyes.

I cannot see the sky.

Is this the price for having learned how not to cry?"

I think I may have become somehow an accidental rep for Coke. When I travel I tend to drink said beverage more often when home, and the past week or two here I've been going to a local vendor on the street just near our office. As I was returning the office with a freshly purchased bottle, I heard kid behind me saying, "blan, coca, blan coca". I interpreted this to either mean that I was continously buying the drink, or those two things were closely associated. I hope the company appreciates the free advertising.

Data entry is the activity of the moment. We have a team of 14 in the field interviewing households, and a team of 4 entering data. This is a somewhat repetitive task, but I'm excited to be getting the info we need to make some measurements on impact of our activities over the past 3 years in this particular area.

The Citadelle

I think I've been to the Citadelle at least 5 times, and each time I go I learn something new. It really is a marvel, and if you are ever in Haiti you should make a point of seeing it. In fact I would say you might want to come here just to see it. After Haiti gained independence, the ruler of the northern part of the country, Henri Christophe built this fortress perched on top of this mountain in case the French ever came back. They didn't and 200 years later, the structure still stands as a monument to independence. The photo shows the Citadelle from a distance, close to the town of Cap Haitian, and even from afar it is an intimidating sight.

Be careful what you wish for

A couple of weeks ago I was joking around with some visitors/program supporters about whether you would rather be the person that cut down the last tree in Haiti or ate the last sea turtle. Well, this poor fellow passed by me while I was having coffee on the patio of one of the nicer restaurants in Cap Haitian (the Roi Christophe--I think everyone should visit) and the fisherman in question was planning to sell to the kitchen. So, I guess you might be able to do both, possibly eating turtle soup off a table made of wood...

The past week I have been staying in our office in Acul du Nord, near Cap Haitien in the north. There are 5 of us, 2 sleeping in the existing beds, and 3 sleeping on the floor. If you know me at all, you know I pride myself on being able to do without, but there is a certain level of chaos associated with the lifestyle here that I just can't quite manage. Chaos, and a different sense of personal space and privacy. I like to be able to feel like I can have some control over my little corner of the world, and here I just can't quite get that. Still, I have nothing to complain about. I was thinking that last night with the rain beating down on the tin roof, and just imagining what it would be like to be crouched under a plastic tarp held up by wooden poles with mud running under foot.
Anyhow, it's not sleeping on the floor, or taking bucket showers that is the problem. In fact sometimes I sleep on the floor just because it's comfortable. Its more about the disorder of everyday living. This is a bit hard to explain and is better experienced. Maybe I'll elaborate in later posts. Sorry, still no way to upload pictures. Maybe this weekend.

Today was the first day of focus groups gathered to discuss the three year project which is now ending and for which we have been assigned to do a final evaluation. A group of 26 was assembled in one community to discuss agriculture, household economy, credit, and health. There are a number of tools which have been designed to allow a group like this to discuss a given topic, and hopefully allow everyone to have a voice. I will post some photos when I get a chance. Tomorrow will be a second focus group on the same topics but in a different community and a different, but neighbouring watershed.

Farmers voting with seeds to demonstrate importance of various farming techniques

Yesterday was the drive from Port au Prince to Acul du Nord, which is close to Cap Haitian, and about a 7 hour drive. We begin today the training for the surveyors for the project evaluation we are doing. Collecting reliable information in rural areas of Haiti (or in most countries for that matter) is tricky and requires thoughtful and creative people to ask the questions and listen for the true response. It also requires asking the right questions in the first place, which also requires careful consideration in advance. There is furthermore a tendency among those being interviewed to, perhaps out of politeness, try to give the response they think you want to hear. For example, if people think that successful results are what the interviewer wants, some folks will tend to describe how great things are. On the other hand, if people think that the interviewer wants to hear about needs, then folks will often talk about how miserable their lives are. There are ways around this. For example one can usually reliably determine from what material a roof of a house has been constructed, and this is a relatively good indicator of a family's economic status. Many other similar questions may be asked, and eventually one can piece together a more or less accurate picture of the situation and conditions in which a community finds itself.

This is what looks very much to me like a funnel cloud, the kind one might see in Ontario. Who knew that they had those here. This one hung around for a good 20 minutes but never got anywhere near the ground. It got me to wondering whether that freak wind storm on Friday in Port au Prince might have been a tornado.

There is so much to learn. That may be one of the best parts of my job, the learning. Discovering that what you thought you knew was wrong, or incomplete. Today I had a chance to go to the beach in the resort area north of Port au Prince. Yes, those are jet skiis, and in the second picture you can see both jet skiis and a traditional canoe in the background.

Driving in Haiti

Driving in Haiti is a game of inches. Being aware of your vehicle space 360 degrees around is always recommended, but here it is an absolute necessity. More than 360 really because one has to keep an eye downwards for potholes, trenches, sewage drains without covers, shoulders of roads that drop off into deep ravines, etc. Driving through markets is of particular interest since there maybe a small pile of oranges on the ground on one side of you and a market stall, or a parked vehicle on the other. This morning in fact, I got trapped between a pile of breadfruit on my right with my left rear bumper hooked into the right front bumper of the tap-tap (public pickup truck carrying 10-15 passengers) on the other side. The tap-tap driver had to nudge his vehicle gently away from mine while I backed up almost imperceptibly so we could unhook vehicles without scratching each other. I wish I had photos of this, but hope you understand why I don't.

Improved Goat

This is a photo of Elibel one of our farmer-innovators, his daughter, and an improved goat race which was distributed after the hurricanes in 2008. This goat has now produced a kid, and has also been crossed with many local goats. The kid is now 5 months old, and is already twice the size of local goats of a similar age. In time, all the members of this community (Pila) will have local x improved goat crosses.

It's about time for another 'where is bob' photo. This is at a community meeting. Topics discussed included savings fund investment, savings group rules, and animal vaccinations. At this particular meeting the members were depositing 60 gourdes each for an emergency fund to help fellow members in need (60 gourdes is about 1.5 dollars US).

Tremours

Last night I dreamed that there was a tremour. It woke me up, and I lay there in the dark wondering if it was real or imagined. The night before there actually was a real tremour, about 4 point something although I didn't feel that one. Every building I go into, I seem to spend a lot of time looking at the walls for cracks or other signs of weakness, and wondering about which is the best way out of there, or which corner to duck under. Hopefully I'm just being ridiculous and paranoid.

Which spot looks safest to you:

I just happened to be standing on the porch of our office in Gran Colline when this bundle of herbs was delivered for our cook who apparently has a stomach problem. The woman who delivered them did not know what they were called, but did know how to prepare it as a tea, and what it was good for.

I will be at this office, 3 hours outside Port au Prince for the rest of the week. Because of cloud cover we are running the generator which at the moment is allowing me to blog.

What month is it?

Today seemed a whole lot like back in January. Running around to meetings with various contacts. Thinking and talking about future funding and projects. Speculating about where money might or might not come from. Making best guesses with limited info. Staying up late to get everything lined up that needs to be lined up. But this is not January. So I'm logging off and going to have a shower now that it has cooled down to 29 very humid degrees C.

This is a photo of the largest resettlement I have seen yet. Just north of Port au Prince in a place which may be somewhat facetiously referred to as Canaan. Just looking at it from the road, I guess there must be tens of thousands living here. There is not doubt that this permanent. An entirely new city. As one of my fellow travellers, a Haitian commented, "this will become the largest slum in Haiti within a few years."

A couple shots of the guest house as promised. It certainly feels more spacious and open than before. I actually like the layout of the property better even though it is sad that one of the buildings was destroyed.

Location of the former dormatory, floor tiles still mostly intact.

Former car maintenance area, now converted into the dining area. A very pleasant place to eat and use the wifi.

I discovered almost by accident that the guestshouse in Port au Prince where I used to stay is open again. One of the two buildings had collapsed and several staff and one guest were tragically killed back in January. So I had assumed that I wouldn't be staying there any more, but when we drove by yesterday I noticed that there were people standing on the balcony of the one remaining building. So here I am, in the new dining area which I would say is more or less out of doors and shaded by banana leaf mats. Tomorrow when it is light out again, I will take some shots. It is I guess somewhat representative of how everyone has picked up the pieces of what remains and moved on. Still, when I was napping in my room this afternoon, I found myself looking around for the best spot to take shelter if the roof was coming down.

Changes in Haiti

Last week I mentioned the discouragement that comes with seeing such little progress many months after the earthquake. This past week, I have been accompanying a group from the US who support our project and we visited some of our work in the border area between Haiti and the DR. It is very satisfying and encouraging for me to return months later and see soil conservation work and especially trees that are surviving and thriving, particularly knowing that that heavy cloud of discouragement is hanging overhead in the larger relief/development community. These growing trees push back that cloud just a little bit and in truth it was great fun to show off our work to our visitors. So I want to do the same for you with a few pictures below.

A timber tree, planted in March by one of our earthquake relief planting teams, now about 75 cm tall. Notice the rock barrier above which is reinforced by the tree as it grows.

A farmer, Darius, and one of our technicians, Ketty standing next to a timber tree planted in a cropping field in 2008, ie. pre-earthquake work, and done voluntarily by the farmer (unlike the earthquake relief teams who were paid).

Darius standing next to another timber tree planted in 2008.

Several timber trees also from 2008, making their way above the weeds.

what would you do?

Last night was one of those times when I had to make a decision between sleeping under a sheet to protect myself from mosquitoes (numerous), or sleeping without the sheet to feel slightly more comfortable in the sweltering 30 plus temperature with humidity. On the one hand putting up with many bites and possible malaria, versus, some very moderate relief from the heat. Well, I choose the short term gratification of cooler temperatures, and weighed that the risk of malaria was small. I guess we'll all find out in 7-14 days or so. Although malaria can supposedly incubate for a long time, so let' say 7 days to 6 months. Don't worry, I have my emergency dose of chloraquine on me just in case. And I drank a can of tonic water on the plane, which has quinines in it, and supposedly helps boost one's resistance.

Today we go to the airport to meet a group of visitors/suppporters from the US who are here for a week visit. I will be acting as part time interpreter, which should be fun, except for the times when it's not.

8 months later

Back in Haiti yet again, fourth time this year. Met a fellow relief and development worker in the Miami airport and we commiserated about the fact that not much has changed in the long term. The relief effort after the earthquake has for sure relieved suffering, but if you think about the fact that we are all just trying to get the country back to the same level as before, one can really start to get down about it. Which is where I found myself at in the conversation in Miami. It was good though to have such a candid conversation with someone who knows the deal, and shares the same concerns.

In any case, I'll be blogging as much as possible for the next month. I'll try not to make it too depressing.

Barron Canyon, Algonquin Park

Just a sample of shots from my canoe trip in Algonquin Park, in the Barron Canyon, Aug 16-20.

Silent Lake

A few shots from Silent Lake Provincial Park the weekend of Aug 14-15

A final election update from Burundi:

Dear All,

After weeks of political tension around elections, situation is settling down!

All elections (Local, Presidential, Legislative and Senatorial) are complete. The new governement is likely to be formed in near future.

We thank God for His grace that took people through this difficult situation

We continue to pray that the nomination of the new governement be in peace.

Speaking about Haiti

For those of you who are interested, I will be speaking about Haiti beginning at 10 am on Sunday Aug. 22, at Wentworth Baptist Church. See link below for directions:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&q=wentworth+baptist+church+hamilton+on&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=wentworth+baptist+church&hnear=Hamilton,+ON&cid=0,0,2122105973732970253&ei=qqdZTNz_BYTfnAeG__ygCQ&ved=0CBoQnwIwAQ&t=h&z=16

On Saturday I discovered there was water on the floor of my car. Major amounts of it pooling under the floormats. It seems this may have been happening for the past 2 weeks or so. So today, I pulled the entire interior of my car out, seats, consoles, carpets, trim, to try and figure out where all this water was coming from. There was no sign of leakage from the roof, windows, or doors, so I was mystified as to the source. The water seemed clean, so it was also unlikely it was coming from underneath. Finally, I decided to pull some styrofoam insulation at the front, more just to dry it out than anything else, and that's when I noticed on the front passenger side that there was a hose coming out of the front console that appeared to have become disconnnected. A quick check of an on-line manual confirmed that it was, in fact, an airconditioning drain hose, and the tell-tale watermarks immediately under the hose confirmed the water source. This of course comes as a huge relief. I was imagining cracks in the frame, or defective gaskets, or other horrors, so being able to refit a disconnected hose is great. Now I'm just trying to get all the carpets and underpads dried out, and crossing my fingers that there is not some other leak somewhere. For those of you who may run into a similar problem, please see the photos below.

The passenger side showing the disconnected hose which would normally be hidden under the carpeting. Watermarks below the disconnection are visible.

Close up of the same hose, passenger side

The gutted interior, not really that difficult to take apart, 1 hour tops.

The insides of the car, drying outside

Food Traditions

I made what for me was an exciting discovery last night. For pretty much everyone else it probably will seem at best obscure. In a random conversation about food with some people who by coincidence happened to be from the very western end of the southern pennisula of Haiti, a place called Jeremie I learned that they eat a porridge made from breadfruit, corn, or cassava. I've known about the breadfruit porridge for some time, made by pounding the breadfruit into a flour (known as Tonm Tonm) with a pestel and mortar, and then putting the flour in hot water and stirring to make a thick porridge. I did not know about the corn flour porridge (known as zokran) or the cassava flour porridge (known as kafondi) until tonight. What's interesting to me is that they make exactly the same kind of porridge in East and Central Africa from both corn and cassava. Furthermore, the Haitians in this part of the island eat the porridge with their hands and dip it in various sauces prepared with meat. This is exactly how the Africans eat it. And the Jeremie area is the only part of the island where I am aware that they do this. It would make, I think, a very fascinating anthropological study to figure out if there is a connection between this Haitian food and the African food, and why only this furthest part of the island. I have always wanted to visit Jeremie, but even more so now, because I would like to try all three, and also see if the way they eat is the same as in Africa.

Getting ready for the next tree planting

This is one of 100 cistern/nurseries that have been established to produce tree seedlings in farmer's backyards. Depending on the size of the tank, these nurseries can produce between 400 and 2000 seedlings per season. The water in the tank is collected from the roof of the house, and when farmers are not producing seedlings they can use the water for laundry and bathing. This also reduces erosion, since the water collected is not pouring off onto the soil during heavy rains.

This is a larger tank under construction which will have the capacity to produce approximately 2000 seedlings per season

Some huge catepillars eating trees

They looked so beautiful, I couldn't kill them, which I should have to protect the trees.

Tropical Depression

Sorry, no internet last night. Seems to be due to the tropical depression which has been passing through. This is a good thing so far. It has been providing a light but consistent rain which is well timed to water the planted tree seedlings and crops (corn and beans). It is at the same time not so strong as to cause a lot of erosion. I had heard earlier in the season that there were 23 tropical depressions forming, an unusually large number, and that 6 or 7 of those were likely to become hurricanes. I don't know how many of those we have used up already, but having this one pass through gently is just one more that can't cause damage. Our director here in Haiti said to me jokingly yesterday that there will be no hurricanes in Haiti this year, it simply cannot happen. He has to be right, doesn't he?

A Model Farm

This morning the staff were showing me a model farm they have established where they are planning to demonstrate farming techniques which will protect the soil while providing profit and food for a family. One of the steps they have taken is to carefully fence the property to keep animals out. Free-grazing of animals, especially goats is one of the big challenges for tree planting and reforestation projects here. So it was a little surprise (maybe), and some embarrassment when we passed by the same model farm this afternoon to catch a sheep randomly grazing on the property. No one around seemed to know who the owner was, so we transported the offender to the nearest CASEC office, or the equivalent of the mayor for this rural area. Rather than request a fine which we would be legally entitled to, our director has asked that the CASEC give the owner a short lesson on the importance of trees, and the effect grazing animals can have on trees.

Below find some photos of the farm with sheep, and the subsequent "arrest".

Tool Distribution

Today is distribution of tools courtesy of FAO, the agriculture branch of the UN. Floresta Haiti is the distributor on their behalf. As I type this I can hear the crowd outside the office waiting patiently, some since about 7 am to get a pick, a machete, and a hoe. I am guessing there are about 500 people. The distribution is being organized through the locally elected leadership, and these leaders met this morning early to coordinate with staff.

Hey! the organization I work for in the NY Times!

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/12/12greenwire-devastated-haiti-braces-for-an-active-hurrican-11849.html?pagewanted=

Burundi update:

The situation here is calm and explosions have reduced, the president has been elected and communal officials are now being elected to their offices in the whole country. Legislatives are going to be held at the end of the week. The opposition is weakened and some of them are now coming back to participate in Legislatives. However, the situation is still volatile.

Have you ever wanted to spend a Saturday outdoors, but when you got up in the morning the signs were pointing to rain? You keep checking the forecast, and looking outside to see if you can figure out what's going to happen, but you just can't be sure. You really want to go but then you don't want to get soaked either.

One of Burundi's political leaders and a former guerilla has just disappeared and the rumour is that he has slipped quietly over the border into the Congo. This is a possible sign of rain. But Burundians have a big picnic planned and who wants to cancel?

It is just very discouraging when the people want to move forward, so much wanting peace and a better life while politicians only seem to want to play these deadly games with their citizens as the prize.

From Burundi:

This must remain an issue of prayer! It is quiet during the day but all nights there are grenades explosions in various parts of the country.

Yes one candidate for Presidential elections in on, but diplomatic efforts are multiplied for oppositions to join the parliamentary elections. If these fail to get a compromise, Burundi will be plunged in an very bad institutional crisis come August 2010. But we hope that they will manage to find a soluttion. Civil society and religious leaders have called for dialogue as well as the international community.

Differences so far are party based and not ethnic.

Keep us in your prayers and thoughts

Another Burundi update:

Political situation is getting sensitive every day as Presideential elections with one candidate come closer. Grenades explosions are frenquent in many parts of the country atleast 6 of them are exploded every night.

Update from Burundi:

Our work is doing on slowly, but security situation is getting worse. On Saturday evening 4 grenades were blown in Bujumbura city and On Sunday evening more 2 were blown leaving behind injuries. A journalist of a local radio was killed yesteday after coming from work by bandits stealing from a fuel station.

Movements and public places are being now avoided. We do not know how the situation will evolve as days of presidential elections draw closer!

Burundi election update:

As a matter of prayer, we would like to join us in prayer for electoral process in Burundi. As soon as the local elections held on 24th May were announced, the opposition rejected for fraud allegations and called for new pulls and the resignation of the electoral independent commision before they can go for presidential elections scheduled on 28 June. Yesterday 5 presidential candidates from the opposition officially withdrew from the race. Only 1 opposition candidate remains on the race and has also joined others in calling for the annulation of the local elections before Presidentials.

There is a climate of fear on which road this process is going to take. Pray for God's intervention at this early stage.

Burundi election update:

Situation here is calm although the theme of election rigging continue to grow high with many ballot boxes with votes not counted allegedly being discovered in many pulling stations. The electoral commission is trying to convince the public that they were still kept there for logistic problems! This may be very dangerous in future....

Another update from Burundi:

Bob,

I was able to go with [my wife] the day of voting. People were anthousiasts and voted in calm. Last night, the electral commission announced officially provisional results and the ruling party is coming ahead in all provinces expect in Bujumbura.

In general results are accepted although some irregularities were observed according to the commission and observers. But 8 opposition parties have contested the results that there were rigged. We do not know how it will evolve.

Keep us in prayer as Burundi prepares for the Presidential ahead.

Another excerpt from an email from Burundi:

Greetings from Bujumbura. Thank you for the photo and prayers for our country.

I am pleased to inform you that the first elections for districts passed in peace and these elections predict which party will win the presidential elections . The ruling party is excellently on top .

An excerpt from an email I received this morning from Burundi:

Local elections had started this morning after 2 days of postponment. In Muzye, Rutana porvince, a grenade exploded and wounded a police officer in the voting station in the early hours of Sunday (1:00 am). Those behind it have not yet been identified.

In general situation is calm but people are just fearful and tension among opponents is high. We keep praying and hope for the best.

I have this thing where sometimes after a long-haul flight and I get out in the open air, its like my eyeballs have dried out our something. There's a burning sensation and if feels like my eyelids are sticking to the cornea. It is actually pretty painful, and my tearducts start working over time to compensate for whatever the irritation is. I haven't really figured out what is happening, but I know I don't like it. Today while standing on the curb, I could hardly keep my eyes open or see anything and tears were streaming down my face. I think the woman standing next to me thought I was getting all emotional about being in Canada.

Pretty much every time I go to Kilimanjaro, I stay in the same guesthouse just 10 minutes walk down the road from our office. And pretty much everytime on the first morning after my arrival, I put my briefcase over my shoulder with my laptop, etc, and start up the hill. Literally up, I think it is about a 30% slope so it is a bit of a work out. Usually I pass several school kids, who are traversing the road from side to side, slowly working their way up hill toward the school (they seem in no hurry). Pretty much everytime they greet me with "Good Morning", or "Jambo" (fake tourist Swahili said for my benefit). Pretty much everytime when I get to the top of the hill, I look for mount Kilimanjaro, which is visible about 30-40% of the time. Pretty much everytime I do see it, I feel compelled to set my briefcase down and take a picture (or two). The whole process is starting to feel like deja vu. This time, I did do something different which is check out the tree planting done by the local school with the-organization-I-work-for's support. This planting is probably about 3-4 years old now and doing quite nicely. Students and staff are taking good care of it, and in a few more years they will have a variety of fruits as well as a nice albeit small grove of trees. Check both my usual mountain photo and the primary school fruit tree grove photo below.

I very much regret having to leave Burundi. At least I would like to stay around until the first round of elections this Friday, but I'm already in Nairobi on my way to the next appointment. I guess no one knows for sure what is going to happen, and there is plenty of speculation about all kinds of possible outcomes, good and bad. I wish I had time to just tour around the country, asking people what they think and what they hope for. And I shouldn't criticize journalists too much for not being here; I myself am taking off.

Today I think you and I may have been witness to something remarkable. Since the communal elections are this Friday, today is the last official day of campaigning. Wednesday and Thursday I guess are supposed to be days of peaceful reflection, and election day itself is a national holiday. So today, every party was out on the street, walking, driving cars, renting buses, waving flags, singing, chanting and otherwise trying to show enthusiasm for the party of their choice. We got caught on a main street in a massive traffic jam of party colours and songs. What I saw was different groups from different parties saluting each other with their various party gestures but without malice or hostility. Really it felt to me more like a celebration of the freedom to participate than a belligerent contest. I was travelling in a car with a colleague who is actually from the Congo, and he was just laughing and enjoying the whole spectacle. He said to me,"Bob in all my life as a Congolese, I have only ever participated in one democratic election."

So I'm very hopeful. I know there are rumours out there that things could go badly, but right now, I think many are anxiously optimistic. What I wonder is, where is the press right now? This could potentially be a triumph of democracy, a country moving beyond its violent past, and yet, I see no cameras, no microphones. I did in Haiti. Journalist teams literally on every corner recording as much misery as can be fit into a 30 second clip. So where are they when they might actually have a shot at documenting humanity rising above our baser nature?

I've spent more time on this trip talking about breakfast than I have the elections. Truth is t here hasn't been a whole lot to say so far. Things have been very quiet, peaceful even. I have felt more relaxed and safe on this trip than any of my previous trips to Burundi. One expat who has lived here for several years said that it was almost too quiet.There have been a few politically motivated murders in the past week or so. A Burundian I know who is working quite closely with the election process says that people see an opportunity now to gain power, and they are willing to do anything to get it. However, this is interpreted in the light of rival versus rival, and so far at least, doesn't seem to indicate a pattern of wider social or ethnic violence. Numerous Burundians have expressed this to me in terms of asking God to continue to keep the country safe.

The very first round of elections for leaders at the commune level is this Friday.

Below is a somewhat poor shot of an election campaign parade. Which was mostly a vehicle with flags and loudspeakers. I have seen several larger demonstrations which may have had several hundred people, but these have also seemed relatively peaceful.

Today was Sunday and therefore church plus some touring around Bujumbura seeing the various sites. But before all that there was breakfast. Sorry that my recent blogging seems to centre around food a lot, but below is a photo of this morning's breakfast. Not too terribly exciting except that it represents a small triumph in my struggle with the French language. Yesterday I tried to order a fried egg, and instead got an omelet and fried potatoes. After some language coaching from another guest here at the hotel, I made a second attempt this morning and I proudly display the results below. By the way, what looks like milk is actually yogurt, made here in many kitchens fresh the night before. Very tasty and no additives or gelling agents of any kind.

The next photo is on the Ruzizi river which is just outside Bujumbura and flows into Lake Tanganika. There are several families of hippos scattered up and down this area. I have never seen a hippo get up out of the water like this and was quite excited.

The final photo is of a monument marking the spot where Dr. Livingstone and Stanley famously met. Again in the background you can see Lake Tanganika and the mountains of Congo beyond. After meeting, Stanley went to the Congo from here, and Livingstone presumably went to Tanzania.

Here is the shot of the view looking across Lake Tanganika to the Congo. A bit cloudy, but I think you can see the mountains which are not far off. I'm guessing 20km or so. An hour or so after this picture was taken, the lights of the town of Uvira, became visible. Went back to the same restaurant basically for the fish. And the view.

Tonight I had a meeting with 3 representatives of an education organization working in the Congo. We met appropriately, at a restaurant on the beach of Lake Tanganika where we could look across the lake to the mountains of South Kivu in the Congo itself. I am sorry I don't have a photo of this evening view of the mountains shrouded in haze. It is really quite a beautiful sight. As we talked about the needs in the Congo, the deforestation, the slash and burn, the conflicts in communities, I caught one of the Congolese staring wistfully across the lake. I am also sorry that I don't really have the right words to convey what a poignant moment it was. So I will just tell you that it was quite a poignant moment. Then we ate barbecued fish from the lake, Sangala, or Nile Perch. This I say again is the best fish I have ever had. There is also Nile Perch in Lake Victoria, but somehow it is not the same. Not sure what the explanation is, but I'm just happy that it exists. I should have taken a photo of this meal as well. And the mountains. I may still get a chance before this trip is over.

Today is Ascension Day, and a national holiday here in Burundi. Most have the day off and many go to church in the morning. We worked anyway, at least til mid afternoon. The streets were very quiet, little traffic, either on foot or wheels. The whole situation is very peaceful, idyllic even, almost surrealistically so. At a dinner I attended yesterday evening, a prayer was given asking that God would continue to protect the country during the election campaign. Everyone, I think must be feeling this. It would surely be a major turning point if things could remain as they are throughout the next 3 months.

Today's Lunch

I know what you are thinking: "does Bob really think we care what he ate for lunch?" I don't blame you, but please wait for the explanation. If you look at the photo you will see a green sauce on the left and a white cake like thing on the right. Both of these are from cassava (or manioc). The sauce is made from the leaves, and the cake, called ugali is made from the root. Both are quite tasty by the way, and a mainstay of the diet here. The organization I work for is helping farmers to obtain disease resistant varieties of cassava, since the older varieties have become susceptible to a mosaic virus which seriously reduces productivity. Farmers in our target communities are not only producing more cassava for themselves, they are also able to sell to the local market for a profit, and sell cuttings of the resistant varieties to other farmers and organizations. The other day I was in a meeting of community leaders and listened to them talking about how they are making money, and investing in rental and purchase of new fields to expand production. They were talking proudly of how they are contributing and will contribute to the food security of their communities and even the nation. It was one of those moments for me that makes this job worthwhile. On top of that I get to eat cassava in its many delicious forms.

I have been in a rural area several hours from the capital for 2 days which is my excuse for not blogging. On the return trip this afternoon, we pulled over for a bathroom break and this older gentleman walking along the shoulder of the road held up his hand to us with 3 fingers and shook them. This apparently is the sign of one of the political parties, and then he asked me in Kirundi if I could give him money (btw, I don't understand a word of Kirundi). After a bit when I didn't respond, he started waving another sign, more like a closed fist. Turns out this is the sign of another party. One of my travelling companions told him that we could not give him anything for making that sign. He then went back to the 3 fingers signal in a last ditch attempt to get something from me. I am not sure why he would think I was allied with any party, but I was amused to learn that at least one Burundian is as cynical about politics as I am.

This morning I went to a Congolese church here in Bujumbura. Many of the members at this church are either refugees, or young people who have left the Congo to study in Burundi. I learned that dancing is a big part of Congolese church services. I don't have a photo or video of this, but basically at one point during the service, the front of the church turned into something pretty close to a mosh pit. A lot of people jumping, and some running back and forth while the keyboardist played this rapid percussive riff for what must have been 15 minutes or so. I myself did not participate in said dancing, but it was pretty fun to be there. I was told (by a Congolese) that this is pretty much a fixture of most Congo churches across the board, and that they are influencing Burundian churches as well.

If we measured currency in terms of musical expression, instead of money, Africa would be a world superpower; think about all the musical styles, so influential today, rock, jazz, blues, motown, R&B, hip hop, rap, that have their roots in Africa. Paul Simon's album Graceland is like thousands, or maybe millions of churches here every Sunday. Really, if you only visited Africa on a Sunday morning (or afternoon for that matter), you might think that this was the happiest place on earth. Rhythms so uplifting, and harmonies so moving, it is almost like you leave this world for a while and go to a place where there is only perfection.

The service during one of the more sedate moments

The election campaign opened officially here in Burundi 4 days ago. Over the next 3 months or so, a series of votes will take place for various posts from local commune level leaders up to the president. Although I don't entirely understand the schedule of polls, it seems that there will be a series of votes for president, ending in a final vote in August. So far, the process has been reportedly peaceful. As I came from the airport to my hotel last, night, at 2 am, I saw very little other than the occasional scattering of bleary eyed soldiers along the main road. Of course at that time of night one wouldn't expect to see much anyways, and I noted only one other vehicle on the road, a fast-moving white SUV with tinted windows and multiple antennae sticking out in various directions. The only other thing I saw was a bunch of people clustered out in front of a bar, which didn't seem anything other than normal for a Saturday night.

I am told that, the pattern is that campaigns tend to get more heated as they progress. Obviously we are all hoping that they won't. This is Burundi's first election after a decade and a half of violent internal conflict.

You can read the news for yourself. I will try to keep you posted as to what I see, over the brief time that I will be here.

It's almost 3 am in Bujumbura, but I feel like making an entry, so may as well go with that. Just got in from Toronto, which depending on how you do your counting was either a 24 hour trip or a 30 hour trip (point to point, or airport to airport).

On the Nairobi-Bujumbura leg, the flight attendant was offering what sounded like salmon-chicken. "Salmon-Chicken?" she would say, to every passenger, and then proceed to hand them their tray. At first I thought maybe she was offering salmon or chicken, but when she got to me it sounded pretty much like "salmon-chicken". Which I accepted. Now it did seem to be a piece of chicken meat wrapped around a sort of filling, which could have been, but didn't seem much like salmon, but I thought, maybe. Anything is possible. Seemed like a pretty ambitious culinary venture for airline food, especially in these economic times, and especially between Nairobi and Bujumbura. Still it was tasty, and I was prepared to believe that their might have been a trace of fish in there somewhere.

The mystery was cleared up when the same attendant came around later offering salmon-tea. At that point I realized that the combination of her heavy Kenyan accent, the background noise of an ageing 737, and possibly my ageing ears, had remodulated her, "serving tea" to sound like salmon.

How is Haiti doing?

People ask me how Haiti is doing? And it is a good question. First, I'm always glad to hear the question itself, because I hope it means people are interested in Haiti. You know I think that Bill Clinton has said, not in so many words exactly, that Haiti is a chance for himself personally and maybe the international community to make up for past sins. In particular Rwanda. Of course the circumstances of Rwanda and Haiti are dramatically different, but whereas we as a world community turned a blind eye to Rwanda, we are so far, not doing this in the earthquake response in Haiti. So I'm glad for the question.

However, it is not an easy question to answer. In someways, I don't even think that any answer will do. Not for several years. It may be a bit like asking how a complicated surgery is going. One could say it is going well, but until the patient is out of the operating theatre, and off the anesthetics, and up and walking around, any answer one might give will not really answer the question. Still, the question is worth asking, even if only as an expression of concern.

So to answer the question for now, I think it is going pretty well. Really well in someways. It is just that the scale of the situation is so mind-boggling that going-pretty-well still means we have miles to go before we sleep.

I had the stereotypical foreigner moment recently. A few days ago, I had been talking with the neighbours about their mango tree. I learned that the variety is Rosalie and we talked about how it compared to the variety Fransique which is more or less considered the standard for export here. Anyhow, a couple days later one of the neighbour's sons, maybe 5 or 6 years old, called out to me saying,"Mon Blanc, here's a mango.", and then stood there in the middle of the street, tentatively holding a mango out to me. I wasn't exactly sure if he was just showing me the mango and then was going to eat it himself or if he was actually offering it to me. So I just said,"Thank you", at which point he ran over, handed the mango to me, and then quickly scurried away, almost like he was feeding an animal at the zoo. I could see some of the other kids peering out from the yard, looking to see, I suppose, what the white guy might do with a mango.

The neighbours' mango tree.