Re: Cancelation of Haiti Project

Mark,

I just returned from a trip and am receiving your email today. I am very sorry to hear that your project did not work out. I know you always have the highest intentions possible when offering your help to others. I don't know why others don't take advantages of great opportunities when presented to them--it baffles me. You are a true comrade in our endeavors to promote sustainable ways of living. Keep your head up my friend and stay on your positive direction.

Your friend, Trevor

On Sun, Jul 3, 2011 at 11:57 AM, mark phillips <mrppy1@gmail.com> wrote:

Cancelation of Haiti Project

It is with a great deal of sadness that I must announce the cancellation of the project to build a straw bale home on the Jane Wynne Ecological Reserve above Kenscoff, Haiti.

 

I have come to this point reluctantly but I am certain this is the best decision I can make at this time.

 

I have been trying unsuccessfully for over 2 months to communicate with Jane via e-mail or phone regarding this project.  She is well aware of this yet has never followed through with promises to contact me.

 

I am completely and utterly unable to understand why Jane has acted in this manner and can offer no explanation for why this has occurred.

 

The $1000 I raised from 8 donors will be returned.

 

I still hope at some point to return to Haiti and build more straw bale structures but at this moment I don't know in what form that hope might manifest itself.

 

To all who supported this project, with money and ideas and encouragement and offers of help and to all of the others I've met along the way, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I hope we can continue the relationships formed by working on other projects together.

 

For the time being I have changed my focus to finding a more permanent living situation for myself.  This will initially take the form of exploring land opportunities in northern California where I hope to find an opportunity to pursue my passion for creating safe, small, simple, sustainable shelters.

 

 

 

cheers,

 

 

mark phillips

Cancelation of Haiti Project

Cancelation of Haiti Project

It is with a great deal of sadness that I must announce the cancellation of the project to build a straw bale home on the Jane Wynne Ecological Reserve above Kenscoff, Haiti.

 

I have come to this point reluctantly but I am certain this is the best decision I can make at this time.

 

I have been trying unsuccessfully for over 2 months to communicate with Jane via e-mail or phone regarding this project.  She is well aware of this yet has never followed through with promises to contact me.

 

I am completely and utterly unable to understand why Jane has acted in this manner and can offer no explanation for why this has occurred.

 

The $1000 I raised from 8 donors will be returned.

 

I still hope at some point to return to Haiti and build more straw bale structures but at this moment I don't know in what form that hope might manifest itself.

 

To all who supported this project, with money and ideas and encouragement and offers of help and to all of the others I've met along the way, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I hope we can continue the relationships formed by working on other projects together.

 

For the time being I have changed my focus to finding a more permanent living situation for myself.  This will initially take the form of exploring land opportunities in northern California where I hope to find an opportunity to pursue my passion for creating safe, small, simple, sustainable shelters.

 

 

 

cheers,

 

 

mark phillips

this is not a travel log

ladies and gentlemen,

as you've all heard by now, osama bin laden (obl) was killed by us special forces in abbottabad, pakistan.

he was shot in the head and buried at sea.

videos and photographs are promised at some later date.  perhaps some dna.  so far we've only a narrative from our standard sources (government, media, "experts").

you may recall that my work in pakistan was just north of abbottabad.  i'm familiar with the military base there.  or at least as familiar as one can get driving around the premises, looking at the guards and passing on.  i remember a sign along the highway outside the base that said, "Be a Proud Pakistani".  i had asked surkhab if he'd take my picture under that sign but we never got around to it.  it was a pretty busy highway and, given the neighborhood, maybe not the best place to get out and take pictures.

i'm sure my friend ryan, in particular, can just see my taking a picture outside of this military compound triggering a gun battle between the pakistani army, al quaeda, us special forces and maybe even the taliban.

i'd get gunned down, shot 486 times like i was someone important and not some schlepp that was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

returning to "reality"... 

if the reports about the whereabouts of obl are true, and i have no reason to believe they are, i was within 1/2 mile of him on several occasions last year.

i do have some thoughts on all of this but they are deeply intertwined with other threads of wisdom i've garnered over the years.

so, i issue this official, code red warning:

what you are about to read is not a travel log.

if that's what you're looking for, come back another day.

the following comments are uncensored and might upset some.

for those who wish to continue, scroll down to read the rest of this post.

OK  let the lying begin (er...continue)!!

i draw your attention to the center ring of our circus where you'll see the new "we-got-em" dance and hear the new mega-hit song, "oh boy o-sa-ma's dead" sung to the music of "ding-dong the witch is dead."  there'll be jugglers and clowns and sights to amaze!

don't take your eyes off of your tv set for a moment or you may miss the programming you are obliged to undergo.

oh my, oh my.  so many lies where does one start.

here's one possibility.  this is page 46 from the final NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) report on WTC Building 7.  never heard of building 7?  google it and watch a 47 story steel high rise building collapse completely in less than 7 seconds.  then ask yourself how it is possible that such an event could occur in broad daylight in new york city and most people, even those who live in new york city, still don't know anything about it.  i point this out to folks who say our government can't keep a secret.  Once you've seen wtc 7 come down you'll understand why the government wants to keep this all hush-hush.

anyway, there is something very special in this page.  a number, to be specific.  32.196.

(note, if you're reading this on my blog go to my flickr account and see "Nist Graph of WTC 7"       http://www.flickr.com/photos/52559215@N07/ )

The Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve

The Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve

 

The Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve is situated in Viard, a 45 minute hike from the small town of Kenscoff, Haiti. The Wynne Farm has been in existence for over 50 years. It was founded in 1956 by Victor A. Wynne, a civil engineer with degrees from Harvard and MIT. He noticed the ongoing misuse of the land and the inevitable threats of erosion and deforestation in the country. He then purchased various plots of land from local landowners and created the Wynne Farm which he terraced with a crew of 40 men. There, he propagated indigenous species to conserve Haiti's rich biodiversity and introduced various fruits, vegetables and trees from numerous parts of the world to show what the country's rich land is capable of bringing forth. Victor Wynne also emphasized the need for soil conservation, composting, reforestation, and experimented with agricultural techniques such as terracing.

Since 1994, the farm has been dedicated to environmental education so as to promote sustainable development and the healing of planet earth.

 

(from http://wynnefarm.org/about-us/history/)

 

 

 

Jane Wynne, Victor's daughter, worked along side her father.  There she learned about the terracing techniques that were brought over from Peru.  She learned about the 10 varieties of bamboo that were brought from around the world.  She learned as her father made the transition from chemical fertilizers to organic farming methods in the late 1970's and 1980's.  And she learned to love the land as her father did.

 

Jane is now the caretaker of the 30 acre farm as well as a 3 acre piece of heaven she now calls home in the town of Kenscoff, 4000 feet above Port Au Prince and 2000 feet below the farm, or ecological reserve as it is now known.

 

Jane has worked tirelessly to preserve and improve this land, at times fighting unscrupulous people who have tried to illegally take or develop it.  One group was made up of drug lords who liked the view from her ridge so much that they wanted to build homes and live there.  When they started to build a road Jane laid her body down in front of a bulldozer to stop them.  The road was never built.

 

The reserve faces lesser threats on a daily basis.  It is not unusual for people to stray from the public path that goes through the reserve and steal resources or commit acts of vandalism.  This can range from stealing produce to the cutting of full-grown trees.

 

The solution to the vandalism is to have several folks live on the farm full time.  This "presence" should reduce vandalism to a tolerable level.  With the vandals at bay, more land can be put into service, generating more food of a wider variety.  Dozens of local men and women will be employed to grow, process, transport and sell the produce.

 

Jane works with a foundation that organizes a summer camp for 1,200 children.  They already teach sports, music, dancing, yoga, environmental education, crafts, knowledge of medicinal plants and recycling.  The farm is often the classroom for these kids.  The increase in farm productivity will greatly increase the opportunity for these kids to learn the art of organic farming in a hands-on environment.

 

As the farm becomes more vibrant and relevant a cycle begins that integrates the success of the reserve with the well being of the community, spawning deeper connections with the soil and with each other.

 

Currently there is a standard masonry building that can house at least one person as well as an earth bag building that is used as the on-site classroom.  Soon a good friend of Jane's will be living there full time which will be the first step in securing the property.

 

I believe the next step is to build at least 1, and preferably 2, straw bale homes so that more local families can live and work on the reserve.  It is our hope and belief that adding this many full time residents will solve the vandalism problem.

 

And then the vision for an ecological reserve can begin to bloom into its full potential.

 

It gets quite cold at 6000 feet so these straw bale homes will be passively heated by the sun.  Solar thermal will be used to heat water.  A small solar panel and battery could provide for the modest electrical needs (lights, cell phone, computer, internet).

 

Liberal use will be made of the bamboo that grows on the property.  Structural bamboo for the trusses will be brought in from elsewhere in Haiti.  The homes will be designed for earthquake and hurricane resistance by architects, engineers and builders who are familiar with these building methods.

 

We will offer workshops during the construction of these homes.  In exchange for a day's work, folks will receive training on how a building can be made largely from straw and earth.  They'll also receive a fabulous organic lunch from produce grown on the farm.  Along with the Haitians we hire for the construction, these people can teach others the techniques they learn.

 

$25,000 is needed to build straw-bale houses on the reserve to make this vision a reality:

 

 

1)            Since the land is already owned and many plans and infrastructure are already in place, a relatively small amount of money could produce an enormous return.

 

2)            Donors will be kept abreast of the progress via periodic reports by e-mail and on my blog.  Pictures and video will also be posted.

 

3)            Donors who want to be more involved can discuss the project and suggest changes and/or improvements.

 

4)            I will pay all administrative costs so donors get the satisfaction of knowing that 100% of their donations will go directly for construction costs (material and labor).  I will take no salary and will pay my own travel expenses.

 

5)            Jane has been a powerful force for environmentalism in Haiti for many years.  She has formed many important alliances with many capable individuals.  It would be difficult to overstate how helpful her connections will be.

 

6)            Jane wants all donors to know that they are more than welcome to come and visit on the land after the buildings are complete.  She loves meeting new people.

 

 

 

Those who wish to support this project can send checks directly to:

 

Mark Phillips

14566 Toleman Rd., Atascadero, Ca., 93422

805 461-0490 (home)

805 835-2921 (cell)

mrppy1@gmail.com

 

 

Donors who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution can do so through:

 

Builders Without Borders

http://www.builderswithoutborders.org/

 

So that funds can be properly directed, please mention "The Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve" on the memo line of your check or in a note if paying by credit card or PayPal.  (be aware that PayPal takes 3% to process your donation)

 

BWB also takes a small percentage to cover administrative costs but they are a good organization and deserve our support.

 

 

Your support is deeply appreciated.

 

 

Cheers,

 

mark phillips

This Is Haiti

TIH

 

Among the guys working on the straw bale house, as well as the rest of the crew at GrassRoots United, we have a saying we use a lot.  TIH.  We use this whenever something goes extraordinarily wrong, or when something that should have been very simple turns into a major endeavor.  "This Is Haiti" explains much of the why when these situations arise.

 

Today we had Alex, our driver, go to Petion Ville, about 45 min. south of PAP, where he was to pick up some bamboo for us to use for an interior wall.  We'd bought bamboo from this source before so it should have been a relatively simple task.  Alex was to pick up a few bundles of bamboo and then a quart of black latex paint.  He got off to a late start doing some personal business and around noon he called me to say that he was having trouble finding the place.  A few phone calls and about an hour later and I finally hooked him up with Marty in Ca. who got him straightened out.  But once he got there they told him that they no longer sell the small diameter bamboo we needed.  So I told him to forget the bamboo for today and bring us the paint.  He called later to tell me he had the paint but had another flat tire (he's had several over the past few weeks) and would have to get it fixed before he could bring us the paint.  Around quitting time he finally showed up at GRU with the paint.  But it was oil based and useless for our needs.  Still we needed to pay him for his time, probably $40 or so which is a small fortune during the waning days of this project and its budget.

 

All we could say was TIH.

 

I've mentioned before that things can change suddenly in Haiti.  Another example of this occurred when we went to experience carnival up near Petion Ville.  Every Sunday for several weeks prior to fat Tuesday there are celebrations all over Haiti (and many other parts of the world).  Folks dress up in costume, sometimes drag, and march or dance through the streets.  When we went there was a huge crowd of, who knows, 10,000?  We were all jammed together into some sort of organic mass with music blaring form a huge Digicel (the local cell phone co.) float that was (slowly) chasing us down the crowded street.  I was amazed at the mass of humanity and how much one has to let go in order to avoid freaking out over it all.  I delighted over my ability to take part in and enjoy the scene.

 

Samuel and Jean Louis, our local Haitian workers who by now are also our good friends, shepherded us along.  We had to be careful to avoid getting separated as it would be virtually impossible to find each other if we did (though some of us did have cell phones).

 

All was going swimmingly when I noticed that Andy was kneeling on the ground.  I tried to find out from Sarah what was going on over the thunderous background noise.  The first thing I heard was that his wallet had been stolen.  This was something I had thought might happen in such a crowd and I would have voiced my concerns to the others as a warning if I had a voice large enough to be heard over the roar.  But having his wallet stolen did not explain why he was kneeling on the ground.  At first I thought perhaps the guy had slugged him in the stomach to get the wallet or maybe Andy was just very distraught over the loss.  Then he started to throw up.  I asked Sarah what THAT was all about and she just shrugged her shoulders and said she didn't know.

 

We finally put it together that Andy was sick and it was all quite unrelated to his wallet.

 

Given the preponderance of Cholera in Haiti (Marty had already come down with it and I may have just barely escaped an episode myself) we all realized that we needed to get Andy back to our base at GRU at a minimum, and perhaps to a clinic.  But getting a "tap-tap" in this chaotic scene was not going to be easy.  Fortunately Samuel stepped up to the plate and got er done.  It was probably only 30 min. or so before we were on our way back "home".

 

Once there it seemed that Cholera was not too likely because Andy was not experiencing diarrhea which is one of the major symptoms.  So he decided to stay the night at GRU.  In the morning he was still having trouble keeping anything down, but diarrhea was still absent.  He recovered that day and returned to work the next.  Some Haitian bug got him or maybe it was a mild (easy for me to say) case of food poisoning (but we all ate the same food and nobody else got sick).

 

I'm sure we'll never know.  TIH.

 

 

Super Bowl in Haiti

Super Bowl in Haiti

 

Sometimes I think I do things just so I can write about them.  Perhaps that in part was my motivation for going to the UN with some others from GRU (GrassRoots United) to see this year's version of the super bowl.  This one was number 45 and I had to confess to one of the 20-somethings that I remembered the first one between Green Bay and Minnesota.  Apparently my memory is a bit faulty as I checked later and found out it was Green Bay against Kansas City.

 

Anyway, I had been told by Marty that getting onto the UN base was quite difficult as their security was very stringent.  But the others in our group who had been there did not seem to think it would be a problem so I figured I'd give it a try.  As we approached the gate there were several UN soldiers, complete with their automatic weapons, hanging around but they just smiled as we walked past.  At the entrance there was a guy at the walk-through metal detector but he only did the same.  As I walked through the detector my defibrillator set it off, but no one seemed to care and we just proceeded onward.

 

It wasn't hard to find the bar where the game was being played as it was pretty noisy.  When we got there I looked with amazement at the menu offerings.  Lots of stuff on the menu I hadn't seen since I arrived in Haiti a month ago like hamburgers, even veggie burgers, pizza, fish and brownies.  A full bar included $2 beers which is twice what we pay at the hole in the wall on site but still not bad.  There were probably 50 people there but still not too crowded.

 

After buying a round of beers and ordering some pizza we settled in just after the game had started.  I was about to watch my first football game in 10-15 years.  I was also going to expose myself to the most hyped version of US tv that the industry is capable of producing.

 

The game was interesting enough but it was the commercials in between that I found the most fascinating.  Previews for upcoming movies and tv programs were all the rage, and rage is the operative word here.  There was no apparent limit to the degree or amount of violence that now appears acceptable to the folks who control our media.

 

This comes on the heals of another meeting I had with US tv during my month back in the states in Dec.  Visiting family for the holidays, I was again subjected to its wrath and was struck by a common thread.  In several of the shows I watched the "cop" (which may have been a cop, military police, or other authoritarian-type figure) would go way past the limits of what used to be appropriate interrogation procedures and into torture, often with the winking approval of another associate.  It was as if any rules against such tactics were only to be obeyed by morons too stupid to know how the real world works.

 

As a 9/11 truther (see ae911truth.org for details) I think I know how the world works much more clearly than the average person and far more honestly than those who have not figured out that all 3 buildings (yes, 3) that were destroyed on 9/11 were brought down by controlled demolition.  As such, I see the unbridled violence and acceptance of torture being disseminated as a tactic by the "powers that be" to mold public opinion into acceptance of these as normal and appropriate.  After all we were ATTACKED on 9/11 so every tactic in response is appropriate.

 

Even when the subject of the commercials was "humor" instead of drama there was a common thread of "put downs."  It used to be possible to laugh and not have it be at someone else's expense.  That no longer seems to be true.  In every case there was a "winner" and a "looser" in the comedic "battle" as the war theme invaded our humor.

 

Interestingly enough, though, I did not let these thoughts detract from the jovial mood that was present at the UN during the game.  I simply noted these trends, accepted that this is the way the world works today, and moved on.  This is precisely what the Buddhists would recommend and it seems as though, to at least some minor degree, I might be catching on a bit.

 

The game was ok but without a team to root for I was not on the edge of my seat as I used to be when I would live or die by how the 49ers (or OAKLAND Raiders) faired.  I find it amusing that I would put my emotional well-being on the line for such a trivial and meaningless matter.

 

So with the Steelers down by 11 I bet the guy next to me 2:1 beers on them.  I later followed that up with a side bet (also beers) that the Steelers would get at least 1 more interception or fumble recovery than the Packers.  I ended up loosing both bets.

 

The game was pretty fun but I think I got my football fix for another 10-15 years.

Garbage Warriors

Garbage Warriors

 

Last Sunday (1/30) a group of guys from Taos dropped by to finish the Earthship that they had started sometime before my arrival.  These guys are led by their fearless leader, Michael Reynolds, who is the subject of the film, "Garbage Warrior."  Mike has been building homes form tires, plastic bottles and anything else he can get his hands on for quite some time now.  At times he has gone toe to toe with the building authorities losing his architecture license for his efforts (though I think he has it back now).

 

From the start this was a motley, irreverent and at times vulgar crew, but they were also lovable.  They descended upon the scene like a swarm of locusts bringing with them a team of local Haitians to help out.  From the moment they got here, it was asses and elbows everywhere.  I swear I saw sparks fly at times.  They started packing tires with dirt to serve as the foundation for the cistern that would catch water from the roof.  This was then covered with a layer of concrete.  They dug one hole in the ground, lined it with 2 layers of 10 mil plastic sheet and added 3 tires.  After building a domed shape with rebar and wire mesh, the space was covered with a concrete top.  Above the tires they placed a flush toilet that would use grey water.  Like a traditional septic tank, the solids will be contained within the tire chamber and the liquids will seep through the tires and eventually raise high enough to exit through a pipe into 2 more holes they dug.  These were also lined with plastic and then filled with dirt and plants.  This black water system would use the nutrients from the septic tank to feed the plants.  By means of evaporation and transpiration, the liquids will dissipate.

 

The (bucket) shower was roughed out with another batch of rebar and wire mesh, complete with arched entrance.  The main living structure, which already had a concrete ceiling, got a 2 foot layer of bags loaded with plastic bottles to serve as insulation, more rebar and wire mesh and another coat of cement.  The hole in the center of the ceiling was covered with a mushroom structure which uses plastic shingles from the same plastic bottles that are so ubiquitous here in Haiti.

 

Throughout the project, plastic bottles were placed at regular intervals in all of the walls.  These will eventually degrade under the relentless assault of the sun's UV rays but they look really cool for the time being.

 

They landscaped the grounds and when they left it was a very artistic expression of Mike's passion for using whatever garbage is available to create comfortable and pleasing living spaces.  That said, however, I see several problems with their design.  The bottles that decay will leave holes that in many cases will need to be filled.  The mushroom, while quite impressive looking, will fail by any of at least 4 vectors.  The space between the bottom of the mushroom and the hole in the roof is large enough that during a horizontal rain event (i.e. hurricane) it will undoubtedly leak.  When the plastic shingles degrade, the roof will leak during a normal, vertical rain event.  The weight of the mushroom roof, which has concrete sections between the plastic shingles, is way too much for the bare rebar that supports it.  During an earthquake it will shake rattle and roll before crashing down.  And finally, the exposed rebar will eventually rust away until it can no longer support its load.

 

But in the meantime, it looks way cool.

 

 

The US contingent of the crew was pretty interesting.  One night they were on the front portico doing some awesome gymnastic and advanced yoga moves.  One trick they did was to balance on one foot as they lowered themselves low enough to knock over a bic lighter with their nose.  I tried it with a (short) beer bottle and eventually got it, but lost my balance on the way up.

 

Most of the other nights were spent drinking copious amounts of alcohol and teasing each other about their (lack of) manhood.  Lots of politically incorrect stuff that I did not let bother me.  Perhaps it was because they were extremely helpful during the day.  At one point we had a small footer to dig for our front "Galri" (veranda).  One of the guys, affectionately known as salty dog due to his tenure in the navy, came over with their electric jack hammer and with the spade bit broke up enough dirt in 5 minutes to keep our Haitian boys shoveling for the next half hour.  They also offered to help us pour the slab and gave us advice on how to mix our earth plaster.

 

Being either the oldest, or nearly the oldest, person here at GRU (depending on who happens to be here at any moment) it has been at times difficult for me to hook up with many of the kids here, who are mostly in their 20's and 30's.  But I had no problem feeling comfortable around these guys and we all hoped we would meet again down the road.

 

Martin left the same day they did, along with Tim.  But Tina from Canada arrived that same day as well and she's a pip.  She's a plaster expert with her own natural building company and has been here before.  That was made clear by the warm reception she received from many of the folks who had met her on her first trip.  She's got a lot of energy and fits in well with our otherwise all-male crew.  I look forward to working with and learning from her.

 

The house is progressing well and ready for a growth spurt.  The window shutters are up and after only one day most of the final coat of plaster has been applied to the exterior.  I'll start tomorrow putting up the posts and beam for the galri and within a couple of days it should be done.  By that time the final plaster coat will be completed on the exterior and we'll be looking for things to do while we wait for the cob floor to dry before going back inside for the final interior plaster coat, the final earth floor layer and the bamboo dividing wall.

 

Will try and get some pictures posted if I can get access to a mac for a bit.

Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, life goes on

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on….

 

When I was in Pakistan I had trouble with my computer and after a couple of weeks it crashed and died.  I hauled the dead thing all over India and when I got back to the states I managed to get it functional again (after a huge amount of effort and stress).  And even though it was a new computer and still fully covered by the manufacturer's warranty , it still cost me $500 to get it working (long story).

 

With all that behind me I brought "Phoenix`" with me to Haiti and all was well until last Thurs. when someone entered the office that Martin and I use and took both of our computers, as well as Martin's blackberry.

 

So here I am, typing on another borrowed computer as I wonder what this computer karma is all about.  As an added challenge, every computer I have used when mine has been unavailable has been subject to the same glitch.  The cursor will spontaneously jump to some random location and begin inserting my text there.  This is not a rare event.  I'm lucky if I can type a single sentence without it happening at least once.

 

But enough of my whining.  I had backed up my data just 3 days prior to the theft so I did not loose much.

 

Which is not to say I did not loose anything of importance.  I did loose all of the photos and video of a wonderful day we had in Kenscoff on Sunday, 1-23.  But I'm getting ahead of myself….

 

A few days prior to the Kenscoff trip a couple of Martin's friends dropped by.  Tim Owen-Kennedy is a natural builder and designer from Ukiah, Ca. with decades of experience.  He also knows a lot about various aspects of permaculture and is otherwise a wealth of interesting information.  His traveling companion is Bruce King who wrote the book on straw bale building.  Literally, it's called, "The Design of Straw Bale Buildings."  He's also written, "Buildings of Earth and Straw", "Making Better Concrete" and "The International Standard for Earthen Buildings."  Between the 2 of them and Martin, I was soaking up a lot of good information during our discussions.

 

Martin had planned a day for them but before they headed I joined them for breakfast.  While talking about bamboo connections and other geeky stuff Martin made contact with Regine, a Haitian architect he knows.  She was headed up to see her friend Jane Wynne who has a place where she grows several varieties of bamboo.

 

So plans were changed and soon we were headed up the hill to Kenscoff.

 

The journey took the better part of an hour and as we climbed the hill the temperature dropped by 10 degrees.  I found myself more comfortable than I had ever been since arriving in Haiti 3 weeks prior.

 

When we arrived we were let in the gate by Frank, a Haitian who I learned later had lived in New York City for several years.  We met Jane, who is a wonderful, half-Haitian woman with an effusive sense of hospitality.  It wasn't long before we were on her front porch drinking tea with Coleen, a friend of hers who had brought Marika, her precocious 8 year old daughter with her.

 

The place where Jane lives was bought by her American father who had a vision that included growing several varieties of bamboo.  After tea Marika led us on a tour of the grounds, an acre or more of lush greenery with surprises around most every bend.  Tim was our bamboo expert and explained the difference between the outer, structural part of the bamboo and the inner part that insects love.  He pointed out that these varieties could grow up to a foot in a single day and that when the first shoot comes up you can put a wooden box around it and force the bamboo to grow in a rectangular shape.  Or any other, depending on the shape of the box one uses.

 

Square bamboo.  What a concept.

 

Later, back on the porch Martin was thinking about getting back to his plan for the day when lunch appeared.  Soon after that Frank started playing his flute (bamboo of course) and was joined on the congo drum by his good friend, Willy Lee.  As the music and singing began, Martin's plan became just another unrealized thought.

 

This was when I pulled out my camera and after a few stills, started shooting some video.  Marika, however, had other ideas and put her beautiful chocolate brown face directly in front of my camera and made faces.  It was precious and it's a shame I lost it all.

 

Frank and Willy Lee were joined by Coleen on the guitar with her beautiful voice.  Tim took a turn with the guitar as more neighbors dropped by to join in on the fun.  Pretty soon the porch was full of folks either playing, singing or dancing.  Marika finally grew tired of primping herself in front of my camera and I was able to get some great shots of the scene for the better part of an hour that have now been lost forever.  When the battery finally gave up the ghost I put the camera down and started dancing myself.  I had a great time doing so but this time I had to cut it short as my heart, for the first time since my ablation in May, started giving me some atrial fibrillation problems.  I sat down, concentrated on my breathing and hoped I would not get shocked by my defibrillator since it probably would have put quite a damper on the party.

 

My heart calmed down though and I was able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon without incident.  But the event has caused me to consider a re-do of the ablation, something I was warned about when I had the first one.

 

Just before leaving I asked Jane if I could use her bathroom.  Because she lives in a house that is 100 years old, and is in Haiti, everything does not work perfectly.  She said I would need to fill the toilet with water from the bathtub using the bucket she has there for that purpose.  When I did, the water spilled out of the tank and onto the floor (I guess I should have put it directly in the bowl).  I spent the next 15 minutes mopping up the mess.

 

But the incident gave me an idea.

 

When I re-emerged folks were just saying their good-byes.  I gave and received many hugs and I knew that I had finally found my tribe in Haiti.

 

Jane had mentioned that she was coming down to Port au Prince on Tues. and when she did I presented the idea that was hatched in her bathroom a couple of days prior.  I said that I was extending my stay in Haiti and that I would like to add a week at the end to come back to her place so I could fix her bathroom plumbing.  Jane thought this was a fabulous idea so I will now leave Haiti on March 2^nd.  This should allow enough time to finish the straw bale building and allow another week to help Jane out and hang with some great folks.

 

 

 

 

Road Trip to Jacmel

Road Trip to Jacmel

 

The trip to Jacmel started around 1pm on Sat., 15-Jan.  Aside from some R&R, we were going to erect a 40+' geodesic dome for a school.  We would make the 2 hour trip in the North Carolina school bus that was loaded with tools and donated to help GrassRoots United get off the ground.  All the seats have been removed so it is just a large mobile container that we filled with 20 people, their gear and lots of beer and other alcoholic wherewithal.

 

From the moment we left the compound, this was a party.  The mostly 20-something crew, unrestrained by anything, partied like they do in the beer commercials.  I'm reminded of a Doonesbury cartoon where he's describing such a scene where everyone is having more fun than YOU ever have.  I felt somewhat consoled by that cartoon knowing I wasn't the only one who felt I had missed the bus.  But this time I was on that bus and we found that promised land and lived that dream.  Someone had thought to bring a fairly high-powered battery operated radio that they used to play their i-pod.  The music was techno and/or gangster rap and was mostly unintelligible to me but the rest of the crowd knew all the words and sang and danced along heartily.

 

Add to this the response of the bus to the twists, turns, bumps and potholes in the road and you have a madcap scene that is impossible to describe, you had to be there.  At one point I was shooting a video of the scene in the bus when Sam hit the brakes.  I went ass-over-teakettle, landing on my head with my right arm outstretched, holding the camera up and away from harm's way.  I have uploaded this clip to my flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/52559215@N07/) for your viewing pleasure.

 

The 2 hour trip turned into something like 3 ½ hours, probably because we had to stop periodically to buy beer or to pee it out.  Along the way we partied like there was no tomorrow (there isn't) as we traveled over the mountains to Jacmel with views and vistas that were astonishing.  As the title of Paul Farmer's book, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" implies, the rugged, tropical and, at least on our journey, fog encrusted landscape was breathtaking and beyond description.

 

Eventually we made it to our destination, an eco-resort operated by some Haitian friends of GrassRoots United.  An acre or 2 that abuts a rocky coastline not unlike that found north of the S.F. bay area.  We had land available to pitch our tents and a pavilion to hang out in.  The Haitian help cooked our meals and otherwise took very good care of us.  Being about ¼ century older than anyone else, I opted out around 10:30 pm.  When I got up the next morning I learned that some of the youngsters had stayed up until 3:30 am.  I was glad I hadn't and that I felt great, though amazingly they did not look too much the worse for wear.

 

Sunday was to be a day off for us and some opted to go to a nearby beach where they could hang out, drink beers or whatever, eat lobster and swim in the bathtub temperature water.

 

That did not sound bad, even idyllic but reasonably predictable.  Instead, I opted to join the more hearty souls who would hike a couple of hours up a steep trail to basin bleu, a series of 3 pools that were described as otherworldly beautiful.  The fact that it would require some climbing along with the assistance of ropes only added to what would surely be an adventure.

 

Along the way we passed some "blanchs", the Haitian term for whites, along the road.  We thought they might need a ride so Sam turned the bus around and went back to see if we could offer them one.  In another of what I no longer consider unusual coincidences, Sam knew one of the guys who came up to his driver side window and gave him a hug.  Sam asked where they were going and, continuing the coincidence, his friend said, "basin bleu."  Sam said that's where we were going and to hop in.  I was standing in the entrance to the bus so I stepped out to let them in as I heard what I first thought was a scream of excitement from their group that they had managed to hook up so exquisitely.

 

Instead, the scream I heard was of the other type.  As I stepped around the front of the bus I saw a woman from their group on the street, convulsing.  In a nano-second the mood changed from one of elation to something on the other end of the scale.  I soon learned that she had been hit by a "moto", someone on a motorcycle.  She was twitching in what I thought might have been some sort of death throe.  A crowd of Haitians immediately gathered around her as her friends tried to comfort her.  One of them was clearly in shock herself, twitching uncontrollably.

 

As a one-time volunteer fireman, I tried to think of what I could offer.  She was clearly still breathing and her heart was still beating so aside from keeping her immobile, I could not think of anything I could do.  Along with some others from the bus who by now had disembarked, we joined hands and tried to keep the onlookers at bay.

 

I'm sure I was not the only one who was trying to figure out what to do next when, in another of those coincidences that have become quite common, a "doctors without boarders" jeep pulled up and a doctor, or at least an emt, got out with her medical equipment and took charge.  Knowing that keeping her immobile until an assessment of her condition had been done is one of the mainstays of emergency treatment, I was surprised that within a few minutes they had her up and walking to the back of the jeep.  I found out later that she was conscious, talking and probably did not have any broken bones.  I also found out later that she had walked into the street without looking and that the driver of the moto had sustained some road rash when he came off his bike in the collision.  It could have been much worse as apparently one of her friends had tried to pull her back, avoiding a full-scale collision.  Someone mentioned the idea of calling the police but fortunately that did not happen.  If the police had shown up they would have arrested the moto driver and, regardless as to his culpability, he would have spent many years in prison for running into a white person.

 

After a half hour or so, we got on our way again, but substantially subdued.  When we checked the time we decided that it was too late to continue to basin bleu and headed instead for the beach.

 

You know life is good when plan B is to spend several hours on a tropical beach drinking rum and coke, eating lobster and swimming in water warm as a bath.

 

But before we got there, we had one more indescribable event that had to be traversed.  For the first time in 2 years, carnival would be celebrated in Haiti.  This is a celebration that begins in January and concludes several weeks later on Mardi Gras or fat Tues.  Christians begin lent the next day (ash Wednesday) and for 40 days cannot eat meat.  So carnival represents the last chance to cut loose.

 

And the way the Haitians cut loose is to dress up, sometimes in drag, put on masks and take to the streets to sing, dance and otherwise carry on.  But the most striking aspect of the scene are the black men who cover their bodies with (are you ready?)… motor oil.  Glistening, they prance down the street, gesticulating wildly and shouting, their white teeth in stark contrast to their shinny jet black skin.  While it would seem to an outsider like me that copious amounts of alcohol would need to be involved, I'm told that a more accurate description would be to say that they are possessed in some voodoo-like way.

 

Our local guide was Aaron, a blanch who lives in the place where we were staying, has been in Haiti for about 6 months working on various projects including some art therapy, speaks pretty good Creole, has a Haitian girlfriend and knows at least something about the customs.  He calls a carnival event a, 'rah-rah" and we ran into one on the way to the beach.  There was no way around it so we pulled the bus up towards it on a side street and watched the scene.

 

Not knowing any better, I got out and with my camera in hand went towards the main street to record the madcap scene.  I was having a great time until one of the celebrants, completely covered in motor oil, noticed me and came my way.  He was smiling exuberantly and with his arms outstretched he advanced my way as I realized I was in danger of being slimed.  The last thing I wanted was to get hugged by this gooey mess so I backed off, managing to limit the contact to a single high five that took 20 minutes to clean up after I retreated to the bus.

 

Slowly the bus advanced to the main drag and we became the center of attention for many of the celebrants.  One guy was walking along side the bus yelling F*** this, F*** that and open the F***ing door.  Of course we didn't but all the windows were open and for a bit I was concerned that one might try and climb through one.  I glanced at Aaron and he didn't seem worried so I figured everything was cool.  Even so, some of the motor oil that everyone near us seemed to be covered in made its way through the windows and onto most of our clothes and us.  Then some of the Haitians climbed on the hood of the bus so that Sam could barely see where he was driving.  Another reached in the driver's window and began pulling on the air horn.  To say it was crazy seems so inadequate but that's about the best I can do.  When it was time for us to exit the scene, Aaron said something to the "boys on the hood" and they immediately jumped off to let our now partially blackened bus proceed on its merry way.

 

The rest of the day at the beach was pretty tame after all of that.  But it was also quite lovely.  The water was exquisite and the beer was cold.

First Report from Haiti

First Report from Haiti

 

Because I was pretty busy during the month I was home after going to Pakistan and India, I didn't really have time to form any expectations regarding what I would find in Haiti.  Good thing, because I never would have guessed that I would find myself in a place like this.

 

I was met at the Port Au Prince (pap) airport by Sarah, a volunteer with Grass Roots United (gru).  I'm unclear on all of the details, but gru is an organization that does various relief work including cholera prevention certification programs, providing supplies for orphanages and distributing medical supplies.  They also facilitate the work of other organizations by providing a base and some infrastructure from which to work.  For $15/day I get a place to pitch my tent and 3 meals a day, except Sunday.

 

Arriving at the gru base we were let in the metal gate by the Haitian security guard.  Inside the walled site are 3-4 acres containing a wide assortment of infrastructure.  There is one large masonry building, surrounded by a couple of dozen tents as well as several alternative structures.  These include an earth ship house (tires filled and covered with concrete), a geodesic dome made from plastic pipe and covered with fabric, an underground "bunker" being dug our by Aaron, affectionately known as cave man and the straw bale building that Martin Hammer, architect from Berkeley, Andy Mueller an expert straw bale builder from western Mass and I are working on.  There are several metal cargo containers, some of which serve as additional office space and one (my favorite) that is packed with tools and hardware.  Unlike in Pakistan, we do have power tools as well as the electricity to run them.  When the power goes down, as it often does, they have a generator we can use.

 

There are, on average, about 2 dozen people here, most range in age from early 20's to mid 30's.  They are an eclectic bunch, a cast of interesting characters.  Most have been to Haiti before, and many have done relief work in other countries as well.  They are all very friendly and at night we go to the "hole in the wall"  (literally a hole in the cinder block wall at the back of the property that allows access to a neighbor) where we can purchase beer, cokes, rum and fruit drinks.  Beer is probably the biggest seller and most nights many bottles will find their way onto the back porch table where we tend to congregate.

 

The effort to build the first straw bale structure in Haiti goes back to shortly after the Jan. 12^th earthquake when Martin began organizing for its creation.  He and Andy have each made several trips down here to find the materials and labor that would be necessary.  Tina Therrien joined them for 3 weeks in December to help with the interior plaster.  When I first laid eyes on it, the walls were up, the wood trusses were in place covered with metal roofing and the interior walls had already received their first coat of earth plaster.  If you would like to know more about how they got to this point, you can read Andy's blog at:

 

http://tikaypay.wordpress.com/

 

Or Tina Therrien's at:

 

http://haitistrawbale.wordpress.com/

 

Apparently THEY can post pictures on their blogs, something I have yet to figure out with mine.  I hope to get some of my pictures posted on my flickr account soon:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52559215@N07/

 

For the past week I've started working around 7:30, by which time it is already beginning to warm up.  It's not long before I've worked up a pretty good sweat, even if the work I'm doing is light.  For me, dealing with the heat is a bit of a problem, even though it is probably only in the 80's.  Aside from sweating, it tends to sap my strength and, if I'm not mindful, my attitude.  But when I feel the urge to whine or get frustrated, I just repeat my mantra that I learned in Pakistan (koi bat nahin, no problem) and so far that has worked.

 

Martin has joined us now and he spends most of his time doing design work and meeting with people and groups that might help to generate the next project.  So for the most part I've been working with Andy, which is a real pleasure.  Andy has been building straw bale homes for 10 years and probably knows as much about them as anyone, probably more.  It's a shame he will be leaving in a few days, as I'm sure I could learn a lot from him.  But I would not be surprised if we manage to hook up again some day, perhaps on another project in Haiti.

 

With the excellent help we get from our 2 hired Haitians (Jean Louis and Annio) we now have the exterior plaster up and I've started to do some work on the interior ceilings, part of which will be natural bamboo.  We'll have to wait weeks for the first coat of plaster to dry before we can apply the final coat.

 

Today is Jan. 12^th, the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that took the lives of perhaps 300,000 people.  Folks here are subdued and work around here has slowed to a trickle (which is why I'm finally able to get this first post off).  Many of us will be going into town to view the ceremonies there.

 

There may be some negative reaction to the continuing election drama here (as there has been recently), but if there is it appears that we will all be safe in our "gated community."  So please, don't anyone worry about me while I'm hear (are you listening mom?), regardless as to what sort of sensational news the us media may offer up for your consumption.

 

Finally, please consider making a donation to Builders Without Boarders, which is the umbrella organization which serves as the 501c for tax-deductible contributions.

 

http://www.builderswithoutborders.org/DONATE/INDEX.HTM

Many folks besides the ones I've mentioned have contributed countless hours and/or spent money out of their own pocket to get the project this far but we cannot finish this up without support from folks like you.  Please mention "Haiti Straw Bale Project" when you make your contribution so the funds will be directed our way.  I'd also like to thank the folks who have already done this, your help is greatly appreciated.

Back in the USA, on my way to Haiti

Back in the USA, on my way to Haiti

 

My brief stay in the us has been characterized by contrasts.  From the crowded, chaotic and "just barely getting by" scene in India to Christmas in America, the culture shock was severe.

 

Because I was visiting family during the holidays, I was subjected to the latest offering from the TV Gods.  Those purveyors of the most base and perverted material known to man have a new message for America.  Torture is ok.  On more than one program (sorry, I don't remember their names) a cop of one sort or another beats the hell out of his suspect to force a confession.  The preponderance of this technique, now treated in a "wink-wink, nod-nod" fashion, seems clearly designed to obtain america's acquiescence when it comes to the real thing.  After all, we have to protect ourselves from the terrorists, even if we have to abandon everything this country was supposed to stand for in the process.

 

And, of course, it works.  Private Bradley Manning who is rumored to have been the source for the wikileaks state department cables is held in solitary confinement, not even allowed to exercise, though he has not been charged with a crime.  Because I have such brief, intermittent and shallow exposure to what our media promulgates, I may be wrong here, but it does not seem as though there is the outpouring of disgust that such behavior would elicit in a conscious society.

 

On a less dramatic front, without really trying I managed to loose 15 pounds while touring India.  I suspect it was partly due to the lack of immediate gustatory gratification along with being very active and interested in what I was doing.  But back in the us, particularly during the holidays when everyone had extra goodies out, I found the temptation to needlessly indulge in caloric intake irresistible.  I suspect I've gained most of the weight back.

 

So now it is on to Haiti.  I was not planning on going there so soon after my Pakistan/India experience but the opportunity presented itself and I could not refuse.  I will be working on the first straw bale building in Haiti.  This has been a project of Builders without Boarders (http://www.builderswithoutborders.org/), headed up by Martin Hammer, a Berkeley architect.  The building's walls and roof are up and I will probably be doing some plaster work, along with other carpentry tasks.

 

This will be nothing like my experience in Pakistan.  There will be no crew there with 5 years of experience.  I will not be treated like a king with all my needs considered and supplied.  I will be expected to work much more as this is not meant to be just a training exercise.  Many of the details required to construct this straw bale building have not been addressed yet so there will be considerable flying by the seat of one's pants involved, I suspect.

 

And that is fine with me.  If anything, by experience in Pakistan was too much under control, too easy.  There was little I could add in terms of improvements to their process.  It will be interesting to have problems that need solutions.  I look forward to being challenged and am hopeful that I will be able to contribute in a meaningful way.

 

I am also going to Haiti prepared to do a water filtration project.  I've obtained a water test kit from Robert Metcalf of Cal State, Sacramento that can detect e. coli and other viruses in the water supply.  Humphrey Blackburn of Blue Future Filters (http://www.bluefuturefilters.com/) will help me determine if a slow sand filter would be appropriate and if so I hope to construct one.  They are amazingly simple, just a container filled with gravel and sand and flooded with water.  A biological layer forms at the sand/water interface (called the "Schmutzdecke") which is responsible for removing up to 99.99% of all bacteria, viruses, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and parasites through predation.  Along with a long retention time, this simple device will make water contaminated with cholera or typhoid safe.

 

Lots of challenges ahead, along with lots of opportunities.