On Tuesday, I arrived at the room where orientation for the Haitian Creole Summer Institute was to take place in a particular building on the campus of Florida International University. A woman sat down next to me and we began to chat. After initial introductions, I told her I would be going to Haiti to work as soon as the program ends. She asked where in Haiti, I responded, "Port a Prince." She asked, "where in Port a Prince?" I said, "At a hospitality house." She said, "Matthew 25? Sister Mary told me you would be here, but she didn't tell me your name." Anne a woman in my class volunteers a couple of times a year to go to Haiti; she is involved with the parish twinning program and has often stayed at Matthew 25, and therefore knows Mary, the sister I will be staying with. Anne is a recently retired nurse and midwife, who was in religious life at some point in her life. She worked for years in Tanzania. It seems people everywhere know Mary (when I was on vacation in New Orleans earlier this month, I learned that Fr. Tony the pastor of the parish where I attended liturgy when I volunteered in NOLA also knows Mary!)
The group of students who are here to study Creole is quite diverse. Some students are academics for whom learning Creole will help them with thesis or dissertations. Some are interested in the arts, others in linguistics. Other students have connections to Haiti, like a young woman who was born there but adopted at a young age and raised in Canada. A couple of students are studying law and hope to reach out the Haitian community in Miami. Others of course are interested in doing humanitarian work of one kind or another in Haiti. I am the only social worker. The ages, backgrounds and experiences of the students is quite varied. It is a great group of people; I find that I really like my classmates.
We are in class from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm, and again from 2:00pm until 4:00, Monday through Friday. We have homework to do every night at well. There is a professor who teachers in the morning, and an assistant professor who teaches in the afternoon. Both are native speakers of Creole. The classes are for the most part enjoyable and interesting. The teacher in the afternoon uses almost no English at all when he teaches. I understand that this will help us learn, but sometimes it is frustrating too; I don't remember the last time (if ever)I consciously thought about whether or not I was using a definite article in English, and yet I am supposed to understand an explanation of where to place a definite article in a Creole sentence, when the entire explanation is given in Creole! I am so glad that I took that free Haiti Hub on-line class; otherwise I would probably be really lost. By the end of the afternoon class, I find that I am mentally exhausted and physically restless. Not to worry though, there is the perfect treatment for such a state, and it is very near the dorm where I am staying, a swimming pool!
I hope that you are doing well. If you have any questions or comments or updates to share with me, feel free to post a comment on this blog, or email me if you have my email address and would prefer. I did get behind on responding to emails, but am using this weekend hopefully to catch up. Take care. Many Blessings!
-Kathleen
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