chicken pox and ti krapo (little frog)

The current challenge here is that several of the children in our program have, or recently have had chicken pox, and it seems likely more will get it.  At least in my mind chicken pox seems like a normal childhood illness that children typically recover from without problem, unlike other illness children in Haiti often get.  Once the children are diagnosed with it they are staying in one container at St. Louie to avoid contact with others.  The children do seem to handle these things fairly well.

On a lighter note, the other morning when I was almost awake, trying to recall my dreams before opening my eyes and beginning the day, I suddenly felt something land on me.  I yelped and jumped up immediately at which point I noticed a frog sitting on the floor next to my bed, which is where he landed when I sprang to my feet.  At seeing this little creature I laughed out loud.  I think it is some kind of a tree frog; they are pretty common around here.  These frogs amaze me with their ability to climb walls and to jump great distances for such little animals.  Sometimes you see them sitting very still for a long time waiting for a bug to go by.  This frog however was not very still; I think that is why I liked him and was quickly able to forgive him for getting me out of bed a couple minutes earlier than usual.  Since the internal walls in our home do not go all the way up the ceiling this frog was able to scale the wall a few times while I was getting ready for work, eating breakfast and praying.  When I was ready to leave for the day, the frog was by the door.  I opened it and gently guided the frog out.  While I don't mind an occasional little frog or small lizard in the house since they eat bugs, I prefer them not be on my bed most especially while I am in it! I was glad the frog left since the woman I share a house with was staying home because she was ill  that day and I was not sure if she would appreciate a frog landing on her resting body.

In national news the new president was inaugurated yesterday. I received an email from the professor of Creole I had in Miami last summer with a link to an article/letter he wrote encouraging the president to use Creole, the language of the people rather than French which many Haitians not fortunate enough to have been well educated can not really understand.   It is of course written in Creole, I decided to include the link if anyone is interested:
 http://www.alterpresse.org/spip?page=kr     

Have a good week.  Watch out for jumping frogs!
Take care.  

Here is the frog as it is climbing the wall of the bedroom.  A view of the face would have been more flattering perhaps, but this frog was just not sitting still!