Classes have begun. On Thursday, we had our first “advanced English” class for seven or eight of the best English-speaking students at OFCB. The class will be mostly conversational, as most of the students just need an opportunity to practice their English and get tips on pronunciation and learn more advanced vocabulary. I had been a little worried before the class because I wasn’t really sure if people would open up for conversation, but everything flowed smoothly.

Whereas the advanced English class went well, Aaron and I sort of bombed in our first beginner and intermediate classes on Friday. We started the beginner class with subject pronouns, because we figured that was a logical place to start. Not only did this prove too difficult a starting point, but most of what I said had to be translated from English into Creole, which made everything very difficult. We decided to use the same lesson plan for the intermediate class, but the opposite occurred. Everyone found it too easy, and they seemed kind of bored. But we promised the beginner class that we would slow it down, and promised the intermediate class that we would step it up. So, hopefully all will go well next week.

(this is not my class)
















About an hour ago, I got back from watching my first Haitian sunset. It had been raining all afternoon, but we waited for a break in the rain to begin trudging up the mountains in the mud. We walked up to a dam in the mountains that we had gone to with the Wisconsin engineers, but ended up walking a lot farther up to get a good view of the entire valley. The sunset was probably not very spectacular by Bayonnais standards, but it was still one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. On the way back down, walking in the dark, Aaron began telling me things he had been reading in a book about Haitian voodoo. About how voodoo groups typically travel at night. It was not comforting.

In other news, I DJ’d my first Haitian dance party. Vital had moved some speakers outside the guest house and asked me to play some music from my ipod. And there was a crowd, and there was dancing (at least for a short period of time). Highlights included “Jimmy” by M.I.A. and “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley.

Creole sentence of the day;
I am cutting down this tree with my machete - M'ap koupe pye bwa sa a ak machet mwen.