Days 186 – 188 (05/03 – 05)

Thursday – This morning we got the team off to La Tremblay to spend their week working on a new security wall around the new church. Then it was back upstairs to the office to continue sorting through emails. About 10:00, Sarah asked if I would go with here to shop for a motor bike. She has decided that when her contract is up the end of May she is going to rent an apartment and stay another month or so in Haiti to see some of the country she has missed. Then she’ll head to London to start her Master’s program. Since she will no longer have the benefit of a car and driver, she thought a motor bike would be the best way for her to get around. So, Spana and I accompanied her on her search. We stopped at at least 6 different places and checked out their bikes. We all agreed on the best one and went back to make the deal. She ended up with a brand new 110 cc motor bike with all the bells and whistles including 2 helmets, gloves and arm guards for $650.00 US. You would pay 2 to 3 times that amount for an equivalent motor bike in the States. When we got it back to the Guest House, Tom gave her an introductory lesson in the fine art of motorcycle riding. Tom, Spana and I each took a tour around the campus (Mario wouldn’t have any part of it) and then watched as Sarah started her practice runs. She did very well and you could see her confidence build with each circuit. I think in another day or two she’ll be ready to venture around the block.

We decided it was a good night to go to Hang’s, a local sports bar, and have hamburgers and watch some basketball on their big screen TV. By trial and error comparison, we have decided that Hang’s has the best hamburgers in Haiti. The good thing about Hang’s, besides the hamburgers, is that the dining area is a large covered patio – very nice on warm evenings. The bad thing about Hang’s is that the dining area is a large covered patio that leaks like a sieve when it rains – which it did with a vengeance for about an hour. We and the rest of the patrons dodged the rain with varying degrees of success by moving from one table to another – like musical chairs. However, we all ended up a little damp but not dispirited – all part of the Haiti adventure.

Friday – This morning, Roger Laplanche picked me up at 7:00 to drive to Petit Goave. We have 2 project sites in Petit Goave and he wanted me to check them out with him. Traffic was a bear and it took over an hour just to get to Carre Four where we picked Engineer Abicher, the site engineer for Petit Goave. Two hours later we finally made it to Brakeman College the K – 8 Methodist school in Petit Goave. COR (the Church of the Resurrection from Kansas City) has been sponsoring work at this school for several years and is currently rebuilding the 2^nd story on the Auditorium that collapsed in the earthquake. Roger and I had suggested some structural shoring on the 1^st floor and wanted to see that it was properly in place and also check on the work that the COR team had started on the 2^nd story. We also wanted to go over a few changes that Pastor Dorcely, the District Superintendent wanted to make. All of the work looked good and was progressing nicely. And we asked Eng. Abicher to give us a cost estimate for Pastor Dorcely’s desired changes. 

We went from Brakeman to the church in Petit Goave where we had just completed a library and bookstore. We have a team coming next week to start work on a security wall and wanted to make sure everything would be ready for them. On our way back to Port-au Prince we stopped at Mellier to check on the progress of the church construction. 2/3 of the upper mezzanine has been poured and is 7 days into its’ 28 day cure period before the forms can be stripped and the remainder formed and poured. The team coming next week will be able to start on the 2^nd story walls on 2 sides.

We dropped Eng. Abicher off in Carre Four and I was back at the Guest House at 2:30 - 5 ½ hour travel time for a 100 mile round trip - pretty typical for Haiti. After dinner Tom and I debriefed the COR team that had been working in Petit Goave. After a couple of more hours in the office, I staggered off to bed.

Saturday – The COR team left for the airport at 6:30 this morning. I then met with Eng. Roos, the site engineer for the Staff Housing Annex, to go over the weeks’ progress. The footings are poured and the stem walls have been started - everything looks good.

A couple of months ago I prepared a change order form and procedure that I shared with Roger with the hope that he might implement them – or something similar. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and we are still having confusion on the work sites with people making unauthorized changes. I mentioned it to Roger on our ride to Petit Goave yesterday and he agreed (again) that it was a good idea. So – it appears that I’m going to have to implement the changes myself. My task today is to pull up the forms from my computer; make sure they are properly translated into Creole and get them ready to present at the next Joint Leadership Team meeting. Training the Site Engineers, Site Bosses and District Superintendents will be the next step.

We had a young team arrive from Texas this afternoon and since Sarah is doing a site visit in Hinche with Lauren James from UMCOR, Tom and I got the orientation duty after dinner.