Picture Day

Yesterday was Picture Day.

After lunch we split into four groups with once "good" camera each. Madame Pastor and I went with Mark and Milo to take family portraits throughout the community.

We went door-to-door asking families if they wanted any portraits taken for a small fee to the church. Mark is actually into photographer and has a professional camera, so his photos were very high-quality. Most people changed into their best outfits for the photos and they got such a kick out of seeing themselves on camera.

Since I'm not a photographer, my job was to stand behind Mark when he photographed babies and to try to get them to look at the camera. It was all clapping, waving, cooing, clicking, and snapping my fingers. Sometimes parents stood next to me and helped, and sometimes they handed me snacks or toys to wave while cooing, "Bebe, bebe!"

Adding to the struggle of getting a baby to sit still in a chair or on a block and look at the camera, was the fact that most of them were terrified of Mark. These babies have never seen white people, so a bearded white man with a camera trying to get them to smile had them screaming in horror.

I, on the other hand, as a white female, am very popular. Between my pasty white skin and towering (by Haitian standards) figure, I guess I'm like the freak show come to town. Mothers were constantly thrusting their babies on me for a photo op and the men wanted me to pose with them (usually on an incline to accentuate the height difference) or with their motorcycles. It was an endless stream of "Blan! Blan! Blan!" with Madame Pastor chuckling and pointing at me asking, "Isit la blan?" As if they wanted Mark, the White Devil.

So popular.
Photo by Mark Z.

I got quite a shock at one of the last houses when two men about my age pulled up in a pick-up truck. They looked Haitian, so I almost fell over when one asked me in perfect English, "So where are you from?"

It turns out the pair are brothers, born in a town just south of here, now living in Boston. They're in Haiti visiting family this month. They asked me why I'm in Plain Matin and what I've been doing here, then warned me not to go back to Port-au-Prince because it's a "garbage town." Too bad that's our airport out!

After photos, I played more Frisbee while the photographers printed photos before church. We had regular worship last night and formal church this morning after another spamghetti breakfast. It was a typical (for Plain Matin) high-energy service, except longer. Also, everyone wore their good church clothes (women in dresses, men in long pants) for this, including our team.

Following the service, we got into our four photo groups from yesterday - one in each corner of the church - to distribute the photos. That was organized chaos.

Milo disappeared right at the beginning and didn't return, and Madame Pastor did more socializing than interpreting, so Mark and I were left high and dry with no one to translate for the mob encircling us and grabbing for photos. There was also confusion because Mark took multiple pictures of everyone, but we only had enough photo paper to print one per person. Therefore, people came expecting a handful of photos, but only received one. However, Jeff and Claudette managed to smooth things over and I think everyone left semi-happy.

Following that order, we all needed naps and granola bars, so that's what we did. When everyone was back to normal, we piled into the bed of Jules' pick-up for a ten-minute drive to the Riviere Glace (Ice River). We all stood for the drive, holding onto the railing around the bed.

Heading home from the river.
Photo by Sandy M.

It's cool today and drizzly, so I opted out of the swim and instead sat on the beach. Jay, Mark, Sandy, and Claudette also sat out, so I had company. On top of the weather, Olivia warned us that when she was in Plain Matin two years ago, several people got dysentery after swimming in that river. No, thank you. Better safe than sorry.

We were in such beautiful surroundings that there was plenty to see, including a little boy walking a goat on a rope leash and farmers picking crops high on the side of the mountains.

On the Ice River.
Photo by Haiti H2O.

Now we're back at the church. Next on the schedule is dinner, then worship again. I also have to practice my Bible verse in Kreyol.

For our day of rest, the plan was to keep the children out and the doors locked so we could pass a quiet afternoon without being slapped and pulled and poked, but there are still about fifteen kids in here now who managed to sneak through somewhere.

Oh well. We tried.