Adapting in Haiti...The Last 3 Weeks.

Yes, there is more to Haiti than Bingo Night (Really?!?! SAY IT ISN’T SO!!!) And I know I haven’t blogged for a while…my son, mom and brother arrived last week so we’ve been kind of busy. But their arrival has conjured up more thoughts and new perspectives on life in Haiti. Since I have been here, I have done a lot of…let’s say…socializing. That’s what people in Haiti do…socialize…a lot! But my intention in this activity is to gather up as many names and contacts as possible and to get the buzz on what’s going on here. I think I’ve been pretty damn successful! I always try and make it a point to observe, analyze, break down into a million bits and reconstruct every possible business scenario I come across and see if there is another way…another road. That map now looks like New York City’s subway lines. There is soooooo much to do here!

But I’ll just give a little taste of what I have experienced thus far:

I attended a dance "spectacular"…invited by my cousin to see her teenage daughter perform. The storyline was based on a children's book but adapted to coincide with the story of a girl returning to Haiti after living in the States (oh, great...a story about me!)...the diaspora. The different acts provided us with classical ballet, jazz, modern dance, hip-hop and lots of kids, and some mature dancers. THAT was an experience in itself. But typically, when we go to the ballet or the opera in the States, it’s usually a formal affair where you’re dressed to the nines and on your absolute best behavior. In Haiti, you’re dressed to the nines but…you fill in the blank for the rest. It’s kind of like a school assembly filled with wily first graders who can’t keep still and not talk. Or a bunch of high school teenagers in class during an important History lesson gossiping about the cheerleader and the quarterback. I had to concentrate to keep myself focused on the ballet and not the people around me trying to get “the scoop”. And the company who did the sound and lights…well they get an A for Effort. But again, I’m from L.A.; Movieland, birthplace of musicians and concerts, plays, theaters, etc. My standards are probably unusually high. But I’m pretty sure there is a way to make sure the lights don’t blow out ALL the power halfway through the show. I’m just sayin’. (Business opportunity!)

I tried sushi in Haiti…it was…interesting. But, hey, I’m a sushi snob from California where we have a sushi restaurant on virtually every corner so I have a slightly uber-biased opinion on what sushi should be. Although, I must say I had more of an issue with the service (or lack thereof) at the restaurant. Had the service been stellar the sushi probably would have miraculously tasted better. If Dad hadn’t been the one demanding the service, we probably would still be sitting there, two weeks later, waiting for our drinks. It boggles my mind that the service at some restaurants isn’t a least GOOD if not spectacular. Don’t they realize that you get more sugar with honey? They would get bigger tips if they put just a teensy tiny bit of effort into their jobs. Oh, and at this place, if you paid the bill in Gourdes vs. US dollars (which we did because, Hi, we’re in Haiti) they charged you an extra 12%! WTF is that all about?!?! HELLOOOOOO!!! Hospitality training? Business opportunity!

Which brings me to another observation about dining out…the majority of restaurants here only serve Haitian food! Apparently, the local consensus is that the restaurants are for people who want to dine outside their own homes, a change of scenery if you will. But the majority of the places still serve local food. How about trying a little variety (with excellent service)? WOW what a concept! Now, I don’t mind eating Haitian food every meal of every day because I get so little of it in California but Haiti definitely could use a little more variety…the new places always bring a big crowd and if it’s done right it could put your place on the map for a long time! There is a Chinese place called Chez Woo that I’m half curious, half scared to try, but I’m sure someone will double-dog dare me and you will find me one afternoon chowing down on chicken chow mein and dumplings. There is one “authentically” Thai restaurant. And when I mean “authentic” I mean it’s owned and operated by an actual Thai person…not a Haitian who worked in a Thai kitchen in Miami. Haven’t made it there yet either, but a friend found it and tried it out…that’s all I’ll say about that. An Indian restaurant? I don’t know of one. A Mexican restaurant? I haven’t seen one yet either. Mmmmmm …mole, chile verde, tamales… Anywho, I think there is definitely an avenue to explore. Business opportunity!

I’ve gone to a couple different beaches finally, after my dad made me wait until my son arrived. Dominic fell in love with them and now knows why Mom doesn’t go into the water at the beaches in California unless she’s deep sea fishing way out in the middle of the ocean. The water here is crystal clear and warm. You can actually see your feet in the water and the fishies swimming all around. Dominic got in the water and never came out…same as me. I’m like a lizard who found its spot on a rock in the warm sun. It’s heaven. Needless to say, Dominic said he will only live in Haiti if we have a house on the beach and live there 24/7. I’ll have to start working on that! Maybe I can develop my own mini community with a top rated school, a market, a park, and a theater. Hmmmmm…business opportunity!
Anyway, the beaches are great because they are like private resorts. You don’t have throngs of people packing the place to the point there aren’t any spots of sand available…unlike Huntington Beach or Santa Monica Beach during a summer holiday. The beaches here are small and have tables under palapas and lounge chairs and you have someone serving you drinks and food, fresh crab and lobster pulled directly out of the ocean…can’t get any fresher than that! There is always a local fisherman waiting for your command to go fetch you fresh oysters and will crack them open and prepare them with lemon juice right in front of you…$2 American for a dozen. And local artisans & marchands will cruise by selling their goods: jewelry made from shells and local stone, stone and wooden sculptures, hand-carved boxes. So far, I’ve lugged home a necklace/bracelet/earring set, two more pairs of shell earrings and a giant conch shell. My brother picked up some paintings and tons of jewelry for his fiancée.
The best gig is to know someone who has a beach house, with toys and stuff. I’m hoping to make an overnight trip to the beach this weekend with Dominic and some friends. I’ll keep you posted on how that turns out!

Last weekend, the whole family went to the mountains for the weekend. Dad made reservations at this popular place called The Lodge, high up in the mountains of Furcy. It was built by an American who fell in love with Haiti. We timed our trip so we would stop in Kenscoff along the way and have lunch at Le Florville, a local hot spot. As we made our way up the mountain, just before reaching Kenscoff, we saw the sign for Le Montcel, another hotel that we have heard about but never actually made it to. It’s known for its eco-friendly facilities and top-notch service. The sign for it has always been there, but for some reason, it jumped up and bit us on the ass this time. So, we made a game time decision to drive there and have lunch instead. We quickly learned that it’s always good to stick to the original plan (But I like being spontaneous!). The road up there, if you can call it a road, made the road to Saut D’eau look like Cali’s famed Pacific Coast Highway. At one point, you feel like you’re not even in Haiti anymore until you round the next hill and find yourself staring directly at Port-au-Prince, the bay and the airport way down below. An hour later, we reached Le Montcel. It looked deserted but there was a man at the gate who charged us our fair ($6 U.S. each person) and directed us towards Le Chateau, the main building. The setting was beautiful with tennis courts, soccer fields, gazebos and arbors, gardens of wild flowers, and farm animals grazing against pine forests. But once we reached Le Chateau, we realized there was a huge catch: the Hotel is now only open on weekends, Saturday and Sunday, and the crew was just barely arriving…which means there was no food. Shiiiiit. Then, a couple of French men, living in the DR and vacationing in Haiti, arrived. They were charged $30 U.S. each (how the hell did that happen??!) only to find out, there is no food. So we asked for a drink instead (rhum and coke for me!) since we were starving…poor Dominic was about to die and when that kid gets hungry, look out! So now, NO ONE was in a good me (except for me and my rhum and coke) and we decided to ditch that place and drive the hour back to the main road and eat at Le Florville like we were supposed to.
Finally, at 5pm, we were eating at Le Florville. This was my first time being there in about 13 years. This used to be one of my hangouts when I was a teen and is still going strong. I’ve seen Sweet Mickey perform here and he still has his shows here on Sunday nights…playing all his classic stuff. Aaaaahhhh…good times!
After dinner, we continued up the mountain to Furcy until we reach The Lodge. It’s absolutely beautiful: A cluster of log cabins with green roofs and lots of windows with views. Dominic, my brother and I, shared a room that had two twins and a queen sized beds in it. Clean and comfortable! Mom and Dad took a 2 room suite just off the main dining courtyard. Unfortunately, we were soooo exhausted from the day’s adventures that we all fell asleep around 7:30! The night air was so cool and fresh, quiet and peaceful, seriously, I slept for 13 hours! I haven’t done that since I was 17! The next morning we enjoyed a breakfast buffet out in the courtyard and then worked it off by taking a hike down to a local cascade (waterfall), guided by the cutest local boy, named Aris, who was 10 years old but the size of a 5 year old. He was so tiny, I wanted to put him in my pocket and bring him home to Cali and turn him into the next champion thoroughbred horse jockey. But Aris was an excellent guide who taught us about the local plant life and picked wild raspberries for us to munch on. Upon our return to The Lodge, we had a drink (rhum punch for me this time), took a nap and then had lunch before heading home. I would like to make another trip there before I return to Cali.

So all in all, this place is crazy…but you just have to laugh and love it and take Haiti for who she is. So many things make NO SENSE but if you go into it knowing that, it makes it much easier to stomach. Just go with the flow and you’ll be fine. Know what to expect and you won’t have any problems. Haiti isn’t for everyone, but EVERYONE should taste it. And for those entrepreneurs out there who are curious about Haiti, or thinking about investing here, I would highly recommend jumping on it because Haiti is ready and waiting for you. I think now is the time.