I spent this weekend with Tzu Chi again! What a blessing that I get to spend my weekends at OECC and working with the Tzu Chi volunteers from the U.S. and Haiti. It is always a good break from the orphanage life to get out and see some new sights. I left on Friday with Donald and Lesley coming to pick me up. We jetted off toward OECC a little bit slower this time, because since last time we had a problem with the tap-tap's breaks. We were a lot cautious this time. We blasted the music in the tap-tap and had a three-way sing-a-long for two hours in the Haiti night traffic. I couldn't ask for anything better to de-stress at that moment! Awesome!
On Saturday, Kathy SG, Lesly, and I went to visit BRABATT II (Brazilian Battalion II) again. Every Saturday there is a giant flea market there for mainly all the peacekeepers in Haiti and also the UN people. I was hoping that Major Roland was still going to be there, since he told me that he was going to finish up his deployment here in Haiti sometime in April. We were lucky, he was still there. He is scheduled to leave back to Brazil next week. We were also super lucky, because his replacement was also there. He had only flown in for a couple of days to Haiti. What a huge surprise! So we all met each other. The new leader is called Ltn. Col. Ferras and he was so nice. They are all nice. This will be the 5th rotation that Tzu Chi has been through with the Brazilian Peacekeepers since the January 12th, 2010 earthquake. Oh, how time just passes by so quickly! It all started out with Ltn. Beraud (now the newly Captain Beraud, congrats!) back in February 2010. I feel so fortunate that I have been there all along, ever since the beginning, in establishing and keeping this relationship going! BRABATT II and Tzu Chi! What an amazing partnership!
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| Major Roland is super awesome! He promised to get me a Brazilian Flag and he delivered!!!!! |
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Kathy SG and I got him some going away presents, as well. We were trying to explain to him all the different meanings on the card and Master's teachings!
I love this picture by the way! This is so us! |
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| Us with the new Ltn. Col. Ferras and Major Roland. |
There are so many perks when I stay at OECC. The people are so nice and friendly and more so, so many Taiwanese faces. One in particular is an engineer that came for the St. Anne School building project. He will be staying here for a year to oversee the building project. He is a total tea fanatic. He showed us how to prepare and drink tea the proper way. He had so many different types of teas. It was awesome. We all had regular "Tea Times" everyday at OECC.
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| Look at all that preparation and pots!!! Professional. |
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The tea was really good. It was refreshing to not have an Haitian come up to me and say "Lori are you okay? Are you feeling sick?", because Haitians only drink tea for medicinal purposes.
He said that he was carrying an old-school iPhone! hahahahaha...I literally fell over laughing. It was sooooooooo huge! On a closer look, it was actually a small portable Dell computer! It was still funny though!
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On Sunday, we went and visited the Tzu Chi Great Love Moringa Farm. Georges was there and it was so great to see him there working hard.
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| It's always a very refreshing site to see green all over! Isn't it a great sight? |
It was a wonderful weekend with Tzu Chi!
As always, thank you so much!
On Saturday, Kathy SG, Lesly, and I went to visit BRABATT II (Brazilian Battalion II) again. Every Saturday there is a giant flea market there for mainly all the peacekeepers in Haiti and also the UN people. I was hoping that Major Roland was still going to be there, since he told me that he was going to finish up his deployment here in Haiti sometime in April. We were lucky, he was still there. He is scheduled to leave back to Brazil next week. We were also super lucky, because his replacement was also there. He had only flown in for a couple of days to Haiti. What a huge surprise! So we all met each other. The new leader is called Ltn. Col. Ferras and he was so nice. They are all nice. This will be the 5th rotation that Tzu Chi has been through with the Brazilian Peacekeepers since the January 12th, 2010 earthquake. Oh, how time just passes by so quickly! It all started out with Ltn. Beraud (now the newly Captain Beraud, congrats!) back in February 2010. I feel so fortunate that I have been there all along, ever since the beginning, in establishing and keeping this relationship going! BRABATT II and Tzu Chi! What an amazing partnership!
It was a great weekend with so many pleasant people and cheerful events around. Good for you!
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