14840: Burnham replies to Grey Re: 14801: di dola and salade la vi che (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: thor burnham <thorald_mb@hotmail.com>

Ti Kinalaganash in Port-au-Prince:

Grey states:

"Reports I've heard from Port-au-Prince say that you can't dare say, "My God
things are expensive" in public, you don't dare utter the words "lavi cher".
  If you do, you get a beating. From whom?  I don't know, and I am not sure
if this is true or not, but enough people say so."

Kathy, your reports are correct. Indeed, i've been warned on six different
occassions and by people from every socio-economic class to be very, very
careful as to what i say. "La vi che" is, i'm told, code for "this really
bites"...(my translation of course)...
i've had examples cited from Laville, Rue fre and Carrefour as to the
consequences of said statement....people are said to be beaten in and around
the stomach area....the message being obvious....

however, i've heard nothing from the official media....but then, if the
official media reported all the crime the....oh, never mind, what's the
point? We all know the UFO's are picking up the bodies...although the were
slow on Friday. my friend saw one in the iron market early friday morning,
hands tied behind his back...he'd been executed....I wonder if that was
reported as a crime?.....but then, there is no crime in Haiti, to speak of,
is there?...not like those other places in the Caribbean....but then, who's
compiling crime statistics? and who's reporting it?

I mean, based on the piece to the Catholic Virginian, it's utopian, isn't
it? there's no crime in Haiti, and it's this peaceful, magical and
mysterious place of love and harmony....
But i have all these people telling me that when you call the police you are
more than likely to be told they don't have a vehicle, or they don't have
gasoline. but, why on earth would they have to call the police?
if the police don't come, does that get reported as a crime? i wonder? I
mean, the NCHR can't be all places at all times...

but, I guess that's why the human rights organizations are doing so
well.....a la koze, Du Tuyau, you're right!! give me a call, we'll do lunch.
But i'm telling you right now, i'm not having the salad...maybe the
meatloaf, but definitely not the salad....

best,
Thor

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