18445: Kathleen: From Papay

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: kathleen burke <kathleenburke704@hotmail.com>

It's the middle of the dry season, they're cutting down trees.... mahogany,
meme.  I always hate to hear the axes and saws, but the brothers oversee
most of the carnage, and good wood is used for furniture and artworks.  But
I'm sure some independent contractors sneak in.  Know it actually, in past
years.

I've listened to the news this a.m. and read the posts on
www.haiti-info.com.  Those items not covered for your information include:
Metropole reports that all telephone service has been shut down to and from
Gonaives and the rest of the world and that this is not a technical problem,
but a political move.

There was a peaceful demonstration Monday in Hinche, as many as 15,000, and
Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, executive director of Mouvement Peizan Papay (MPP)
went on Radyo Vwa Payzan to praise and thank the local police for keeping
the peace.

There is a vigorous debate on the accuracy of some numbers cited by
journalists of people killed; one group says one, another 14 police.  Taking
the news with a grain of salt is encouraged in view of the Jan 1 reports on
Mbeki:  some had him leave right after the palace ceremony for South Africa,
others were vague, one intrepid Jayson wannabe had him "shaking in his
shoes"on the stage in Gonaives.  The South African reporters especially did
not seem to know the difference between the ceremony at the Place
dÍndependence and Pumpkin Soup, though they were not the only ones.
There was a lot of saber-rattling combined with an assurance of
non-intervention on the part of Canadian and U.S. spokepersons.

On the news source cited, some items stood out to me:  I found it
interesting that Caricom had demanded a more acceptable Prime Minister
(wasn't Yvon Neptune head of a radio station in the Boston area mid- 90s?,
and that one journal (ist) saw troubles for Aristide troubles also for Bush.

It was amazing to hear Donald Rumsfeld talking about Haiti (no
intervention!) I'm glad most of my friends do not watch tv (at least not as
much as I do, in the States).

The atmosphere here in Papay is a little more guarded than usual, to my
eyes.  I could be projecting my unease at finding the road (the one road)
between Papay and the airport unblocked for my departure. I expect to leave
on Saturday, two days in advance.  Maybe Friday?  If not, I'll update again.
It's noticably (sp?) warmer here now; Miranda reported mosquito bites.  A
breeze springs up invariably at 4pm; at night I have gentle breezes and
moody candlelight.  It's like camping out, only in a cement tent with
Haitian oils and New England watercolors and color photos of world music
musicians adorning the walls.  I'll miss these days and nights and most of
all the people.

This morning, the cat yowled at my bedroom door around 6:15.  She is in for
a hard lesson on humans - those creatures that coax and cajole you to be
friendly, pet you and give you milk and even goat (after you chase the dog)
and then - poof!!!  They're gone, and left you pregnant.
Humans are like that, some of them at least, but you do have the guardians
that brought you up.

That's all for now.  Kathleen Burke

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