Hidden Meanings is a fun little book full of Haitian Proverbs. Some make you laugh. Some make you ponder. Some make you wince. 

I was reading through some of them a while back with the nannies. (They just like to hear me try to read Creole). They all enjoyed it when I read this one: 

Mwen pa’t manje pwa, m’ pa ka poupou pwa. 

Literally, it means- I didn’t eat beans, I can’t poop beans. The meaning of it-- I can’t give you what I don’t have. I can’t confess to what I don’t know. 

There’s truth in that! I think it’s a nice little proverb. Of course, the kids just like it because it says “poupou”. (yup, just like American kids). I would randomly quote this proverb, just because it gives the nannies and kids enjoyment. And it’s become somewhat my catchphrase. The kids will often come up to me and say it. Especially Jean Baptiste. It’s kinda our thing. It’s almost just our way of greeting each other. 

 

“Bonswa Jean Ba!”

“Megan! M’ pa’t manje pwa, m’ pa ka poupou pwa!” 

And that’s how we roll. 

just some tid bits

• We have a team from Canada here right now. they do say "out and about" just like you would expect them to.  i like to hear them say it. it's fun. 
• i've caught myself speaking in an accent sometimes. not a haitian one. too many teams from too many different places i think. and i've caught myself saying "you know" like those ppl from Minnesota... 
• i can't be exactly sure how many kids they have at Wings of Hope right now, but our tour guide told us it was in-between 38 & 39. 
• you're suppose to pay your bills, right?? so why do they make it so darn difficult?? i tried to pay my Verizon bill online. really, i did. but, i couldn't remember my log-in or my password. (which i KNEW that would happen, so i wrote the info down on sticky note. problem is-- i lost the sticky note). if you forgot your log-in or password info, they can text you a new one. problem is-- my phone cannot send or receive text messages. still haven't paid that bill....
• in the car today, we looked to one side of the road and saw a bunch of goats. alive. looked on the other side of the ride and saw a bunch of goats. skinned and beheaded. guess someone was having goat for dinner.