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[Deutsch unten<\/a>]<\/p>\n 14 November, 11:30am<\/em><\/p>\n This week turned out to be very productive as the rotation went into high gear to make up for the time lost during the hurricane.<\/p>\n Ethan and his guitar turned out to be huge hits at Mother Theresa\u2019s, both with children and adults, and there was lots of music around the GVN house as well. My afternoon English classes were a bit of a mixed experience this week, because on Tuesday, instead of being alert and willing to learn, some of them young men preferred to flirt with me – marriage proposals included! But luckily on Thursday afternoon a couple of older men were there, which seems to rein in the more inappropriate comments.<\/p>\n Sierra and David went on a carpentry tear, making several benches for the school next door as well as six little tables. Those we sanded and then painted, developing quite a creative energy in the process: The tables ended up decorated with cute cartoon pictures, traced from drawing books, and we were all rather proud of how they turned out.<\/p>\n The other highlight of the week was the handing out of the clothing donations we\u2019d packed and prepared the previous week for the kids at Center Orphanage of the Faith, the neighbouring camps and Claude\u2019s foundation. We had not quite enough clothes and shoes for teenagers (so if people from upcoming rotations are reading this, that would be a very practical donation), but it was lovely to see them get and enjoy the brand new things.<\/p>\n Our nurse, Carol, did a couple of clinics, and she also organised the donations in the little room we call the pharmacy in order to be donated – so Taptim, if you read this, the dental stuff you and your colleagues collected is now in use at a hospital and two clinics! (Talking hospital, apparently there were a few cholera deaths here in Jacmel, but those were contracted up north – luckily the illness itself has not reached us yet.)<\/p>\n Saturday most of the new people (who didn\u2019t feel new at all anymore – you get close to people really quick here) went to the waterfall of Bassin Bleu where I\u2019d been on my first weekend, but I accompanied Amber and Frank\u2019s mother (visiting for a few days) to the cow and goat market. This was a fun experience, throngs of people and animals, and we\u2019re right in the middle.<\/p>\n In the evening we all enjoyed our last evening in this particular group, because this morning the four two-weekers left us, with lots of hugs and farewell wishes. With them went Frank and Sierra, to join the volunteer organisation Grassroots for a week of work in Port au Prince. After that, the house almost empty because a number of the remaining volunteers went to church, we cleaned and got our sleeping spots sorted in preparation for the new rotation arriving tonight.<\/p>\n It\u2019s always strange to say goodbye to dear new friends, having barely known them, and then wait to see what “flavour” the new rotation will have. I\u2019m less anxious this time, though, because while we are all very different people, those differences are embraced and celebrated here. My own anxiety about staying for two months has also dissipated, and I\u2019m very much looking forward to another four weeks here in Jacmel!<\/p>\n