Laughing Cow

Today, Annette shared her cheese with me – and it felt like our relationship had just taken a giant stride forward.

Annette is a Doctor in one of the AMURT clinics. She lives in a house with a number of the AMURT medical staff. Eric and I have a meal plan to eat all of our meals with them. So, every day we leave AMURT at 8am and 2pm and walk to the other end of the village for our meals. Most Haitians eat two meals a day – and now, we do too.

When we first discussed our joining the meal plan with the medical staff, they were concerned that we would be high-maintenance. That, because we were from the US, we would be expecting them to make us special food for us every day. We reassured that no, no – we wanted to eat whatever they did. They agreed to have us join them, with a bit of evident apprehension.

But, over time, I think they’re starting to believe us that we’re truly quite happy with the food. It is simple – but good. Breakfasts rotate between boiled bananas and onions, corn meal with beans, and spaghetti (!!!). Yes – spaghetti for breakfast! Lunch is rice and beans, rice and peas/lentils, or corn meal with beans – all with meat and sauce on the side. The portions are huge, so we usually take some of our lunch home with us to eat mid-evening. It works out great.

Sometimes the medical staff eat at the same time as us. Annette is one of our most frequent meal companions. She’s been consistently polite, but seemingly slow to warm up. As we learn more and more Creole, we attempt to make conversation. But, I’m concerned that our broken Creole sometimes becomes tiresome to her. A week-or-so in, she told us that she speaks some English – and, since, has been helping us to learn a little Creole every day. We started talking about the basics – family, food, Haiti, the US. She wonders what we eat on Spaghetti in New York City. And whether we like it here. She tells us about her family. Her husband is a police officer in Port au Prince (6 to 7 hours of travel) and her two kids live with her family a few hours past that.

Annette had started warming up.

She began showing us pictures. And talking with us about things she likes that she thinks we may also know – Elton John, the Backstreet Boys, Jean Claude Van Damme, Steven Segall, and Denzel Washinton. And admitting that she worries that Eric and I are talking about them if we ever speak in English. I was able to share that the concern goes both ways. And, we reassured one another that was never the case. Jamais.

Today – she offered me cheese. Fromage. I wasn’t sure whether I understood what she was saying, and then she went to her room and brought back little packages of “Laughing Cow” cheese – with Creole on the label.

I very happily accepted – both the cheese and Annette’s kindness. Plus, in Source Chaudes, cheese is delicious on breakfast spaghetti.