Pumpkin seeds are a baking....

All right so even though the sun is still shining like it's SoCal up in the North the fall is still here in spirit. This was the first year in a long time I carved a pumpkin but more exciting was cooking the seeds. Now since I never do anything by the book I only looked up the cooking temperature and went to town on flavoring the delicious seeds up. My bombtastic recipe is as follows:

Ingredients: pumpkin seeds, garlic salt, crushed red pepper, Trade Joe's everyday spice, black pepper and olive oil spay or non-spray...yep it's that simple. 

1.Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees
2. Spay cooking sheet down with olive oil or coat your seeds some other way.
3. Place cleaned seeds on tray and coat them with spices to your liking. I did the whole tray with pepper and garlic salt and took a spatula and mixed them all around
4. Then only on half did I use crushed red pepper and the everyday spice I did on the red pepper half and another quarter of the tray.
5. I stuck them in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

Seriously it is that easy, I would try your favorite mix of spices or flavorings. I wanted to try cheyenne pepper but didn't have any one hand.

Occupy Sacramento

The young and the old of Sacramento peacefully march in downtown Sacramento to Cesar Chavez Park on 10^th street to bring a message to the government.

“We want money out of politics, we want people in office who have an agenda for the people, not for themselves,” said a spokesperson for Occupy Sacramento Jeff Neves.

The message is simple but clear, they no longer want people with big bank accounts only running for public office.

“It’s not about the left versus the right or my politics against yours, it’s about getting people in offices who represent what is best for the people,” said Neves.

A young man, Danny Garza, flew from the Occupy Wall Street where he has been since day one and wanted to help organize Sacramento and let them know what could be in store.

Garza said they were using laws from the 1800’s and arresting people without a verbal warning.

According to Garza the law from around the 1870’s that was being enforced was a group of two or more people are not allowed to cover their face and people were being arrested for this and also writing on the sidewalk with chalk.

The police were also verbally threatening the occupiers by saying, “We are going to take you in and throw you in with the whores and pimps,” Garza said.

He said, “ The more the cops messed with us the stronger we became, it had the opposite effect that they intended."

Occupy Sacramento had around 150 people present at 4 P.M. Thursday, October 6^th.

The occupation is peaceful and the focus is to remain the same as the other Occupy groups throughout the country, including Occupy Wall Street in New York, according to the press release.

“The more people we have here tonight the better off we will be,” said an occupier and legal representative.

Building Sinks and Painting Buildings

First off I would like to say sorry that I have not been posting a lot of pictures but I have taken over 2000 pictures so to my supporters, you will have a lot of pictures to choose from.

The weather in Haiti's during the work day is around 95 degrees now toss is some humidity and it feels like 100 degrees. When you are working sweat pours down your forehead and armpits like a Tae bo work out. Now that you have a good mental picture lets build a frame for a sink. Haiti is a DIY place to live and work, which makes if fun but also a pain in the ass if you are used to running water and electricity. Gayly and I built a sink for the kitchen in the house. It was nothing major to build just some 2x4's and nails but it was an interesting experience understanding their water system.

Jacmel, Haiti does not have government funded running water but each house can be equipped with a cement well that can be filled with a phone call to the water truck. In the house that I am staying at a water pump has been installed to run water up to a 125 gallon reservoir that is on the roof. Gravity is at work in this house, the two sinks, one toilet and shower are fed from the reservoir. The house has been filled with 5-8 residents for the past 5 weeks which caused the tank to be refilled on average of 3 days, this means water conservation is on every house members mind. Just like my mother taught me I turn off the water when brushing my teeth, or my bro is that we don't flush it down unless it's brown and like living on a US Naval boat I shut off the water during my soaping up part of the shower. My living situation is a nice one in Haiti, a good portion of the people do not having any sort of running water, which means taking a shower from a five-gallon bucket and flushing the toilet (if you have one) by dumping water in the bowl.

One of the largest projects I have been apart of while here has been repainting the Olive Tree Projects building. We applied a new coat of mahogany brown to the bar windows, gates, a stripe on the top and a portion of the face, while the rest of the building has been painted orange. This was a fun job since I was able to see the once white building transform into the eye catching maternity center that brings life into this world.

The Jacmel Experience

This small city is friendly, beautiful and relaxing, well in a controlled chaos sort of way. My second day in Jacmel a group of us decided to venture off to Bason Blue a place that is considered the most beautiful place in Haiti, according to the Lonely Planet DR/Haiti guide book. Gayly and I traveled there alone and a group of 10 other people came in different groups. Gayly and I walked the whole way which started at the rivers edge, we walked through thigh high water and at this point I knew the adventure was in full swing. Walking up to the sign post for Bason Blue I was excited, we walked through a banana and coconut lined path with houses and farms on the side. Then the path started to incline and before I knew it we were walking up a 22% grade that seemed to last forever but it definitely last at least 4 km. Hot and sweaty in this humid place can knock your spirits ability to think you can complete the journey but having a determined friend with you helps keep you going. I had Gayly and he would thankfully not stop walking and this kept me going as I was thinking if it was worth it. We walked to where I paid 100 gourde the rough equivalent to $2.50 to enter and then we purchased a bag of plantains and some chicken pastries for another 100 gourde. The water at Bason Blue is colbalt blue and beautiful. After a while the rest of the people showed up then we started jumping off the cliffs, swimming around in the refreshing water and having a great time. A few hours later we made the trek back home and thankfully it was down hill this time.
Jacmel is a great place I have had the best BBQ chicken here, swam in clear water, met friendly people and have had a few firsts. The first time I held a baby, first time I have ate plantains and ate cow intestine, it tastes like a Slim Jim if you were wondering.

Jacmel here I am

Based off the advice from the principal from FAVAJ I found a way to Jacmel, which is on the southern side and 3 hours from Port au prince. The difference between the two cities and the villages in between is different in it's controlled chaos but similar in its culture. Driving to Jacmel was twisted the roads went back and forth for 42kms, it was AWESOME! Once Gayly, Laura and I made it to Jacmel I knew I was going to enjoy this place. There is one main road and many side roads through the small city. The side roads can fit a For Ranger through it with enough room on the side for people to stand while the trucks go through. The heat and humidity really make the place though, I am constantly sweating so I really know I am in the bahamas. I will leave this post with a few words which I will explain in later posts: Prestige, Bason Bleu, sink and fresh coconut.

peace,
B

Pictures

                                                                Rejouis Thelemaque

                                                        The rehab clinic for amputees

                                                      Paul, Mako, Leisa, J'mo and the boys

                                        A street market, normal conditions for Port au prince

                                                                      The work station

                                                                         Noel Dieuver

One tough cookie: Day 2

First off I need to make corrections to my last post. The name Mabe is actually the name of the orphanage and the man who runs it is Marco.

           

            Day 2 in PAP: I was woken up by the 3 dings of the breakfast bell at St. Josephs. I walked down stairs to sit with the troops for breakfast and they had made a new friend, Melissa. Her story is interesting; she is a 40-year-old ex-lobbyist from Kentucky who is on her 2^nd or 3^rd trip to Haiti and is meeting with the Minister of women’s health while on her trip. The past year she has been traveling in order to find her new path in life and Haiti is the final stop. Melissa is a Political Science major with a passion to do what she wants to do and stand up for what she believes is right; I like her style. She had been lobbying in New York for many years and as she said it, “Washington is where the political line is towed but New York is where change and progress is made so that is where I went.” After we all ate breakfast Marco, Paul, Liesa, the boys and I took off to an amputee clinic to drop off money that someone from East Bay had raised.

            The drive there was hot and fueled with traffic, which is pretty normal. Driving by street markets I asked if this was due to the quake or was this normal? And it was normal, the adults in the car described to me that PAP is pretty much how it was before the quake except for all the collapsed buildings. Haiti is truly an impoverish country and the earthquake didn’t cause the poverty it only intensified it. While driving I witnessed just how tough these people are, a guy on a motorcycle was cruising through traffic at around 25mph when he almost T-boned another guy who was trying to cross the traffic. The first guy skidded on the dusty road did two fish tails and went down in slacks and a button-up. He did two-barrel rolls and landed on his feet dealing a death stare to the other guy. It was incredible and Paul’s response was great, “He is like a cat and played it off like when I trip on a curb.” We made it to the Amputee clinic (I don’t have the names written down they are in pictures so I will eventually have the names up.) and we were greeted by an American doctor from Berkley who did his residency in Citrus Heights and moved to New Zealand after he graduated. We received a tour of the clinic that has turned out 240 services in the last 6-months. There are 3 technicians that I met, 2 of them are trainees who I had the pleasure of speaking too, Rejouis Thelemaque and Noel Dieuver. Both of them volunteered at the hospital after the quake in 2010 Rejouis was a translator for the aid workers and Noel helped carry injured people on the hospital grounds. Neither of them was getting paid at first but felt they needed to help their fellow Haitians in a time of need. After a few months of them working at the hospital they were given an opportunity to train as a maker of prosthetic limbs. At this hospital they make everything by hand, which is why skilled laborers are needed to make the prosthetics and the training time is about 2 years. J’mo was on his sixth month of one year tour of working 24/7, 365 days for free. He ended up in Haiti because an old friend from his residency gave him a call and told him that this clinic, which was in need of a doctor, he said yes immediately. After the tour by J’mo he said, “If you can spend a week in Haiti and not feel anything you are not connected to your heart.” In Haiti there is no window dressing in society like the “American dream” it just a rough existence. We left J’mo and the clinic with some money that had been raised for them and a bag of medicine. We all thanked each other for their time and were off for some lunch.

            After lunch a phone call was received that had to deal with the adoption of the boys so we headed over to his office where I met Roby. While Paul and Leisa were talking with their layer Roby walked up and was introduced to us as the director of FAVAJ, which is his organization that feeds street kids. Roby said they feed any where from 50-250 kids a day 5 days a week and they as many as they can afford. I was invited to come by the next day to cook the food and serve it to the kids and how could I pass up an offer like that so I agreed to be there the next day. The rest of the day we ran errands and ended back at St. Josephs for a nap before we headed out to a night of traditional Haitian music, Konpa.

            The night was warm and humid, the bottom floor of the hotel was packed and the dance floor was hot. The band performs every Thursday night at the Hotel, the owner and his wife are the bandleaders. There are eight member of the band and they keep the music pumping all night with an occasional 30-second break. Even though I had no idea what they were saying all the locals where happily singing along with smiles on their faces so I figured it was some good lyrics. The night ended, we went home and I feel asleep with quick  drum beats and bass lines in my head. I will say I was skeptical at first about going out while in Haiti because we are here to help people but to help people you need to understand them and music from the culture is a good place to connect.

            Lesson learned: If you travel as an aid worker where an extended stay at one place is your mission keep with the flow of the work because too much energy burns the residents out when visitors comes.

Haiti Journal #2

     Day 1 in Port au prince (PAP), Haiti has been a brief eye opener to the impoverish country. Immediately after leaving the gates of the airport there are two tent cities of unknown populations. Some of the tents are actually tents, I was able to pick out a few Shelter Box tents but most were pieces of wood and tarps crafted together for a shelter. Driving down most of the roads is like driving off road in the desert, the van we were in was constantly bouncing back and forth, slowing down for pot holes is a norm as there is one every few feet. The driver swerves from left to right trying to take the easiest route but this mean driving into on coming traffic, driving in PAP is not for the faint of heart. On the side of those roads there are people selling everything from cold drinks to cell phone cards to chickens and rabbits. After about 30 minutes Paul, Liesa, Luke and I made it to St. Joseph’s Home for Boys. It is a house ran by a man named Michael and it is a nice house for what is available. They have electricity at night when a generator is run but there is no running water but at least they can afford water to be used for baths and drinking. It is a multiple level house that has visible damage from the quake. The boys take care of the household and cook the meals, by boys I mean young men from the age of 13 and up. Currently they are building another house that will replace the current one so that it can be torn down and another more secure building can be built.

            Our first stop was an orphanage that Paul and Liesa have been helping for a few years and the place their new sons live. They have been trying to adopt two boys for the past year or so and actually we will be hearing the news about the paper work while here and a meeting with the American embassy will take place as well. The orphanage was a trip, as soon as I got out of the car I was surrounded by 15 kids giving out hugs, handshakes and pointing at my tattoo’s, while asking me questions in Creole. We received a tour by Paul’s oldest friend, Mabe, who is also the director. He was pleased to show us the new facilities where they had electricity ran by car batteries and bunk beds mostly with mattresses. Some of the PCI money will go to purchase more mattresses for the kids. He was also excited to show us the gas stoves they have so they no longer have to cook with charcoal in the house. The kids there were stoked to see us and we were happy to be there as well. We played soccer and I played catch with some of the boys that were 3 or 4 with some plastic toy balls Paul and Leisa brought. After about 2-hours of hanging out, taking pictures, having conversations translated and playing we had to take off as dinner was waiting for us at our home, St. Josephs.

            The drive back was interesting because the streets have a different vibe when the sunsets. We made our way through the streets with motorcycles lights trying to pass us, night clubs with music pumping out of them and the smell of burning trash from dumpster fires. Mabe stopped to get gas and he was fighting for a pump while gas is six dollars a gallon. Making  it back home Paul, Leisa, their two new sons and I sat down for long awaited dinner feast of grilled cheese, an amazing salad and soup. We ended our night by playing hand drums and the youngest boy who is six sang a Creole song while I kept the beat.

            Lessoned learned for today:  it’s not that there is nothing available for purchase in Haiti, it’s just that there are limited ways to produce an income.

Brandon's Haiti Blog #1

           I am currently sitting in the airport of Miami at 11:30pm waiting for my connecting flight at 6:45am to Port au prince, Haiti. As an intern to Children’s Hope I am excited for the next week in Haiti. I am not sure what to expect and a million different scenarios are running through my head. My travels are support by many friends and family without them I would not be here. I owe the people a lot of hard work this week and I plan to deliver nothing less.

            I want to tell you friends about all the hard work that the Sacramento State student club, Peace and Conflict International, did this semester. PCI held three fundraisers that raised $1,000 to aid Children’s Hope in their endeavor to ease the burden of children in Haiti. The spring semester in 2011 for PCI was a busy one with fundraising and weekly guest speakers but we all agree that in the end it was worth it. Now I take the positive energy and money provided by the club to a country in need. What are they in need of? Specifically I do not know but I will critically look at the situation with my best efforts and I will listen to the people in need. I hope to talk to those in need so I can understand what they would like change in their situation.