This just in

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If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done."

~Ludwig Wittgenstein

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In light of my quote, I will let you in on some very silly things that represent our true experience here in Haiti.

1. During the day, we have a number of whole school assemblies which are conducted outside since we don't have a large or cool enough space indoors for 300+ kids. On one particular Friday, however, we had a morning that was rainy enough to be annoying but not enough to cancel the morning assembly. Therefore, students slowly made their way to the basketball court, some with ponchos and umbrellas, but most with only indignancy. Enter Phillip, a fun loving strong leader who usually chooses to use his powers for good and not evil. Phillip kept spirits high throughout the meeting, which ends with the singing of the school song. Now, there are two versions of our school song: one calm and traditional, the other upbeat and energetic. Phillip choose to start the latter, which the students enjoyed so much that they continued singing it after it should have been over. The volunteers and staff stood on watching and enjoying the scene. Enter Patrick, our president, from his office. No, enter is not the right word. He danced, strutted, bounced out into the rain and right up to the table where Phillip was conducting the masses. The inevitable five minute dance party ensued; volunteers and staff dancing on the table and driveway, students somehow staying and swaying in thier lines, laughing at all of the horribly wonderful dance maddness going on during the regularly strict morning meeting. Oh, Fridays...

2. Every other Friday afternoon we get a bull on campus which lives on our soccer field all weekend until early Monday morning when he no longer lives but still stays on our soccer field. It's cheeper to to butcher your own meat when cooking for 400+ people. Usually they are lazy but still intimidating with thier long, pointy horns. Generally, on cow weekends we limit our trips to the soccer field. One weekend we had a bull which defied our generalities. This bull was small with tiny horns that did not extend past his skull, but he wasn't our typical lazy bull either. He'd walk around his teather, and change direction when the short line ran out. Now, this particular Friday night we decided to play a game called ghost in the graveyard where the person who is "it" hides and the teams seek them out...or something like that. We didn't actually play long enough for me to get a firm grasp on the rules since our little bull's horns weren't long enough to hold the rope on and he got loose. He wasn't an angry bull. He simply wanted to stretch his legs, so while playing our game in the dark, someone screamed and called out that there was a bull loose on campus and everyone hiding should come out. Right...who's going to fall for that one? So, one at a time, teams encountered the bull and made their way at varing speeds to our residence hall which has a very nice rebar gate that you can close but still easily see out of. So, while all of the silly white people hid inside, the Haitian staff who knew that the bull was not in fact dangerous went outside to catch it. At one point, Zamy, our vice principal, had gotten hold of the bull's tail and was "skiing" behind it. Eventually, someone made a laso and caught the bull, bringing it to the back playground which has a gate. The bull, not being one to be tied up, freed itself again and, out of spite I'm sure, pooped all over our back basketball court and playground. What is it that they say about little things and big packages?