Carnival... a.k.a. Mardi Gras!

I know it’s been a while. I’ve been busy. Between work and online school, I haven’t had much time for blogging… other than a few posts on Tony’s blog where I felt compelled to elevate the dialogue a bit.

Anyway, the past year has been rough on the Haitian people.

The earthquake, cholera, political violence and general poverty have defined a difficult year for Haitians. So I was pleased this weekend to see Carnival – Mardi Gras – in full swing. The Bourbon Street style overflow crowds were more than I enjoy, but it was good to see a lightened atmosphere.

I’ll try to post more frequently, but find it doubtful for the next month or two. I just have so much going on here… and when you couple that with an internet connection that’s slower and drops more often than AOL circa the mid-90s… and city power that’s been averaging about three hours per week for the past few weeks… it’s tough to get online and publish.

At least my internet connection may improve though. As I was walking down the street a week ago, I noticed an asian working on the cell tower that’s being installed near my office. And although I don’t speak Creole yet, I do speak a bit of Vietnamese. And the asian guy was Vietnamese. I was in luck! I now understand that the cell tower will include internet service. So I’m intending to spend some time this weekend finding more details… and hopefully getting a better web connection. And hope springs eternal when it comes to daily city power… who knows, maybe someday I’ll get both on a consistent, daily, uninterrupted basis??

If, and when, that day comes… I’ll be sure to start uploading pix. I’ve gotten some good ones since I arrived. But with my web speed… it’s a hopeless battle that times out every time.

K… now going to sit down with the litter of seven baby puppies that recently arrived. The guard dogs had them about two weeks ago. They’re adorable… just getting past the floppy stage where their four legs work at the same time and they no longer move around like baby sea turtles… pushing their hands out in front, then pulling their bodies along… priceless.

As for the local stuff… the Patch is reporting that the Council is actually considering replacing the bubble. That would be a mistake. I hope they don’t go down that path… although it’s obvious the TM is pushing more spending on the pool… and it’s also obvious that this Council takes his advice when they shouldn’t. Regardless, I’m sure the voters will remember some pretty staunch GOP opposition to spending more money on fixing the bubble as recently as August 2009. So it may not matter what Council members remember. What matters is what the voters remember.

Tim White