1 year later.. already???
Was awakened at 6:45AM by the chants from a nearby Protestant church. I never wake up this early when it’s a day off from work and I’m usually annoyed to be woken up at this time, but today was different. It felt good to hear people in church at such an early time praying for the souls of hundreds of thousands people who perished in the earthquake a year from today. I hear churches throughout the city are over flowing with crowds of people, and will remain that way all through the day.
It doesn’t really feel like a day off from work, where I’m free to do whatever. It’s more of a sad day. I won’t be listening to my ipod today or getting up with friends. I’d much rather sit at home and read, reminisce, I don’t know… it’s not going to be a day full of chatter and smiles.
I drove around the city and it’s very quiet. Some roads are barricaded, full of people hand-in-hand, praying. I visited my cousin’s grave site this morning, and of course I wasn’t the only one visiting a loved one at the cemetery. I drove past many groups (members from organizations) walking towards the cemetery to visit those who they lost. Word is Bill Clinton is in town, and many journalist and news reporters are seen around the city.
Port-Au-Prince is awkwardly and solemnly quiet. And for once, there’s no traffic.
Crazy to think it was a year ago today. While driving through Petion-ville, I was trying to remember what I was doing the morning of January 12, 2010. I remember it being a normal, busy day. A regular Tuesday. I remember glancing at my watch all day, I couldn’t wait to get off of work–I was super anxious to sign a lease for my new car.
After visiting the bank at 4:00pm, my aunt and I took a walk to her clinic. At 4:51pm, I was in the middle of texting my cousin when the earthquake started and lasted 36 seconds. I don’t get too much into detail about the earthquake ‘cause honestly I don’t enjoy revisiting that day so much. But, from that day forward, Haiti hasn’t been the same for me. I moved back to NY temporarily and my cousin’s school was destroyed, so now he lives in Florida permanently. He was who I was closest to while living here. So it’s a lot quieter nowadays.
I do thank the Lord often because I was chosen to live— as were my family and friends. I’m one of the few people who didn’t lose a family member and any close friends. Neither did I lose any of my students. A few of them were buried for days, but were pulled out of the rubble with minor injuries. I have a friend who was buried for two days, but miraculously survived.
I hear these horrible stories of people losing their entire family due to the earthquake, and others buried for days or even worst, weeks. There was a lot of suffering that day, and weeks after.
Haiti’s full of tent cities, instead of people moving out of the capital, it seems more people are moving into the capital, the traffic is sometimes unbearable, more people with amputations are seen in the streets, and pancaked buildings on each corner isn’t uncommon to the eye. I can’t say there’s been NO help at all from non profits, because some of the rubble has been removed, but I won’t hesitate to say that there’s not ENOUGH help. Then again, what can I really say? With so much destruction, how much can be done in one year? I would like to think that after a new president is elected, we will see more of a clean-up process and more homes for people in tent cities.
2010 is a year that I’m happy is over, and many living in Haiti will agree. From the earthquake, to cholera, then manifestations over the 1st round results for the presidential election…. It’s definitely a year all of us will remember, but not one we’ll miss.
