I thought the Fourth of July was going to pass with little or no recognition on our part. We knew of no Fourth of July parties – the closest we heard of was a celebration for Canada Day. But then, because we recently signed up to be wardens for the U.S. Embassy (an emergency notification system for American citizens) we were invited to the ambassador’s Independence Day celebration on July 8th. To say the least, it wasn’t our usual scene. We had to dust off the formal wear.
Because there were probably 500 or more people there, the embassy had set up a shuttle system. So we parked our car at a nearby American school, showed our invitations and passports, and climbed into a luxury SUV that “shuttled” us to the ambassador’s home. It was amazing to feel the difference between a vehicle built for Haiti’s roads and David’s little (but trustworthy!) Nissan Sentra! It was much smoother. We arrived and were greeted, given pins with the American and Haitian flags intertwined, and ushered onto a vast lawn with a full bar. We wandered around stalking hors d’oeuvres, talking to people (amazing how many I know in such a short time) and checking out the booths where different organizations and businesses were promoting their work. We talked to some folks from PSI, where I’m volunteering, Partners In Health and HELP, a cool organization that funds scholarships and guidance for Haitian students to go the university. We also said hello to the ambassador’s dog, Sophie, a beagle wearing a red-white-and-blue handkerchief for the occasion.
At 7 p.m. the Marines presented the flags and we listened to the Star Spangled Banner and the Haitian national anthem. The ambassador, who is said to have amazing Creole, gave a speech in French, followed by comments by the outgoing Haitian prime minister, who made a crack about the ambassador throwing a Fourth of July party on Haitian time (late). We toasted with champagne and watched an incredible fireworks display over our heads.
On Saturday, we went with about 20 people to camp on the beach in Petit Goave, a peninsula on the southern peninsula of Haiti. We ate seafood, drank Prestige, and camped on the beach. Not a bad Haitian time Fourth of July weekend.
