Haiti. Seven Months

Haiti Prepares for Upcoming Elections

The National Office for ID's has been flooded with people requesting an ID card to be able to vote in the upcoming elections. Every day more than 1,000 people stand in line requesting this identification paper. Unfortunately, there are only 3 offices where citizens can apply. (Alter Presse)


Seven months after the quake, people from the tent cities staged a sit-down in front of the National Palace. They are demanding that the government of President Preval grant them access to decent living quarters. The homeless are fearful of forceful expulsions from the tent cities. Everyone knows that seven months later, the conditions are horrible, a situation of prevailing misery without any respect for the principles and guidance of the UN for the internally displaced. To date, only 3% of the refugees have been relocated. (Alter Presse)


Thirty-four candidates have submitted their names for the upcoming elections. The electoral council has 10 days to approve the validity of the candidates (Aug. 17). The election of Nov. 28 will choose not only a new president but also 10 senators and 89 members of the parliament's lower house.

Haiti's next president will face an enormous task of rebuilding a country devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake. The office is never an easy job. Presidents have only rarely completed a constitutional five year term. Most in history have been overthrown, assassinated, declared themselves "president for life", or some combination of the three. (Evens Sanon, Haiti Star)

Dominican Cooking

Living in different countries gives you opportunity to learn new ways to do things. I have been invited into many kitchens where Dominican women have shared cooking tips and recipes with me. The first rule of all Dominican cooking - wash your rice before boiling it!

Another thing that at first seemed curious to me was the way in which meat is handled. All meat is washed before it is cooked. Chicken is first cleaned by holding it under running water and then soaked in lemon or vinegar water before cooking, to remove all bacteria. I was really surprised the first time I saw someone put ground beef in a sieve and wash it under running water!

One thing I have seen many times in the DR and have come to see as something "normal" is the way Dominican women open cans. Most homes do not have a can opener. You just use a sharp knife to open the lid of the can. These are some pictures of women opening cans with large kitchen knives.

Some might think it would just be easier to give everyone an opener, but I have come to admire the creativity and ingenuity of these women. They use what they have available to them and use it to create and prepare delicious dishes for their families and guests.