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Have I told you about M'Boss? Have I told you about Madame Vern?

I just cannot say enough about how much I think of Janet + Vern. They are an amazing couple.

Vern has been here for 3 mos. He does not really get a day off apart from the occasional beach day or trip to the falls. Those things only happen every other week, if at all, and he still has to be the one to set that up. He rolls with everything. He does not seem to get flustered. He is very good at stepping back, making a plan, and coping or adjusting.

Like many practitioners his skills and talents are deep and many...but his seem more so. Put me on an island, and tell me I get 5 people; I might need a Vern.

It may be possible that Vern has an even more diverse/ eclectic music library than I do...but that is probably because he is just a little older than me. I aspire to his level.

He loves golf, red wine, his wife Janet and their daughters Jessica and Anya. He can put running water into your tent, kay, house or adobe and over-haul a wheelhorse tractor blind folded.

I can only imagine how this rotation of practitioners was better for Janet being here. You never really know some people until you know their better half too.

Shortly, after we arrived in Haiti, I was working in the clinic and talking with Jo'el. Jo'el's chat went like this....pretend a Haitian-Jamaican is talking in almost English.

M'Boss, oh, M'Boss is sooo hapi. Yes, I think so. And I am so hapi for m'boss. Mrs. Vern is here. That is so good. Yea man.. He is a veddy, veddy good man...yeah man....cksk...I think maybe, m'boss Vern for whole life...I think so, yeah man....

Janet went to the hospital many, many days, helping to care for the cholera patients and others too. Sometimes she was well received by the Haitians. Sometimes she was not. Still, her report back to us each day gave us a perspective on the clinic and the hospital that I think would have been different had she not been here. Believe me, she put in some long days.

I told Dennis before I left that I am fortunate; my life is filled with shining examples of the kind of people I want to be. I keep hoping it'll rub off, cause I just found two more in Janet and Vern.

We didn't watch the movies that Janet was hoping to, mostly because we kept visiting and chatting with each other as well as other volunteers and hospital staff. We went through a lot of Prestige and a couple bottles of rum.

One of the last nights, Jimmy, the facilities engineer for the hospital stopped in. We chatted for A LONG time. He's from Pittsburgh and has been here 4 years. Every day @ 6am and 6pm, the power to the entire compund shuts off for a minute or two, as one generator shuts down and the other starts up. Jimmy has a small heart attack every day during the shut down, praying the switch over will go smoothly. I don't have a picture of Jimmy, but picture Santa Claus with a slightly shorter beard, longer hair...still red, not white yet, round belly, but not yet fat...in hiking boots and cargo shorts, bottle of Prestige in hand...that's Jimmy.

Having Janet and Vern made me miss my family more and less, all at the same time. We were constantly sharing family stories, challenges and triumphs.

Haiti has been a great experience. Vern, Janet and I were talking about what we are going to tell people about the trip. We all sort of agreed that it might not be much. You can't sum up this kind of thing in response to the question, "Hey, how was your trip?". Still, the blog gave me a vehicle to try to share as I went. I hope you enjoyed it, for now you already know how my trip went.

Haiti is home to many good happy people. People that want the best for theirs. I am heading home now so we can continue to take care of ours.

Thank you, everyone that sent emails or comments. I loved every single one. They helped me feel not quite so far away.

Thank you Vern, Janet, Brendan, my family, Hanger P&O,Inc. and the Hanger Ivan R Sabel foundation for helping me to do this.

Love you all,
Chov Blanc

P.S. If I get to post any other pictures, I will do it here. So, there may be another post. I am waiting for permission. If not, au voir.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&client=mv-google&hl=en&rl=yes&v=wAXYn_hYj2A
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