Blanc

If you have ever traveled to an area where your skin color is a minority you know that you stick out like a sore thumb. In Asia people love to take picture with you or of you with out asking, Mail the word tebaboo is yelled and Haiti the love to yell Blan/Blano.

Since I have travel I knew that the practice of yelling after me was common but it still is annoying as hell. I walk the same four streets every day and every day the same people yell Blan as I pass which then alters others I am coming. This chain reaction continues as I walk of people yelling people coming to see me where ever I walk. Drives me NUTS!!!!!!!!!! There are three groups of people who yell Blan as you walk past them. First: Young kids, Second: is older children and older adults, Third: Mid-20’s Males.

The young kids yell Blan because they really just don’t know what to do when they see a white person. Some times I can tell it’s the first time they have seen a white person and it’s the cutest then to seen them get so excited to yell blan. When ever I seen this happen I always make a point to wave and say hello in Kreole. This cause them to turn into a deer facing headlight so shocked they can just stand there. So CUTE gets me every time!!!!

The third group of 20ish aged men yelling Blan usually with princess, beautiful, or these awful kissy noise. I normally ignore them or say no at them because its just gross and dumb.

The group with older children and older adults is in my mind the most annoying group ever!!! The children have no boundary's they will dare each other to run up and touch me, or ask for money. One time I had this girl around 9 run up to me and say blan give me money. I turn and said no her response Fuck You! English teachings at its finest right there. If there are a ton of kids walking around I feel like I have to walk with my arms up because I don’t want to be touched. It’s the worst especially since they know better then to act

So the question of the hour is how to react to the third group of Blan yeller? Saying hello can sometime make there days but other time it can turn into a night mare. They might start following me, some time they start begging for money, or sometime they just say fuck you. So what to do? Currently I avoid eye contact or avoid speaking to them but others say I need to grow a pair and yell at them in Kreole "My name is not blan, my name is Ellen!" I am to worried in the Kreole Skills they won't know what I am saying which is worse then being yelled at. The problems of being the minority!

Now I know I have no reason to complain here because I have spent my entire life not being a minority in the race department. However I still love to complain and this might be the only time in my life I can complain about being a minority. Also if being a minority didn't involve being touch by strangers then I think I won't mind but I hate being touch!! It's also super weird hearing a five year old say fuck you. 

Doctors to the Resuce

Last week I had more guest in my house again which was a nice break from two weeks of being alone. They where a group of Pediatric doctors from John Hopkins here to provide medical care the the surrounding areas and perform minor surgery. Durning there visit I got the joy of experience how to be a medical clerk and running a surgery waiting room. We are very gratefully for all the help that we received from the doctors and can't wait to have them back.

However the doctors helping the people of Gros Morne is not the reasoning behind the title. The doctors help rescue a local school cat!! Yes you read that right a CAT. It was there last night at the house we where sitting around playing a card game when I received a phone call….. It was the women who works here asking if the doctors would be willing to help her cat. This has to be the weirdest question I have ever had to ask a doctor in my life: Can you please help my friend cat that got caught in barbed wire?

Thankfully they doctors though it was great and got on there phones to reach out to there friends which are vets. Then off they went in getting ready for cat sugary in my dinning room!! For real I can't make this up!!!

The cat arrives and we have been building up in our minds how bad the fight between the barbed wire was only to be let down by a large gash no guts hanging out ( I was kinda bummed out about this fact but it was good for the cat).


First came part of surgery is putting the patient under well a cat is kinda different then a child but that is what google is good for right? Because, it has the answers to all these question believe it or not. First shot the dosages was to little but second time was the charm. They continue forward with cleaning and suturing of the cat. After about a half and hour the cat was on his way home and off for recovery. I am happy to report that the cat made a full recovery and is safely back at his school.

Picture below kinda graphic it was cat sugary after all…..