Posted: July 6th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: places | 2 Comments »
Cuba was delightful, and so very Cuban. All those stereotypes you hear when folks talk about Cuba turned out to be true. Loads of classic cars and cigar shops just like you would expect. Sprinkle in some Che Guevara and Castro imagery and you pretty much have it. There was definitely satisfaction to be had in visiting a country that fulfilled all my assumptions, but there were also some things I hadn’t quite predicted.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 18th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: blah blah blah | 4 Comments »
There’s a sentiment amongst some folks that volunteers in disaster struck countries are simply morbid tourists. As though the destruction and suffering is little more than a sensationalized backdrop to a Kodak moment. I’m currently a disaster response volunteer, and I’ve seen hundreds of volunteers come and go in the past few months. Consequently, I’ve got a first hand perspective on the type of people that show up as volunteers after a large disaster.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 28th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: dining | 4 Comments »
Victoria, British Columbia has plenty of great qualities and features. Obviously there’s the amazing ocean stuff, rain forest junk, great gardens, recreational options galore, etcetera so on and so forth. However, let’s quit beating up bushes and get down to what really matters: stuff that intentionally goes into my white man tummy. There is a disproportionate amount of world class cafes and baristas in Victoria. There’s also an overly great selection of brew pubs and breakfast spots there, but I’m saving those for another post. In order to help the casual Victoria visitor nail down some world class latte action I’ve undergone extensive sampling and compiled the Top 5 Cafes In Victoria BC. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 21st, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: blah blah blah | 2 Comments »
Sunday is my day off here in Léogâne, so I have some spare time to sit down and upload a few photos from the week. I was a bit remiss in taking photos this week though. I started working in the hospital and well it’s not so picturesque. Unless you enjoy seeing an old untreated tibia fracture. There’s a lot of sad stories walking around the hospital every day, but there’s also a lot of smiles. The pre-quake health care here wasn’t exactly award winning, so a lot of folks are just happy to have someone take a look at their malady. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 16th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: places | 2 Comments »
The last few days I’ve been riding in the back of a little pickup truck on the way home from building showers at a makeshift hospital. While sitting back there I sit my camera on my knee and randomly take photos out the back of the truck. Lots were absurd, but a few worked out fairly okay. Okay for not aiming, or planning, ya know? Plus a couple others I had on the camera. Anyways, if you’re keen for some street shots of Léogâne then you’re in the right place. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try and get some shots of the kids who helped me work today. Well they didn’t help so much as they frisbeed a plastic lid around, but whatever. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 14th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: blah blah blah, places | 9 Comments »
I’ve been in Haiti for three days so far. Several hours in Port au Prince, and the rest of the time in Léogâne. In this short time I’ve seen some pretty amazing things. Maybe not amazing in the traditional sense though. Let’s divide this post into two separate sections. One for my impression of the overall Haitian experience, and another for the volunteer work. I apologize that this post is a bit rushed, but I’m expecting the internet to cut out for the day any second now. Or the generator. Whichever goes first I guess.
Read the rest of this entry »
