A day before the funeral for the 4 year old son of the one of the other supervisors all of the workers were told about what had happened. Fortunately we didn't know any details so we could honestly say we didn't know the details when they asked. In my workshop where we had eight workers in the morning by the time noon came we only had five. The others had all left because they weren't feeling well. A small delegation of six or seven workers and supervisors went to the funeral the next afternoon. One of the workers who apparently knew the children a bit didn't come to work for the rest of the week. I wish I could say things are better now but you can't say something about a situation like that.
This evening I ate some most amazing crepes with a friend from Elkhart who is in town studying for the semester. We both had as a main course buckwheat crepes with a cheese/spinach/cream filling and an egg on top. This section is just to illustrate that I am doing well and enjoying life.
When I got home I got to try to help settle a little dispute. I walked up the stairs and was confronted by one of the other residents standing outside of her room on the edge of tears so much so that when I asked her what was going on she started crying and told me that she had been "let fall" by one of the other residents. For a while I was confused wondering if someone had fallen but it turns out there was some offense taken when the meal plan (who eats with who and when) was shuffled. It was all sorted out though I was confused at points and uncertain how to mediate the situation. Fortunately one of the other residents helped with that.
Bon, je ne veut pas vous engueler avec une long histoire. (please excuse my spelling)
31.1.07
23.1.07
Breaking Tragedy
Life is hard. Generally speaking. It seems like again and again the community where I work has been rocked by bad news of people dying. A couple of weeks after I had gotten here one of the 28 residents that lived at the house where I live died. She had been sick for a while and had actually not been living in the house for some time before I got there. The residents were hit hard. For more than two weeks after her death I was regularly asked if I was "au currant" or up to date on what had happened. The questions were asked again and again, "but why her?"
Last week one of the workers in my workshop died. He was in his late fifties. Everyone was informed at an all center meeting. One of the other monitors told me later that the worker had taken his own life, then, "but don't tell the workers because it will bother them."
Today during the morning break I was again brought up to date. One of the other supervisors' son of four years old had fallen and impacted his neck in such a way that he died over the weekend. The supervisor had the week before shown me a picture of her two sons. They were smiling and when you looked closely at the picture you saw that the older one had his finger up the nose of the younger one. Whenever she talked of her sons she would always be smiling. Another supervisor told me, "she is a good mother who lived for her two sons." She called in to say that she wasn't going to be at work this morning and didn't explain. A little while after a friend of hers called in and explained. Once again I was told "but don't tell the workers it will bother them." Before you tell the workers any hard news they need to be prepared.
A common statement in the workshop is "we all have problems here." I find that the monitors have to hide their problems and the gravity of others problems in an attempt to maintain a level of stability in the lives of the workers. Otherwise the work will stop and for a week or two we will be asked, "but why her?"
Last week one of the workers in my workshop died. He was in his late fifties. Everyone was informed at an all center meeting. One of the other monitors told me later that the worker had taken his own life, then, "but don't tell the workers because it will bother them."
Today during the morning break I was again brought up to date. One of the other supervisors' son of four years old had fallen and impacted his neck in such a way that he died over the weekend. The supervisor had the week before shown me a picture of her two sons. They were smiling and when you looked closely at the picture you saw that the older one had his finger up the nose of the younger one. Whenever she talked of her sons she would always be smiling. Another supervisor told me, "she is a good mother who lived for her two sons." She called in to say that she wasn't going to be at work this morning and didn't explain. A little while after a friend of hers called in and explained. Once again I was told "but don't tell the workers it will bother them." Before you tell the workers any hard news they need to be prepared.
A common statement in the workshop is "we all have problems here." I find that the monitors have to hide their problems and the gravity of others problems in an attempt to maintain a level of stability in the lives of the workers. Otherwise the work will stop and for a week or two we will be asked, "but why her?"
17.1.07
He is not lost well at least not entirely.
The days are getting longer. I can tell because it is starting to get light again before I get to work. The daylight is very welcome.
The last month has been an amazing month. I submit my apologies for taking more than a month to update. I thank you if you are reading this because it means that you have been better at checking than I have at writing.
Over the last month I have: had visitors for about 15 of the 30 days (4 people, 3 groups), celebrated christmas by eating from 9pm the 24th dec. to 1am the 25th of dec (a meal that consisted of eight or nine different appetizers, a main course and thirteen options for desert shared among seven people), celebrated the new year with a few hundred thousand people where a friend's camera of the evidence was stolen (here is a video of the celebration !!languge caution!! I found on youtube I was about a hundred yards closer to the arch than the people taking the video ) had some surprise visitors for three nights (EMUers), got used to living alone again. Realized I need to get to know more people here.
This is where I am today. Today I am staying longer at school sitting on the internet so that I don't go home where I will sit in my kitchen thinking I need to clean my apartment but doing nothing more than listening to podcasts while eating junk until 8:30 when I use the internet again. The good news is that I have plans for socializing this weekend (coffee or museum with someone who also lives in the banlieu sud and potentially a theme party). Oh and the NFL conference finals are this weekend. I haven't paid any attention but I'll be at The Great Canadian at midnight sunday for the colts game live.
The last month has been an amazing month. I submit my apologies for taking more than a month to update. I thank you if you are reading this because it means that you have been better at checking than I have at writing.
Over the last month I have: had visitors for about 15 of the 30 days (4 people, 3 groups), celebrated christmas by eating from 9pm the 24th dec. to 1am the 25th of dec (a meal that consisted of eight or nine different appetizers, a main course and thirteen options for desert shared among seven people), celebrated the new year with a few hundred thousand people where a friend's camera of the evidence was stolen (here is a video of the celebration !!languge caution!! I found on youtube I was about a hundred yards closer to the arch than the people taking the video ) had some surprise visitors for three nights (EMUers), got used to living alone again. Realized I need to get to know more people here.
This is where I am today. Today I am staying longer at school sitting on the internet so that I don't go home where I will sit in my kitchen thinking I need to clean my apartment but doing nothing more than listening to podcasts while eating junk until 8:30 when I use the internet again. The good news is that I have plans for socializing this weekend (coffee or museum with someone who also lives in the banlieu sud and potentially a theme party). Oh and the NFL conference finals are this weekend. I haven't paid any attention but I'll be at The Great Canadian at midnight sunday for the colts game live.
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