Extreme Clergy

Here we are in Toronto in an extreme cold alert and I am packing to leave for Haiti. We are filming the 8th episode for the series "Convictions" for Vision Television.

The packing for Haiti has become a bit of a puzzle. I need to bring a big whack of Power bars because we have been warned that eating any fresh food in Haiti could result in our imminent death.

The powerbars need to be packed in a metal tin because the giant rats in Haiti can apparently eat through tupperware.

I also need candles. Lots and lots of candles. They are to put around my tent at night to keep the giant tupperware eating rats from crawling on me while I fall asleep.Once the candles go out the rats will make their way into my tent, but, I have been told I won't mind because I will be asleep.

Note to self; bring very strong sleeping pills.

February 7, 2007

I think I figured out the packing last night. I just need to make sure that my skirts that I have had made for the trip will fit in my bag.All women have to wear skirts in Haiti unless they want to be considered a prostitute by wearing pants. I know, you would think it might be the other way around but, there you have it. Filming in a skirt does present some challenges, but shorts from LULU Lemon to wear underneath the skirt may be the solution.Shoes are another consideration. Wearing sandals is just inviting a whole host of weird and wonderful bacterial infections. (again causing imminent death) I have opted for a pair of funky converse shoes that look dreadful with a skirt but, health before fashion in this case.

Thank goodness I am behind the camera.

February 8, 2007


One more day until we leave the frigid, unforgiving climate of Toronto for the warmth and of course the rats of Haiti.

I say we, because I am traveling with a motley crew.

There is the fiery out spoken redheaded director who will be sharing my tent. She tells me that she doesn’t snore…. much.

Also with us is the self-proclaimed bacon greaser cameraman who I suspect has snoring down to an art from. Thank goodness the compound we are staying in, has rules that keep the men on the far side and away from the temptation of our feminine wiles.

And just to add a little more flavour to the group, we have our 6 foot 5 inch sound guy who likes to be called “The Oak” or “3 Meter” (that is a whole other story). Now he, I know for a fact does not snore.

No it is not what you think. And shame on you for thinking that. We shared a room for warmth during our stay in Hebron. It was damn cold and there was no heat, or hot water so for survival we shared our room along with the Frenchman.

The Frenchman is not traveling with us to Haiti, a place he could converse in his native tongue but he will join us again for our trip to Liberia, Africa.

The upshot of all this is between the snoring, the rats, and the constant thought of imminent death, I won’t be getting much sleep in Haiti

February 9, 2007

We left the cold of Toronto to have one last night of comfort, as we know it in South Beach, Miami.

My crew and I went out and ate our last supper before switching to a steady diet of power bars. To cap off our evening of seafood and mojitos, we sat under the stars on the beach smoking Cuban cigars. Does it get any better. Not much. But we know it is about to get much much worse. We have a wake up call for 2:00 am and leave on a 6:00 am plane for Haiti.

Tomorrow night when the rats are nibbling out toes we will cling to our memories of South Beach.

February 10, 2007

2 a.m. is much too early to get up. People were still partying in the lobby of the hotel from the night before when we stumbled blurry eyed wearing our bright orange Missionary t shirts, dragging 100 lb. of medicine to deposit at the mission in Haiti.

The director and the bacon-greaser cameraman left the hotel first. Our sound man (the oak or 3 metre) was taking his time, gelling his hair I think.

He finally arrived in the lobby all coifed and fresh and we loaded into the second cab about fifteen minutes behind the first one .

There was no sign of the director or the cameraman when we arrived at the airport . Rev Tina Simpson arrived with another 100 lb. of medicine but still no sign of the missing.

I had my cell phone on, why weren't they calling? I called the director on her cell. No answer. I impatiently barked into the phone "Where the hell are you" . Okay these are two intelligent albeit tired individuals but come on, the producer has not shown up and they haven't called to see where I am? It's now 4:15 am. I call home in Toronto to get the Bacongreasers cell phone number. I get it. I call it. I ask "Where the hell are you"?

They were in the wrong terminal. Why didn't they call? ...They assumed we went out for a Bloody Mary. Okay breathe. Nice and slow. Smile. Breathe again. Okay, let's check in. The sound man who had had his sound mixer seized in Tel Aviv bet me he would be pulled aside again. He won. He just has one of those"pull me over" faces I guess.


Check in was smooth considering we were in an American airport. I keep saying people should go to the airport in pajamas and then just get dressed once you are through security.

In the airport we were joined by a sea of Orange Mission shirts. ABout 120 medical personnel all headed to the Haiti were at 5:00 am in search of just one thing. I was leading the quest. The quest for coffee.

With 120 missionaries all hopped up on caffeine we boarded the plane for Haiti. Wait , where's the cameraman and the director?...


February 10, 2007 cont....


This has been a very long day. We have landed in Haiti. Going through customs they threaten to seize the medicine that Tina is bringing in for the clinic at the mission. TMy Crew springs into action and as a result you will all be able to tune in to see the drama.

After the caffufle in the airport I once again have lost the director and the Cameraman. This no doubt will be my Haitian Mantra "Has anyone seen Kim or Peter"


The weather is incredible. There are these trees at the airport that look like they have bright pink pom -poms on them. The air is sweet and the breeze is gentle and warm. And I am busy keeping my eye on the, who else, but the director and the cameraman. I am determined not to let them out of my sight.


The mission has chartered a plane to take us from Port au Prince to Port au Paix. Here's the catch. The plane holds about 18 people. We are to be flown in groups. Names called for group one.

Wait was that my name... No

Wait Wait Wait.

Quiet Quiet, names for group 2, and... nope.

Wait Wait Wait.

Okay here it is. Names for group three. Bingo.

We go to grab our bags but no we can't. It will be too much weight for the plane so everybody's bags are loaded onto a flatbed truck which will meet us at the Mission in Louis de Nord.

The plane ride was akin to a roller-coaster in a theme park but we landed without one of us having to use the bags provided in the seat pockets in front of us.

February 12, 2007 ( 2:00 am )

I am skipping over a day and half. The network and electricity are unstable and I have been so busy I haven't had a moment to myself.

The poverty here is so extreme, you can never be prepared for it. On the beach pigs and children go through the same garbage heap looking for food. When you walk down the street, kids show you their stomachs to illustrate how hungry they are.

It is so wrong how unbalanced our world is. The people here though, don't know how poverty stricken they are. There are no televisions, no movie theatres ,they have nothing to compare their life with.

The clinics opened today at the mission. People had been lining up for a day and half and there is never enough time to see everyone.

Today, I was in a clinic and I watched a doctor who is volunteering here, struggle. A mother had brought in her child who wasn't eating. The child was too old to give the baby supplements to and the family lived too far away to take part in the missions nutrition program, The doctor could do nothing except tell the frightened mother to keep trying to feed the young boy.

People are here to help but they only have limited resources. it is heartbreaking

Tomorrow we go to the far west. The conditions there are suppose to be much worse for the Haitian people. it is difficult to imagine worse than this.

February 15, 2007

We have just arrived in Port au Paix after spending three days participating in the mobile clinic. The villages get medical care only once a year so the line ups to see the doctors are extremely long.

Chairs are set up to accommodate the waiting patients and a tarp is installed above their heads to protect them from the blistering heat. They all wait patiently. Every time one person goes in everybody stands and moves down one seat in preparation of their turn in the clinic.

The doctors, nurses and the support medical team work tirelessly. They diagnose, prescribe, pray and educate.They take the time to talk if that is all that is needed. And always with gentleness, no matter how busy or hot it gets. They extend their hours so that they can see everyone.

We as a camera crew were here as observers but we too get sucked into the work. We count medicine or rock babies to give a tired mother a break or make completely goofy noises just to make the children laugh (the goofy noises are always courtesy of the cameraman Peter)

Halfway through the day we were getting a little punchy and hungry. Peter offered Kim, the director, a power-bar. She bites into and moans about how good it tastes. Peter turns to her and says "Good it was in my bum" I know! Childish humour. But we have laughed about that until our sides ached for days. Everything and anything now has been in Peter's bum.

On a more serious note, the people of Haiti are lovely. I am falling in love with this country. Poverty is rampant but there is no shortage of beauty in the land or in the Haitian people.

So from my tent on top of the orphanage in Port au Paix ( that is where we are staying) I wish all of you a good night.

February 18, 2007 2:00 am



I am back in Toronto. I am not taking anytime adjusting to the temperature change. I leave in less than 24 hours for Liberia AFrica.



I want to thank The Northwest Haiti Christian Mission for bring our hosts in Haiti. The medical assistance you are providing in invaluable. I also want to thank my wonderfully motley crew. Our last night sitting on the wall by the ocean in Port au Paix will always be a breath in my life.

I would like to finish my Haiti experience with what I will call "Things I Learned i Haiti".

"Things I Learned i Haiti".

1) Countries should never be judged internationally by their extremist groups. The Haitian people I encountered were warm friendly and helpful.

2) The missions in Haiti do amazing work but Haiti needs more than temporary help from foreign aid groups. The world needs to look at Haiti with new eyes and start importing Haitian goods.

3) Celine Dion is very popular in Haiti.

4) I learned what Haitian women believe of very tall Canadian Sound men. ( needless to say Stevied is walking proudly)

5) Extreme poverty ,is heartbreaking and the global community needs to look at countries they have shunned or forgotten and work with the people to remedy the situation.

6) Sleeping on a roof is good for your soul

7) Haitian oranges are the sweetest I have ever tasted

8) Some of the most unusual and creative names I have ever heard are in Haiti. Innocence, Shilove, Elveus, Fortunela. Wow. When the director would ask someone their name and then give hers they always laughed. "Mon nom est Kim."

9) Creole is a beautiful language. Elveus, a young man who grew up at the mission wrote a Creole English dictionary, I bought several and plan to learn Creole for when I return to Haiti.

10) Humour is a great release when you are surrounded by hardship. Charlie Brown (the newly dubbed camera man) was gifted at making everyone laugh.

11) Who ever your God is, prayer is not enough for Haiti. Peaceful action needs to be taken

So with that I leave Haiti, although a piece of it will always be in my heart keeping me warm wherever I go.

On to Liberia!

February 20, 2007 If this is Tuesday this must be Belgium. We are on our way to Liberia with Lifewater. We are following Rev Bill Versteeg as his group digs wells to provide safe water in Liberia, Africa. We flew Etihad Airlines which was amazing. Like being in first class in most other airlines. My crew is different this time. I have a greenhorn sound-man who is at this minute experiencing his first moments outside of North America and the Frenchman who Stevied has dubbed Clouseau. (this had to do with a few pronunciation issues in Hebron.) So here i am in Brussels on a day layover,barely home from Haiti, with Greenhorn and Clouseau on a train speeding towards the centre of the city.

February 21, 2007

We arrived in Monrovia after dark. The fires burning all along the road we traveled in our open air pick up truck mixed with the smell of the vegetation to create a aura that in my memory will always be Africa. Huge termite hills akin to giant sandcastles line the roadside and UN forces are very present.

Pulling up to the house we will be staying in for the next 10 days we hear the roar of the ocean and marvel at the numbers of stars that are gracing the sky.
The humidity hangs heavy in the air but it does not dampen our excitement as we pinch ourselves and say, We are in Africa!

February 25 2007

Africa! Wow! What a place this is. Liberia is a country that is recovering from a recent ,brutal civil war. Buildings are riddled with bullet holes. People who are returning from refugee camps are living in squalor in abandoned buildings. Disease from unsafe drinking water is killing the population.

In all of this, all of this pain there is incredible hope. Lifewater is one source of that hope. The drilling of wells to provide safe drinking water for forgotten villages is one step on the way to reviving Liberia. Lifewater is run by Liberians, they hire and train Liberians to drill and maintain the wells. The sense of pride in the work they are doing extends to pride in their country and in themselves. Recovery is beginning.


We attended a celebration for the installation of the 200th Lifewater well. There was a 150 voice choir that when they sang, the most overpowering feeling of joy filled the air. It gave me goose-bumps. It was the sound of hope, the sound of healing , the sound of reconciliation, it was the sound of peace.

February 26, 2997


Can you remember what you loved doing when you were ten years old? I am sure everyone of us has some warm fuzzy moment that brings a smile to our lips with the mere memory.

Today I met three young men who were robbed of any warm tender moments. Two of them had been grabbed by rebels at age ten and forced to fight in the Liberian civil war. The other young man watched his mother whipped, beaten and raped. His anger drove him into the rebels camp.

Three young men sitting by the ocean in a country with a new found peace. They are trying to integrate. They crave education. They hold no malice for those who stole their youth,. They spoke highly of the rebels that changed their lives.

A reflection of war in three faces.

This is their life. This is their reality. This is Liberia.

February, 28

I am on a plane headed back to Brussels. I have the red dirt of Liberia in my veins now.

This morning before leaving we travelled to the Lost Villages". Jarrod, the Greenhorn sound man was able to join us after a severe bout of running stomach. The lost villages are a series of small communities that are isolated by the barely passable roads that link them. We were in Liberia during the dry season , so with careful maneuvering over two log bridges and giant crevices and other obstacles we were able to visit at least twenty villages.

The houses are painted with images of the villagers life in Liberia. A lot of images of war. In these rural areas the rebels had a stronghold and there was a lot of death and destruction. The need for water in the villages is critical. Lifewater was assessing the practicalities of drilling in the villages.
Our host for the tour was a wonderful Liberian Pastor, Robert Bimba. A very Charismatic man whose sister runs one of the many orphanages in Monrovia.Today at the end of the tour, as we were arriving back in Monrovia, a rock was thrown through the window of our car smashing it sending glass flying everywhere. Robert, in a split second grabbed me and had me down on the floor. This quick reflex served as a reminder that he is practiced in response to violence. A sad and overwhelming fact of life in Liberia.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of riding on the back of his motorcycle to visit the orphanage. Being on the back of the bike with the wind in my hair and the dust of liberia in my eyes holding tight to Robert as we made our way down winding dirt roads, was one of the highlights of my trip.

So now here is what I learned in Liberia,

1) Sometimes the fastest way to healing, is letting bygones be bygones
2) Francois AKA Clouseau the camera man enjoys confession sitting on the lap of a pastor in an overcrowded taxi
3) Water is the link to life
4) Faith is only truly faith if it has been tested
5) Shaking hands is an art form in Liberia. (watch the show to understand)
6) If you have a very large spider in your room don't ask Jarrod to catch it, he will scare it under your bed.
7) When the ravages of war are daily reminder of past brutalities, hope is the most powerful tool for reconciliation
8) Liberia is a country with a heartbeat that should be heard around the world.
9) Humanitarian aid should move a country ahead not keep the status quo. Lifewater moves the country into the future.
10) Some Liberians think we are banned from taking photographs in Canada because we feel he need to take so many there.
11) I will return to Liberia, it is now and forever in my soul.

So from the skies, I wish you a goodnight. Time to sleep.

March 2, 2007
Sitting in my hotel room in Brussels I begin to wonder how I will go back to life in Canada. I have tasted so many flavours of life it seems strange to go back to the same thing day after day. I won't have to deal with it anytime soon as I leave in less than a week for Guatemala, but the time will come when I touch down for good.

The experience of every minute, good and bad, has changed who I am. I am no longer "room service Holt Renfrew girl" I can now sleep with rats, eat things that I don't recognize, take freezing cold showers while very large spiders look on and even use extremely dubious toilets (okay the toilet thing I don't think I could get used to ).

Every person I have met has become a part of me. I am a Canadian, a Haitian, a Palestinian, a Colombian and a Liberian and I have to say it feels good.

March 11, 2007

We are in Guatemala We left the large pieces of ice falling from the CN tower to follow Dan Vogt, a Catholic Priest, who has an NGO that is helping the indigenous people of Guatemala hold on to their land that is being appropriated by a Canadian mining company.

After a long flight we were treated to a 61/2 hour bus ride from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios, a port city i the north of Guatemala. I am traveling this time with Stevied (The Oak) and Francois (Clouseau) so life is interesting. Between the hair gel of Stevied, and the eccenticities of Clouseau, there is never a dull moment.

We arrived at our hotel after dark and I must say it didn't look like the photos on the web but we were tired and there were beds, so it felt instantly like home.

Our first morning we were up early to travel with Father Dan to a small Qiechi village, La llorona for meeting of 14 village representatives all of whom want to stand united to keep from having their land appropriated by the Canadian Mining companies.

To get to the village we had a 2 hour trek through the jungle. It was quite a trek. Up and down through the mud, across rivers, along narrow embankments all the time trying not to wilt in the heat or be eaten alive by the ravenous mosquitos who seem to enjoy fresh Canadian meat.

It was interesting to hear Canada mentioned over and over in the meeting. We have become so accustomed to all the blame for the world's woes falling squarely on the shoulders of the U.S., that it was a wake up call to be face to face with the people who our country, our seemingly innocent country are harming.

These charming villages will not be the same if the mining companies move in. The peaceful, environmentally intelligent way of life that the indigenous people of Guatemala hold onto so proudly will be destroyed by North American infiltration.

It is something to think about. How can we stay proudly Canadian when we are doing things that no one should be proud of.

March 16, 2007

Here I am in Guatemala City. We have finished filming. The crew has gone home but I have stayed behind for a little R and R. A friend from Colombia was supposed to join me but his tyrannical boss wouldn't give him the three hours off he needed to be able to catch his plane. He will try to come standby tomorrow.

Speaking of tyrannical, the situation in Guatemala is fragile. The Canadian mining company Sky Resources has absolutely no respect for the indigenous people of Guatemala. Inco was no better 26 years ago. We interviewed a woman whose husband was assassinated and there was no investigation. She was left with 4 small children and no where to turn. She is fearful now as she sees the mining company repeating history. The forced evictions, the taking of community leaders names and the constant intimidation.

We attended a gathering of Mayan-Q'eqchi' people and on a rooftop, men were lying down like snipers, with their guns trained on the peaceful demonstration.

I am amazed, that with how Canada has represented itself in the past, the Q'eqchi' were at all welcoming to us. But they were. They needed to have their voices heard. And we heard them loud and clear. And now every Canadian needs to have their voices heard demanding an end to the human rights violations here in Guatemala.

Next time you get a Canadian nickel in your hand think about that woman and her 4 small children. Is it worth it?

March 17, 2007


Most of my reports from Guatemala have been rants. I guess I am so appalled at the conduct of the Canadian Company it was the only thing I could focus on. But now, I am by the pool in Antigua and I am feeling Margarita mellow.

This trip had it's moments. One of the most memorable and it will be something that make me laugh for years to come was Steveid standing in the back of a pick -up truck riding through the streets of El Estor. He is holding on to a bar across the back and waving to people shouting "Hola". He turns to me and says" I fell like a dictator". I turned around and he really looked like a dictator. For the rest of the trip, at indiscriminate times, I would just start laughing like a hyena at the thought of Steveid with his blue sunglasses in the dictator pose.

It has to be said that traveling with boys changes the way you look at everything. You learn to be very careful about what comes out of your mouth, because basically these boys are pigs. Adorable pigs, but pigs all the same.

I am here by myself now but I kinda miss the sound of the piggies in the yard.

We will meet again in Arizona.

March 22, 2007


After seeing Stevieds comment I was reminded that I did not list the things that I learned in Guatemala.
So here goes...Things I learned in Guatemala

1) Boys are pigs, no matter how perfect and intellegent they think they are.
2) Stevied doesn't want people to see him in his underwear (he used the hair gel excuse to avoid jumping in the pool with the rest of us)
3) Canada is not innocent.
4) Never ever drink Tequila with Mexicans especially if they bring three bottles to the table.
5) Guatemala has the best hot sauce in the world.
6) If you are Colombian you will be unfairly judged by your passport.
7) Money is the great corrupter and people who live to acquire more of it, don't care who they hurt.
8) Canadians especially ones with pension plans, need to open their eyes to how our country behaves internationally and make our voices heard to change it's bad behaviour.
9) There are a lot of Ice Cream stores in Guatemala.(Stevied ate at everyone of them)
10) Too many countries suffer the shame of treating their indigenous people badly.
11) Some Priests drive like race car drivers.
12) Guatemala is a gentle country with breathtaking scenery and beautiful people.

And now on to Arizona.

March 28, 2007

We are in Arizona. We have a new crew member for this episode. Dan the director. He has sadly jumped willingly into the sty with the other piggies .I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the self-proclaimed "A team" , Stevied and Francois. We are being a little spoiled on this trip as we are staying in a hotel with a pool and a hot tub. It is a far cry from our other accomodations. I hope it doesn't make the "A team" soft.

On this trip we are following John Fife a very well spoken, handsome Presbyterian minister who works with the Samaritans on the Arizona Mexico border. The Samaritans provide humanitarian aid for the undocumented migrants crossing into the USA.

The desert is breathtakingly beautiful but quietly treacherous. There are rattlesnakes which can strike in 1/10 of a second, scorpions, bandidos and drug runners. The terrain which is littered with rocks, cactus and prickly brush is difficult to navigate and the temperature can vary by 50 degrees in one day. Even with all of these dangers the migrants set out to make the 4 to 5 day trek to a better life for their families.

Yesterday we visited the Nogales project which is a hospitality center for the migrants who have been caught and returned to to the Mexican side of the border. Th volunteers give them soup, water bandage feet, give out new socks. One man sat in the center for hours with a look of complete and total dejection in his face. Being returned across the border is devastating when your family put all their hope in you.

We were there for a few hours and 6 busloads of people were dumped back in Mexico. Most of them will try again. Some have jobs they have been working at in the USA for upwards of 10 years. Maybe a family member was sick so they returned to Mexico and now they can't get back to their home in the states.

What is wrong with this picture?.

March 30, 2007


This episode has been a lot harder on my emotional well-being than I had anticipated. I guess I thought I will be in Arizona, how bad can it be? I have seen so much pain and injustice these past months, I was looking forward to an easier situation. I was so wrong.

Yesterday we walked a part of the migrant trail looking for migrants in trouble. We met this one young man who had been walking for two days. He had been traveling with a group but because he was injured he couldn't keep up, and was left behind. He was tired and cold and hungry. He was walking along the main road hoping to be picked up, just to end the misery he was in. We gave him food and water and money so he could make a phone call.

After we left him on the road it hit me hard. Once again the inequality of the world became overwhelming. People who have so much, actively try to keep others from having the same things. We oppress others to keep our standard of living. But what standard are we living to?

As I sit by the pool at my comfortable hotel I have to own up to being part of the problem.

Dan, the director, newest member of the sty gave us a problem yesterday. We were returning form the border and we became displaced. Notice I say displaced not lost. This is Dan's term. The difference? If you are lost you don't know where you are but if you are displaced you know where you are it just isn't where you are supposed to be.

We were at the top of a mountain about 4 hours from our hotel. It was the desert ,so, as the sun went down so did the temperature. I have to say though, the sunset from the top of the mountain looking over the great expanse of desert was absolutely brilliant.

We all made it back tired, hungry and in dire need of tequila. The tequila was taken care of first. So good night from the Arizona desert as I drift into my tequila dreams.

Tomorrow we meet the minutemen.

April 2, 2007


I am finally heading home. Our flight was cancelled on Saturday so we were forced to spend a couple of days sitting by a pool in th sun at the expense of the airline. Poor us. Stevied was a little bit crabby about the delay but only because he would have rather been delayed in Vegas where we were flying through. A couple of nice looking girls in bikinis by the pool cheered him up.

My time at the pool gave me time to reflect on the past week. That is in between the cheers as director Dan used my laptop to watch a Raptors game pool side. I was exposed to So much basketball in so little time. Even John Fife, the minister we were following and his wife were basketball fans. I spent a little time looking for a Phoenix Suns hat to make Steveid happy. Sorry Steve couldn't find one.

Now back to reflection by the pool. You know who am I kidding. I did no reflecting , I lay by the pool listening to my ipod getting a tan. I would have gone in swimming but the water was too cold. Sometimes deep thought is not in the cards.

I do know that the A team has a new member. Director Dan has officially been inducted. I know that Francois lights up like a Christmas tree when his girlfriend arrives in town and I know that Stevied is my favorite sound guy even when he is crabby.

I am sure that once I hit the cool air in Toronto my brain will restart and I will be able to understand the things i learned in Arizona. Until then I have a vodka and cranberry waiting for me while I wait to board my plane.

April 18, 2007

I am leaving for Liberia again. This time we are following Rev Jervis Witherspoon who is the The Executive Director of the Liberian National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (NCDDRR) . We will be following his work on the reintegration of child soldiers.

This time we are traveling with extra bags. Two contain school supplies for Robert Bimbas brothers orphanage and the other is from Theresa Foley of Human Wave and it is full of supplies and gifts for the people we met in February while in Liberia.

I am so looking forward to returning to Liberia and taking another ride on the back of Robert Bimbas motorcycle down the red roads of Africa.

I am traveling once again with the "A-Team" so I am preparing myself for the onslaught of male silliness that will certainly plague me the entire time we are away. At least this time there will be no basketball.

April 18, 2007

I realize I never posted the things I learned in Arizona. I have been so busy setting up the last two shoots that I could never find the time. But now that airplane tickets are booked and I know where I am staying in Liberia and Manila I have time to reflect.

So here goes.. Things I learned in Arizona

1) Most important. Never kick a cactus. It wasn't me personally who learned the lesson but I think Dan will carry the memory of cactus needles in his toes for a long time (A-Team?)
2) Wealthy countries need to open their eyes and find a way to equalize the economic conditions in this world
3) Never pretend to be a minuteman in a Mexican Restaurant. (Again not me)
4) A cowboy hat looks very good on some ministers
5) A Canadian plays for the Phoenix Suns
6) Some people have so much inner strength they are willing to overcome great odds to help their families
7) If you walk across the American border from Mexico and you have blonde hair they don't ask to see your passport
8) The desert is very cold at night
9) Standing at a shrine created by people who are on a journey of hope can move you to tears.
10)I don't like swimming in very cold swimming pools.

ANd now off to Liberia

April 20,2007
Liberia is more beautiful than I remembered about 100 degrees hotter. Robert Bimba picked us up at the airport. It was good to see a familiar face after 24 hours of travel.


We spent the evening blowing off steam singing the worst Karaoke ever . I think I heard Liberians in the bar were chanting "Canadians go home." Not really, they seemed to somehow enjoy our very spirited yet terrible renditions of any song we could butcher.

The people here are honestly some of the most beautiful in the world,. Everyone has a kind word or a friendly smile and when we go anywhere we are made to feel as though we are honored guests. No other country that we have been to has offered the same hospitality. I recommend Liberia for your next vacation.

April 25, 2007

Let me start by saying I love Liberia. This country speaks to me. It is hot and Humid and the mango trees are heavy with fruit. There are these strange animals on the grounds of where we are staying. Stevied says they look like they are a cross between a deer and a rat. In Liberia they are called Falling Tongas but they are Jentinks Ogilby Duiker the rarest from of deer in the world.

There are a lot of rarities in Liberia. The people are unusually beautiful and their attitude about dealing with the suffering of post war is unmatched. We have been interviewing ex combatants (child soldiers) and we are constantly amazed. There were so many factions fighting against each other in the brutal civil war and now they are all working and living side by side. The attitude is we are all brothers and sisters. We are all Liberians and there is nothing to be gained by holding grudges.

I think the rest of the world when dealing with conflict large or small can learn from the spirit of Liberia.

April 26, 2007

Busy busy day and the A-Team is starting to get on my nerves. They seem to whine and complain about every little thing lately. I know it is hot. I know the roads are bumpy. I know I know I know. Do I really need to hear it every five minutes.I also know that it not really the A Team it is me. I am, for the first time since we started this project , tired. Profoundly tired and I am being alittle too sensitve. The Team is great and it is hot and the roads are bumpy and I am just tired.

Todays shooting was amazing. We finished with an ex-combatant music group. The music is amazing. The world needs to hear the sounds these guys produce. It has occurred to me, both time I have been in Liberia , that there are some amazingly talented people here. I think they have a higher percentage of talent than most countries. have heard some of te most moving music i the world here. Okay there was a musician in Colombia that was the most talented young man I have ever met,r but in Liberia talent is on every corner, in every church and in ever back yard.

I plan to get a good night sleep so when tomorrow begins I will have a better outlook on evrythiing. So goodnight from Africa from a very tired producer.

April 27, 28, 29 2007

The long way home.

We are still in Liberia. WHy is this a surprise? Because we were supposed to fly out today. I should be on my way to London but our flight was cancelled. This is a feeling of Deja vu. First Arizona and now Liberia. But if there is a lace I have to stay longer this place would be my choice.

Tonight is particularly steamy and the air smells sweet with the vegetation. It is wonderful to walk the streets being greeted by everyone who passes. Any chance to do the Liberian handshake is welcome.

It is now the following day. Our flight has been delayed by about 4 hours. Still no word from the airline about our connecting flights out of London but they assure us they will be booked. I hope so, we leave for the Philippines in a few days from Toronto, so it won't do us any good to be in London.

The following day now. The airline Astraeus, is closed. No flights were booked for us for our connection. There are so many people in the same position. The airline has paid one night and one night only in a hotel. I am off to Heathrow airport to buy tickets out of here. I will deal with the airline on Monday.

Isn't travel fun!

May 3, 2007


We did make it home eventually from London, with no help whatsoever from Astraeus Airlines. We had to purchase new tickets to get back to Canada. I called the airline when I returned and they told me they had a representative that met the plane and that this representative remebered speaking with me. I told them they coud say that every day for a month but it still wouldn't make it true.
I will have to deal with them further when I return.

I am writing this during my 20 hour flight to the Philippines. Only 2 days between trips this time and I had to work both of them. It would be helpful if I was like white ghandi who can sleep anywhere. Menot so much" Both Steveid and I are plagued with sleeplessness on airplanes. Even with sleeping pills I only mange to close my eyes for ahlf hour, although on this flight if they show Dream Girls one more time I may laspe into a pemanent comma. They have now shown it on this plane 4 times in a row. Which leads me to the things I learned in Liberia.

1) Alien autopsy should never be shown on a plane during dinner .
2) When people have been through war their commitment to peace is unmatched
3) Short people should not try to jump over large couches
4) People who have very little are often willing to give very much
5) The international community needs to speak out very loudly against the use of child soldiers in any conflict. Eight year olds should not be dragging a gun behind them.
6) Centralized government is not the best form of government for every country.
7) If an airline company cancels your flight do not trust them to re-book your connecting flights

My eyes are getting heavy, the "Dreamgirls" marathon may have been just what the doctor ordered. Goodnight.

May 8, 2007

We have been in the Philippines for about 4 days, and I still haven't adjusted to losing a day traveling. I walk around feeling like I have forgotten something. It is also strange to be awake, when at home everyone is sleeping. Probably by the time we are leaving I will be adjusted and then I will have to re adjust when we get home.

In the Philippine, we are following Ms. Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes General Secretary of National Council of Churches in the Philippines. She is a human rights activist who faces death threats for criticizing the practices of the present Philippine government.

We are based in Manila. This city has over 8 million people. The traffic is always congested, but, even with the congestion, the driving is more than a little scary. I have adopted the crash position with my eyes tightly closed for most of the driving.

For the past two days, we have been in Laguna Province about 3 hours from Manila. It is a very rural area and we were staying with a Filippino family. At night they took us to an open lot where everyone sat around on chairs , sang Karaoke and drank moonshine. The white Ghandi is a Karaoke superstar. Even if he has never heard the song before he makes up his own tune and scores 100. Personally I think scoring Karaoke is prohibitive, but both in Liberia and here it seems the thing to do.

Yesterday we went to visit the rainforest and the the mud springs. It was about a 2 hour drive along very precarious roads and then a half hour walk through the rainforest to the steaming hot 80 degree mud springs.As soon we reached the springs at the end of the half hour walk there was a torrential downpour. Walking back for cover I kept thing I can't get any wetter but then I did. And I was wearing very light linen pants so by the time we reached the car I may as well have been naked because everything was sheer with the rain and sticking to me like glue. Bad fashion choice for a rainforest.

I know I haven't said anything about the problems in the Philippines but I think it is because right now I am suffering from misery overload. My next entry will say more.But the one thing I have learned here so far is that what you say can get you killed.

May 9, 2007

The Philippines is a country that lives with constant threats bubbling beneath the surface, I f not yourself, your life has been touched by someone who has been threatened or even gunned down in the street. This is a country that speaking out against government policy puts you on the list... the list that will get you killed.

Some of the pastors we met ,know full well that their days are numbered, but still they continue to oppose the government policies that rape the environment or deny citizens basic human rights. They need more than these few dedicated voices. Look into Amnesty International. Write a letter, join a campaign, get angry. It is time to stop the extra judicial killings. No country should have to live in fear.

There is in the Philippines something that was so scary it was a feature on :Fear Factor" It has become a way for the Filipinos to amuse themselves with foreigners. It is the ultimate food test...."THE BALUT".
Stevied was sleeping again (maybe being 6 ft 5 triggers some special sleep circuit in the brain) so White Ghandi and I ventured out for dinner. We had heard of this food challenge upon our arrival in the Philippines but had somehow luckily avoided the opportunity to test our strength of stomach.

We chose a nice unassuming restaurant, just a short walk from the hotel. We got our menus and there on the first page, under appetizers was..."THE BALUT"
. We looked at each other, we took a deep breath, we repeated in a whisper "we can do this" and we ordered..."THE BALUT" Meanwhile Stevied is still sleeping all snug in his bed while visions of sugarplums danced in his head.

We sipped our drinks, white Ghandi told a spiritual story or two but the tension was mounting. Should we turn back, get up and run, time was running out soon it would arrive...THE BALUT.

And then out of the corner of my eyes I saw it enter the room. It was sizzling and dripping in gravy. The waiter set it down in front of us and slowly moved away to join the other watchful eyes of the wait staff giggling behind their hands waiting to see if our courage would hold out.

THE BALUT looked at us and we at it. Then with an act so audacious, I was in mild shock,White Ghandi swooped in took THE BALUT on his fork and bit into it. I quickly followed suit. I really wish I hadn't. The taste was indescribable, leaning toward highly unpleasant, I gagged but with a quick gulp of Ice Tea THE BALUT was gone. I would like to say I was as brave as WHite Ghandi who ate most of one but I only managed a sad little portion. We saved the final BALUT for sleeping beauty who was now awake and arriving at the restaurant. He flatly refused to try it so White Ghandi and I alone walk with our heads held high knowing we beat the dreaded BALUT.

Oh I suppose you would want to know what BALUT is. You know it is too fresh to talk about. I need time to forget.