On the Best Lazy Sunday Ever

It was Maite’s last day as a resident of Haiti before starting a new adventure in Montreal.  I got up early and started my pancake-making routine.  In mid-assembly, realized I had no eggs.  A few very silly Skype minutes with my parents later, I steeled myself for an eggless and unglorious outlook for breakfast.  Just then, Maite stumbled out of the guest bedroom in search of coffee.  Oh-oh.  No coffee.  No coffee on a Sunday morning?  Say it ain’t so!  We reluctantly looked towards the tea cupboard. 

Saved by a ringing telephone!  It was friend Emily.  “Watcha doooo-ing…?”  She was fishing for something with which to fill her Sunday.  After confirming that she had eggs, I hailed her over with instructions to bring supplies for the day. 

Banana-walnut pancakes were made with sides of bacon and mango and we settled into the living room to tuck in.  We talked about fraud.  Fraud in Haiti.  Fraud in organizations working here.  Fraud among co-workers.  There is a lot of money pouring into Haiti and while the government may not be equipped to absorb it, that doesn’t mean it isn’t getting sucked up.  The country hasn’t earned a name as one of the most corrupt countries in the world time and time again for nothing (Somalia, watch your back).  And if you thinking talking about fraud on a Sunday morning sounds depressing or heavy….it actually was kind of like an anthropological discourse on perplexing local practices.  It was fascinating and shocking enough to illicit some dramatic intakes of breath from me.

Phone rang again.  Friend Emmett this time, en route with coffee.  Sunday is saved!

Coffee was made, new batch of bacon was turned to carbon (Emmett stepped away to add his two cents to our discussion) and it was time for…..Blockbusters!  That’s right!  I had no idea what it was, either.  But from her goodie bag, Emily pulled out a board game that set the other two clapping with delight (that’s how I remember it, anyway).   Blockbusters was apparently a British trivia game show when we were kids and my three friends had fond memories.  Trust Emily to have the board game version.  In Haiti.  Along with the game show music to accompany it on her iPod.  So we broke into teams with Emily as the announcer and as I recall, Maite and I thrashed Emmett soundly.  Because I’m the one telling the story.

Maite as a beer model

Several enthusiastic rounds later, we took a break to quench our thirst with the latest batch of beer, an English Strong Pale Ale called Stay a While.  Then we did what is probably the most common expat social activity (after eating and drinking): we each pulled out our laptops and swapped TV episodes and movies. 

We drifted in and out of our sofa command center as the breezy afternoon turned to evening.  Best lazy Sunday ever.