just another day.....

Another Haiti first! Today, (when I am the only one in administration left on the compound!) Cecile comes up and says that the new kerosene stove we bought them (and only gave to them like yesterday!) has flames shooting out of it and the flames are going higher than the pot and making everything black. My first logical thought was - turn it down! - well turns out they had never touched the volume to start with - so I went down (knowing NOTHING about these new stoves!) and there in the corner of the front gallery is this stove with flames coming out everywhere! and it is sitting next to the propane stove & two propane tanks! So first things first - GET THE PROPANE TANKS FAR AWAY FROM THE OPEN FLAME!!!! Then I called over our security guy and asked him to try and turn it off - No luck - flames still coming out. We (okay - so maybe it was only Odner!) took off the pot and moved it away and I called Karen! The staff were all telling me to throw water on it but not knowing anything about kerosene, other than it is a flammable gas, I wanted to wait till I asked someone who knew more about it than I did. I also knew that throwing water on it wasn't going to turn off the flow of kerosene coming from the stove! So I get ahold of Karen and she is trying to talk to me and drive in Port au Prince at the same time, while following closely behind Nicolas who was in our truck in front of her! Luckner tells her to tell me that it is okay to put a little bit of water on the flame and then try and shut off the valve to the tank. Easier said than done! First off - it was hot and flames are coming out all over so I didn't want to get too close. First dose of water did nothing - it just boiled and steamed as soon as it hit the metal! Then I threw the whole bowl of water on top and it stopped the flame but the flames coming out the bottom and side where the knob is was still going strong - so another bowl of water and finally all flames are extinguished. But (isn't there always a but!) I could still smell the gas and had to figure out how to close the valve from the tank. The knob was HOT so using a rag, I tried turning but it turns both directions so couldnt' figure out if I was opening it more or actually closing it and of course, anyone who has actually used the stove kept saying that they didn't know which way to turn it! Just turn till it feels like it won't turn anymore!! Right - best piece of advice I have ever received!

So then I asked Claudy to help me carry it over to the far side of the yard where it will sit and wait for Nicolas to return from Port. Then I got a propane tank and hooked it up to the propane stove and told the mommies to wait atleast 15 mins before lighting the stove so that all the gas in the air could evaporate.

Life in Haiti is never dull!!