Haitians in the USA vs. Haitians in Haiti

There is a huge difference between Haitians in the USA and Haitians in Haiti:

Haitians in the USA, most of them, have MORE money BUT no time to enjoy it... Haitians in Haiti, most of them, have more time but NO money to enjoy it...

Haitians in the USA want to go back home to Haiti because they value time more than money... Haitians in Haiti want to go the USA because they value money more than time...

But what is time without money? What is money without time?

Let me tell you a story...

One day, I decided to go to "Savann a Pal" (country side of Maissade Haiti) to give a surprise visit to Matant Regette, my mother's older sister. When I got there, I saw something that made me feel sorry for my mother back in New York, except I could not explain that to my aunt, 'Matant Regette', she wouldn't understand...

As I tip-toed into her tiny two-room countryside house, I saw my aunty laying peacefully on her back, her hands behind her head, her feet crossed, napping next to an open window in the middle of the day with NOT a single problem in the world!!! The lady got no bills... NONE... Aint no kidnappers or zenglendos on the country side!

"What my mother would give for a nap like this," I thought!

Before waking her up, I quickly pictured my mother, saying "Waiiiiiii" (the universal 'I am so tired' cry of Haitians living in the States) in her modern kitchen in New York, trying to quickly cook something before heading back out for yet another task in her busy New York lifetsyle...

Ayayay... Madanm lan bossi telman li fatige... Fi a pa ka domi lannwit telman li gen bagay pou li fe... Nan New York pa gen wozle zong pitit...

But I cannot tell my auntie that... according to all the world standards, she is the one who is poor.

Is she really???

Matant Regette and My Mother, First Reunion in 20 Years

If I could only wave a magic wand and have my mom and my auntie trade places: something very funny would happen...

They would both be very happy at first.

My mother would sleep and rest for about a week and then she would be bored. When you spend so many years working as hard as my mother and suddenly you get more then a week OFF... You wouldn't know what to do with all that time...

Plus... e chak vandredi-a pitit... She expects a check every week even thought it's not enough! Even though it will disappear by Monday morning.

As for my auntie, she would be very happy, seeing all these worldly things... Dlo glace, big screen TV, cable, internet, paved roads, oh my.... Until she realizes how much her new life actually costs... LOL...

"Kisa? Yon dola Amerikin pou 2 grenn bannann? LOL... 43 goud wi!"

"Kisa? 1,500 dola Amerikin pou kay la... Pa mwa??? 64,000 goud... mezanmi!"

"Kisa? Kisa??? 150 dola Amerikin pou yon ti sache pwovisyon??? He heyyyy... "

"Rete... mwen fek toushe vandredi-a wi, kote lajan-an pase la-a???"

"Kisa???"

"O O..."

"Rete!!!"

"Wi Fout..."

Yea... Yea... Yea... Haitians in Haiti, they all want to go to "Les Etas-Unis" but they have no idea what is waiting for them once they get there.

America IS the land of opportunity... But for whom?

As for Haitians in the USA, most of them wouldn't mind trading some of that money for a good night sleep and to wake of to the sounds of...

"Kou kou you kouuuuuu!!!!!"