10/20/09

As you may know, voodoo is common in Haiti. I normally don't see much of it myself. I do hear drums from time to time and know that it is going on, but normally I don't see it up close. Well, that all changed this week. For whatever reason, our neighbor directly across the street decided that they were going to have a voodoo ceremony. You can always tell by the sound of the drums. It is always the same exact rhythm. They also have some sort of cymbal or metal chime that they bang. Well, when this started at 6PM one evening it didn't stop all night. I don't know how one person can drum that long. I guess they have people who trade shifts. They would stop for a minute or so, but that's it. It went on for hours. I woke up in the middle of the night, and it was still going on. It was going on when I went to school, when I came home for my break and then after school. They continued for over 24 hours straight. It was a bit insane. Fortunately, we have concrete walls so it was absorbed a little. Further, my room is in the back so I didn't lose any sleep, however it was a bit annoying. I can only imagine what people with less enclosed houses think that need to go to work the next day. So much for noise ordinances! I hear they have them, but no one seemed to be enforcing it.