How to get Giggles in Haiti

Believe it or not this mask is NOT how to get giggles in Haiti, I just knew his cuteness would make you giggle! Each week we head out to new school or orphanage. This past week we were in a town called Cabaret. I opened the program with, "I am from Convoy of Hope." The room roared with laughter. I gave my translator a look like, 'did you just say what I said or did you tell a joke?!' I repeated myself, I am from Convoy! More giggles. I checked my fly, I looked behind me to see what my team might be doing, no clues!

Convoy means two things here in Haiti... 1. food 2. gas

We ask the kids about their favorite foods and many times they just shout, "convoy." You manje Convoy (eat Convoy). They have no idea that Convoy of Hope is a faith based organization with a driving passion to feed the world thru disaster response, community outreaches, children's feeding initiatives, and partner resourcing!

They equate the word convoy with food. "Convoy is coming" means food is coming.

The second thing convoy means here in Haiti is gas... and not the kind for your car! Evidently after eating the convoy (food) there's a flatulence problem. And by that I mean....

Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply (in American English) gas. The gases are expelled from the rectum in a process colloquially referred to as "passing gas", "breaking wind" or "farting". Flatus is brought to the rectum by the same peristaltic process which causes feces to descend from the large intestine. The noises commonly associated with flatulence are caused by the vibration of the anal sphincter, and occasionally by the closed buttocks.

Yep Beans, beans, good for the heart....

So when the classroom becomes odorous here in Haiti, you might hear this, "Who convoyed?" (Seriously. I'm not making this up!)

So, when I got up and said, I'm from Convoy , I said one of two things....

I made a fat joke... I'm full of food, I'm from food, I'm made of food eat me.

OR I'm from a toot. I have to toot. I stink. (You get the idea I'm sure ... gas plus students =s laughter, so this is how you get giggles in Haiti, just tell them you're from Convoy!

From now on, I'll stick to I'm Mary Beth or sometimes I just tell them my name is Yor Beautiful, because sometimes you just need to feel good about yourself ya know?