#cabilde

When you’re part of an exclusive club of 8 million people isolated on one third of an island (Haitian), your perception of the world and of yourself can be quite insular. Maybe it’s not just Haitians that think the entire world revolves around them, but alas I can only speak to the Haitian experience. It feels like a gigantic slap in the face the first time you tell someone “I’m from Haiti” and their reaction is “Ahhh, and where is that?” You’re shocked that such ignoramus dares to roam the world, but you eventually realize that it’s the norm. Your country is after all just one third of a Caribbean island with only 8 million inhabitants. Armed with this reality check, you then become intrigued whenever you meet a fellow traveler who actually knows of Haiti, because their stories can be quite intriguing. I met one such traveler in Cordoba, Argentina.

Cordoba was my next stop after Buenos Aires on my journey towards northern Argentina. I only had one day to spend in the city so as soon as I hopped off the night bus from Bs As, I set to explore town. I found a lot of the elements I loved about Bs As, in Cordoba: cafes everywhere, Spanish colonial architecture, lush green parks, quirky public art  and a strong political memory especially of the dictatorship. Cordoba did have a more laid back feel to it, and I still want to kick myself for missing out on the fun college town nightlife it offers.

While visiting one of the parks, an American tourist stopped me to ask for directions, which was pretty ironic considering that I absolutely did not look like a local, and I had no idea where I was headed myself. We started swapping travel war stories which lead to the obligatory “where are you from?”

-I'm from Haiti

-My sister named her son a traditional Haitian name

-Really?????? Which one

-Hankasel

(Eyes wide open and checking my ears to see if I heard correctly)

-???? Can you repeat that?

-Hankasel

-Oh, (silence) OK