Word for the Travel Wise (05/06/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’ve been thinking a lot about the islands these days and I don’t know why exactly. My frequent flyer mileage is just to the point of letting me have another partially free vaca out on some sunny Caribbean beach, but which one and when? I won’t be making any decisions today, but I know this much – I want to go to an island where the national language is not English and I’ll be looking to spend two weeks at the very least. And just because I’m picking Haiti to bring you the word of the day, don’t think I’m marking it high on my list, but the other country sharing the same island space with a different lang is looking rather appealing. Until then I’ll keep on dreaming.

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

Voryen (n) – Vagabond (could also be used in Haiti as vakabon)

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite, il/zile

Word for the Travel Wise (03/07/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

It seems I’m doomed. Shaking all these Soca lyrics from my brain is going to be a tough task to tackle even when I return home. I’ve been known to get a song or two stuck in my head for days and nights. The worst one ran for a 15 day period where I would either hum or burst out the tune of “Son of A Preacher Man.” It was horrible. Luckily this one isn’t too bad and while I have the song’s words running throughout my mind I figured I’d make some use of this moment by incorporating it into the word of the day.

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

il, zile – island

The song in my head is Nadia Batson’s One Island where the chorus has the catchy line; “From one island, to another island” and repeat about five times. So today while I’m here in Trinidad I figured I’d give a little love to another island in addition to making island the word for the day.

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite

Word for the Travel Wise (01/29/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

With all the hoo-rah in the media about Oprah feeling “duped” by author James Frey of A Million Little Pieces I started thinking of other books in her prized Book Club. There was one novel I had read a while back, Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat which aided in developing some first ideas about Haiti. Fueled by her own experiences growing up as a young girl in the country, Danticat creates a rather vivid and touching piece of enjoyable literature recommended for anyone with an interest in Haitian art, culture, reading, and language. There are a few words one might pick up and shelf for later use. Maybe on a volunteer vacation to the country?

Today’s word is a Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

evite – avoid

Haitian Creole is a language based off the French language and the two are both official langs of the country. When I saw this word I found it interesting because I had just recently received an E-vite from a friend of mind and here this word is similar in spelling (not sure of pronunciation), but quite opposite in meaning. At first I thought finding language learning resource son the web would be difficult considering it’s hard to find a good tourism site, but to my surprise there are a number of good ones.

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Jolie & Pitt in Haiti

by Adrienne Wilson on

It was only yesterday I stood in a convenient store griping about tabloids and those who obsess about the lives of stars, especially Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The multiple headlines regarding Jen, Brad, Angelina, their parents, the adopted children, and the other blah blah makes me want to gag. Who really cares? Now that I’ve confessed how much the two names (only when mentioned in gossipy glossy covers) make my stomach turn, I’d like to take my turn at siting the celebrity pair’s whereabouts. Am I hypocrite? Of course not. The couple recently visited Haiti which involves travel so I’m letting it sneak through the cracks. Haiti is a country that doesn’t capture the attention of most tourists so this could be pretty cool for the country and serious ‘Bradgelina’ followers. According to this ABC news piece the two actors plan on visiting the country over and over again and Haitian-born hip-hop star Wyclef Jean thinks highly of their visiting during times of insecurity.

A Place to Stay In Haiti

by Adrienne Wilson on

Haiti, for some reason rarely comes to mind when trying to find a new destination to explore. That’s just me however. A friend of mine who isn’t Haitian has been twice and wants to go back. So there must be other’s like him and if so I’m sure they’d be happy to learn of some cozy spots to rest their heads.

If I found myself touring the country I would certainly like to stumble into the charming New Orleans style city of Jacmel. Noted as one of the countries prettiest cities and less rambunctious locations, the uncommon tourist will find plenty to see and do in Jacmel. There are many small art galleries tucked inside old mansions and beautiful white sand beaches to laze on after checking out the cities Victorian surroundings. Discover Haiti has a nice list of places to crash while visiting the area. Most accommodations seem fairly basic so I wouldn’t expect all inclusive resort action. Though I’m sure you won’t be roughing it either. Consider it a nice place to stay in Haiti.