magic haiti - 4th edition

Moulin Sur Mer A Paradise along the CoastFranky “Unik “ ErnestUsing “Star” Power to Provide Quality EducationKaribe HotelContemporary Caribbean Chic

DECEMBER 2011

FISHERMAN AT THE ARcAdIN coAST (côTE dES ARcAdINS)

Franky “Unik “ ErnestUsing “Star” Power to Provide Quality EducationKaribe HotelContemporary Caribbean Chic

Moulin Sur Mer A Paradise along the Coast

Editor’s NoteDear Readers,

can you believe it? This is going to be my third christmas back home. Yeah! We are in the throes of the holiday season. Making a list and checking it twice. This year, after Artisanat en Fête, all those on my list will receive locally made trinkets and gifts. I am looking forward to all the family gatherings that make christmas here so special. Also looking forward to having my nephews and nieces home for the holiday, the domino and card games, the beach, the food and of course the laughter. I wish you a very Merry christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a Happy Kwanzaa and hope that you usher in the New Year in true Haitian style.

I would like to be one of the first to welcome you to Haiti. You are lucky to be in our enchanted island during the holiday season. Nightlife during this period is paramount. Revelers take full advan-tage and enjoy yourselves. As you plan your holiday agenda be sure to include our beaches.

coastal towns are inherently recreational towns, and in the december issue you will uncover La côte des Arcadins, a popular tourist destination north of Port-au-Prince with coastal climate and dis-tinctive attractions such as Fort drouet built immediately after we became an independent nation in 1804; watercress basins built during colonization; the town of St. Marc; Anse à Pirogue, known for its cliffs that rise 20 meters over superb sandy beaches; and much more. Magic Haiti’s trip to the côte des Arcadins was made possible by conseil Régional côte des Arcadins and dollar Rent a car.

In “Haïti on My Mind” you will meet a successful jet setting promoter and restaurateur whose love for his country has him enlisting the support of friends and organizations to bring about change in his native home. You will also get to know artisans and a prominent Haitian writer. Mark your calendar for on december 22nd you can attend a stand-up comedy show with well known international comics and local sensation Kako. Keep your ears to the ground for there are sure to be events taking place in the provinces.

The goal of the magazine is to promote local tourism by encouraging foreign professionals resid-ing in Haïti for whatever length of time, Haitians living in the diaspora visiting family and friends, as well as locals, to explore and discover the depth and breadth of Haïti. our country is rich in culture and more specifically in the arts.

Admittedly, Haïti may not be the island that comes to mind when planning a magical caribbean getaway for rest and relaxation or just a simple vacation, but reconsider and you will be pleasantly surprised.

By the way, obtain that unique little something for a loved one and take home a piece of Haiti.

May 2012 bring you health, peace and love.

I encourage you to simply Discover Haïti and experience the Magic!

Roxane Kerby

MAGIC HAITI DECEMBER 2011

Executive Editor Roxane Kerby 509 3492 2289 [email protected]

Copy Editors Nastasia Boulos Kristina delatour

Contributors Maureen Boyer Sherri casting Farah doura Rachele Viard Kassandra Elizée

Graphic Designers Rody Victor clarens courtois

Senior Photographer Frederick Alexis Photographer Homere cardichon

Printed by L’ Imprimeur SA

Publisher Le Nouvelliste

Advertising +509 2816-0224 / 2941-4646

[email protected]

Haiti on my mind

28Haiti by DesignWhere Cultures Collide

Franky“Unik “ Ernest

3Hot DatesStand Up for Haiti

6ArtmosphereTis the Season for Jolly… Fanals

Josiane Paillière, Embroidering, a family affair

8LamanjayPapaye, a Casual Twist on Five Star Dining

18

14EscapadeKaribe Hotel: Contemporary Caribbean Chic

Spotlight

22Why Haiti ?Jacques Marie:Renaissance Man

12On the Rise

Words in Print

Lycée Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable

Kettly Mars: The Books that write me

32

facebook.com/magichaiti

www.magichaiti.com

36

My Christmas Story 40 Stand Up


24 Moulin Sur Mer: A Paradise along the Coast

20 A Royal investment in Haiti’s Tourism Industry

Cover by daniel Kedar

3MAGIC HAITIDECEMBER 2011

Hot Dates

several times during the in-terview we both laugh uncon-trollably. His quick wit, as well as his love and passion for Haiti, is easily discernible.

Through his gift of telling jokes, he brought laughter and joy to many long before he be-gan his professional comedy career in 1994. He held a nine-to-five job and rocked the stage during his free time. Though the humor was and continues to be around the clock. Inspired by his uncle Jean Maurice Bourjolly, Kako states with pride “my uncle had real talent, mad talent, he could joke about anything, his kind of talent is one of a kind.” And like his uncle Kako loved to entertain his family and friends and kept all in stitches. His de-livery is on point, but his ability to get “in character” has always been beyond comparison, his facial expressions and body language keep your sides hurt-ing. His material is honest and most often based on life, current

Kako Paying it Forward with comedy

* Second Season will begin on Saturday, December 22nd at Karibe Hotel and will feature canadian sensations Sugar Sammy and Ron Josol

By Roxane Kerby

Jacques Bourjolly, better known to most as “KaKo,” is a popular local come-dian with a big heart and

an unbelievable dedication to promoting a positive image of Haiti. But more importantly he is committed to giving back to the community.

Prior to the interview, Kako mentions how shy he is and how he really does not like the limelight, but his God-given tal-ent has propelled him right dab in the midst of it. As I welcome and thank him for speaking with Magic Haiti, he burst out laughing and says “ayyyyyyye in-teview a en angle” (the interview is in English) while shaking his head. As you can imagine,

Stand Up Haiti*for

4 MAGIC HAITI DECEMBER 2011

events, and the situation in Haiti; like many comedians, Kako pro-vides sharp social commentary through his jokes.

In January 2009, he suffered a heart attack and underwent surgery. After his recuperation he opted to ditch his day job and attached himself to the stage for a full time career in comedy. He has never looked back.

Not one to rest on his tal-ent, he believes in hard work and always trying to reach new heights and set new goals for himself. In July 2010, after the devastating earthquake, he launched Stand Up for Haiti in an effort to expose local resi-dents to American, canadian and international comics; to bring international stars to Haiti, expose them to various aspects of Haitian culture, cuisine, and a new fan base so that in turn, they can become ambassadors and assist in demystifying the myths about Haitians and our home-land; and finally, to expose as-piring local comedians to these international stars in an effort to help these young people hone their skills.

“It is important to me that young Haitian comedians are supported and afforded oppor-tunities that enrich them both professionally and personally. That is my passion. We have quite a few talented comedians such as Maximo, Smith Egalité, and Mat-thieu Antoine and many more. Whenever possible, I provide them opportunities to showcase their talent at various events. All of our artists need to be support-ed” says Kako.

Part of the proceeds from Stand Up For Haiti help support Kako’s Smile Project, whose mis-sion is to enhance the living condi-tions of underprivileged children

living in orphanages by ensuring that their basic needs are met and that they have the necessary tools to help them succeed to become self-reliant citizens.

Since its establishment in october 2010, the Smile Proj-ect supports 67 boys residing at our Father’s House and over 85 girls and young ladies at the Foyer des Filles de dieu (Home of the daughters of God). Since its inception, it has organized several toy and shoe drives, out-ings with the children, and has even helped to “makeover” our Father’s House. To accomplish these activities, encourage civic duty, and establish dialogue, they enlist the support of privi-leged youth. The aforemen-tioned serve as mentors, tutors and even friends.

The First Season of Stand Up for Haiti was launched with explosive comedian Wil Sylvince and followed with nine shows that brought 17 international comics to Haiti including Tony Roberts, Pat Brown, cocoa Brown, etc. All of these artists have graced the stage of many of the most pop-ular televised comedy shows such as BET’s comic View, def comedy Jam, Showtime at the Appollo and more. Many of these artists returned as part of Stand Up for Haiti, while others such as Tony Roberts, returned on their own to fur-ther explore Haiti.

The Second Season will begin on Saturday, December 22nd at Karibe Hotel and will fea-ture canadian sensations Sugar Sammy and Ron Josol. Yours truly will also be there.

As we countdown to the HoHoHo, take a few hours to HaHaHa and you too shall be paying it forward.28.13.10.57

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Pétion-Ville

How to get there


Tis the Season for Jolly…

Fanalsby Taïna Mayard

Like the Piñata in Mexico, the diyas in India or the Flying Lanterns in china, the Fanal is symbolic of a festive season

in Haiti. It is, typically, a miniature lit structure (usually a church or house) made out of cardboard and decorat-ed with splendid color accents, like the glass windows in a cathedral.

This tradition is over one hun-dred years old and is rumored to have originated from West Africa. Some say that fanals were created by worshippers who needed to light the path on their way to church on christmas Eve. Though no one knows its true origins, today it is an expressive reminder that the christ-mas holidays are near. Starting as early as November, you can catch sight of them all along the road of Bourdon in Port-au-Prince. At night, they resemble a parade of multicol-ored lights.

Artmosphere


Like the Murano glass blowers in Venice, the fanal making skill is one that is transferred from one gen-eration to the next. Fran-cois Ynoce, now twenty-six, learned the trade from his older brother-in-law when he was just a young child. oth-ers learned it from the elders in their neighborhood.

Ynoce starts the process by going to the “Place Gef-frard”, downtown Port-au-Prince, to buy duplex card-board, wood sticks, a ruler, a sharp pencil, thin colored paper, an exacto knife and cobbler’s glue. He first cre-ates a wood frame (for bigger structures) or a cardboard base (for smaller ones) that will be used as a founda-tion. He then proceeds to draw the intricate details of a miniature structure on the cardboard that he later scorns with the knife. colored paper is glued on the inside of the cardboard, each section sub-sequently pasted onto the initial foundation. The key to completing a successful piece is to create an opening big enough to fit a hand and small bottle cap topped with a small lit candle.

Though most fanals are small churches and ginger-bread houses, many art-ists, like Ynoce for example, choose to make other shapes such as birds, christmas or-naments and stars. They also also vary in size; some are as tall as a cereal box, while others no bigger than a small coffee cup.

Ynoce focuses on final-izing the house-shaped fanal that he is making me, as he

announces, sadly, that due to a decrease in demand, he may not be making these fun crafts next year. “The decline of the fanal tradition started with the increasing scarcity of electricity in Haiti,” he explains. “The little houses that used to be lit with small lamps now require candles. This transition engendered the fear that keeping a fanal in the house means increasing the risk of fire. Also, tourists have a hard time packing them to take them back to their countries.” Like many of the other artists in this craft, Francois has other sources of income through-out the year, such as carving iron sculptures.

The fanal is thus an en-dangered species amongst christmas traditions. Fanal-making dexterity should be transferred from one generation to the next, but the current one is in short supply. despite this, it con-tinues to represent a festive

time in Haiti. Take a stroll down the road of Bourdon on an evening in mid-de-cember. The array of these

small cardboard structures along the road is of a vision so charmingly magical, your eyes may mist.

Spécialisé en art et artisanat haïtien depuis 1977

Specialized in haitian art and handicraft since 1977

Galerie Mar , rue Lamarre, Pétion VilleTél.:

[email protected] / [email protected]


Lamanjay

A Casual Twist on Five Star DiningPapaye

By Rachele Viard

If you are looking for the perfect up-scale gourmet dining experience during your stay in Haiti where the food is not only pleasing to the taste

buds but also to the eye, well Papaye is sure to fit the bill. It stands out as a cu-linary destination in Haiti with its ever changing menu of French cuisine with a caribbean twist.

In 2004, owners Arielle Faubert Adrien and her cousin Patricia Steed Attié opened Papaye, with the intention of offering some-thing a little different to patrons. Stepping inside Papaye you know you are in for a treat with the sleek and modern décor setting the atmosphere for your gastronomic adventure.

Papaye is a one of a kind restaurant that offers two distinct dining experiences; one


can opt for five star dining or ca-sual dining. Whether choosing to dine indoors or outdoors to enjoy your gourmet repast you’ll find an elegant ambiance. The lighting inside the restaurant is very striking. The chandeliers made of fer decoupe are eye-catching and made by chef Adrien’s twin sister, cookie Faubert Villard. Both the indoor and outdoor dining spaces are cozy. However, the inside setting is more intimate with the dim lighting and dark wooden floors set off the all white theme carried out throughout the restaurant. There are also a few tables set up in corners that allow for more pri-vacy if you are out to dinner with that special someone.

In addition, there is a Middle Eastern themed alcove decorat-ed with a U-shaped wraparound couch with tables and lots of can-dles. It is all set-off by a beautiful maroon mural with green vines painted by local artisan, Boursi-quol Jn Ulrick. The perfect place to meet for drinks with friends.

You will be able to feast on dishes such as yucca stuffed shrimp, angus grilled steak with béarnaise sauce, rack of lamb served with gruyere potatoes


Save more, do more

au gratin just to name a few. Whatever you select, your taste buds are sure to have a fiesta as chef Arielle’s passion for food and cooking comes through in all of her dishes.

The downstairs area is ideal for a more casual dining expe-rience. It has a modern south beach vibe with white couch seating lining each side of the restaurant decorated in mostly all white and covered by an awning. A mural of gray vines is painted over-head, and something also quite nice to look at are the vases turned into fish tanks that deco-rate the bar. With its own menu, you can enjoy savory meals like Kobe burgers, brick oven baked pizzas, as well as a variety of sandwiches and salads.

“To spice things up and to stay current, we change the dé-cor very often. But more impor-

tantly, our menu is revamped every three weeks to keep our patrons guessing as well as to ensure that their culinary expe-riences are ever changing” says Attié. chef Adrien, who studied at the well-known French culi-nary Institute in New York, not only creates appetizing meals, but pays a lot of attention to the plating. Her dishes are works of art that can be eaten and are oftentimes almost too beautiful to eat.

Papaye is unique and stands out. You can visit Papaye twice and have two different dining experiences. Plainly put, it is a comfortable and relaxing place, where everyone can appreciate a delicious meal.

Papaye is located at 48, Rue Metellus, Petionville. Tel: 3 558 2707/ 3771 3678


On the Rise

By Nastasia Boulos

4,992 schools were lost during the January 2010 earth-quake. close to fifty percent of the Haitian population is

illiterate. What we need most, in this time of reconstruction, are heavy investments in education. I believe that with all of my heart. And so do the founders of Hand in Hand for Haiti, a foundation that is currently completing a world-class educa-tional facility unlike anything I have ever seen in this country.

Located in Saint Marc, a commune north of la côte des Arcadins, the Lycee Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable’s collec-tion of orange painted houses surrounded by mountains looks more like a small village than an educational com-pound. The perfectly constructed buildings, gardens, path-ways and man-made lake give the impression of a resort. only the dozen or so children in uniforms playing around in the yard (while simultaneously staring at the new visitors) confirm that this is, in fact, a school.

Mr. Pierre-Marie Guinet, a Frenchman who has over twen-ty-five years of experience in education and is now working

as the school director, welcomes me into his office. My amazement at the grounds doesn’t phase him. “We like to do things a little differently here,” he says, as he begins offering details about the project. The mis-sion of the school is to provide a quality ho-listic education to its students, while at the same time promoting the development of the community as a whole. “We are not just trying to develop this school,” he says. “We are working with the mayor and people locally to help develop Saint Marc as well.”

Still under construction, but operating nonetheless, the Lycee Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable represents a significant commitment to education in Haiti. The school opened its doors on october 3, 2011 with six kindergarten classes for about 150 students ages 3 to 5, evenly split between boys and girls and spanning all social classes. one third of the stu-dents are from Saint Marc, which counts 80,000 school-age youngsters, of which only 52% have access to education. Lessons alternate daily between English and French, effec-

An Academic Oasis

On the Rise

Lycée Jean Baptiste Pointe du SableLycée Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable


tively ensuring that, by the time the students graduate, they are trilingual (most students speak creole at home). In each classroom there is one foreign and one Haitian teacher. They originate either from Saint Marc, Port-au-Prince or the United States.

At full capacity, the school will cater to about 750 students. It will start at the nursery school level (3-years old) and end at the baccalaureate level, following the 16-year Haitian curriculum. Additional upper level classes will be added each year. Eventu-ally, a professional school will be created for the older students, who want to be trained in the hospitality and management in-dustry, to increase their chances of employment in the tourist-driven côte des Arcadins.

The school will also provide basic health and psychological screening and assistance. A small infirmary is being built with re-quired equipment to administer basic health care services. There will be a fulltime psychologist specializing in early childhood development, and a nutritionist will consult with the school to ensure balanced and nutritious meals.

All of the buildings, which include classrooms, an adminis-tration office, a cafeteria and kitchen, library, and directors and teachers housing, are built according to international standards and are hurricane proof and anti-seismic. Each classroom has its own bathroom, shower and small kitchen area. computers will soon be available to the students. In the next phase of the project, science labs, as well as additional classrooms, will be added.

Several sports facilities will also be built: a soccer field (interna-tional regulation) with track (which will be accessible to the Saint Marc community), and basketball and volleyball courts.

In addition, construction materials have been selected, as much as possible, to ensure they meet “environment-friendly stan-dards”. The school plans to have a minimum of 21 acres of land replanted with indigenous trees, and the school curriculum will emphasize the need to protect the environment and to think of economic development through a long-term sustainability lens.

Even with all of these amenities, including two meals a day and uniforms, the school is entirely free of charge. costs are cov-ered by the Hand in Hand for Haiti Foundation, which fundraises through an annual grant system targeting existing corporate and individual donors. As a part of the new Haitian government’s commitment to free education, the land is state-sponsored; the school has been endorsed by the Haitian Minister of Education.

The school is named after chicago-founder Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, who is said to be from Saint Marc. Through it, Hand in Hand for Haiti may or may not play a major role in Saint Marc’s economic, social and academic progress. But it can, and does, offer at least one student an opportunity to lift him or her-self out of poverty. And that, I’d say, is already enough.

To learn more about the school, or to donate, go to www.handinhandforhaiti.com


Escapade

Karibe HotelBy Farah Doura

Entering Juvenat’s gated community and making way to a lush area at the top of a hill one arrives

at the Karibe Hotel. Spending an afternoon in this establishment, reputable in the capital and among local and international travelers, reveals more than just a lodge.

Standing in the open space where daylight shines through stylistic iron work, the lobby at the Karibe sets the tone for the kind of place I’m about to visit. In the world of hotels here, this lodge is pretty fancy: we take the elevator (most hotels in Haiti only have stairs).

First stop: the junior suite. A night spent here could defi-nitely have its benefits. With a king size bed looking plush as can be, a sitting area and a bal-cony offering a view of the bay of Port-au-Prince, comfort and function come to mind.

My host, Mrs. Myriame Godefoy, Man-ager of Housekeeping, lets me know that the 87- room hotel plans to build an addi-tional 100 rooms. In a standard room, prac-ticality still prevails with two double beds and the same basic amenities.

With adjacent bedrooms sharing the same living area, the central suite is per-fect to receive families who are in town for a wedding or for a venture requiring late night meetings. It’s an example that clearly describes the kind of place that is the Kar-ibe, currently the only hotel in Haiti which offers such diverse room options.

The hotel can accommodate the busy rhythm of a consultant while tending to the pampered desires of the vacationer. Inspi-

Conte mporary Caribbean Chic


Conte mporary Caribbean Chic

rations of Birds of Paradise are omnipresent and emerge in subdued warm colors in many of the hotel’s accents. outside, tall mahogany trees shade and soothe the air of the peace-ful courtyard to the gentle sounds of flowing water and the tweeting of small birds. Several “salon en fer forgé” are set up to accommodate the moment and the breeze which, I will later realize, is felt throughout the property.

Sitting in the open-air eatery, sur-rounded by bamboo trees swaying in the ubiquitous breeze, the prospect of feasting among the forest is appealing. It’s caribbean chic.

Peeking at the menu, I notice the basics of any international breakfast menu with a choice of Haitian staples such as soup giraumon, cassave and mamba. The grilled options are popu-lar among lunch-goers, says Samantha Merores, the resident chef. dinner gets a bit fancier with à la carte selections of lamb, salmon and lobster.

My meals arrive. First, the griyo and banane pesée dressed with the tradi-tional perfectly flavored shallot sauce.


PHoTo: dANIEL ELIE / ISPAN

PHoTo: dANIEL ELIE / ISPAN

The hot peppers of the chicken breast topped with pineapple salsa kick it up a notch: “a dish geared toward fusion” Merores states. The steamed red snapper of the poisson gros sel is delicately meaty and moist.

I finally meet the big boss himself. Mr. Richard Buteau, Karibe’s General Manager, kindly agrees to share his vi-sion and mission for the hotel.

on customer service, the philosophy is that everyone working on the premises rep-resents Haiti: “They are Am-bassadors of Haiti.” A pleas-ant experience at the Karibe represents a pleasant experience in Haiti and we want people to have a good impression of the country when they leave” says Buteau.

To think that many moons ago the property served as a monastery, the place today consistently evokes practical and mod-ern caribbean life: “We want to serve as a model of what Haiti could look like. We want to portray the best of

it,” Buteau explains. And this, it certainly does.

A pioneer in its field, the convention center at the Karibe has allowed Haiti to host regional meetings never before possible. With state of the art conference and board rooms available, the Kar-ibe convention center has become the focal point for conferences and meetings to discuss the develop-ment of Haiti.

In the true spirit of a hotel that provides ser-vices well beyond simple

lodging, there are a host of recreational facilities: pool, tennis court and gym are available for guests. After a long day of work or just because, clients can escape to the Botanik Spa for some therapeutic care. This Zen nest can please most hearts. Go for the Gommage au café Haitien.

The tour is over and it’s time to leave. I’m prac-tically nostalgic come to think of it. on my way out, the last quote from Mr. Bu-teau resonates: “It’s very customary for a guest on a business trip to say that he will come back with his wife the next time he stays at the hotel”.

I come to think that if a businessman can bring the one dearest to him in a country always stamped with negative travel ad-visories, then the Karibe Hotel must have done one heck of a job represent-ing the country where it belongs. Mission accom-plished!

When she was a young teenager, Josiane Paillière watched her

mother working countless hours day and night, tirelessly embroidering to keep up with orders of all sorts. Whether it was a client, a friend or a fam-ily member expecting a dress

to wear on christmas day or a set of tablecloths to comple-ment a beautifully adorned dinner table to celebrate the New Year, it wasn’t unusual for Paillière’s mother to be stitch-ing away on holidays.

“I told my mother once that I would never find myself in that situation, that embroider-

ing would never become such an important part of my life like it was in hers,” Josiane says. And indeed for years it was just a hobby, a fun past time. But eventually, Josiane started get-ting clients who grew fond of her work and were actually will-ing to pay to get a handmade crafty piece of art.

Jos iane Pai l l ière

By Kassandra Elyzee

Embroidering, a family affair

Artmosphere


In 2005, Josiane opened her store, “Josiane Hand Em-broidered Linen Works,” in Pétion Ville. Today she finds herself embroidering last-minute orders on december 31st, working the same end-less hours that her mother did. She’s even had to sacrifice quality time with her husband to keep up with the demand. She has participated in almost every artisan fair in Haiti, the latest being the annual Arti-sanat en Fête where she was honored as one of the top five 2011 Artisans. She says she never expected to win any-thing, but when she did, she saw it as recognition for all the hard work she’s done through the years to develop her busi-ness. She began taking part in Artisanat en Fête the second year it was created, and makes sure to come up with new and creative pieces to showcase each year.

Even though she learned the basics of sewing and embroidering in school when she was still a young girl, Josiane’s perfection in the craft comes from hours of watching and practicing alongside her mother. She tells me, with a reminiscent look on her face, of the time when, under her mother’s guidance, she made her first dress. It was initially her school uniform skirt, but her mother had her turn it into a sack dress (a loose, one-piece unbelted dress that hangs straight from the shoulder to the hemline, following the body’s shape without neces-sarily being close-fitting).

Inside her store, deco-rated in a manner that re-

flects her personality and simplicity, are a few glass counters where some of her pieces are carefully dis-played. The items made out of linen and other natural fibers, range from clothes such as tanks, blouses and dresses to kitchen accessories such as tablemats to stylish pouch bags. The diverse products are predominantly white but also include light, pastel col-ors that convey summer time and fit in with Haiti’s tropical weather. The linen she uses is mostly purchased in Haiti but sometimes when Josiane travels, she finds some material that she likes and buys it to embroider future pieces. “The material comes from wherever the wind brings it to me” she says.

Her inspiration? “I’m inspired by nature,” Josiane says with passion in her voice. “oftentimes, something as simple as a beautiful flower can trigger my creativity and give me ideas of a shape which I try to recreate in my sewing.”

To Josiane, the most fulfilling part of what she does is when she has given a shape to a piece of linen and finds herself gazing at it wondering what she should make out of it. Although she has about 20 employees in the capital and in the provinces embroidering throughout the year on a part-time basis, Josiane sometimes has to retouch their work to better suit her clients’ needs or her vision of what the end product should look like.

Besides embroidering, Jo-siane is a teacher by profession.

She started teaching at the age of 22 when she was still attending teacher-training college. She worked for many different educational institutions before she and her husband opened a school of their own, collège Frantz Pallière.

Josiane truly believes that the future of Haitian art

and crafts relies immensely on Artisanat en Fête be-cause it is, to her, the most prominent annual event that succeeds in promoting Hai-tian art in all of its facets to the national and international community. The latter is pos-sible thanks to the different actors who through their knowledge of the sector and professionalism, never fail to make Artisanat en Fête a success every year. When asked what message she has for young up and coming Hai-tian artisans, Josiane answers “Kenbe la, pa lage,” which means in creole, “Hang in there, don’t give up”.

Mrs. Paillière’s store is located at 42, Rue Magny, Pétion Ville (entrance of Emina’s Garden & Festival Arts), Tel: 3401-0316, 3455-1010


On the rise

A Royal INVESTMENT

With this in mind, a group of Haitian and foreign investors, led by Tardieu, have launched one of the biggest and most ambitious hotel projects in Haiti: the Royal oasis.

Sprawled over a three-acre beautifully landscaped property, the hotel is located in the heart of Pétion-Ville, which has now gradually evolved to become Haiti’s most important business, commercial and touristic hub. currently in construc-tion, Royal oasis will offer 130 upscale rooms during the first phase. Its spacious rooms will be equipped with modern and contemporary furniture and accessories, decorated with a touch of Haitian culture and warmth.

Amenities will include 13 elegant shops, an art gallery, a bank, business facilities, a convenient store, a lobby-bar, and a stunning rooftop overlooking the bay of Port-au-Prince. Even the most demanding international travelers will appreciate the array of services that will be offered: everything from chauffeur service and airport pick-up and drop off to a car

that Haiti is one of the most beautiful islands of the carib-bean. Tourism should be at the cornerstone of its devel-opment. It is the way to the future,” says Tardieu. Indeed, sustainable growth in Haiti’s tourism industry will help create much-needed jobs, at-tract foreign exchange, and support broader economic development in the country.

in Haiti’s Tourism Industry

Har vard- educated Haitian entrepre-neur Jerry Tardieu believes that it

would be ‘suicidal’ not to make tourism a pillar of de-velopment in Haiti. “I can un-equivocally attest to the fact

by Cynthia Hage


rental desk, laundry services, and 24-hour on-call medical services. Fine dining will be a part of the Royal oasis ex-perience thanks to its three restaurants, lounge and lob-by-bar offering an extraor-dinary selection of local and international cocktails.

The Hotel will open in the summer of 2012 under management of Spanish hospitality chain occidental Hotels & Resorts (oHR), one of the world’s leading hotel companies and largest all-inclusive resort chains in the Americas. oHR has more than 20 properties in key destina-tions under the Allegro, oc-cidental Grand and Royal Hideaway brands. Each one is perfectly suited to address the leisure travel needs of its market segment. In recent years, occidental has made the strategic business deci-sion to broaden its portfolio of hotels, expanding from mainly an all-inclusive resorts concept to a business-hotel concept, such as Royal oasis.

“More than ever,” says Tardieu, “Haiti’s capital needs hotel rooms of international standards as it prepares to welcome record numbers of business travelers, profes-sionals, foreign expatriates, and NGo staff who will be involved in the country’s on-going reconstruction process that will extend for many years to come.”

originally, the Royal oa-sis was mainly a multi-use real estate development project – with different restaurants and lots of office and commercial space for rent – with only a small hospitality compo-nent. Following the January

Bush Haiti Fund, USAId, the Haiti Tourism Association and the Ministry of Tourism. The foundation will also support programs aimed at youth and sports and will continue to support different commu-nity projects based on need.

There are those who wor-ry that the hospitality market will become saturated, as NGos leave and the demand for hotel rooms declines. “In the best-case scenario,” re-plies Tardieu, “there will be less than 1,000 rooms avail-able in Port-au-Prince once all new projects are completed including expansion of exist-ing hotels.”

Isn’t that enough? “No,” says the 44-year-old

entrepreneur, “it will not be enough once Haiti takes off and becomes a developing country with a two-digit eco-nomic growth yearly.”

12th quake, however, Tardieu and his partners (who oper-ate under the oasis Group) decided to convert the of-fice and commercial space into hotel rooms to fill part of the huge void in the hos-pitality market and increase the availability of international standard hotel rooms in the capital. Future plans for the Royal oasis property include the development of a condo and apartment building.

The oasis Group is also involved in numerous social and philanthropically ac-tivities through its founda-tion, the oasis Foundation. “corporate social respon-sibility is at the core of the oasis philosophy,” explains Tardieu. currently, the oasis Foundation flagship project is the rehabilitation of Haiti’s hospitality training school, L’Ecole Hôtelière d’Haïti, in col-laboration with the clinton

Room design by cecilia Russo


Why Haiti?

by Farah Doura

Meeting Mr. Marie was quite a plea-sure. Very willing to welcome and

answer my questions, I’m in-vited to step into the office of the Tourism Association of Haiti (ATH) where this debo-nair Frenchman plays an ac-tive role in the development of Haiti’s tourism, in which his vision has already made a dif-

ference. In town for his weekly meetings, my subject is ready to talk. With the recorder on, the interview begins.

“Who are you?” is the first question asked. A very well ac-complished man, tall with an infectious smile and sparkling blue eyes, Mr. Marie has trav-eled the world as an executive in production for two leading titans of the petroleum indus-try. A geologist by trade, he fell in love with Haiti even before

having been here. He married one of us.

He met his wife, the daughter of a Haitian diplo-mat, in Holland (evidence that one can find a Haitian in any corner of this world) and they married in Libya. A year or so later, Mr. Marie visits what he had experienced through the eyes of his wife; he arrives in Haiti for the first time in 1970.

When asked to share his first moments upon arrival,

he starts with a little anecdote about being welcomed in the Salon Diplomatique of the Na-tional Airport by the happy hoard of in-laws awaiting his family of three. Standing there, he nervously watched his baby girl pass from one loving aunt to the next for welcome kisses. We laugh.

What comes out of his mouth next is heartfelt. Mr. Ma-rie describes what marked him the most: his first morning in

Renaissance Man Jacques Marie


Haiti. “I remember one thing. In the morning we started to smell the coffee roasting in the pan and then we heard the pound-ing and, at 5:30 am, the coffee arrived in the room and that made everything different.”

It certainly must have because while he continued to work in Haiti for the oil in-dustry some 36 years later, our Frenchman switched gears. The charm of the country’s natural beauty and ultimately touristic potential enticed Mr. Marie to become more rooted by venturing along the côtes des Arcadins. He partners up with some long-time friends to acquire the former club Med and becomes General Manager, President and even sweeper when needed of the now reputable club Indigo, one of the most frequented resorts in Haiti.

A man of social responsi-bility, he also runs a small asso-ciation in the area to promote development. “Although life is difficult, everyone who has been to Haiti wants to help one way or the other because there is something that makes you feel you can do something and can see the results right away. There is this human contact you have in Haiti”, he states to

sum up his philosophy on the creation of the association.

In this paradise in the mid-dle of the inferno/purgatory, Mr. Marie must have had days where he regretted his move. “Never, never!” he replies shak-ing his head. Having traveled to the other seventeen countries in the caribbean, I find out he feels so much better in Haiti, “a country with character”.

on a side note, I am kindly informed of my interviewee’s patriotic duties as Elected council for the caribbean to represent the French of the re-gion. our Renaissance man is one of many hats.

When asked if he speaks the local language, Mr. Marie reveals that he perfectly un-derstands but chooses not to speak it. Why? out of respect for this country’s colonial past, he explains. And besides, his native French gets him around. I nevertheless ask for some fa-vorite colloquial expressions. He offers a couple and the cus-tomary Si dye vle (God willing) is of course one of them. our smile, before we part ways, is the tacit acknowledgment that this idiom inevitably con-cludes most statements when speaking of future plans in the country.


Escapade

La côte des Arcadins, a spectacular seaside coast about an hour north of Port-au-Prince, attracts thousands and thousands of local and international visitors all year long. It boasts beauti-

ful beachside hotels and resorts of all types where couples, families and friends can escape for a week, weekend, or even just for the day to relax and decompress.

Moulin Sur MerA Paradise along the Coast

By Rachele Viardone such place is Moulin Sur Mer, a family-owned business

built by well-known local architect Mr. Gerard Fom-brun. He purchased the property in 1975 because

he enjoyed the coast and believed that it had potential, and right he was! Five years later

the hotel opened its doors to the public. Upon entering the grounds of Moulin

Sur Mer you are surrounded by beautiful


foliage and gardens full of color. In fact, no matter where you are on the prop-erty (more than 12 acres) there are well-designed blooming gardens and trees. Mr. Fombrun credits his wife, Nicole, for the landscape. “She has been here from the beginning,” he says, “I am very proud of her.”

The hotel is now managed by Mr. Fombrun’s son, charles, a civil engineer. When asked how he feels now with his son taking over, Fombrun states “I am very proud of charles’ accomplishments. Moulin Sur Mer will always remain in the family.” Indeed, there is a certain kind of warmth and family friendly vibe at the resort.

Like his father, charles speaks passionately about Moulin Sur

Mer. “We strive to provide our guests, both children and adults, with diverse activities to ensure that they have an enjoyable stay,” he says. “We are in the middle of major

changes here; we are renovating our rooms so that they meet international standards and provide the

utmost comfort to our guests. We are in the pro-cess of building a marina to stock boats, and plan in the future to also have an inland wet marina. By summer 2012 we will provide our guests with boat excursions, scuba diving and outings.”

But even now, one doesn’t have to venture far from their hotel room to partake in fun-filled

activities. Simply walking around the property provides enough entertainment: before you reach

the reception area, right there in the middle of a round-about, is a huge cage where you can meet domingo, the house pet monkey. A few steps away you will find a natural pond, home to striking ducks and fish. Not what you’d expect in a seaside resort. Benches across from the pond provide a great place to sit with a good book or for a “tête a tête.”

Sports lovers are able to kayak, swim in the pool or in the ocean, play basketball, volleyball or enjoy the mini golf course. There is a children’s playground with a swing


set, monkey bars and a tree house-like structure com-plete with a slide and a climb-ing wall. And for those guests who just have to stay in touch with the outside world there is WiFi access on the property.

Nature and history buffs can also hike and visit the ogier-Fombrun Museum, which houses very ancient artifacts. There you can learn stories dating from the pre-colombian Indian era to co-lonial times of 1794, when Haiti used to be the largest producer of sugar in the carib-bean. The property is an authen-tic sugar cane plantation whose ruins were totally recovered by Mr. Fombrun during more than 35 years of personal involvement. An authentic stone aqueduct continues to run water to a gigantic 20 feet wooden wheel which was used to extract the juice from the cane.

Moulin Sur Mer is com-prised of four bungalows and 64 rooms set in colo-nial style architecture. The air-conditioned rooms are comfortable and decorated

with bright tropical colors and include a terrace or a balcony. The rooms either face the gardens or the Bay de la Gonâve. Bungalow #1, however, has the most spec-tacular view of the bay with double doors that access a large terrace. Though all the rooms are not equipped with televisions just yet, I truly don’t think any guest will even have the time to miss it with all the sites and activities there are to take in during his or her stay.

In addition, Moulin Sur Mer can accommodate semi-nars, workshops, and training sessions since it has three con-ference rooms equipped with state-of-the-art materials.

The restaurant has three dining areas, all of which overlook the Bay de la Gonâve: The Voumtak, Le Boucanier and L’Espadon. The menu offers a twist on local favorites such as lambi (conch) in a creole sauce, tasso dinde (fried turkey chunks), as well lobster and other dishes for vegetarians. You’ll be able to pair your


meal with a number of fresh locally-made juices, soft drinks including Haiti’s own Cola Couronne, the award-win-ning local beer Prestige, or a glass of wine. on Sundays, live classical or soft caribbean mu-

sic is played during Brunch. With beautiful gardens,

appetizing food, and activities galore, Moulin Sur Mer is the perfect venue to hold a wedding or to go on a honeymoon. While walking the grounds one can

see the pride and hard work that went into creating such a unique and charming getaway for all to enjoy. From the care and time that went into designing and planting the gorgeous gardens, to the savory menu to the kid’s

playground and everything else in between. Indeed a paradise along the coast.

For more information about Moulin Sur Mer, go to www.moulinsurmer.com


On the rise

When I arrived at Pascale Theard’s home, an imposing gate slowly opened to uncover a long pathway leading to the back of the house, where the main entrance turned

out to be. The door opened before I even knocked, and Ms. Theard welcomed me into her home with a warm and friendly smile. I didn’t know what to expect. I felt like the Wizard of oz entering Emerald city.

completed in 2008, the house took a year and a half

to be built. The hardest part, according to Theard, was finding an architect who would build her dream home exactly the way she designed it. “I am a very picky per-son, I hardly ever make concessions,” she says. “I even took a month and a half off from work to supervise the final details of the house such as putting down mosaics and making the alcoves in the walls.”

Pascale was born in Haiti and moved to Paris to pursue her studies when she was fourteen. Her mother, a professor, came from France. Her father, an industrial worker, came from Aquin, a city southwest of the Hai-tian capital. As I look around, it becomes obvious that

Where Cultures Collide

Pascale Théard

By Kassandra Elizée

Haiti by Design


this duality of cultures is represented in Ms. Theard’s house. In de-signing her home, for example, she wanted to incorporate a Moor-ish Villa style (charac-terized by large interior courtyards shaped in squares with gardens almost overflowing into the house) into a more traditional Hai-tian architecture with a touch of contempo-rary designs.

The house is built in a very open man-

ner. The white walls, high ceiling in the foyer and the interior decoration awakens all of the senses from the very first moment you enter. Two large oak wood doors are located in the living room right above the couch, acting as a sort of giant win-dow, which can be left open or closed with two big iron hooks. From there, you can inhale and smell the natu-ral breeze and admire a panoramic view of Port-au-Prince’s metropolitan area.

Pascale likes to mix Haitian arti-san work with modern designs; the interior of her home encompasses German designer living room sets and Haitian handmade oak and ma-

hogany wooden furnishings. Her kitchen walls are covered with small colorful paintings that most often tell everyday stories and of the challeng-es Haitian peasants face. The kitchen counter is covered with colorful ce-ramics; again, the work of Haitian art crafters.

Since building her house, Pascale has been widely acclaimed for her creativity and is often called upon to work on interior designing ventures. She worked, for example, on deco-rating the historical “Marché en Fer” (iron market) located in downtown Port-au-Prince. When she is contract-ed, she works with a team of artisans who help her innovate and come up


with a prod-uct that is gratifying to both the cli-ent and her-self.

In 2008, she created her brand, “ P a s c a l e Théard cre-ations,” where she designs her own line of sandals and leather accessories. Many of Pascale’s works such as argile lamps, straw chairs and carpets are found inside her home. She says she is greatly inspired by “vèvè”, which are Haitian Voo-doo symbols, when creating new pieces of art like decorated cushions for her living room.

“My job is to promote Hai-tian art,” says the artist, who has worked in luxury homes and “Haute couture” in Paris. She does so through a society of artisans whom she collaborates with on different projects, ef-

fectively bring-ing artisans from all social back-grounds together as one.

She ad-mires Haitian artisans whose unique “know-how” comes right in tune with her vision when it comes to the concepts and ambiance

she tries to create through her work, making it natural for her to collaborate with them. “The end product is always magical,” she says with a smile on her face.

It is clear that Haitian and European backgrounds have merged together to create a savvy art connoisseur. Though art was just a hobby to Pascale Theard in the beginning, it has now become an integral part of her life. The originality of what she creates will ensure that she will leave her mark on Haitian art history.


By Taïna Mayard

“Nature has given me the gift of a pret-ty face, neither white nor black, nei-ther thick nor too thin, rather tall with prominent and alert muscles. I can be

described as a brown mulatto, a stamp or an improved ‘grimaud’. If they are not straight,

my cinnamon curls do not possess the harsh texture of pure Negroes.[...] My nose is a combination of caucasian muff adorned with quivering nostrils. My plump and well hemmed lips embody the promise of plea-sure.”

These terms were originally used to describe the main character (Rico) of Ket-tly Mars’s award winning novel: The Hybrid

Words in Print

The Books that write meKettly Mars


hour (2005). Upon meeting Mars, however, it becomes ob-vious that the aforementioned description is more autobio-graphical. Mars’s work is a clear reflection of the writer’s per-sonality and ideologies at dif-ferent stages of her life. Sitting quietly in her front garden, the tired, yet collected Kettly Mars shares some of the major turn-ing points of her life.

It all began in Port-au-Prince in the modest home of a middle class Haitian family of five children. Kettly Mars, then Kettly Pierre, is the youngest with four older brothers; her father, Andre Pierre is a civil en-gineer and mother Marie du-verneau, a teacher and dress-maker. one of Mars’ most vivid recollections is of her parents’ declining marriage, largely due to her mother’s ambitions of becoming an entrepreneur at a time when husbands typi-cally expected housewives and mothers for wives. Mars often writes about that period in her life. It is referred to as a time of both misunderstanding and curiosity, when a dictatorship reigned the country. Her book: Saisons Sauvage (Savage Sea-sons) (2010) is a clear state-ment of that.

Like many of the “privi-leged” middle class women of her country, Kettly Mars had the opportunity to attend pri-vate school. She spent most of her high-school years at the “centres d’Etudes Secondaires” where she discovered the wonders of poetry and read-ing. There, she also met the emi-nent literature professor, Pradel Pompilus, who encouraged her to undertake journalism and lit-erature studies at the Sorbonne in France. Like many Haitian

women, in spite of these strong literary influences, Mars opted for a more practical education in administration. This turning point in her life is described as a time of frustration.

Fortunately, the creative passion is something that was in her blood and writing became her life and strength. “Today I have no regrets and I think that these circumstances make me the writer I am to-day; with my peculiarities, my world, my voice. From this ex-perience I can tell all those who have an unrealizable dream that they should never give up hope. There always comes a time when a small window of opportunity puts you in a position where you must take a leap of faith. The key is to be-lieve in this dream.”

An important turning point leading to Mars’ thriving writing career was her mar-riage to the grandson of Jean Price. Price has been recog-

nized as one of the country’s prominent literary personas. “When I started writing I found encouragement from my husband and my new family, while it could have been oth-erwise,” she says. “Let me ex-plain; my in-laws, a family with an intellectual tradition, found it only natural that I mani-fested a fondness for writing. My father-in-law, Louis Mars, read my first poems and sub-sequently continually advised and encouraged me. He gave me the keys to his prestigious library. I consider myself lucky to have been afforded such immense support. In our com-munity, often, women/wives with a penchant for writing and art are generally discour-aged by their spouses and/or their family circle. These at-tempts at emancipation are not always viewed in a posi-tive light. ”

The author rejoices in the current times and the freedom

to be whomever she pleases. When prompted about the challenges of being a woman, wife, mother and writer liv-ing in Haiti today, she replies systematically: “IT IS A MYTH.” True, there were difficulties for women who wanted to engage in creative endeavors, but luckily it’s a trend that is fading with my generation. Anyone who really wants to write will not allow his or her-self to be stopped by anything or anyone. There’s just a price to pay in life for the choices that we make. I am a citizen, a human being, who chose the profession of writing. opting to be a full time writer is just as demanding for a man.”

Most of Mars’ characters are women. There is an obvi-ous subtlety in her sense of feminism. She believes that “all should carry their fight with their own weapons.” Ac-cording to her, “women are full citizens and therefore


with the same rights and duties as their male partners. Life is a battle and every-one does the best they can. Assertive as a woman writer, addressing tabooed subjects in general, questioning the sta-tus of Haitian women in the various as-pects of their lives and in the different layers of society is a way for me to be a voice defending women’s causes. That said, I am not a classic feminist by defi-nition.”

Mars does, however, clearly identify herself as a Haitian citizen. “I feel good in Haiti. ‘Haiti se lakay” (Haiti is home). In fact, Haiti is my primary source of in-spiration. I think our history, our culture, our traditions, our spirituality, our way to accommodate the past and present, our politics, how we love and create are in-exhaustible subjects that inspire me and I want to offer them to the world with a different perspective. I hope, in doing so, to change the way others view my country. I do not know whether it can be

called loyalty, for it is not a choice I made consciously, but something that was im-posed on me, like a book that writes me, instead of me writing it.”

The soul of Haiti is complex and fas-cinating, she says, and a lifetime is not enough to explore it. She also believes that the uniqueness of the Haitian culture is found universally in mankind, making it a pleasurable exercise for her to relate her perspective to the world.

Mars participates in cultural activities all over the country. She meets young peo-ple, opens their eyes and helps raise their confidence in their own potential. She recently returned from the first National Poetry Festival held in Jeremie, a province situated in the south of the country, which allowed her to rediscover the beauty of the Grande-Anse.

The “Maison Barbancourt” awarded Kettly Mars with a scholarship to work on a novel last June. This book is due out dur-ing the annual “Livres en Folie” next year.


Haiti on my mind

Bel Air, Haiti is a long way from the south of France, a stumping ground for the rich and famous. And

yet, that is exactly where we find successful promoter, entrepre-neur and philanthropist, Franky “Unik” Ernest. He is a charismatic leader full of life, omnipresent and, most of all, committed to the task at hand – the children.

Born in Haiti in the summer of 1971, Unik attended the Petit Seminaire College Saint-Martial until he moved to Miami in 1990 “to get a real shot at success,” he says. And a real shot he got! due to his willingness to learn, his perseverance, his determina-

tion, and most of all his self-discipline, Unik is now a renowned club owner and restaurateur who has successfully established fashionable restaurants from Manhattan and the Hamptons in New York to Florianpolis, Brazil and St. Tropez in France.

P.M. Lounge, his first personal endeavor in 2003, was credited for attracting illustrious individuals to New York’s meatpacking dis-trict. “This project was particularly special because all the media was making a point to say it was owned by Haitians. So we were proud Haitians who opened the hottest place in the middle of Manhattan where you will find Prince on the drum, Bono dancing with Penelo-pe cruz and the list goes on. I thank God for the blessings” proclaims Unik with pride in his eyes and a huge smile on his face.

Using “Star” Power to Provide Quality Education



Bel Air


P.M. Lounge was followed by various profitable ventures including Merkato 55, Bijoux Lounge in Man-hattan, Lily Pond in the Hamptons, and to his latest establishment, the Pool Beach in St. Tropez where he operated a Bohe-mian/car ibbean chic beachside enterprise during the height of the tourist season this past sum-mer. “Although I operate all these venues which offer fine cuisine, my favorite dish by far is poisson gros sel” he says.

As if that type of notoriety was not enough, this “Night-life King,” as he is commonly

referred to, is also the most sought after event planner. He has thrown lavish parties for the likes of Lionel Richie, socialite denise Rich, Jamie Foxx, and Richard Branson, just to name a few. compa-nies such as Nike, diesel, La

Perla, Valentino, Volkswagen, Virgin Mobile, Microsoft, def Jam, Lufthansa Airlines and Interscope Records have also taken advantage of his talent. Needless to say, his company Lokee Worldwide Productions is known internationally.

He willingly concedes that Haitian carnival is at the root of his success. “carnival played a key role in my life. I looked for-ward to it every year. My very favorite one was the year that I left Haiti in 1990. Boukman Eksperyans and their song Ke


m pa Sote (loosely translated as ‘stress free’) was really, really good. It gives me and my events a special energy that my competition does not possess and it also helps me set up my events in an organic way” he proudly states.

The notoriety and the fame have not deterred this jetsetter. Unik has never lost sight of his roots, of the homeland he loves and holds dear. on the contrary it has enabled him to use “star” power to help empower Haitian children. Unik always helped in an informal manner, but on July 4, 2007, he launched the “Edeyo” Foun-dation which has been supporting disfranchised youth in Bel-Air (near downtown Port-au-Prince) for the past 4 years.

Edeyo established the Ecole Hervé Romain to provide quality education to children who might otherwise not have access. The school was moved to Rue Geffrard a couple of blocks from

champs de Mars. Unfortunately, the earthquake of 2010 completely de-stroyed the school and they lost four students. Edeyo is now operating the School in its previous location in Bel-Air. With a student body of approxi-mately 350, Edeyo provides the stu-dents with free schooling, uniforms, books, school materials, and a hot nutritional meal daily. Graduates of the school are enrolled in reputable schools such as Anglade and Externat La Providence. Edeyo covers their tu-ition and acquisition of books as long as they maintain a B average. “Unik has always been ambitious and I al-ways knew that he would succeed. I am proud of him, proud of his pro-fessional accomplishments. But I am most proud that he knows who he is and where he comes from,” states Maude Saab, his mother.

“Education is important, it can change lives, but in order for our stu-


dents to excel and reach their full po-tential, a good academic program is not sufficient. In order for them to ex-cel they must be healthy. And health means that they are physically fit, that they have good hygiene and that they know how to keep their mouth and teeth healthy, amongst other things,” says Unik.

To achieve this goal Unik was able to garner the support of one of the Foundation’s board members, dr. Lee Gause, who was named one of New York’s premier providers of gen-eral, cosmetic and implant dental care by Seniors Advocate and a preferred provider by Invisalign. He also enlist-ed the support of dr. Suzette Stines, who was instrumental in rebuilding the dental school in Haiti. “This past November in collaboration with the Université Notre Dame d’Haiti and the Faculté d’odontologie we conducted medical and dental screenings for our

students and we are in the process of developing treatment plans to treat existing conditions as well as ensur-ing annual check-ups” Unik says pas-sionately.

When asked what his favorite place in Haiti is, he responds without blinking, “Bel-Air.” Why Bel-Air of all places? “It is not only where I have been working with 300 families and children for more than four years; when I go there I feel that I am part of a community that has embraced us; they're really depending on us for some basic needs.”

He is not only the Nightlife King but also, and maybe, more important-ly the King of Bel-Air.

Edeyo Foundation P.O. Box 30261 New York, NY 10011 646-537-1716 [email protected] | www.edeyo.org


Spotlight

By Maureen Boyer

It’s december 24th. It’s warm but the air seems cooler and lighter than usual. Even Mother Na-

ture received the memo; it’s a day of celebration.

The sun has barely set, the last rays of sunshine have painted a deep orange glow over the city. The arti-sans who create the delicate paper lamps in the shapes of houses and cathedrals have started lighting tiny candles and placed them inside their cre-ations; these lamps are called fanals. The roads are lit with fa-nals, small ones, big ones, bright ones and slightly dimmer ones.

Far away mischievous chil-dren play with firecrackers. Less adventurous ones run around

with sparklers creating shapes and imagination with twinkling lights. Families start heading towards church. Men in suits, women in their Sunday best, little girls in pretty dresses with layers of lace and older ladies with colorful wide hats, all head to midnight mass.

The only things brighter than the fanals and the christ-

mas lights de-corating the restaurants and the store-fronts are the faces of the people. The l a u g h i n g , the singing, the union. Young men congregate

around the food and liquor street merchants to buy kremas, a milk and coconut based sweet cocktail. The older men sit to-gether, reminisce, talk about pol-itics with the French christmas jingles as background music.

As the night sets in, Port-au-Prince becomes a city of stars. Loud pop music can be heard coming from the differ-ent speakers of neighborhood

dJs. Young people flock to-ward the lights and the sounds of the night.

Somewhere a small child is waiting for midnight to open presents.

Somewhere a family gath-ers together to enjoy a meal cooked with love.

Somewhere a group of women is praying for a better future.

Somewhere a young cou-ple is dancing like they’ve never danced before.

christmas brings out the best of Haiti. It’s a time for love, happiness and family. The best memories in Haiti were created during this special holiday sea-son. Now it’s your turn to cre-ate unforgettable memories of christmas in Haiti. What are you waiting for?

My Christmas Story

My Christmas Story


Roasted Leg of PorkKreyol Flair by Chef Stephan

DIRECTIONSclean the leg of pork with the

sour orange juice throughout so that the skin is clean.

Place the leg of pork in a stock pot or lexan and let the pork soak for an hour in a liquid combi-nation of the vinegar, peppercorn and salt. cover the rest of the pork with water. In the same liquid, boil the pork for another hour.

Skim out the fat of the pork liquid and mix with the sugar and the rum to make a glaze. Let the liquid reduce until it starts to thicken. cover the leg of pork with the hot liquid and put it in a pre-heated oven at 45o degrees and let cook for 1 hour.

TOTAL TIME: 5 HoursPrep Time: 1 Hourcook Time: 4 Hours

YIELD: 25 Servings

LEVEL: Easy

INGREDIENTS1 Leg of pork (15-20lbs)4 cups of Sour orange juice1 gallon white vinegar1 cup black peppercorn 1 cup of sea salt1 bottle of Haitian Rum1 lb. brown sugar

Every hour after thereafter, take the liquid and baste the leg of pork until the skin becomes very crispy and the internal tempera-ture reaches approximately 140 degrees. You will need to use a thermometer.

Take out of the leg of pork and place it in a beautiful platter and decorate as you wish.

Enjoy this holiday recipe.

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restaurantsAcajou Restaurant & BarHaitian/international CuisineHôtel MontanaRue Frank Cardozo, Bourdon2940 0585 / 3880 6610

Anba Tonèl, Bar & GrillHaitian CuisineAngle des Rues Clerveaux et Villate. PV3403 0822

Assiette CréoleHaitian Cuisine6, Rue Ogé. PV 2 940 0041

BabakoHaitian Cuisine254. avenue John Brown. Lalue2813 1912

BreakTImeHaitian Cuisine38. Rue Darguin. PV3515 6262 / 3554 0027

Café Com' ÇaFusionComplexe Promenade.Angles Rues Grégoire et Moïse, PV2943 2014 / 3444 0607

Café de l'EuropeFrench Cuisine17. Rue Mangonès. Berthé. PV3 406 8525 / 3 464 0468 / 3 702 5591

Chez WouChinesePlace Boyer, PV3777 6625 / 3777 6626

Chicken FiestaAmerican and Chinese Cuisine124. Rue Panaméricaine. PV2813 9866

CitronelleHaitian CuisineShodecosa, 5 Rue des NÎmes3558 8387

Coin des ArtistesHaitian Cuisine59, Rue Panaméricaine, PV3747 1163

Domino's PizzaFast Food91, Rue Panaméricaine, PV2514 7574 / 2813 1446 2813 1447

Emina's GardenItalian Cuisine36, Rue Magny, PV3747 1177 / 2816 2005

FabrizioItilian Cuisine26, Rue Louverture, PV2257 8433

Fior Di LatteItalian CuisineChoucoune Plaza, Angle des RuesLamarre et Chavannes, PV2813 0445

il VignetoItalian Cuisine7, Rue Rigaud, PV3419 2050 / 3736 5414

HANG Sports Bar & Grill31, angle des Rues Clerveaux et Rigaud, PV 2942 4264

IntrigueItalian CuisineHôtel Ibo Lélé, Montagne Noire, PV2940 8504

Kay AtizanHaitian Cuisine43, Rue Magny, PV3456 6989 / 3452 1772

L'OlivierHaitian Cuisine37, route Montagne Noire3455 4454 / 3467 0707

La CoquilleHaitian Cuisine10, Rue Rebecca, PV2942 5225 / 3466 3908

La PlantationFrench CuisineRue Borno, Bois Moquette, 22941 6334

La Réserve - ATH2, Rue Marcel Toureau, Berthé, PV 2940 0190

La SouvenanceFrench Cuisine48, Rue Geffrard, PV3475 9795

La Table de Cauis16, Rue Legitime, Champs de Mars2940 7227


Le Christo Villa RussoCorner Rue Faubert & Ogé, 3736 4166

Le Daily Gourmet Cafe Rue Roumain off Tabare same yard as Maison Handal across Parc Canne a Sucre.Email: [email protected]+509 3411 5274

Le FlorvilleHaitian CuisineKenscoff 3551 3535 / 3449 6161

Le P'tit CreuxHaitian Cuisine87, Rue Rebecca, PV2942 3892 / 2942 3893

Le Paris St Tropez88, route de Kenscoff, Laboule 123410 7219

Les 3 Decks - ATHFusion 3 bis, Fermathe 54, 3418 8511 / 3462 6201

Les Délices BurgerFast Food97, Rue Grégoire, PV3646 1600 / 3646 1601

Les Jardins de Gérard17, Rue Pinchinat, PV 3449 5943

Look-Nun's Thai RestaurantThai Cuisine35, Rue Villate, PV 3724 1661

MagdoosMediterranean Cuisine#30 Rue Ogé P.V3821-2121 / 3733-2525

MikazFusion56, Rue Geffrard, PV2256 2659 / 3727 5951

MozaikFusion89, Rue Grégoire, PV 3702 3939

Mr. Grill Steak HouseFusion39, Rue Rigaud. PV3620 4954 / 3620 4844

MuncheezFast Food2. Rue Rebecca, PV3713 1393 / 2942 1392

O Brasileiro Social Club103, Rue Louverture, PV3813 1050

Océane Bar & GrillHaitian Cuisine3 bis. Rue Derenoncourt PV2940 2449

PapayeFusion48. Rue Métellus. PV3558 2707 / 3771 3678

Pizza GardenItalian Cuisine36. Rue Chavonnes, PV2 813 2100 / 2 813 2200

Presse CaféHaitian Cuisine28, Rue Rigaud. PV3 701 0092

Quartier LatinFusion10, Rue Gou/ard. Place Boyer. PV3460 3326 / 3445 3325

Rebo Expresso25, Rue Métellus. PV2949 0505

The Bookstore Cafe & Wine BarEsperanza Building,87,Rue Grégoire. PV 3774 6729

The LodgeFusionFurcy. après Kenscoff3458 5968 / 2510 9870

The ViewFusionComplexe Le Belvédère.Angle des Rues Chavannes &Clerveaux. PV 3632 7706

Tiffany RestaurantHaitian CuisineBoulevard Harry Truman. Bicen-tenaire

5 Coins20, Rue Panaméricaine, PV2511 1044 / 2257 0277

Celeri Rouge88, Rue Panaméricaine, PV3719 9670 / 3587 9670

www.magichaiti.com


travel companion

Côte Caraïbe

Cap Lamandou- ATH Jacmel+509 2941-4000 +509 3720-18923920-9135 / [email protected]

Hôtel Villa Ban Yen (Petit-Goâve-Vallue)[email protected]+509 3420-2091 / 3941-2091

Auberge du Mont Saint Jean (Vallée de Jacmel)[email protected]+509 3702-0510 3707-0605 / 3401-1789

L’Amitié Guest House : Ti Mouillage, Cayes Jacmel (509) 2942-7156 / 3417-7582

Hotel FloritaLocated in Jacmel +509 3785-5154 2288-2806 / 3905- 1732 hô[email protected]

La Colline Enchantée (Marigot- Jacmel)[email protected]+509 3703-0448 / 3701-96 97

Cyvadier Plage (Cyvadier- Jacmel)[email protected] +509 3844-8264 3482-2585 / 3844- 8265

Abakabay (Ile a Vache)[email protected] +509 3721-3691 / 3683- 6253www.abakabay.com

Port Morgan (Ile a Vache)[email protected], www.port-morgan.com +509 3921-0000 3922-0001 / 3663-5154

Manolo Inn (Petite Rivière de Nippes)[email protected]+509 3461-7108 3768-2059 / 3752- 38383727- 0201

[email protected]+509 2940 4609 / 4640 2223

Wahoo [email protected]+509 3735- 2536/ 3735-2831

Moulin sur [email protected]+ 509 3701- 19182813- 1042 / 3702- 1918

Club Indigo- [email protected], [email protected]+ 509 3651-1000 3650-1000 / 3441-1000

Xaragua Hôtel- [email protected]+509 2510-9559 / 3795- 5983

Côte des Arcadins

Hostellerie du Roi ChristopheATH - (Cap Haitien)[email protected] 687 8915

Résidence Royale(Cap Haitien)[email protected]+509 3602-6676 2942- 0540 / 2813- 7959

Hôtel Mont Joli-ATH(Cap Haitien)[email protected]+509 3943-1110 / 2262-0300

Auberge du Picolet(Cap Haitien)[email protected]+ 509 2945- 5595 3438-6357

Hôtel Beaux Rivages(Cap Haitien)[email protected]+509 2262-3114 / 3682-5583

Cormier [email protected]+509 3702-0210 3804- 6673 / 3556- 1549

Côte Atlantique

CentreHotel l'Ermitage de Pandiassou(Hinche)3472 -5934 / 3474-1599 [email protected]

Hotel Maguana(Hinche) 2277-0528

Wozo Plaza(Mirebalais)3455-7730/ [email protected]

Coconut Villa-ATH3, Rue Berthold, Delmas 193 179 3752 / 2 510 4901 3 556 [email protected]

El Rancho-ATH5, rue Jose Marti, Avenue des Hôtels, PV2 944 0707

Habitation Hatt-ATH+ 509 2510-2635 / 2940-0135 [email protected],

Ibo Lélé[email protected], [email protected]+509 2514- 0166 2940- 8503 / 2940- 8504

Ideal Villa6 Delmas 53, Rte de Delmas

Karibe Hô[email protected] 70003701-1138 / 3701- 1140 www.karibehotel.com

Port-au-Prince

Hôtel du Village (Port Salut)[email protected]+509 3713- 9035

Auberge du Rayon Vert (Port Salut)[email protected]+509 3713-9035 / 3779- 1728

Dan’s creek (Port Salut)[email protected] www.danscreekhotel.com+509 3614-8143 / 3664- 0404

Relais du Boucanier (Port Salut)[email protected]+509 3558- 1806 / 3720-11443702- 1066 / 3554-1806

Auberge du canal d’Avezac Levy(Camp Perrin)+509 3739-2800

Le Recul (Camp Perrin)[email protected]+509 3454-0027 / 3727-3589

Aldy Hôtel- ATH(Aquin) [email protected]+509 3458-2566 / 3741-0532

Ouanga Bay+509 3756- 5212 [email protected]


Kinam Hô[email protected] , [email protected] +509 2944- 6000 / 2945- 6000 /2945- 6001 / 2511- 4400 ww.hotelkinam.com

La Réserve Guest House-ATH +509 3452-3065 / 3510- 5026 3510- 4678 / 3940- 0182

Le Montcel-ATH (Kenscoff- Belot)[email protected]/ www.montcelhaiti.com +509 3701-4777 3701-1744 / 3702-7202

Le Ritz-ATH+509 2943- 0303 [email protected] [email protected]

Le [email protected],[email protected] 9800 / 3701- 9303www.plazahaiti.com

Montana Suite Horizon-ATHRue F. Cardozo +509 3880 6610

Palms Résidence [email protected]+509 3706-7342 3454-0053

Prince Hô[email protected]+509 2517- 05973791- 1549/ 2944- 0422

The Inn at Villa BambouPort-au-Princewww.villabambouhaiti.com +509 2813-1724

The Lodge--ATHFurcy +509 2510 9870 3458 5968 Villa Créole--ATH+509 2941- 1570 / 2941- 1571 2941- 0965 / 2941- [email protected]

Villa Ban-YenValue (between Grand Goave & Petit Goave)+509 3420-2091/[email protected]

Visa Lodge-ATH [email protected] +509 2813- 0777 / 2510- 3424www.visalodge.com

travel companion

Agence Citadelle American Express Travel - [email protected]+509 2940 5900 / 3445 5900www.agencecitadelle.com

Uniglobe - ATH [email protected]+509 2941 0742

Voyages Lumière - [email protected]+ 509 3607 1321www.voyageslumiere.com

Voyages Plus [email protected]+509 3443 0823 / 2940 0484

ReceptiveOperators

Art Galleries

Expressions Art Gallery55 Rue Metellus, PV2 256-3471 / 3 [email protected] www.expressionsgaleriedart.com

Festival Arts43 Rue Magny, PV 3 551-7311 3 [email protected]

Galerie Marassa17 Rue Lamarre, PV 2 257-19673 [email protected] www.galeriemarassa.com

Galerie Monnin19 Rue Lamarre, PV2 257-4430 / 3 [email protected] www.galeriemonnin.com

Galerie Nader50 Rue Grégoire, PV2 257-0855 3 [email protected] www.galerienader.com

L’Atellier Boutique Fondation TheardFermathe 592 513-9874

Les Ateliers Jerôme68 Angle des Rues Rebecca & Lamarre, PV2 513-5362 / 3 [email protected] www.lesateliersjerome.com


Aerolineas Mas + 509 3704 4560www.aerolineasmas.com

Air Caraïbes - ATH+509 2813 1037 www.aircaraibes.com

Air Canada+509 2810 5857 www.aircanada.com

Air France - ATH+ 509 3115 5000 www.airfrance.com

American Airlines+509 2229 6000 www.aa.com

Continental Airlineswww.continental.com

Copa Air+509 2940 2326 29402327 www.copaair.com

Delta Airlines- ATH+509 2943 3582/2816 1666

AirlinesInsel Air International- ATH +509 2813 0403 www.fly-inselair.com

SALSA d’HaitiToussaint Louverture Int’l airport+509-2813-1222

Spirit Airlines + 509 2940 4421 / 2940 4422 www.spirit.com

Tortugair + 509 2812 8000

Turks & Caicos Airways www.airturksandcaicos.com

Pharmacies

Obonsoins 107, Rue Loverture, PV + 509 2512 5260 3800 3737

Pharmacie du Boulevard 1, Corner Blvd. du 15 October & Rue D. Lespinasse, PAP + 509 3459 6553 3808 9050

Pharmaximum 12, Rue Ogé, PV + 509 2816 0116

Capital Coach Lines [email protected] +509 2 512 5989 / 3 455 1777

Caribe Tours [email protected] +509 2 257 9379 /3 785 1946

Terra Bus [email protected]

Transborder Bus Lines

Avis20, Rue Mais Gaté, Route de lAéroport+ 509 2229 6399/ 2941 5555

Budget Rent-a-CarCorner Rue Léonard & Route de l’Aéroport+ 509 2813 1094 / 3856 4988

Dollar Rent-a-CarBlvd, Toussaint Louverture, Route de l’Aéroport+ 509 2813 1800 / 3724 0950

Europcar 13, Blvd Jean-Jacques Dessalines, PAP+ 509 2518 5555 / 2518 5556

HertzRoute de l’Aéroport+ 509 3779 0700 / 2816 0700

Secom564 Route de Delmas+ 509 2942 2940 / 2942 2941

Car Rental Airport Shuttle Service

Airport Express+ 509 3445 5902

We are also available onlinewww.magichaiti.com


general info

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATIONPublic transportation is not very well organized and is part of the folklore. Private taxis as well as car rentals (sedans and 4x4s) are available from various agencies. Local incoming trav-el agencies can also arrange cars & minibuses with drivers & guides for transfers and excursions.

LOCAL AIR TRANSPORT Several local airlines offer regular flights with aircrafts of up to 19 seats to the following cities: cap Haitien, Jeremie, Les cayes, and Port de Paix. Aircrafts and helicopters for air taxi/charter services can also be or-ganized to various other areas of the country.

PASSPORT & VISANo visa is required for stays less than 90 days. A valid Passport is mandatory. Visa required only for citizens of colombia, Panama, dominican Republic & cuba.

ELECTRICITY110 V, 60 cycles, American outlets

CURRENCYThe national currency is the Gourde (ISo code: HTG) The U.S. dollar is accepted everywhere. currency exchange is avail-able in many banks or hotel front desks. The current rate is around USd1.00 for HTG 41.00 It is advised to convert your home currency into USd before leav-ing since the local rate of conversion is not always advantageous.

CREDIT CARDSVisa, Mastercard & American Express accepted in most tourist es-tablishments. cash Advance is available in some banks and ATMs.

TELEPHONES country code for Haïti: 509Local numbers increased to 8 digits. The first digit indicates wheth-er it is a fixed phone (2) or a mobile phone (3). The three mobile phone carriers have booths at the airport.

MEDICAL CARE The hotels have a list of private doctors available for emergen-cies. Private hospitals offer better service than public ones. Air ambulances may be required for cases requiring transportation to facilities in the region. Several drugstores and pharmacies are available.

INTERNET ACCESS Major hotels offer Internet access Wi-Fi in public areas & in rooms. cyber cafes & Hotspots are available everywhere.

BANKSLocal & international banks have an extensive urban coverage. A limited number of ATMs is available.

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magic haiti - 4th edition

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