Yes, that is the delegation i have been assigned to:
Haiti.
And like myself, the reactions i got were mixed at first and then get more and more positive.
Last Thursday, the " reveal" day. was the day when we saw how our dear LOCOG bosses had nothing to envy from the X-factor : the suspense management was just incredible. We were in the room for about 10 min before knowing that the guys on the same table and with the same number as yourself were going to be team-mates...then we waited another 15 min before it was revealed that this evening they were assigning delegations from the Americas...and another 15 min before actually going through all the countries one by one and discovering which one was your own. Emotions ran high.
Big Countries like Jamaica, USA and Canada were allocated just at the beginning leaving the majority of us little time to be disappointed before actually knowing which country we had.
I was sat on a table with about 8 people and we all got allocated Caribbean countries : Haiti, St Kitts, Dominican Republic...and weirdly, Peru.
Whilst the Haitian delegation should comprise about 16 athletes which means they get 4 volunteers, only one other member of my future team was able to make it that evening : Harry, a British student who has lived in the Antilles and knows all about them and actually speaks creole and French with something of a Caribbean feel ...quite fun to listen to actually. His knowledge is amazing and makes me wonder once again "why me?" I've never been to Haiti and visited Guadeloupe a couple of years ago but i know that is very different place.
Anyway, all the more for me to learn.
I must say i have not yet done all my homework on Haiti, so like you, i know it's poor, suffered a terrible earthquake 2 years ago and well, not really any famous athletes!
But, watch this space, i will soon be an expert and snob anybody who doesn't know the names of the last 5 presidents ( or is it dictators?) and the date of independence of the country!
I'll probably have more to tell about Haiti before i go onto my next training : driving. gloups.
Thank you all for your comments and reading. and yes, one day you will see me in my uniform :-)
Haiti.
And like myself, the reactions i got were mixed at first and then get more and more positive.
Last Thursday, the " reveal" day. was the day when we saw how our dear LOCOG bosses had nothing to envy from the X-factor : the suspense management was just incredible. We were in the room for about 10 min before knowing that the guys on the same table and with the same number as yourself were going to be team-mates...then we waited another 15 min before it was revealed that this evening they were assigning delegations from the Americas...and another 15 min before actually going through all the countries one by one and discovering which one was your own. Emotions ran high.
Big Countries like Jamaica, USA and Canada were allocated just at the beginning leaving the majority of us little time to be disappointed before actually knowing which country we had.
I was sat on a table with about 8 people and we all got allocated Caribbean countries : Haiti, St Kitts, Dominican Republic...and weirdly, Peru.
Whilst the Haitian delegation should comprise about 16 athletes which means they get 4 volunteers, only one other member of my future team was able to make it that evening : Harry, a British student who has lived in the Antilles and knows all about them and actually speaks creole and French with something of a Caribbean feel ...quite fun to listen to actually. His knowledge is amazing and makes me wonder once again "why me?" I've never been to Haiti and visited Guadeloupe a couple of years ago but i know that is very different place.
Anyway, all the more for me to learn.
I must say i have not yet done all my homework on Haiti, so like you, i know it's poor, suffered a terrible earthquake 2 years ago and well, not really any famous athletes!
But, watch this space, i will soon be an expert and snob anybody who doesn't know the names of the last 5 presidents ( or is it dictators?) and the date of independence of the country!
I'll probably have more to tell about Haiti before i go onto my next training : driving. gloups.
Thank you all for your comments and reading. and yes, one day you will see me in my uniform :-)
so, how many haitian athletes are actually coming to the olympics games?
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