Steamed Mussels in White Wine

It’s hard to believe what’s going on in Haiti right now. We see videos and pictures of the earthquake damage on TV and internet but it’s impossible to understand the degree of devastation unless you are actually there. It seems so unreal as if I’m watching a movie. Because it’s painful to watch, my mind almost tries to disconnect from it. But when I realize that it’s really happening right at this moment in this world, it horrifies me. I have been fortunate enough not to experience a major natural disaster, but who knows, I could well be the next victim. After all, I live in California

In 2005, almost four months after hurricane Katrina hit the southeast coast, I flew there with a group of volunteers and helped people who were still living in shelters. It was in December, just before Christmas time. TV and other media initially covered a lot about their damage in August and September, but after they had stopped reporting, it seemed as if people had forgotten that there were people still living in tents and shelters. Even years after the incident, many were still abandoned in their FEMA trailers. I’d naively believed that somehow conditions were improved since seeing those images back in September.

We flew into Jackson and drove all the way to Pass Christian, Mississippi. We could see the damage progress from a nightmare to a desolate hell as we headed to Pass Christian. At first, it was just broken trees, then we started seeing some damage on the houses, then finally as we were entering, the whole city was cluttered with piles and mounds of trash. Every single house was collapsed or had wasted away from its foundations completely. Clothes, toys, furniture, stuff that normally found inside the house were randomly scattered everywhere, unused, and forgotten. There were absolutely no signs or points of interest. We drove around the town and finally managed to find the library where people were sleeping. There was no running hot water and we were sleeping in one big room in the library. No privacy. No comfort. And yet, we knew that had it better than some.

Surprisingly, people were very happy there. They helped and trusted each other like one big family. Volunteers were mostly from other states and some of them had been there since the end of August 2005. A woman told me that she was from Ohio and had no family or friends in Mississippi, but she had quit her job and permanently moved there to help. Stories like that made me feel like helping people for three days was nothing comparable. We could see ocean from where we were staying. It was so calm and cold. The beach was littered with trash. I looked over the scene imagining how it might have unfolded.

To say it is a humanitarian crisis in Haiti right now is an understatement. The number of estimated dead is already 25 times worse than Katrina. Since it’s one of the world’s poorest countries, it’s going to take massive effort to help them recover. I’m moved by the generosity shown so far by people still affected by the world economic recession. I think it means more to give money when you don’t have a lot.

Today’s post has no bearing on the food photos I’m featuring. No, I did not pick up mussels when I was at the beach in Pass Christian. This was simply my dinner I had last week just before the earthquake. My food blogging seems so trivial compared to the earthquake. But it helps me a little to do anything but ignore it, relevant or not.