My accidental running lesson on "vagabons"

Learned a valuable lesson about running in Haiti today....unintentionally of course.

I've done a decent amount of running in Haiti.  While at times, the surrounding conditions can make a run feel uncomfortable or out of place, I always feel that running down here is well worth the mental and physical benefits.  I've gone running in the mountains and streets of Thomonde, and the beaches and the city streets of Jacmel.  And now that' I have been here for a little over a month, I have gotten into a pretty good running routine - going about four times per week.  I like to believe that I am pretty familiar with running in Haiti.  

Due to the heat and my daily schedule, I usually go running at six o'clock in the morning.  I would go earlier, but I can't because there isn't enough sunlight yet (the mountains delay the sunrise here in Jacmel).  And, typically, I don't go any later because it is just too hot.

But today I went running in the late morning.  I was planning on running for an hour.  And if I went at 6 am, I would have been late for the scheduled breakfast (something I most certainly didn't want to do).  So I decided to go running after I went to church with the group this morning.  So I headed out around 10:30.  I knew it was going to be hot.  And because of this I went without a shirt.  And as I found out, apparently this is a big no-no here in Haiti.

A lot of people seemed to be looking at me differently and saying things that, while I couldn't fully understand, I wasn't used to hearing.  I knew something was up.

No matter whether you are native or a foreigner, when you go running in Haiti, many people will say you are crazy.  When you are a white foreigner running in Haiti, many people will stare at you.  These are both things that I am well aware of.  However, what I did not know was that running in the street without a shirt on will upset people.

At first I couldn't really tell what people were saying, but I knew it was more than the usual, "look at this crazy white person running."  I was only running in the short running shorts, sneakers and my visor (sorry for creating that image in your mind), so my appearance probably would have gotten some weird looks even in the states.  But based on the tone of voice and body language of the people, I new something was up.  I thought it might have been the fact I was running when it was simply too hot to be doing any activity, let alone running.  Or the fact that since I didn't have a shirt on, I was going to get burnt.

It wasn't until two gentleman kindly stopped me and explained to me that being out in the street without a shirt on is a big no-no here in Haiti.  They told me, without a shirt on in the street, people will think very negatively of you.  They will think you are a "vagabon".

Now, based on the American definition of the similar term, vagabond - a person who wanders about without a home, it doesn't seem to bad and I would even argue that it could be an accurate description of me.  But here in Haiti, the term vagabon has a harsher meaning.   

Here in Haiti, vagabon refers to a person who has no respect for others, who has no morals, who is a bad fellow.  

Lesson well learned.

(photo one) http://occasionalvagabond.blogspot.com/2010/11/bum-hobo-vagabond-eccentric.html
(photo two) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Tramp_smoking_cigar_with_cane_over_arm_-_restoration.jpg