Happy birthday America: Fond 4th of July memories of Port au Prince, Haiti

RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL July 4, 2015

Today is the first 4th of July in a while that I won’t be at a US Embassy ‘do’ or helping set up for the Ambassador’s party. I will miss it.

Last year, it fell to me to run the ‘decoration committee’, which is a rather fun job – you order the flowers and the balloon arrangements and ensure they are put up. You get a team of volunteers together and you get the tablecloths put on (with the freshest red, white and blue combo you can think of); everyone has a think and gets the bunting up and all the other decorations.

It’s an early morning start, though, but you go home to get togged up and when you return to the Ambassador’s house, you know it’s going to be looking festive.

So it was last year in Port au Prince, Haiti. The US Ambassador’s residence there is a gracious building, constructed by the Marines back in the 1920s.

I have some wonderful 4th of July memories of that house. Here are a few photos. The first one is of the dress rehearsal of the Marines’ presentation of colours  a few hours BEFORE the party: