Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Real Happening
If you know me, you know that I am a huge movie buff. I love getting lost in a different world for two hours, and in every movie I can find at least one good thing about the film.
One director that I enjoy is M. Night Shyamalan. The way he twists reality and fantasy, the way he always uses a little touch of comedy, and how you're always guessing when the director himself will appear (he played the doctor in "The Sixth Sense" and the older park ranger in ""The Village"). However, one movie that I did not enjoy was "The Happening". Even for a big Shyamalan fan, I thought that nature chemically making humans kill themselves using the wind was a bit of a stretch even for him. The one good point I got was the two main themes of the film: nature attacks and human technology is so advanced that it can spread information and keep us connected even in a disaster.
Now two years after the movie, occurs a real happening. Nature attacked with the skill and power of a predator and January 12th, 2010 will be a day for the history books. Nature could not have picked a more deadly location, Porto’O Prince was concentrated with about three million people and the infrastructure was poor. So, of course, chaos has begun after a 7.0 earthquake hit the heart of 3rd world. The earthquake was so strong, we felt it here in the Dominican Republic all the way to Samana (the peninsula on the opposite side of the DR). A friend of mine that lives close to the Haitian border said that the earth shook there for an entire minute.
The second theme to the movie rang true as well. Human technology connected Haiti with the rest of the world shortly after the first quake. The first report was a Haitian skyping! If people could not call to their family, they checked their Facebook page. I'm reading a book right now about the 1800s, in the book a husband and wife are separated by the Pacific Ocean for three years. It takes 24 days one way to send a letter, so they only get a letter from their significant other every two months. Now a days, though, you could just Yahoo! chat or Tweet "I'm doing okay." It is amazing the power of technology and the speed that it changes. For example, I couldn't imagine being a PC volunteer 10 years ago when at my site they didn't have cell service or internet. Now, I can text with other volunteers almost everyday even though some days I don't have water or electricity.
I can use the internet about once a week when there is electricity, when there are not any "problemitas" or little problems, and when I have some extra pesos. However, 10 years ago you could only use it once a month when you went into the capitol. I don't believe a tree can beat me up, but I do think that Shyamalan had a good, truthful message... Nature can be deadly at any point in time, and maybe it deserves the title of the deadliest predator. Technology has come so far, it can keep us connected through any happening.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of the Haitian earthquake.
One director that I enjoy is M. Night Shyamalan. The way he twists reality and fantasy, the way he always uses a little touch of comedy, and how you're always guessing when the director himself will appear (he played the doctor in "The Sixth Sense" and the older park ranger in ""The Village"). However, one movie that I did not enjoy was "The Happening". Even for a big Shyamalan fan, I thought that nature chemically making humans kill themselves using the wind was a bit of a stretch even for him. The one good point I got was the two main themes of the film: nature attacks and human technology is so advanced that it can spread information and keep us connected even in a disaster.
Now two years after the movie, occurs a real happening. Nature attacked with the skill and power of a predator and January 12th, 2010 will be a day for the history books. Nature could not have picked a more deadly location, Porto’O Prince was concentrated with about three million people and the infrastructure was poor. So, of course, chaos has begun after a 7.0 earthquake hit the heart of 3rd world. The earthquake was so strong, we felt it here in the Dominican Republic all the way to Samana (the peninsula on the opposite side of the DR). A friend of mine that lives close to the Haitian border said that the earth shook there for an entire minute.
The second theme to the movie rang true as well. Human technology connected Haiti with the rest of the world shortly after the first quake. The first report was a Haitian skyping! If people could not call to their family, they checked their Facebook page. I'm reading a book right now about the 1800s, in the book a husband and wife are separated by the Pacific Ocean for three years. It takes 24 days one way to send a letter, so they only get a letter from their significant other every two months. Now a days, though, you could just Yahoo! chat or Tweet "I'm doing okay." It is amazing the power of technology and the speed that it changes. For example, I couldn't imagine being a PC volunteer 10 years ago when at my site they didn't have cell service or internet. Now, I can text with other volunteers almost everyday even though some days I don't have water or electricity.
I can use the internet about once a week when there is electricity, when there are not any "problemitas" or little problems, and when I have some extra pesos. However, 10 years ago you could only use it once a month when you went into the capitol. I don't believe a tree can beat me up, but I do think that Shyamalan had a good, truthful message... Nature can be deadly at any point in time, and maybe it deserves the title of the deadliest predator. Technology has come so far, it can keep us connected through any happening.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of the Haitian earthquake.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Adaptation
In the middle of December, I took an open water scuba diving class in the capitol, Santo Domingo. The number one thing to remember when diving is to always keep breathing. Sink or swim becomes drown or breathe.
The first couple of classes were lectures and diving in a pool (that was 10 feet deep). Then it was off to the ocean, the Carribean Sea, to do the first dive to 35 feet. The books and papers go out of the window, and you have to rely on everything that you obtained in the last two days. When you first jump off the boat, you're in nothing short of chaos. You're adjusting your gear, refitting your goggles, and trying to breathe. Even though you can breathe through your snorkel, you can't help but hold your breath when a wave dunks your head underwater. You think that you are already losing control, and you are having second thoughts about if you can do this. But then you get the signal, change your snorkel for your regulator, and you let the air out of your jacket, as it's time to descend. You start to breath through your regulator, your heavy air tank is now weightless, and tiny fish start to swarm around you. You are in a different world now; one that is entirely different from the surface. You defy gravity like you are in outer space, you crush human limitations by breathing air underwater, time slows down, and though colors are lost the further you go down, nothing has ever looked more beautiful.
The first couple of classes were lectures and diving in a pool (that was 10 feet deep). Then it was off to the ocean, the Carribean Sea, to do the first dive to 35 feet. The books and papers go out of the window, and you have to rely on everything that you obtained in the last two days. When you first jump off the boat, you're in nothing short of chaos. You're adjusting your gear, refitting your goggles, and trying to breathe. Even though you can breathe through your snorkel, you can't help but hold your breath when a wave dunks your head underwater. You think that you are already losing control, and you are having second thoughts about if you can do this. But then you get the signal, change your snorkel for your regulator, and you let the air out of your jacket, as it's time to descend. You start to breath through your regulator, your heavy air tank is now weightless, and tiny fish start to swarm around you. You are in a different world now; one that is entirely different from the surface. You defy gravity like you are in outer space, you crush human limitations by breathing air underwater, time slows down, and though colors are lost the further you go down, nothing has ever looked more beautiful.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Nombres
The names here come in three categories:
1. Traditional English names (with a Latin twist on the pronounciation)
Nelson, Jeffrey, Christian, Angel, Junior, Alexandra
2. Traditional Latin names
Maria, Rosa, Manuel, Juan, Miguel, Ana
3. The hard to pronounce and even harder to spell
Zuelaki (Sue-lake-e), Neftali, Digamara, Crismeyti (Chris-my-tea), Orbelisa, Arislati (R-is-lady)
*It seems like when a couple like a name, they like it so much they name all of their children variations of the same name.
Irlenny and Ilenny are sisters.
Crismayti and Crismeyti are sisters.
Yissel, Yolli, and Yoti, are siblings.
*My name: I go by Rebekah to the Dominicans for 2 reasons. (1) I like how they pronounce it. I can't pronounce it the way they do and half the time when I'm telling someone my name they don't understand me, but when they say it, it sounds really pretty.
And (2) "beca" means scholarship in Spanish and I didn't want to go by scholarship for the next two years.
1. Traditional English names (with a Latin twist on the pronounciation)
Nelson, Jeffrey, Christian, Angel, Junior, Alexandra
2. Traditional Latin names
Maria, Rosa, Manuel, Juan, Miguel, Ana
3. The hard to pronounce and even harder to spell
Zuelaki (Sue-lake-e), Neftali, Digamara, Crismeyti (Chris-my-tea), Orbelisa, Arislati (R-is-lady)
*It seems like when a couple like a name, they like it so much they name all of their children variations of the same name.
Irlenny and Ilenny are sisters.
Crismayti and Crismeyti are sisters.
Yissel, Yolli, and Yoti, are siblings.
*My name: I go by Rebekah to the Dominicans for 2 reasons. (1) I like how they pronounce it. I can't pronounce it the way they do and half the time when I'm telling someone my name they don't understand me, but when they say it, it sounds really pretty.
And (2) "beca" means scholarship in Spanish and I didn't want to go by scholarship for the next two years.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Republica Americana*
*The Dominican Republic in Spanish is la Republica Dominicana.
The other day I was doing some grocery shopping in Santiago at El Cantante (like a WalMart). I was at the spaghetti sauce trying to figure out which one I wanted. Growing up my Mom always made spaghetti from scratch, and I took that habit with me to college. Therefore, this was this was the first time I was buying canned sauce. It took me a while to even read all the labels there were so many different kinds… meat flavoured, Tomato and Garlic, Basil Garlic, Original Recipe, etc.
Then I noticed two female workers that were a couple feet from me were starring at me. ¨Oh come on!¨ I thought, ¨Where am I going to hide canned sauce so I can steal it?¨ So I picked up one and took off down the aisle. As I turned the corner, I looked over my shoulder and saw one of the girls had moved to where I was and picked up one of the cans. I then realized the girls didn´t think that I was going to steal, they were just amazed that I could read the labels!
Imagine going to HEB one day, you have your list in hand and you´re ready to do some quick grocery shopping. You get to the cereal aisle and your mouth drops. All of the boxes are labeled in a foreign language and there must be at least 50 different kinds. Which one do you choose? The one with the friendliest looking character? The one with just corn flakes, it looks the safest, but then again it could be flavored? Dominicans have to do this every time they go shopping. At least until they pick one that is good and stick with it.
Before the spaghetti incident, I was down the breakfast aisle and saw there was a two for one sale on Nature Valley granola bars, which was actually still a little expensive but it was an okay deal. So I debated on it and saw what kinds they had. I left to get all my other stuff, then came back to cave in and splurge a little on the granola bars. A woman was there contemplating on which one to get. While I saw original, oats and honey, or cinnamon, she saw yellow box, blue box, or red box.
The other day I was doing some grocery shopping in Santiago at El Cantante (like a WalMart). I was at the spaghetti sauce trying to figure out which one I wanted. Growing up my Mom always made spaghetti from scratch, and I took that habit with me to college. Therefore, this was this was the first time I was buying canned sauce. It took me a while to even read all the labels there were so many different kinds… meat flavoured, Tomato and Garlic, Basil Garlic, Original Recipe, etc.
Then I noticed two female workers that were a couple feet from me were starring at me. ¨Oh come on!¨ I thought, ¨Where am I going to hide canned sauce so I can steal it?¨ So I picked up one and took off down the aisle. As I turned the corner, I looked over my shoulder and saw one of the girls had moved to where I was and picked up one of the cans. I then realized the girls didn´t think that I was going to steal, they were just amazed that I could read the labels!
Imagine going to HEB one day, you have your list in hand and you´re ready to do some quick grocery shopping. You get to the cereal aisle and your mouth drops. All of the boxes are labeled in a foreign language and there must be at least 50 different kinds. Which one do you choose? The one with the friendliest looking character? The one with just corn flakes, it looks the safest, but then again it could be flavored? Dominicans have to do this every time they go shopping. At least until they pick one that is good and stick with it.
Before the spaghetti incident, I was down the breakfast aisle and saw there was a two for one sale on Nature Valley granola bars, which was actually still a little expensive but it was an okay deal. So I debated on it and saw what kinds they had. I left to get all my other stuff, then came back to cave in and splurge a little on the granola bars. A woman was there contemplating on which one to get. While I saw original, oats and honey, or cinnamon, she saw yellow box, blue box, or red box.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Ode to my ¨Pretty Rose¨
¨I feel like a backpacking Paris Hilton!¨ I told fellow PCV (Peace Corps volunteer) Amanda as I tightened my backpack straps and tucked my new perrita chiquita under my arm.
Before I came to the DR, I knew that I wanted a dog. Then, when I found out that they kill female dogs because they don´t want puppies. I knew I wanted to get una hembra (female). Then shortly after arriving, I read the book ¨The Farming of Bones¨ about a young Haitian working in the DR (it´s a great book, but I didn´t care for the ending). There was a character named Rosalinda. Maybe I like the character, maybe I´m just obsessed with roses (my only other dog is named Rosebud), or maybe I just liked the name, but I knew right after I read the name that I would have a female dog named Rosalinda.
So when Amanda told me that a stray dog had had six puppies in an abandoned house at her site, I said absolutely I´ll have one just make sure it´s una hembra!
Therefore at the end of August, I went over to Amanda´s in Imbert to pick her up. She is a cute orange and white (Go Longhorns!), skinny pup, but growing fast. She likes running around aimlessly (when she does this we call her LOCAlinda), digging, chasing chickens, she loves bones and rice, and she likes taking my socks outside to chew on (at least it´s not my underwear!).
Now she is my constant companion and goes almost everywhere I do. When we walk by kids in the street they say, ¨Hola, Rosalinda!¨ And I say where is my hola?
All in all, no matter what the day brings she is always there with a smile on her face ready to play.
Before I came to the DR, I knew that I wanted a dog. Then, when I found out that they kill female dogs because they don´t want puppies. I knew I wanted to get una hembra (female). Then shortly after arriving, I read the book ¨The Farming of Bones¨ about a young Haitian working in the DR (it´s a great book, but I didn´t care for the ending). There was a character named Rosalinda. Maybe I like the character, maybe I´m just obsessed with roses (my only other dog is named Rosebud), or maybe I just liked the name, but I knew right after I read the name that I would have a female dog named Rosalinda.
So when Amanda told me that a stray dog had had six puppies in an abandoned house at her site, I said absolutely I´ll have one just make sure it´s una hembra!
Therefore at the end of August, I went over to Amanda´s in Imbert to pick her up. She is a cute orange and white (Go Longhorns!), skinny pup, but growing fast. She likes running around aimlessly (when she does this we call her LOCAlinda), digging, chasing chickens, she loves bones and rice, and she likes taking my socks outside to chew on (at least it´s not my underwear!).
Now she is my constant companion and goes almost everywhere I do. When we walk by kids in the street they say, ¨Hola, Rosalinda!¨ And I say where is my hola?
All in all, no matter what the day brings she is always there with a smile on her face ready to play.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
7 months
Now I have been living in the Dominican Republic for 7 months (in my site for almost 5 months). While sometimes it feels like it's gone by so fast; other times it feels like it's been forever since I've been on American soil. This is by far the longest time I've been away from friends and family. While I miss everyone SO much and am counting down the days to visit for Christmas, I've been enjoying my two new families.
One is the Peace Corps family. I have many sisters and brothers (the fellow Peace Corps volunteers), even older siblings (the Peace Corps volunteer Leaders). We have the sweet, supporting aunts (doctors), and our hard working uncles (the APCDS, technical bosses). We all work hard, play hard, live hard under Big Papa Romio (the Country Director).
Then, of course, I have my Dominican family. Which is the prime example of organized chaos. Even though there's about 4000 people who live in my town, Estero Hondo, I don't think there's more than 20 main families. Your either someone's primo/a, tio/a, or copadre/comadre, or your married to their hermano/a.
Last Friday I turned in my first grant! It is for the community center roof. The roof is badly damaged and could fall very soon. I'm hoping that it gets approved quickly and I can get the money by the end of October or the first week of November. If I do, I can start construction the second week of November. However, if I don't get the money in time, I'll have to wait till the new year to start construction. I'm afraid that by that time the roof may fall and the damage will be greater so please pray for a speedy approval!!!
Other things I'm doing: a girls' volleyball club and a youth group called Brigada Verde. We gave a "charla" or speech to the schools last Friday about trash and the importance of putting it in the trash can. The kids had fun and the charlas were really sussessful. On October 24th, we are having a "Show de Talento" or Talent Show for the community. The last act will be my kids giving a charla about trash, so I really excited about it. Plus it will be a great fundraiser.
Yesterday I bought my plane ticket to come home for Christmas. I'm so happy it's official. I'm coming home Wednesday December 16th at 2:55pm and leaving the morning of the 30th. See yall soon!!!
One is the Peace Corps family. I have many sisters and brothers (the fellow Peace Corps volunteers), even older siblings (the Peace Corps volunteer Leaders). We have the sweet, supporting aunts (doctors), and our hard working uncles (the APCDS, technical bosses). We all work hard, play hard, live hard under Big Papa Romio (the Country Director).
Then, of course, I have my Dominican family. Which is the prime example of organized chaos. Even though there's about 4000 people who live in my town, Estero Hondo, I don't think there's more than 20 main families. Your either someone's primo/a, tio/a, or copadre/comadre, or your married to their hermano/a.
Last Friday I turned in my first grant! It is for the community center roof. The roof is badly damaged and could fall very soon. I'm hoping that it gets approved quickly and I can get the money by the end of October or the first week of November. If I do, I can start construction the second week of November. However, if I don't get the money in time, I'll have to wait till the new year to start construction. I'm afraid that by that time the roof may fall and the damage will be greater so please pray for a speedy approval!!!
Other things I'm doing: a girls' volleyball club and a youth group called Brigada Verde. We gave a "charla" or speech to the schools last Friday about trash and the importance of putting it in the trash can. The kids had fun and the charlas were really sussessful. On October 24th, we are having a "Show de Talento" or Talent Show for the community. The last act will be my kids giving a charla about trash, so I really excited about it. Plus it will be a great fundraiser.
Yesterday I bought my plane ticket to come home for Christmas. I'm so happy it's official. I'm coming home Wednesday December 16th at 2:55pm and leaving the morning of the 30th. See yall soon!!!
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