*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.
Monday, October 19, 2009
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!!!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Hey everyone!
Sorry it’s been so long, I was sick for a while and then had to go to the capitol for a big committee weekend. But now I’m back in Estero Hondo. I’ve moved into my own place… sort of…it’s kind of like a 2 room apartment and it’s attached to a house. I use the bathroom and the kitchen in the big house, but I have two rooms to myself and it’s really cheap. And it’s at the end of a street so it’s very quiet, which I love. Plus, I have a new dog. Her name is Rosalinda (Pretty Rose) and she is adorable.
I started a youth group called Brigada Verde. I have about 15 students and this month we are talking about trash and why it is a problem. I´m hoping to do a city clean-up at either the end of the month or early in October.
Also, I got 1000 pesos from our mayor to get new volleyballs, so on Saturday we are going to start having volleyball practices again. Overall, it´s been a very busy month!
I started a youth group called Brigada Verde. I have about 15 students and this month we are talking about trash and why it is a problem. I´m hoping to do a city clean-up at either the end of the month or early in October.
Also, I got 1000 pesos from our mayor to get new volleyballs, so on Saturday we are going to start having volleyball practices again. Overall, it´s been a very busy month!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Missed Call
So this past week I had 3 month IST, basically a conference where we got to present out community and talk about what we want to do the next year. It was located in the moutains about an hour outside of Santiago. It went really well, but as always even getting there was an adventure...
So my Dona/ project partner and I woke up Monday the 3rd at 4:30am to catch the early guagua at 5am (The project partners came for the first couple of days). So we got ready and waited in the galeria (front porch)...and waited. 5 o'clock came and went. Then 5:30. So my Dona started to get a little worried so she started asking a couple of people to go ask around about the driver. The people never found outwhere the guagua was and the guagua never came. So thankfully about 6am a crappy double-cabbed truck came by that was headed for Santiago. So we jumped in and got to Santiago about 8:30. We had to go to a bus stop that neither of us had been to before, but thankfully the driver knew where it was. The place didn't take to long to find, and I'll always know how to identify it now. It was loco!
First, we turned on to a street that had more bags of onions than people at a UT football game. There were so many onions, it smelled like onions. Then we got to the next intersection and there were tons of fruit and vegetable shops littering the sidewalks. With guaguas in the middle of the intersections begging for people to get on their guagua. Everyone was shouting and honking their horns. Complete chaos.
So we jumped out of the truck and found one to take us to the center. It was the same type of truck and just as bad as the one we'd rode to Santiago in which wasn't too exciting but not surprising either. We got in and ate some breakfast (apple juice and crackers) and waited for the guagua to fill up with people so we could go. Finally, half an hour later we finally got enough people to go. So I threw I bag in the back, climbed in the back, and off we went...
But we didn't leave town straight away; no, of course not. First we had to go around town to find more people to come with us. Usually when a driver (or choffeur) does this, they go around and honk their horns to see if anyone is interested in coming. This hombre did that, but his horn sounded more like a dog's squeaky toy than the usual mad dog barking. I couldn't help but laugh.
So we collected a few more people, smushed together in the back seat, and traveled up the mountain in our squeky toy horned, double cab, falling apart truck. It took about an hour and even after all of that we still showed up first at 10am, when the conference started at noon.
We got out of the guagua and headed the 50 meters on foot to the offices. When we got inside, I looked for my phone which I had put in the side pocket of my backpack, but it was not there. Either someone had taken out my cell phone or it had fallen out in the back of the guagua! I told my Dona and a girl who worked there. The girl said that she knew the driver so she would ask him about it and see if he found it.
So the next day came (Tuesday), and I hadn't heard anything from her so I went and asked her. She said that she forgot and would ask that day. Later, she came up to me and said that my phone had "Gone with God" basically I would never see it again. So I was a little upset that I would have to go to the capitol and get a new phone. Plus we are only allowed to get one free phone and I would have to use it so early in my service.
However, the next day (Wednesday) she brought me my phone!!!! I was so excited; she said that he had found it after all. So I turned it on and there was a voicemail from my friend Alanna, from the other group saying that she was returning my phone call from the day before and sorry she missed my call.
I was like "What?" I didn't have my phone yesterday. So I checked my dialed calls and whoever had my phone had made 11 phone calls including Alanna and Whereabouts (a system we have to call when we leave our sites) and then 9 other Dominican numbers. Well whoever had used up all of my minutes on the phone. But at least I got the phone back in the end.
So my Dona/ project partner and I woke up Monday the 3rd at 4:30am to catch the early guagua at 5am (The project partners came for the first couple of days). So we got ready and waited in the galeria (front porch)...and waited. 5 o'clock came and went. Then 5:30. So my Dona started to get a little worried so she started asking a couple of people to go ask around about the driver. The people never found outwhere the guagua was and the guagua never came. So thankfully about 6am a crappy double-cabbed truck came by that was headed for Santiago. So we jumped in and got to Santiago about 8:30. We had to go to a bus stop that neither of us had been to before, but thankfully the driver knew where it was. The place didn't take to long to find, and I'll always know how to identify it now. It was loco!
First, we turned on to a street that had more bags of onions than people at a UT football game. There were so many onions, it smelled like onions. Then we got to the next intersection and there were tons of fruit and vegetable shops littering the sidewalks. With guaguas in the middle of the intersections begging for people to get on their guagua. Everyone was shouting and honking their horns. Complete chaos.
So we jumped out of the truck and found one to take us to the center. It was the same type of truck and just as bad as the one we'd rode to Santiago in which wasn't too exciting but not surprising either. We got in and ate some breakfast (apple juice and crackers) and waited for the guagua to fill up with people so we could go. Finally, half an hour later we finally got enough people to go. So I threw I bag in the back, climbed in the back, and off we went...
But we didn't leave town straight away; no, of course not. First we had to go around town to find more people to come with us. Usually when a driver (or choffeur) does this, they go around and honk their horns to see if anyone is interested in coming. This hombre did that, but his horn sounded more like a dog's squeaky toy than the usual mad dog barking. I couldn't help but laugh.
So we collected a few more people, smushed together in the back seat, and traveled up the mountain in our squeky toy horned, double cab, falling apart truck. It took about an hour and even after all of that we still showed up first at 10am, when the conference started at noon.
We got out of the guagua and headed the 50 meters on foot to the offices. When we got inside, I looked for my phone which I had put in the side pocket of my backpack, but it was not there. Either someone had taken out my cell phone or it had fallen out in the back of the guagua! I told my Dona and a girl who worked there. The girl said that she knew the driver so she would ask him about it and see if he found it.
So the next day came (Tuesday), and I hadn't heard anything from her so I went and asked her. She said that she forgot and would ask that day. Later, she came up to me and said that my phone had "Gone with God" basically I would never see it again. So I was a little upset that I would have to go to the capitol and get a new phone. Plus we are only allowed to get one free phone and I would have to use it so early in my service.
However, the next day (Wednesday) she brought me my phone!!!! I was so excited; she said that he had found it after all. So I turned it on and there was a voicemail from my friend Alanna, from the other group saying that she was returning my phone call from the day before and sorry she missed my call.
I was like "What?" I didn't have my phone yesterday. So I checked my dialed calls and whoever had my phone had made 11 phone calls including Alanna and Whereabouts (a system we have to call when we leave our sites) and then 9 other Dominican numbers. Well whoever had used up all of my minutes on the phone. But at least I got the phone back in the end.
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