I know that I skipped two weeks and sometime in the future I’ll write about it but for now here is the most recent of my days.
I left my house around 10:30 today, heading to Judi’s house in hopes that I would finally meet some people in my campo town. Keep in mind this would also be my first time to just “call” on people in their homes, a very Dominican thing to do. Alas, she wasn’t home so I kept on walking down the hill to see who else I would see further on towards the “downtown” area.
Proud Gringa moment number one: I introduced myself to a woman who was walking to the super marcado, explained that was new in town and was walking around so that I could meet everyone since I’d be living here for two years. She agreed that it was a good idea so she introduced me to the woman who came behind. Apparently she was with me on the beach trip but was just as shy so she didn’t say anything while at the beach. However, since talking on the street isn’t as intimidating (for me anyway) we all walked and talked until we got to the yellow Mercado next to the gym. She went on about her shopping and I priced the household items I will need to by very soon. You know the essentials like toilet paper, candles, wasp spray, a mop, and bread. Looks like can spend close to RD$300 (that DR pesos). While she was getting her sugar, she kindly introduced me to some other women who were getting their salad and chicken for their lunch. It was 11AM by this time and but the mercados were out of chicken!!! What is a Dona to do? As she was paying up in came the American! I haven’t seen her since the first day of my site visit. I was relived to have someone to quickly speak English with. I told her about my plans for starting a diagnostic committee and that I would be very happy if she could help me out with translating and other technical things a fluent Englsih/ Spanish person could do. Turns out her pastor and a few other people from her church in Pennsylvania are in town for the week so she had to track down a chicken so that they to could eat the typical Dominican lunch of rice, beans and chicken. She will also be a good resource to help answer questions about the inner-workings of the town, since she’s observed this town as an outsider.
Moving upward toward the park, I took a quick left toward the primary school. I knew that on this road there lived a girl about my age who is on the Consejo of the CTC and her mother seemed very helpful the first time I met her. Proud Gringa moment number 2: I remember both of their names and called out, “Buenas, Dona Altagracia! Soy la Americana!” She was very happy to see me and quickly made me sit down. I have noticed that Domincans will tell you to sit almost before saying hello. I think it’s because they want to make sure you know that you are welcome into their home and they want you stay. So I sit. Her daughter comes out and we do the small talk. I mention the meeting we are having today and I get the recent time change. I then slip in that I’m looking to start a diagnostic committee so that I can be introduced into neighborhoods and community groups with more ease. Altagracia is delighted to show me around, but then the subject quickly gets changed to what houses, if any would be available for me to live in come August. It is now 11:50AM and they are about to eat lunch – yes, the bandera. Sidena doesn’t give me the option of leaving, she commands me to stay and eat with them. Of course I can’t say no. (I did the first time – but I’ll blame that on my American ways.)
After lunch we start to play the board game Clue – you remember from the mid 90s. Altagraica then says that we are going to the Primary school sine I wasn’t formally introduced to them during my site visit. However, she takes a look outside and notices the dark clouds brewing and says we should wait until after the rain shower. The rain pours down starting at 2PM and doesn’t let up in the slightest until about 5PM. I took a look outside while the bulk of the rain was coming down and noticed that the creek that I have to pass to get to my house was now a raging river*. There is another way to get to my house but it’s much longer and I’m sure just as crazy. I know then that I’m not going home anytime soon. So we spend the afternoon playing Clue and Uno. Those games really made the time fly by, but the school had already let out so we settled on visiting her friends in the neighborhood.
*Noted for future reference when it rains.
The meeting was set for 7PM and another member of my consejo was picking up Sidena around that time so I hitched a ride with them. I left the house without my notebook thinking I would have gone to the house before the meeting, but I thought heck. I can swing it. Wouldn’t you know -- I did! I was able to successfully ask the members of my consejo and the staff at the CTC for the names of groups and community leaders. Although they didn’t really write them down for me the way I wanted everyone understood me! I’m not worried because I know Altagracia and her friends will come through for me! She used to be a teacher here and it shows, it’s mostly because of the way she’s so intent on helping me and guiding me through the town. I had a hunch that she’d be my go to Doña, I’m really glad I sucked up my fear and walked into the house.
When I got home the compound was dark, I guessed the luz must be out so I wonder up the hill and unlock all the doors to my room. (I am safely locked away). When I get into my room I hear the squish squash of my shoes in a puddle of water. Crap! Half of my room is under water, including my power strip and computer power cord. I quickly check to see if the top of my table is wet, including my computer – it isn’t – Thank God! I grab my flashlight and survey the rest of the damage, but nothing else is sitting in the puddle of water. I head down stairs to find a broom. I notice that both houses are looked up and there is now way to get in even for a glass of water! Luckily I find a mop outside of the house and curse my way up the stairs. I start moping out the water but I’m just moving it around. Then I remember the towel from the beach and in conjunction with the mop slowly soak up the water. Not only am I weak because I hadn’t eaten anything since noon, but dehydrated too. Not too long after I was done mopping, my family came home and we cut up a piña and I had some orange juice. A very satisfying dinner!
Its only day 4 here at my site and I am happy to say that I feel like things are going to fall into place as they need to. On Monday I wasn’t so sure I knew what I was doing, but today I feel like I have a clue!
*Update* I walk to Altagracia´s house at 10AM and find the whole place shut up. I knock and knock hopping I don’t have ask the neighbor where she might have gone. Her husband then comes to the door and tells me that she’s at the neighbor’s house down the road. This is the sick neighbor whom we visited yester day. He died late last night so the beginnings of a viewing are under way. I walk on down willing to help and show my respect to the family and community. I see most of the people who I met yesterday and my host mother and father. They look surprised to see me, I guess because they don’t know I have such a tight relationship with other people in the community. Altagracia is nice enough to take me next door to the escuela so that I can meet the directora (in my case the sub-directora). She apologizes for not being able to take me around later in the afternoon because of well, obviously the death of a friend! Of course I completely understand and can’t help but smile. This is just an example of why things here in the DR don’t always get done or happens as planned.
I was trying not to drink coffee here because some ¨healer¨ boyfriend of mine convinced me it wasn’t good for me, but it is impossible to refuse the shot glass amount of coffee (especially when the Doña is smiling at you with bright eyes and a friendly smile). So there goes my idea of explaining to the Doña that I won’t be having her coffee. Instead I’m opting to drink more water to flush out the coffee. Wish me luck!
Collares Rojos
12 years ago
