4 month itch is over

As posted earlier I had an allergic reaction to a mango, or so the doctors think. I mean I called them from my site and they diagnosed me on the phone. So, how would they really know without seeing it? Well they are just that good because I took the anti-histamine pills they prescribed and slathered on the calaydrl lotion all day Sunday. Monday when I woke up it was starting to dry out and clear up. Whew! That was a close call. I was going to give myself until Monday and then make a trip to the capital if it didn’t make a change for the better. Tuesday I called the doctor to let her know my status and the rest is an itchy history.

The compound in which I live was full of buzz Monday because the women of the house who went to NYC were expected home, bringing with them 5 cousins. I was so happy to hear that it was actually happening! This house and family just wasn’t the same without the mom and abuela. Floors were scrubbed, rooms organized, gas tanks filled, walls painted and everyone in high spirits. I was especially happy to have the stove working again. I woke up on Tuesday and had my sorely missed cup of Yerba Mate (the most yummy of teas). I could really tell the difference that cup of tea makes because I finally got the motivation to walk to the CTC and talk with my project partner about making my schedule and plans to change teaching material. Yes, my rash was clearing up and I was making headway with my Peace Corps life. I spent the rest of the day at sewing class, where I quickly finished a cover for a blender. I don’t have a blender and probably wont unless one is given to me, none the less – I sewed one “y es muy linda!”

Altagracia and I are also trying to accumulate furniture and things for my apartment. I was given approval to move out early because of the limited availability of places to rent in my town. So I should be moving this week or the next (I’m waiting on the last tenants to pay the light bill). I was given a twin bed, some towels, a curtain, and a few plastic chairs already but there is still so much I will have to buy if people don’t donate to this poor gringa. We get a little bit of money to move and buy the necessary things, but we all know things around the world are more expensive these days and Peace Corps hasn’t made the adjustment yet – will they ever? Anyway, I’ll live like a college student again, eating out of my cookware and washing clothes by hand. But don’t worry, I think someone is trying to find me a T.V. so I won’t be lonely – hehehehehehe. I hope that gives you an idea of what people here find most important. Never mind that I won’t have sheets on my bed or a bucket to hord water for my bucket baths, but yes I must have a T.V. with cable. Seriously though, I’ll take whatever people give me. It will all come together as things usually do in my life. Gracias a Dios!

When I got home on Tuesday I found Luisa and Negrita home!!!! The compound felt in harmony once again. I felt as though my heart was full again and there was peace in the kingdom. I didn’t realize how nice it was to have the two women around to talk with and just sit. The cousins that will spend their summer here are also fun to be around. There was a slip-n-slide laid out on the tile courtyard when I got home and the kids were trying to figure out the best way to have fun on the flat surface. They settled on shuffling or sliding on the soapy water while racing one another. I was the judge on a few occasions until Luisiana sliced open her foot a broken tile. I tried to play doctor and got my butterfly band-aids to help keep the cut together until she could get to a clinic for some stitches. Also, no one else could deal with the blood or her screams of pain. Thanks to my mothers instincts I can be strong and fearless when there is a need. That was when the slide was put up and dinner was served. The past month I had been eating dinner at Altagracia’s or just having some fruit either way they were smallest meals of the day. I don’t know if was because Negrita was happy to be home or what, but she made me a plate big enough for 3 people. I ate half. I’m not going to lie. The starches, fried eggs and salami are delicious, when you’re not eating them daily. Luckily I’ll be out on my own though so I don’t have to worry about someone else being in control of my diet. I had a smile on my face the whole time just watching her cook in the kitchen and ask over and over who had food and who she was missing. She is a tall woman with long silver hair that she wares tied up in a long bun. If you have seen Triplets of Bellville she resembles the tall sister, looks and mannerisms with out a doubt. So, yeah it was a good day and I was very happy to be part of the family.

I also saw someone come up to the house/gate and ask for Luisa. Frank went up to the man, without letting him in because he didn’t know him, left and then returned with two small packages. That was another sight that made me smile. I thought I was silly to have my friends bring me things from the states when they went, but nope I’m Dominican. I have noticed that Dominicans get lots of things sent to them from the state, via people or mail. A woman was telling me that you could get an industrial barrel sent from NY for $100 dollars or so filled with whatever you wanted. It would get here 15 or 20 days later. That’s cheaper than a plane ticket I guess. She suggested that I have my parents send me a T.V. and American food. I just smiled and nodded but I don’t think I need a barrel full of anything. Maybe I’ll change my mind after a few months, but for now I feel like the only thing I really miss are people and you can’t send them in barrels. I found it interesting though, because it sounds more reliable than packages sent through the mail. I feel like I learned a lot so far this week, as opposed to last when I didn’t do anything but itch.

I just got done with a meeting at the CTC and it looks like I’ll be teaching 4 days a week! The most being on Saturday, which leaves little time to travel this wondrous country. Oh well, I’ll find away to see all the beaches – some how!

Hope you are well.

America's B-day, Peace Corps style...

Every time I slide myself into the emerald or turquoise water of the ocean and look around to miles and miles of palm trees and the white sandy beach I cannot believe that I live on this island. The best part about it all is that I’ll live here for two more years. And within those two years I will want to hit as many beaches as possible. So those of you who are thinking about visiting me should be prepared to travel to see these beautiful sights.

Starting out on Friday morning, Arya and I check out of the Hotel Colonial, a cheap place to stay for PCVs, and find our way to the fruit stand where by coincidence a taxi drops of 3 PCV beauties. These are my girlfriends who are also going to catch the bus with us. When we get to the bus stop we spot a few more volunteers also going on our bus. It turns out there will be a total of 12 gringos on the same small passenger bus heading for Samana. This just goes to show you that we are everywhere and when there is an event planned it is a guarantee that you’ll find other PCVs on the bus – so you’re basically never alone. The ride took about 3 ½ hours to get to Samana, where we took another but smaller bus to Las Galeras. From the drive by we did of Samana, it looks like a small European village, with sailboats at the dock and pastel painted houses – very cute.

Once in Las Galeras we find our way to Hotel Marcos, where we see the ocean for the first time in this small town. The place had a very tranquil atmosphere that was perfect for us who just traveled for over 4 hours. Marcos is a Canadian ex-pat who started running the place earlier this year. He was nice and accommodating to our group of PCVs who came and went. I am sure he was happy that we all drank during his happy hour and ate at the restaurant. The food was okay, but the drinks were better. The water was warm there at the main beach and there were lots of plants under the water which made it hard to stand or walk on the ocean floor.

Saturday we took a boat to Playa Ricon. About a 20-minute boat ride this beach is hidden behind a few huge rocks. At the edge of the beach a river meets the ocean. If you have ever been in Barton Springs in Austin, Texas then you would know how cold the fresh water was! It was like stepping into an ice cube. This is the type of water that cools your inner core and it takes hours for the heat/sun to penetrate the coolness. It was Awesome. During this time older volunteers and new volunteers are meeting and sharing stories about their sites. It was a good experience to hear how the other volunteers live their day-to-day lives. I also learned a lot by seeing how they travel and what food they pack to eat cheap, but be full. Apparently canned pasta needs not cooking, just open and eat! I’m looking forward to a can of ravioli next time I go to the beach.

That night Marcos had a burger/hot dog grill party and other ex-pats came to see the spectacle of the PCVs! However, there were not fireworks, cake, or watermelon. I missed the watermelons of Grapeland, Texas this year. But in tradition, off we went to the local car wash to get our bachata and meringue dancing on. All of this lasted until late into the night and in my true fashion I was up by 7AM. Why or how I do it who knows! But I’m usually up early after a late night, I try to eat and then nap but that didn’t work out on Sunday.

I latched on to another group of PCVs and we secured a guagua to Las Terrenas, another amazing beach town. It was about an hour east of Las Galeras and even more unreal. This place feels like it was developed by Italians and French ex-pats. This place was more expensive and had a lot more to offer. We spent the afternoon hanging out in the water and the afternoon napping in the hotel/apartment. I noticed that in both towns one of the main attractions as far as food goes is Pizza. So yeah I ate pizza twice while on this trip and I am sick of it! I’ve never been a pizza lover, but this weekend I was craving something else, like fish. I got my wish to eat fish that night and it was so satisfying. We all took this night to sit around at the hotel and unwind. The next morning we found the French bakery and I had the perfect cup of café con leche and an apricot Danish. Yummmm!!! This is one place I’ll hit up if ever in the Samana Peninsula again or if I have people visit. The town was pricey for my PC budget but for people on vacation its not super expensive. The shops are trendy and the clothing very cool. I wish I had been an American on vacation just to have money to buy clothes.

My clothes here are going through some rough times. A few weeks ago I washed my darks with a new purple towel. HUGE mistake! It gave all my clothes a purple tint and changed the lighter clothing’s color completely. Fortunately I can still where all of it even though they are new colors. But today I threw in my khaki capri’s with the darks and they came out with blue stains ever where?!?! I wash with cold water so I don’t know what went wrong. So, like I said, my clothes are getting the worst of the PC experience. I also noticed that everyone uses fabric softener here. I never used it in the states so I’ve been washing without here, but today when I went to take my clothes off the line all the cotton items were stiff and rough. I will start using fabric softener now, I hope it makes them feel better. But I digress.

The small guagua back to Santiago was 4 ½ hours and it was a tight squeeze for a good 3 hours or it. Luckily with my new found friends Jenna, Karina and Justin it was a memorable time. These older PCVs have Spanish down enough to joke with the people on the bus and they throw out the “Ah, Dios” y “gracias a dios” - and well anything referring to God and your cool with the Doñas on the guagua. When we made it back to Santiago they showed me a nice sushi place that wasn’t too expensive and didn’t taste like the kind you’d get at the grocery store but better like a mid-scale sushi place. I know it seems weird that this PCV is hanging out in resort towns and eating sushi but hey its hard work being the gringa in a small pueblo. From there I grabbed a ride from the family friend who is still visiting from NY. I was happy to be home and ready to sleep in my bed.

Tuesday I woke up and headed to the CTC to check out the situation there since it had been almost a week. Turns out the Internet went down over the weekend and the place was a ghost town. Although as I was walking to and from the CTC people stopped me to see how I was and how enjoyed my trip. It was such a good feeling to have people seem like they care. It just confirms that I love my community. I still have lots of diagnostic work to do but little by little I’ll get it done before our 3-month in-service training. This is a 5-day workshop where our project partners come and we present our diagnostic findings and then us PCVs do more hands on technical training with one another. I’ll be leading a video editing class! My goal is to use the moviemaker program (on most CTC computers) to make a video as my diagnostic presentation. This way I’ll have experience using the program and then I’ll teach my fellow ICTs how to use it. I’ve got less than a month. Keep your fingers crossed.

Side note: I came down with an allergic reaction to a mango! The rash is going away after two days of sitting on my bed covered in Caladryl lotion. The PC doctors are great here so don't worry. If it doesn't get any better in a few days I will be heading to the capital. However, it seems as though the spreading has stopped and one side of my lower back is already healing. Gracias a dios!

I've missed you too

So I haven’t been completely honest with you. There are some things I’ve left out for fear of the community finding this blog. But what the hell. Today I’m going to dare to live on the edge. Not that I’m really writing anything risky but just incase…

I went to the capital the other weekend to hang out with some other PCVs and take care of some office stuff. I had only planned on staying one night and then one night in Santiago with another friend. However, I was talked into staying until after Sunday night. Getting to the capital is rather easy from Santiago. I just take a Caribe Tour bus and bam! I get to the stop in Santo Domingo and the walk to the Peace Corps office is only a few blocks down in the Gazcue district, past the American Embassy and the corner colmado that PCVs use daily. I had the pleasure of feeling like I was an independent adult once again as I walked out of the bus station. This was the first time I had been out of my site for more than a month and I felt giddy in this new sense of self. My Spanish had improved a little bit and I knew where I was going, I kind of felt like a tour guide to my friend who I had met in Santiago. We get to the office and I find two packages from Kyle! It only took me two months to get them but they were there and the Reese’s peanut butter cups were divine. After dropping our stuff in the PCV lounge/ book exchange room we headed to the Embassy to eat some lunch. The café there has a Dominican plate of the day and “American” food. We both had a cheeseburger and French fries. It was delicious and a much need dose of red meat. I’m not usually a fan of eating lots of read meat but heck; I need something beside chicken just this one time.
Walking into the Embassy we joke that even the air is different in this slice of America, were most people speak English and the military guards are American. To get into the pool we have to ask the guard at the front of the building for the key. Stacey and Katie went up to him and of course asked in Spanish or Spanglish if you will, and he replied, “I speak English.” We laughed because, well of course he does, but we are still living in the DR so we were going to speak Spanish. (The guards are very handsome and a treat to flirt with when ever we do go to the Embassy.) The pool was wonderful and the showers have hot water and you have to flush the toilet paper! The water system in this country usually doesn’t support toilet paper going down the pipes, but again, in this slice of American we can do what you guys don’t even think twice about. Us gals had a good time hanging out in the water and beating the Capital heat. It was super hot – it seems like the temperature rises 10 degrees or so after steeping off the bus. After a rinse in the hot shower we head to the hotel we’ve made reservations at. We don’t really know where its at so I’m on the phone with Lindsey who stayed there earlier that week and we finally get there. The room has A/C and hot water and two beds. What else could you ask for? So we chill out and prepare for a nice dinner at the rumored Italian restaurant. I’ll admit that we did pick the hotel furthest away from the office and restaurant, but whatever we are still learning!
Cappuccinos, is the little Italian place that has 70pesos glass of red wine. A deal that is priceless because the house wine is way better than most other house wine picks. I was impressed with the service and food. However, something I’ve learned here is that restaurant’s don’t make additions or substitutions to dishes. I ordered the pesto pasta and wanted to have them throw some artichokes in the mix but the waiter wasn’t having any of it. So I got them on the side and added them in myself. At the Chinese place a few days later they didn’t have tofu so I asked about them to just add eggplant to the veggies. Again, no go. Its like they don’t understand the concept of just adding in another ingredient. It wasn’t like it was super busy or hard but to no avail I could not get what I wanted. Anyway, this lovely group of sexy girls was having fun and it was such a good time. We walked back to the hotel and went straight to sleep. Poor Stacie was going back to her site at 6AM to make it back for a fundraiser at her CTC. Katie and I woke up that morning and went searching for the French bakery for breakfast. The DR doesn’t put much emphasis on breakfast. It was hard to find anything open aside from empanada stands. So after taking lots of wrong turns in Gazcue, we finally see another volunteer walking around and ask her. She points us in the right direction and we spot it just around the corner. I had a savory croissant as well as a chocolate one that put a big smile on my face. It was a cute small place that was cool and peaceful. Katie and I were very happy to sit and relax. We took a different street back to the hotel just to get a different perspective. It was a hot walk but after getting out stuff together, back we head to the PC office. Katie heads back to her site and I go to the office and contemplate my next move. I pick the brains of other volunteers about where to go and what areas of town are good to eat or shop. The office is buzzing with volunteers and apparently Sunday night was the night to stay because there was a free Cuban salsa band at very cool spot in the Colonial zone. My new friends Charlie and David convinced me to stay. So I called Jean and by luck her phone broke and wanted to come into the Capital to get it fixed on Monday!!! So she was heading to meet me in Santo Domingo and I would have a gal pal until Monday! I hung out with the guys and we walked around the colonial zone and played games with the tourists. Jean met up with us and we hung out in the parks and found a gelato place and then sat at the ruins of the oldest church in the southern hemisphere. This would be the same place the band would be on Sunday.
After going to National (the awesome grocery store) in the morning and buying our breakfast Jean and I went to the office and then to the pool. It was a lazy day. We had stayed at the Pensión for cheap but we were going to stay with a friend of Jean’s that night. Jean’s friends live not too far from the Embassy, they are graduate students who are doing internships here for the summer in the field of public health. They were cool girls who were happy to go out with us and other Americans. There were lots of us who showed up and it was a blast. I didn’t spend too much time on the dance floor because I was being a social butterfly. The ambiance was fantastic, with the historic colonial buildings down the hill and this ruin of a church on top of the hill and the salsa band’s lights with a crowd of Dominicans and tourists, it was a like a free concert on hot summer night in Austin, Texas. I felt at home. The thought that crossed my mind was to have all visitors come by Santo Domingo one Sunday night during their stay just to see this mass of people having a good time the Dominican way. Needless to say it was well worth the stay. Us gals head back to the apartment and crash. It was the hottest night sleep I’ve had since being in country. I sleep with out a fan usually, but my site is in the hills and so much more cool. So here I was sleeping on a couch, without at fan in the capital! It was a night of tossing and turning and trying to sleep. I was happy to wake up early and take a shower! Jean and I headed out got fruit plates and off to the office. We both got our business taken care of early in the morning, which was sort of abnormal for PC. As we are walking to the Embassy to eat lunch I remember that my friend Cameron would be coming back from the states with a harddrive for me! So I play around with the idea of staying, yes one more night just so I don’t have to leave again to get this harddrive. I talk myself into staying and thinking it would be the best thing logistically.
Another day at the PC office watching TV and downloading yoga podcasts. It felt kind of like a waste but what the hell, eh? Another fellow PCV, Cliff had come in so we went to eat Chinese and then back to El Conde (the main strip at the Colonial Zone). I call and call Cameron from the time she was supposed to land but it keeps going straight to voicemail. I settle on the fact that her flight must have been cancelled. I feel a little guilty about staying and not accomplishing my mission, but that was something beyond my control. I leave early on Tuesday so I can be back at my sight in time for Altagracias lunch. There is such a thing as “Campo Guilt” here in the DR or all of Peace Corps for that matter. This is when people in your site try to guilt you because you are leaving site. Fortunately my campo doesn’t really do that but I myself felt guilt. However, days after I got back to my site, people would say “wow, how long has it been since I’ve seen you.” or “Where have you been?” Nothing too bad but I could tell people were starting to question if I was working or not.
It was a much-needed trip out of my site and I had a good time, but getting back into the swing of things here has been hard. Being around all my friends might have started a small case of homesickness, but in just two weeks I’d be back into the group at our 4th of July weekend celebration in Las Galeras on the Samana Peninsula. (Which is this weekend!)

Lately I’ve been in a funk. It must be one of those down moments on the rollercoaster ride I’m on. I have been feeling homesick and just down on myself for not getting Spanish down as quickly as I had hoped. Silly things that I will work through but until then I’m keeping my head high and trying to smile. Mrs. Carter says it happens and that at around this time 4-5 months of living in a new place we hit a plateau where the new wears off. There is nothing wrong with my community or site, they are all really encouraging and helpful but sometimes I realize I’m just going to be down. But this weekend will be good to play and joke with other PCVs about our experience thus far. I am sure most of us have all felt the same way at one time or another.

So Wednesday when I got back I didn’t even have a regular day because it was the annual day for horseback ridding and drinking. This marked the annual caballo (horse) ride. Mostly men and a few women mount horses and prepare to ride on them through the next town and then past the presa (dam) making a vuelta (lap/tour) back to my town. The whole ride took about 4 hours. But before the caballeros could start trotting along the Ayuntamiento (municipal government) guagua had to be ahead of the crowd followed by another truck with a system in the back blaring Tejano music so that the riders would have something to move to. I don’t think the horses cared to much for the deafening music. Also following along were people on motorcycles (motos), and kids on mules. The whole precession looked like a circus gone mad. I was invited into the Sindico’s (mayor) guagua, since it was obvious that this gringa wasn’t going to be ridding any horse! So I squeezed into the back of the trucks cab with three other women. It was a very tight and I was the one getting all the sun. It was then that I couldn’t remember if I had put on my deodorant or not. I spent too much time anticipating the moment when we would cross the river and come to the open road, hoping that the breeze would dry my armpits and carry whatever body odor out the window. Apparently I did remember to put it on because I didn’t smell too bad after awhile. Now I could really enjoy the ride. However, being in the back of the guagua wasn’t as cool as I thought it would be because all the action was all behind me. So after two stops I got out and hopped in the back with the young kids and held on for dear life. As I was getting into the back I heard a rip. Yup, my jeans ripped in the crotch! However, no one else noticed and it wasn’t too big. I had acquired a digital camera from my friend and took this opportunity to take pictures to document the ride. We would stop so that the two men who organized the ride could offer raffles, for what I don’t know. I also noticed that many of the men were drinking whiskey and beer. Even the younger kids, about 12 and up, were turning up the bottle. Oh well, it is summer right?
By the time we got to the next town over, a good number of our cities finest were borracho (drunk) and I thought they did a great job representing the town! What a sight, seeing men hit, kick and whip their horse or their neighbors. FYI to all those who do not like animal cruelty, animals are not treated with care or ease here in the DR. I saw so much hitting and beating of these horses and mules. I would chalk it up to the booze but even the little kids took too much fun to hitting their mules with their sticks. That was the not so cool part.
The ride went through the next town and while we were coming up to the presa the sun was starting to go down over the lake the dam makes. It was a beautiful picture that I’ll try to post. The kids in the back of the truck were so helpful in making sure I got good pictures of this presa. They seemed so proud of their landscape that I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sight of rolling green hills meeting the fresh water lake. By the time we got back to town it was dark and I was off to my house. It was a rather long night and I was happy to be in my bed.
The rest of the week was regular. I weighed myself when I got to the capital and noticed I’ve gained 10 pounds since being in country. That doesn’t help my mood, but I did start hitting the gym harder. On Saturday I went to the club de madres (mother’s club) sewing class and then the weekend I hung out at my place watching movies my new friend Charlie put on my thumb drives. Not much going on in the way of my diagnostic, I’ve basically decided all diagnostic work will continue when I get back from the 4th of July weekend.
Yesterday I was all set to go to sewing class and master sewing in a circle but a friend of the family came to take Sidenia and I to Santiago to swim and enjoy some time out of Baitoa. I met lots of people who live in the states. Some are on the board of a Non-Profit that help out people in Baitoa. So I pitched my idea for creating a scholarship for people who wouldn’t be able to afford classes at the CTC. I’ve thought of fundraisers already. I realized that this time during our diagnostic isn’t only to go around and interview people and kids, but to make connections. It wouldn’t have looked like I was working while chatting around a pool, but I was actually networking and making plans to do more in the future. It was a much needed pick me up. Tomorrow I’m meeting my friend Arya and we will start our journey to Samana.
Happy 4th of July to ya folks.