Dominican Myths

"What are you doing for your birthday?" I asked my host sister.

She responded, "Nothing, my birthday is on Tuesday the 13th, if I leave my house bad things will happen."

I proceeded to try and convince my 13 year old host sister that nothing bad would befall her on her birthday. I told her that in the U.S. Friday the 13th is an unlucky day not Tuesday, but I couldn't convince her. I wasn't around on her birthday to force her out of the house so she stayed inside - no one thought she was being unreasonable. Myths reign supreme here in the D.R., and there are a lot of myths. Some are similar to ones we hear in the states like Tuesday vs Friday the 13th but I know of nothing comparable in the U.S. to those listed below:

• If you always eat out of the pot on the stove, it will rain on your wedding day.
• If a child crawls around on the floor like a baby, there soon will be a real baby in the family.
• If you drink coffee standing up all your plans will be ruined.
• Sweeping your house at night is bad luck.
• Thieves have animals that can change forms to help them rob. The animals are workers of the devil.
• If you cut wood during a new moon, it will rot.

Menstruation Myths:

• If a menstruating woman eats fruit, she will get tuberculosis.
• If a menstruating woman holds a new born baby, the baby will be unable to breathe and can die.
• Sometimes the reason behind a prohibition is simply, "bad things will happen..."
• If a menstruating woman washes her hair.
• If a menstruating woman enters the family farm.
• If a menstruating woman paints her fingernails. (This last one always causes problems during my girls club as some girls are always sad that they can't paint their fingernails - I try to convince them it is safe, but they don't want to take the chance or get in fights with their moms - never thought I would be a bad influence.)

Now that you are in the know, make sure to keep your babies away from menstruating women, and don't let your kids act like babies unless you want another one. Also, remember to mark on your calendar the next Tuesday the 13th - it isn't until May but it is never too early to start preparing!

Dominicanisms III

Dominicans use so much slang that a good amount of my language training has been dedicated to learning how to speak like a Dominican. I spent the last week in the capital reviewing all the Spanish I have learned, and discovered I still have a ways to go before I can speak Dominican. Here is some of the new vocabulary I learned:

• Acabar-  to say negative things about someone
• Alelado/a - someone with their head in the clouds
• Que se acabó  / Por Pipá - when there is a lot of something. The first phrase means without end, the second that there is enough for someone named Pipá. I don't think anyone knows who is Pipá.
• Dar carpeta - to bother. Carpeta is a folder so it started as a phrase to describe people who give out a lot of work but now is commonly used to describe annoying children.
• Cuquicá  / Hecho en China - something of low quality. The second phrase means Made in China.
• Mojiganga - a fool
• Ñapa - to give a little more. This can refer to many things food, money, time, and is also used to ask a significant other for a little more lovin'.
• Matatán - someone smart.
• Aguajero / Parejero / Fantamoso - a big talker.
• Barsa / Rumba - describes something as being in a large amount
• Lío - a problem
• Viralata - can refer to street dogs or men in a very negative way.
• Resaca - a hang-over
• Cherecha - a party
• Tollo - a mess, disaster

Now a special section just on physical violence:

• Bimbar - to beat-up someone
• Galleta / Bofetada - a slap
• Pecosón - Slap on the back of the head
• Cocotazo - a knock on the head
• Trompón / Trompada - a closed fist punch
• Roquitoqui - a flick to the head with ones fingers
• Aruñón - scratch
• Tablazo / Yaguazo - when one walks into something (finally a word for something I do all the time!)
• Estrayón - when one trips themselves

I also learned a good amount of vulgar words (you gotta know how to respond!) but I won't be posting those here. But if you want to curse off a Dominican in their native tongue shoot me an email and I'll get you sorted out.

Giving Thanks

I am so thankful for all these wonderful people

I have always felt I have a blessed life, but living in the D.R. has made me even more thankful to have grown-up in the U.S. with a loving family. This Thanksgiving I was able to celebrate with volunteers in the capital and reflect on all the things and people I have to be thankful for now that I wasn't even aware of 9 months ago back in the U.S. Here is a brief and scatter-brained list of some of the things  I will never take for granted again:

• Running Water
• Electricity
• Books
• Knowledge of the world
• Trash pick-up
• Dental care
• The power of generosity
• Child Protective Services
• Car Regulations
• Weather Reports
• Noise Laws
• American Hospitals
• Leash Laws 
• Microwavable Food
• Single Serve Food
• Cell Signal
• Potable Water

Nuestra Alegría Conquista Todo

Getting your hair is a cultural event in the D.R.

During the summer ads on TV and Billboards started showing up with aliens arriving in the D.R. planning to take over but instead taking part in stereotypical Dominican actives. The aliens are shown playing dominoes, riding motorcycles, braiding hair, and being squished inside a public car. I find these ads hysterical because almost all of the activities were new to me I arrived in country. The aliens make the most of the new experiences, and I have tried to do the same. Like the aliens I boasted when I won at dominoes and felt oh-so-stylish after getting my hair braided.

The tagline of the ad is, "Our happiness conquers all (Nuestra Alegría Conquista Todo)." In the ad it refers to the happiness of Dominicans and their ability to surmount cultural barriers with most foreigners (Haitians are not welcome). On a greater scale I think the phrase portrays how Dominicans handle life. There are so many depressing things occurring in this country that if one were to think of them all the time, that person would be miserable. So instead of focusing on the negatives, Dominicans focus on the positive happy things going on in their lives. In general, I think this is a good idea, and I do try to reflect on the happy parts of my day rather than the sad. But I believe it is dangerous to ignore the bad. The bad things in life typically don't go away if you just ignore them (often they get worse). You have to take action if you want change to happen.

Apparently they don't make helmets for aliens.

Dominicans have taken action in the past and gotten results. During the last election Dominicans demanded more funding for education, and they got it. I hope during my time here I will see more Dominicans rise up and take charge of their country's future. One of the reasons why I support my community's desire to have a library is because a library provides access to the world. When talking to my students about life in the U.S. they were surprised that everyone in the States has electricity 24/7 (as long as you can pay the bill). They asked me why they didn't have electricity all the time, and I answered as best I could (not enough people pay for their power so everyone is punished / there isn't enough power in the country for everyone to be plugged in at the same time). My hope is that as Dominicans gain access to the internet they will learn more about the world, and in doing so learn how they can take action and make their country a better, happier, place to live.

Now what is the ad actually trying to sell? Soda. Country Club soda (owned by Coca-Cola) to be exact.

Snapshots

This week I am letting pictures do most of the talking:

 In English class we played hot potato while Romeo stood awkwardly in the middle.

Found a tarantula in my house for the first time. I think Pato killed it.

Pato is getting pretty good at killing things.

 I took kids with me to the farm where Romeo grew up. They got to wash horses...

...and conquer their fears about riding said horses. Some hand-holding was needed when riding.

Which one is the banana? Trick question!  - Neither, the yellow ones are rulos and the green are plantains.

 This week I have been cooking a lot of Dominican staples as my neighbors have been particularly generous. I have boiled ayuyama (a squash) and rulos (a cousin to the banana - very sweet), I have fried batata (white sweet potato) and plantains into tostones I also made lechosa batidas (papaya smoothies). All very yummy. If you come and visit I will cook Dominican food for you too!

Mmmmm tostones!

What happens when my neighbors give me a solid block of ice.

Dropped my ipod - please tell me it is not going to die!

Baby Ayuyama!

I am staring to garden! I planted the seeds from the ayuyama (squash) and papaya I was given. The ayuyama has already sprouted. I did some of the planting with my environmental group. The kids got a kick out of it - once their seedlings grow a bit I am going to let them plant them at home - we shall see how that goes.

Snippets

 I am starting to get into a routine at my site. Literacy classes in the morning and afternoon, English classes in the evening, club meetings on Saturday. It is all very hum drum. So for this post I just have a list of some of my thoughts and things I have learned of late:

When I give someone my cellphone number I have to say it in Spanish, I get the numbers mixed-up if I try and say it in English.

My rock collecting buddies

Cruise ships have started to arrive in Samaná. The ships sit out in the bay, and from far off they make it look like new islands have sprouted up. They bring a lot of tourists into town, it changes the whole dynamic of the place. When I see the tourists I am reminded how much I stick out.

In order to get building materials to the library we need to widen the bridge across a huge gutter. Our solution is to fill the gutter, temporarily, with rocks. The process has been going slowly, so this week I went out with some neighborhood boys to collect rocks in wheelbarrows. I am sure I was quite a sight on the side of the road, just doing my best to keep up the notion that Americans are an odd bunch

I am at the point with my Spanish that I understand everything a comedian is saying up until the punchline.

There are mongooses in the D.R. They were brought over from India to get rid of snakes, Dominicans hate snakes, but that didn't work. Now they are dangerous rabies carriers. They have been known to kill small children. You don't want to mess with mongooses.

When I walk Romeo (my dog) people always give us a wide birth because here people only walk their dogs on leashes if they can't be trusted to run around without biting someone.

Even though it is still super hot here it is now starting to get darker earlier in the day. During the summer it got dark around 8pm but by "winter" it will be dark at 6pm. I don't like walking around much when its dark because the street isn't well lit enough to see people on the other side of the road, so I am not pleased with this new development.

Pato-1 Mosquito Net-0

I am a minor celebrity in my community. Everyone knows my name and even some people who drive through my community frequently. I do not know everyone's names which makes my notoriety a bit creepy at times. Still, it has its benefits. I am always being given food, and sometimes I am offered rides as I walk along the road. One time I even got to ride in an air-conditioned car, such luxury!
Pato likes to sleep on my bed. This is what happens when he tries to get on my bed when my mosquito net is tucked in.


A few months back I mentioned that there were government plans to bring water to my community and that potentially I could have running water by the new year. Unfortunately, that won't be happening. Turns out that government official who made the announcement was really the ex-governor, and the current governor nor the water ministry know anything about the program. No one in my community has heard anything about the project since it was announced, leaving everyone here a little more jaded about the the government and politicians.

Christmas decorations are up in my community and there are stores in town already selling decorations, even some very sad looking artificial trees.


I enjoyed being in the D.R. while the government was shut-down because I didn't have to hear all the talking-heads, but I wasn't able to avoid it's impact. I am due to receive funding from USAID by the end of the month for my community's library, however, due to the shut-downeverything is backed-up in the government, so I have no idea when I will receive my grant money. In the case of Peace Corps, 90% of U.S. staff were out of work while the government was closed. That means that applications for grants could not be processed, nor could new volunteer paperwork be reviewed, nor could a whole bunch of other Peace Corps programs operate. The effects of the government shut-down are going to be long lasting, hopefully we won't have to go through another one come January.

Yummy

My medicine to prevent me from catching Malaria, Aralen, tastes horrible so I have taken to eating it with peanut butter. I am reminded every time that my mom uses the same technique to give our dogs medicine, but hey, it gets the job done.

Translation - It's more than just words

Having fun waiting for the last patient of the day

After work on a boat

"Susan, can you tell me why most women in the D.R. shave their pubic hair?"

That was a question posed to me by a member of a medical mission working the the hospital of Samaná this week. I served as both a language and cultural translator for the American medical staff and their Dominican patients throughout the week.

While I was at the hospital I primarily translated for patients before and after  surgery. This included explaining what the doctors would do during surgery, how to take the pain medicine, etc. Most of the surgeries were hysterectomies, gallbladder removals, and hernia repairs. The team did about 40 operations between Monday and Thursday. In a typical week at the hospital there are 5 operations.

There was also a dental team, a clinic (which saw 550 people), and two orthopedic doctors who gave out prosthetic legs and hands. The orthopedic doctors explained that many Dominicans lack limbs because when they get into a serious accident it is easier for both the doctor and patient to just chop away the damaged limb rather than try and save it. In the U.S. we have access to physical therapy but only the rich have access to such resources here.

Throughout the week the medical mission staff also asked me a lot of questions about D.R. culture and life. I was very happy to answer all of their questions. Some of the staff have been participating in this mission for over 10 years but there is so much about this country that they don't know because they can't speak the language and spend most of their inside the hospital working to improve the lives of Dominicans.

Some of the doctors came and visited my site for about an hour after work one day. They typically are in the hospital all week and do a few touristy things in the evening but they don't get the chance to see how the people they are helping live. They got a kick out of everything including the mosquito net above my bed. One doctor asked, "What is that net above your bed?" When I explained it was to keep the creepy crawlies away they all started snapping photos.

Volunteers always say that medical missions are an awesome experience and I now understand why. Reasons: 1. You get to speak in English with Americans 2. Everyone is impressed with your Spanish skills and the fact that you are working in the DR for two years, while they only come for a week once a year. 3. The medical mission teams are very generous and grateful, so they will include you in fun touristy activities, and give you supplies they didn't use to give out in your community.

In my case the generosity meant that I got to go out for dinner in Samaná and I was snuck into the restaurant at the all inclusive resort in town. I also got to go on an awesome boat ride to an island in the Bay of Samaná where we went swimming and then got to dance on the boat ride back to port. They also let me shower at the hotel twice! That was very nice as we haven't had a lot of rain in my site recently. And they gave me shoes, clothing, and shampoo to give out to people in my community. The mission will be back next year and they promised to bring books for my library too.

I had a blast with all of the medical mission staff and I cannot wait to work with them again next year. If you are in the medical profession I highly recommend you try a medical mission yourself. I can guarantee it will be a life-changing experience for you and the patients you serve.

The answer to the question at the start of this post: Most women do shave their pubic hair because they think it is hygienic. However, that same notion does not apply to leg hair. Therefore, there are many Dominican women with hairy legs who get Brazilians. A little topsy turvy from how we do things in the States, but that's just another example of cultural differences.

Death of an Animal

In one day both my cat and dog escaped from my house, and I saw a dog die.

Romeo now and a month after he was rescued

Now some readers are probably thinking, "Wait, hold-up, you have a dog?" The answer is yes. His name is Romeo (named after the famous Bachatero Romeo Sanchez), and he comes from a farm in my community that raises rescued dogs. The owner of the farm, a Canadian, thought Romeo would be perfect for me because he is afraid of Dominicans. He prefers people with white skin, yep, my dog is a racist. He was found as a puppy abandoned by the side of the road, with a bad case of mange that left him hairless, hence his dislike for Dominicans.

Romeo on the porch before he escaped.

Anyway, back to the story. On Tuesday Romeo and Pato (my cat) both escaped. Pato escaped first, through the back door while I was just about to close it. He can be such a sneaky little bugger. He came back around 11pm and was very hungry. Meanwhile, Romeo escaped while I was visiting a neighbor. I left him on my porch since he doesn't like being in the house alone, and he repaid me by jumping out of the porch via the side that only has chicken wire instead of metal bars. Another neighbor came running to tell me, and said he went running in the direction of the farm where he grew up. I went straight to the farm and when I called his name he came bounding out of the forest covered in burrs.

As we walked back home a dog crossed the street to bother Romeo. I threw some rocks in its general direction so it would leave us alone, and as it recrossed the street a truck came speeding by and hit the dog. The dog, which was probably only 25 lb., went flying up into the air and landed in the middle of the street, dead. I just stood there in shock and watched a man walk into the street and drag the dog to the other side. Everyone tells me that it wasn't my fault the dog died, including the owner, but I felt terrible afterward and I fear it could happen again as I walk Romeo.

The incident made me very upset about Dominican culture. No one ties up their dogs here, and everyone can tell you a story about a dog of theirs that was killed by a car; another dog died just last week. When I saw the dog die, I didn't hear any screams or cries or shouts, but I did see some people laugh. It makes me sad to think about how no one cares enough to protect their animals and that the cycle is going to continue. As with many aspects of life here in the D.R. the best thing I can do is lead by example.

Where in the World is la República Dominicana?

My new living room and kitchen

How old were you when you learned that the U.S. was a country? When could you find the U.S. on a world map? What about finding your state on a map of the U.S.?

I have been thinking a lot about these questions recently because in my new home I have several maps on the walls on my living room. I have a world map, U.S. map, and a map of the D.R. Due to the near constant presence of children in my house I have been able to quiz many local kids on geography. Typically the kids cannot decipher anything on the maps. Also, when I ask them what country they live in they frequently say Samaná. Their lack of geographical knowledge has lead me to wonder at what age could I find the U.S. on a map? At my elementary school fifth graders learned about the U.S. And in sixth grade the focus of social studies was world geography. But did I know basic U.S. and world geography earlier? Maybe; as a child I used to play with a puzzle of the U.S., each state was a different piece. I really wish I knew when kids in the States learn geography. If you'd like to help me, start quizzing your young relatives and send me an email with the results.

Aside from quizzing kids on geography I have also been evaluating the literacy of students between first and fourth grade. Over the summer I had a literacy camp to work with kids who where behind their peers, and now I am restarting the program but as an after-school activity. Right now I have 12 students, six in the morning and six in the afternoon (schools in the DR have two shifts; this is slowly changing to full-day schools but only in higher populated areas). In the morning some kids come to my house and I visit the houses of other kids who live farther away. In the afternoon all the kids come to my house. A high-school student from my English class offered to help in the afternoon so I am going to try and find more students. The students have a variety of weaknesses but they all need help with spelling, penmanship, and reading fluidity.

I haven't been doing much else in my site this month because for two weeks I was in the capital. The first week was for a Peace Corps conference to discuss national programs such as youth groups and medical missions. It was nice to see friends and it has gotten me excited about starting my own youth groups. The second week I was in Santo Domingo to edit the Gringo Grita (the shouting Gringo), the Peace Corps D.R. bi-annual magazine. I had a great time getting to know the other staff members, who are all volunteers. I would tell you the theme of the issue, but it is a secret! I will say that I have an awesome half-me half-ocelot picture on the staff page, and I am now reading a book series every chance I get. Can you guess the theme? Side note - all the time in the air-conditioned Peace Corps office has made it seem much hotter back in my site. Also, everyone talking about sweater-weather of Facebook has also made me realize I will be sweating it out here for a very long time.

Pato seems to think this curtain is a protective shield.

 In pet news: Pato (my cat) is growing and he likes scented candles. My bed has two drawers underneath and one day as I opened a drawer I found Pato inside! This occurred several more times so I cleared out the drawer and put a towel inside to make it cozy. Pato then started to use the other drawer, which was filled with things I didn't want him lying on like my phone charger. This box also had the scented candles that had been in the other box.  I put the scented candles back in the drawer with the towel and since then it is the only box Pato seems to use...so yeah, Pato likes scented candles.

Pato loves his scented candles

The Pros and Cons of Moving Out

My New Home

I have never liked background noises. When I was a kid I would ask my parents to turn down the music down in the car, and I would get in fights with my sister as to whether or not we should have the radio on while we worked on our homework. This inherent dislike of background noises has made my life in the Dominican Republic, at times, difficult. People here like noise.  Music blares so loud it sets off car alarms. You can always tell when the electricity returns because immediately you hear the sounds of televisions and radios coming back to life. During training in Santo Domingo I would wake up at 6am to the sound of mass thundering through the speakers at my host-family's home.  While living in Monte Plata I would fall asleep to the sounds of the telenovela unfolding on the television of my neighbors. Being able to sleep despite all the noise has been one of my saving graces. Unlike other Volunteers I don't wake up in the night to barking dogs or crowing roosters (it is a major fallacy that they only crow at dawn). Still, while I am awake the noises Dominicans don't even notice can drive me up the wall.

I am therefore super excited to move out of my host family's house and into one with me, myself, and I. Sure, I will still be able to hear my neighbor's TVs and radios but at least in my house I will not have a television on maximum volume all day long, no matter if someone is watching it or not.

Here are some other reasons why my move-out day couldn't come soon enough:

• I won't have to listen to children fighting. I will still have to deal with it but I can kick the kids out of my house. Do you remember how you acted with your siblings and cousins between the ages of 8 and 15? There is guaranteed to be crying when all of my host-mom's grandchildren are at the house. I am also looking forward to not hearing arguments between kids and adults as often. There is so much sass in this country.
• I will have a private space bigger than a small dorm room.

  

  I'm looking forward to not calling this home.

• I won't smell the smoke the outdoor kitchen in my room or on my clothes. It never ceases to freak me out when I am on my computer and I begin to smell smoke.
• I won't be walking in on people going to the bathroom. Seriously people there is a door, close it. Or at least say something as I am walking in!
• People will not walk in on me in the bathroom - the door cannot be locked. Thank God there are curtains in front of the toilet and the shower.
• I won't have to strategize when I will use the bathroom or uncomfortably wait until it is unoccupied.
• I will always have toilet paper. I keep toilet paper in my room but sometimes you don't realize there isn't any toilet paper in the bathroom until it is too late.
• I will be able to cook for myself. Since moving to my site I have gained some weight, I attribute most of it to the food I have been eating for the last three months: carbohydrate, oil, and sugar heavy foods served in large quantities. I am hoping that now that I have full control over my diet I will be able to quickly loose the extra pounds - tight jeans in a hot country are not comfortable. Also, I am glad I will no longer feel like I am treating my host family like restaurant staff.
• I will have pets! My host family has dogs and cats but it wasn't the same as having my own pets. In part because Dominicans don't tend treat animals the same way we mostly do in the States. For example, aside from the occasional table scraps my host-family does not feed their two cats because the cats are expected to hunt down pesky mice for their dinner. Also, none of the animals are treated for fleas so they all have them. This means that nobody wants to pet them, let alone cuddle with them - including me.
• My new kitten! I told my host-mom I wanted a kitten and two hours later she comes in the house holding a sack with a kitten inside. The poor baby was so weak from hunger that the first few days he didn't even meow. He also has a big wound on his head but it is already starting to heal. I have decided to call him Pato, which means duck in Spanish, because he is my ugly duckling. 

  

  Pato!

Reasons I am sad to move out:

• My host-family has a generator, a luxury I won't have in my new home. Instead, I will be using my flashlight and headlamp more often. The DR has an electricity problem, in almost every community there are daily power cuts. My community is lucky because we have an electricity schedule, dawn to noon then back at 6ish until midnight. But sometimes things happen, like when a transistor blew up down the street, and we went without power for a day.
• I won't have the security of always having someone in the house. There has been a rash of burglaries at Volunteers homes so I am going to have to be on alert and maybe have someone house-sit when I am out.  I am also crossing my fingers that tigueres (Don Juan wannabes) won't be emboldened by my solo status to come knocking on my door.

Despite the decrease in security, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. I am very much looking forward to Sunday when my move-out will be complete. Remember to come and visit!




One last thing, for those of you who have commented on my blog, sorry for not responding. I can't see to figure out how to post my own comments - sad I know. Thank you for all your kind words and support!

Time to get Crakin'

"Your community has worked hard; go big on the budget, and submit the grant by the end of the month and you should have the money in your account by October. I see a library inauguration in your community's near-future."

     Clearly impressed by the presentation my community partner and I gave about our project this past week, my boss has green-lighted us to apply for a Peace Corps grant (funded by USAID) for upwards of $5,000 to support our library project. We now have two weeks to get everything together for the grant. This includes: 1. Tracking down all the key partners in the project, including the Governor of Samaná and the Mayor of Santa Barbara (the principal town in the region) 2. Talking with Volunteers who have built technology centers. 3. Planning a budget . 4. Determining our goals and objectives for the library. 5. Figuring-out how we will monitor and evaluate the success of said goals and objectives. 6. Responding to questions about why we deserve the grant. I am getting antsy just thinking about it all. Oh, and I will be also moving out into my own house on September first. More on that later.

     My community has, thankfully, made our task for the next two week a little easier. Part of the grant application requires that communities explain how they plan to contribute an additional 25% of funds to the project. In my case, the community has already fundraised 30% ($1,500) of the maximum amount we can apply for, and that is excluding the voluntary labor that will be used during construction of the building. It is because of the effort my community has already put into the development of a local library that my boss is permitting me to submit a grant so early in my service. It is all very exciting and I am confident we will be able to get everything together in time, but I do not doubt there will be some surprises popping up over the next two weeks.

     The conference where my community partner and I presented our library project was my 3-month in service training a.k.a. 3-month IST. At the conference all the Volunteers from my sector, education, who have been in country for 3 months presented a diagnostic analysis of their community. The purpose of a Volunteer's first 3 months at site is to get to know the community better and in doing so create a concise overview of the community. You can check out my presentation and expanded written report here. Sorry it is all in Spanish.

     After our presentations we spent the conference planning out what we will be working on in our sites over the next year. In my case this includes: building a library, literacy tutoring, a reading club, girls and boys clubs, an environment club, 3 English classes, an adult literacy class, teacher training, starting a pre-school, an after-school study hall, and computer classes. It is a lot, but we have already started some projects, hopefully that will make starting the others easier. The last three projects (pre-k, study hall, and computer classes) will only start after the library is up and running, which - fingers crossed - will happen before January.

     The conference lasted almost an entire week. It was great to spend time with other Volunteers for an extended period of time. The main topic of discussion over the week was moving out of our host families houses. Who had already moved, who is about to move, how much people are paying in rent, if the house have a zinc or cement roof, etc. As I mentioned earlier, my move-out day is quickly approaching. I am still negotiating with the land lady how much rent I will pay but it will be under $4,000 pesos or $100. For that $100 I will be getting a cement house with a cement roof, bars on the windows, a porch, a kitchen, a living room, an indoor bathroom (!), a bedroom, a mudroom, and a tiny room whose use I have yet to determine. Electricity is included and but I will have to collect rainwater or purchase it. I will  have neighbors in the house located on my roof. I don't like to call it the second floor because the house was built separately from my own; it reminds me of the house in the Wizard of Oz, whisked up in the tornado and then plopped down somewhere else. Next week I will be going to the city of Nagua with my host-mom to purchase all of the essential things I will need for my house. It should be an adventure.

Other things going on in my site:

• My neighbor Ossidy has determined that we are boyfriend and girlfriend. He even told his mom about us. He is four years-old.

  

  My New Boyfriend

• My host family suspects there may be a snake in the house so my host-mom had her grandson search the rafters for the intruder. No snakes were found.



Searching for Snakes

• A cycling race passed through my community! It was very surreal for me because every summer my family watches the Tour-de-France, a 3-week cycling race in France. Sometimes my sister and I spend our entire mornings being couch potatoes watching a stage of the race from start to finnish, about four hours. Last summer we even got to see in race in person. However, this year I barely kept up with the race at all; there isn't even a sports section in the local news broadcast. Anyway, seeing the cyclists ride right in front of my house was a surprise. Cycling isn't a popular sport here so my neighbors didn't know how to react to the cyclists, they just stared. I quickly taught them how to cheer on the riders with shouts of "Keep going!", "Go, go, go!" "You can do it!", and of course "WHHHOOOOOO." After that we all started to have a good time, and I think the cyclists where even surprised to find some fans.

  

  View of the race from my house

Water - It's Essential for Life

"If your community gets water by the time you leave in two years that would be cause for celebration."

That was the response of a Peace Corps staff member when I told her that Dominican officials announced plans to bring running water to my community. The government officials say the work will begin by the end of August and be done in three months. Like my Peace Corps counterpart, I am doubtful that the project will be completed on time. My thinking is, "If it is as easy as the government makes it out to be, why haven't they done the job already?" Well, the government has tried to bring water to my community in the past. Unfortunately the engineer mysteriously disappeared and so water never reached the pipes. Those pipes were then destroyed three years ago when the main, and only, road in my community was paved. Perhaps in some ways it was a good thing that the engineer ran-off; I can say from personal experience that living without running water after having become accustomed to its convenience is at times frustrating, and I frequently reminisce about how much easier running water makes daily life.

My community's number one goal for years has been to get running water. A man was killed by police during a protest in 2011 (Read the full novela here). Running water is a serious issue. And I don't mean potable water you can get out of your kitchen sink (potable water doesn't even exist in the DR). Nor am I referring to water that comes out of the kitchen sink. One Volunteer said upon hearing news of the project, "Aw man, showers. I love showers. You should get some of those." Residents of my community are not expecting to receive indoor plumbing. That would be like successfully crossing the universe when the plan was to only land on the moon. All my neighbors want is to have a faucet in front of their houses that they can use to fill buckets with water, which they can then take into the house to wash dishes, clean floors, cook, and bathe. Residents would even settle for having faucets on only one side of the road, because it would still be a whole lot easier than what they, what we, have to do now.

Until Thursday there had not been a decent rainstorm since tropical storm Chantal, July 9th. Once everyone used up the rain water they collected, people began to send their kids to fetch water from nearish wells and springs (10 to 30 minutes away). Some families even take a donkeys and horses to the water sources and load the beasts burden with jugs of water (my host-family's donkey is often used for such tasks). On Wednesday my host-mom and her granddaughter went to a spring to do laundry. Luckily, for me, it rained the next day so this weekend I got to use the semi-automatic (ie. labor intensive) washing machine at home.

Other things:

• I got to meet a Canadian, who owns a farm in my community. She has a whale watching business and wants to organize school trips with me for this winter when humpback whales migrate to the bay of Samaná to give birth. She also runs a dog rescue program - very much needed here. When I visited her home there were 16 dogs running around. I want to adopt one of them but there were so many to choose from I couldn't make up my mind! You can check out all the adorable puppies on their Facebook page Samaná Dogs.
• Wednesday was my last day of summer school. We had a party and the kids were well behaved. Still, I was disappointed not as many kids came as I expected. Who doesn't want to come to a party?!
• This week I started teaching English to adults (16yrs+). There were over 30 people in attendance so we are splitting the class into two. I am lucky that my project partners are in the classes. They were able to help maintain order with some of the youth.
• BINGO is a universally popular game. No matter the culture or age, everybody wants to shout BINGO...and get a mint.
• A third Volunteer from my training group has been struck down with dengue  (a mosquito transmitted virus). The good news is that he is already on his way to recovery. The bad news is that all three Volunteers became ill in the capital, which is where I am this week for my community diagnostic presentation.
• Another Volunteer from my training group was sent back to the States, hopefully temporarily, to receive medical treatment (it's called a med-evac in Peace Corps lingo). Please keep her in your prayers.
• I attended a teacher training session this Thursday. Some of the highlights: I arrived first, early, and was rewarded with having to wait around for over an hour to start the session as teachers straggled into the school. One teacher did not recognize a large hand-turn pencil sharpener, the type you can find in almost every classroom in the States. The teachers all agreed that pencil sharpeners would be useful to have in the classroom as students often use razor blades to sharpen their pencils.
• I received my first card! And it wasn't from my family - such slackers. Thanks to the friends who sent it and the goodies that accompanied it. The anti-itch cream has sadly come in handy this week. I also received a card today from another friend in Russia - she mailed it in April but it got here! You can send me snail mail too! My address is here.

Thanksgiving - It's Only 4 Months Away!

"If you are going to be visiting the States in the next few months consider bringing back a can of cranberries or pumpkin."

That was part of an email I received from Peace Corps in May asking Volunteers to bring back essential foodstuffs for Thanksgiving. Yes, Thanksgiving is a BIG deal for Peace Corps Dominican Republic. Every year there is a big celebration in Santo Domingo on Turkey Day for all Volunteers and the staff that supports us.

I am very grateful that I will be able to attend such a fun event this year as holidays are always the toughest days for me to be away from home. When I studied abroad in Chile, Thanksgiving Day was the day I felt the most homesick - I couldn't stop looking on FaceBook at all the delicious food and fun get-togethers my friends and family were having Stateside. Likewise, this past Easter was a depressing day for me here in the DR. My host family did nothing special to celebrate, we didn't even go to Church - it was raining after all. Meanwhile, back at home I knew my family was dying Easter eggs and hunting for plastic eggs full of candy in the backyard.

The Thanksgiving day of fun is a way for us to forget that we are far away from many of our loved ones, and remember we have so much to be thankful, including the friends and family we have found on this tropical island. However, there is a price to be paid for keeping the holiday blues at bay. I will now turn it over to the Thanksgiving Executive Committee:
Everyone can agree that Thanksgiving is a particularly special time of the year. It’s when you get together with friends and family to enjoy each other’s company and reflect on everything you are thankful for.  Here in the Dominican Republic, Peace Corps Volunteers in particular have a lot to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is one of Peace Corps Dominican Republic’s greatest traditions and this year we are hoping to make it better than ever. It is really the only event of the year when we can all come together from around the country as a big family. Over 200 Dominicans, Volunteers, and Staff are expected to celebrate this holiday and we want to ensure everyone can spend time celebrating with their Peace Corps family without worrying about cutting corners or sacrificing on essential Thanksgiving traditions due to lack of funding.

Here in the DR, Thanksgiving starts bright and early with a 5k Turkey Trot and a morning filled with football, basketball, and other sports. The hotel where we celebrate has a pool where Volunteers can work up an appetite worthy of Thanksgiving before the big meal. Dinner includes all the classics – turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and desserts galore. Baking teams tasked with creating all the traditional desserts stay with host families in the capital before the big day turning out enough Pecan, Pumpkin, and Apple pies to satisfy everyone. After gorging on all the tastes of America, Volunteers participate in the famous talent show and the day culminates with an all-night dance party.

The truth is that putting on this event is not cheap and the event is entirely volunteer supported. We do not receive any funding from PCDR. Volunteers pay nearly 10% of their always thinly stretched monthly living allowance for a ticket.  On top of the ticket cost, volunteers also pay for their transportation, lodging, and food (besides Thanksgiving dinner!). As with everywhere, prices have gone up and we are trying our hardest to keep our ticket prices the same. This year we’re turning to loved ones and family to ask for your support. Donations as small as $15 or $20 can make a big impact on our budget !

 Thanks to friends and family who donated to Thanksgiving 2012, we were able to provide the following services to volunteers:


·            Shuttle bus from sports events to the hotel where Thanksgiving dinner was served, allowing volunteers to enjoy the entire day’s events

·            Our favorite desserts! Including brownies and 3 kinds of pie - pumpkin, pecan and apple :)

·            Extra transportation costs for our dedicated baking teams

 Planning such a large-scale event like this begins months before November 28th and includes baking and cooking teams, sports organizers, talent show hosts, ticket sellers, and many more PCVs who volunteer their time before the event to make it great – but we need your help! Consider donating what you can to help ensure that your Peace Corps Volunteer gets to really enjoy one of our best American traditions.

Sincerely,

The Thanksgiving Executive Committee 2013

You can donate here: 

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=APL6YFSQRTPGS

Campo Data

Cards from some of my students

Eres la mejor profesora que yo [h]e tenido en mi vida" Translation: You are the best teacher I have ever had in my life.

That line comes from a note one of my students wrote to me. It also included a smiling heart and a flower. My last post was a little on the negative side about my students so I'd like to clarify that they can be really sweet and kind, sometimes they just get a little too rowdy.

This week has been much like the past month, I have been teaching in the morning, and in the afternoon I have been finishing up my interviews for my community diagnostic. I have also been going through the data the last Volunteer collected during her community diagnostic. Community Diagnostic is the term Peace Corps uses to describe the research Volunteers are supposed to perform during their first three months at site. A typical community diagnostic includes interviews, participation in community meetings, and observations in local institutions such as schools. At the end of the three months Volunteers attended a conference and present their findings along with a representative from their community. Everyone discusses the work together and then the Volunteer and community partner plan out their projects for the next year. I have my conference in three weeks.

I've already begun to prepare my presentation so I'll give you all a sneak peak. The following are graphs based off the information collected by the previous Volunteer. She did a survey of 124 houses in the community - by my count there are 145 houses in the community.

Average Income in my community is $6,233 pesos monthly, or $135 US dollars. I make about twice that, and I only have to take care of myself - not four people, which is the average family size here in my community. Luckily, it seems everyone here either works in agriculture or has family who does, so hunger isn't that big of an issue here.

Monthly Income in my community

Another positive is housing structures. There are only three houses in my community made entirely out of zinc, and about a third of houses are made out of cement and cinder blocks - nice and sturdy for those pesky tropical storms.

Housing Materials

 I have mentioned in the past that there is no running water in my community. So where do we get water from? Rain (Lluvia), Wells (Pozos), Rivers (Ríos), or we buy it (Comprar). I was surprised by how few people said they collected rain water. The questionnaire left water sources open ended so I think people forgot to write that they collect rain water because they just assumed that it was redundant to write down what everyone uses. I have yet to meet someone who does not use rain water.

Water Sources

Before I left for the DR, I spoke to my Church's youth group about my decision to join the Peace Corps. We also talked about my potential living situation. When I mentioned that I might have to use a latrine one boy asked why I couldn't just use a port-a-potty. We then had a discussion about the logistical difficulties of giving everyone with a latrine a port-a-potty. Since I have arrived in the DR I have only had to use a latrine during a visit to another Volunteer's site. In my current house I have to walk outside to use the bathroom but it does have a toilet. Since there is no running water here, I do have to bucket flush (pour water in the bowl to manually flush) but it definitely beats a latrine. Anyway, here in my community I am in the minority. The majority of families use latrines, and some do not even have those. Note, the Volunteer before me installed 7 eco-latrines, so the number of people without latrines is inaccurate in this graph. My best guess would be there are three or four families lacking bathroom facilities. Also, for the non-Spanish speakers: Inodoro = toilet, Letrina Individual/Colectivo = Latrine Individual/Shared, No Sanitario = No bathroom.

Bathrooms

Now wasn't all that exciting and interesting! At the very least I hope you appreciated the colorful graphs. When my presentation is completed I'll make it available to all you data loving nerds - warning it will be in Spanish. A question for my data loving nerd friends, do any of you know of any good papers that discuss the relationship between frequently reading, having access to books, and adult literacy? If so send them my way!

School's IN for Summer

 Rotten mangos are gross, especially when one is thrown into your classroom.

This summer I have been spending three mornings a week teaching Summer School. The program is for students who are behind their peers in reading and writing. I have 20 students who have shown up over the past month. The majority of my students have attended sporadically. I sometimes ask where they have been and the responses vary from, "I was sick" to "I needed to braid my hair." The summer rain storms have not helped. One rainy week attendance was as follows: Monday - 5 students, Tuesday - 3, and Wednesday - 7.

Some of my students need more help than others; I have 3rd graders who can't write their names, 1st graders who know the alphabet, and frequently students bring their toddler siblings with them to class. Irregular attendance and skill levels has made teaching a juggling act. I regularly have three different activities going on at the same time. Needless to say, things can get a little crazy at times.

All of my students crave attention and approval. Mostly it is a lot of shouting, "Susie, Susie, look what I did." But sometimes the kids act out on each other. Last week one boy hit a girl, and while I was telling the class that they know better than to hit others, another boy smacked a different girl with a pencil. It, sadly, has become clear to me (and other volunteers in similar situations) that nothing I can say will change my student's behavior because instead of growing up with a dread of disappointing adults, they have grown up with the belt.

This week I tried the carrot approach, I didn't let the kids draw until the end of class on Monday. This worked OK until students for my next class arrived. The first class was staring to rowdy  so  I told them that their class time was over and I would see them the next day. Most American kids would immediately run out of the school with shouts of freedom. Instead, my students were upset that I was kicking them out. I suppose I should be flattered that my students were having so much fun they didn't want to leave but their actions just made me annoyed, and dare I say it, angry.

Seven students wouldn't leave the school and kept trying to re-enter the classroom. I closed the door and they shouted through the window to let them back inside and they promised not to be a distraction. I ignored their requests so they began to throw trash and leaves into the classroom (you can open the windows from the outside). One child even threw a rotting mango through the window.

I was peeved. When I walked home I told the parents of the two top offenders what their kids had been doing. That was a mistake. One grandmother told me that she would not allow her grandson to go back to school. I then tried to tell her that I wanted her grandson at school but my pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears because neither of the two boys showed up for the rest of the week. Ooops.

On the bright side because the trouble makers were not in class I was able to give more specialized attention to the other students. However, I am sad that the boys are not at school because they are two of the students that need the most help. One of the boys was just starting to write his name without help.

Fellow Volunteer, Julie, with our orderly students from training.

If there are any teachers reading who have ideas on how I can better control my students please send me your suggestions! The director of my school told me that next time my students cause trouble I should lock them out of the school.

Outside of the classroom I have been spending my summer meeting everyone in my community. I basically walk around, stop by houses of people I have not met, introduce myself, and then chat with them for an hour or so. I am often given juice or coffee during my visit and some fruit to take with me when I leave. It's not something I could ever accomplish I the States. People back home are too wary of strangers, and generally can't pick a pick fruit off their trees. During my visits I have also been interviewing families for a community census - no one knows how many people live here.

I have so far done 119 household interviews. I only have 10-12 houses to go! Hooray! My next step will be to put all the info into Excel and pick out the important info to present at a conference I have next month. One thing I have already noticed is that most adults have not completed primary school. Until 17 years ago it was difficult to go to school past the 4th grade. Upper levels of school were all located 5km away in town, and only accessible by a dirt road. Today students still have to travel to town for high school but the road is paved and transportation is better (students still have to pay for transportation). Also, most families do not have books in the house (if they have one it is the Bible). These two factors make me wonder what is the literacy rate of adults in my community. Most adults have not been reading much since they left school. (Almost every family here farms, which isn't a job that requires heavy reading.) I, therefore, think it will be important for me to find books that are for adults but at a basic reading level. In other words, while Don Quixote is an important book I doubt that many adults in my community are up to the challenge of reading it - not many Americans would want to read it either. I need to find books that will encourage my community to continue reading, instead of alienate them.


Other things of note:
A community member has done construction work for the reality show Survivor! He has worked for the show here in the DR but also in Panama and in Istanbul. Crazy. I had to ask him to explain his job to me again just to be sure I understood him. He said Istanbul was really cool; he visited a church is Istanbul which has diamonds in the ceiling.

The DR got it's first tropical storm of the season, Chantal. She apparently caused a lot of flooding along the southern coast of the country but here in Samaná we didn't even get a full day of rain. Apparently storms don't tend to cause too much damage in the region. However, 8 years ago Hurricane George hit Samaná hard and a lot of people went hungry in the following months because all their crops were destroyed.

Gutters are useful during tropical storms

My group lost our first Volunteer, she will be missed. Peace Corps sent her packing after it received reports that she was riding motorcycles without her helmet. The DR is the only country where Peace Corps permits Volunteers to ride motorcycles so they have strict safety rules. A Dominican actually asked me yesterday if I was a volunteer because I was carrying my helmet; not many people aside from Volunteers use them here.

Going to the River

 "Suuuuussssie can we go the the river PLEASE," pleads my host sister

"Okay," I say

"I LOVE YOU," screams my host sister and she hugs and kisses me and the other neighborhood kids cheer.

     If you couldn't tell by that brief conversation, the river is the place to be once school is out for summer. But most parents don't let their kids go to the river without supervision, hence the kids always ask me to take them to the river. Getting to the river is an adventure in itself. The path to the river winds through cow pastures which mean in addition to dodging cow pies,  I also have to carefully cross several barbed wire fences. Sometimes there are gates, sometimes we have to get creative, and sometimes we get sliced.

That barbed wire will get you!

     Once at the river, the coolest thing to do is to tirar, literally throw yourself,  off a ledge. It's not that high, but the kids were really impressed when I tirared for the first time without hesitation. Their minds would be blown if they went to an American amusement park.

The River

Climbing up the ledge

     Before you leave the river it is expected that you whip out your soap and start scrubbing. Since there is no running water in my community and trip to the river kills two birds with one stone; you get to play and you save water. I am not super knowledgable about the environment but I still feel a little uneasy when I see people putting all those chemicals in the river. I also learned that people use the river to clean out cow intestines for the classic Dominican dish Mondongo. I laughed when my host sister told me she was grateful that I don't like Mondongo because she helped was the cow intestines once at the river and she has never been able to eat Mondongo again. Sister Solidarity.

Also going on:

     I am very grateful for my mosquito net:

I have several of these guys in my room.

      The Governor kept one of his promises; bags of food were given to every house in the community. Apparently the bags typically only arrive when politicians come to town, so basically right before elections. Also, the desks at the school are being repaired. Hopefully the Governor will keep up his promise about funding for the library. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 Showing off their rice and beans.

The Governor Comes to Town

     "The governor will be here at 5pm so let's start the meeting at 4pm to make sure everyone arrives before him." - Mayor

    And so it was that a little white lie was spread around town ensuring a packed room to greet the Governor of Samaná, Enriquillo Lalane. Some people were so excited about the governor's arrival that some people arrived early. I had never witnessed Dominicans at an event early; having the governor visit was a big deal. When the governor arrived, on time, there were over 40 residents present to discuss the needs of the community.

    The first concern brought to the governor's attention is the lack of running water in the community. Water is by far the top need in the community. As I have previously mentioned, everyone here collects rain water and when it doesn't rain people either have to carry water from rivers or purchase water, which many residents have told me they consider expensive. Unfortunately the governor's response to this need was not the most compelling. He said there are engineers investigating the issue but as my community is at the top of a hill, water would need to be pumped up hill, so its going to take some time. One resident after the meeting told me he was, like many, unsatisfied with the governor's response. He said if the government truly cared they would have fixed the problem already. He noted that the president travels around the world for meetings and that the money spent on his trips could do a lot of good inside the country.

    The governor was also vague on some of the education issues presented such as the lack of reliable and affordable transportation for high school students (HS is 5km away), and the condition of the chairs at the primary school, which are falling apart after 17 years of use. He said he would call the Ministry of Education and see what they can do. Regarding the library project the mayor forced the governor's hand on this point by presenting a letter from the previous governor pledging his financial support, which never came through. The governor said that the letter embarrassed him and he pledged to fund the repairs to the community building where the library will be located. 

    The governor's response to other community concerns were much better. The governor promised to provide funds to repair a local road, fix several houses, and supply food baskets to all families in the community. I was actually surprised by the level of support offered by the governor. I had been at a similar meeting in the town of Samaná the week before and he did not pledge any concrete action to the concerns presented. I think the meeting in my community was more successful in part because the governor grew up nearby; many residents are family friends and/or were taught by the governor's mother. He probably doesn't want to let people down that can trash talk about him to his family and friends. I am hoping that the local factor will ensure that the governor will come through with his promises but only time will tell.

     In other news:

•  People cannot stop giving me food! In one week I was gifted the following: 2 bags of mangos, 1 bag of passion fruit, branches of limoncillo, toasted corn on the cob, cacao, some leaves for tea, dulce de coco, and coconut water (straight from the coconut).
• My family has a new baby kitten, my host mom says that our other cat isn't a good mouse hunter but she is going to train the kitten properly. I also got to see 10-day-old kittens at a neighbor's house and was told I can have one when they are bigger! Yay for no rodents! For the record I have yet to see any rodents here but I don't want to take any chances.

  

  Newest Member of the Family

• I rode on a motorcycle without holding onto the driver but don't know how if I am willing to try riding side-saddle.
• I am teaching my host sister how to use a computer. Before we started classes she only knew how to turn a computer on and off. We have yet to have a lesson with internet, as I do not have access at my site, but I am excited to show her Google and Wikipedia - she does know what Facebook is and she really wants to make an account. I'll leave you with a photo us taken while playing with Photobooth.

  

  Funny Photos are a Hit Everywhere