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| 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.
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| 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.
