Kids Say the Darndest Things

My Spanish has improved leaps and bounds since I arrived in the Dominican Republic. But the comments my students make are often so out-of-the-blue that I have to ask them to repeat themselves or elaborate. Here is a sampling of some recent conversations:

Collecting Cajuil Fruit

Student - Susan, how big is your property?

Me - My property? I just rent the house. I guess just the front yard.

Student - And is the Cajuil tree part of your yard? 

Me - Yes

Student - Can we go get some Cajuil fruit?

Me - Sure.

And thus I spent an extra few minutes after class collecting fresh fruit with my students.

***

Student - Susi, do you have a secret boyfriend?

Me - A secret boyfriend, why do you think I have a secret boyfriend?

Student - Because how can you not have a boyfriend! He lives in the capital, doesn't he? I am sure of it!

Me - No, sorry, if only.

Student - Fine be that way, I know you are lying!

***

First class with my new boy's youth group

Me - Okay boys, it is time to come up with the rules for your youth group.

Students whispering.

Me - What was that? I heard my name. Tell me what you all said!

Student - Wilberto says we should have a rule that says that none of us are allowed to fall in love with you.

Me - Fall in love with me?

Students nod heads.

Me - Well don’t worry boys I promise I will never fall in love with any of you. You all are a little too young for me anyways.

***

Student - I don’t believe you were in a fight?

Me - When was I in a fight?!

Student - Susi! Don’t pretend you don’t remember telling me!

Me - Oh, you mean the time when I was 10?

Student - Yeah!

This conversation then turned into my student demonstrating how she would have attacked a person who recently gave me some bad news.

***

I have the best students.

The Benefits of Working on Vacation

There are few things more amazing than the generosity of strangers.

Today I took sometime out of my vacation in the States to visit Hilldale Elementary School in New Jersey and talk about my service in the Peace Corps. Since November I have been skyping every month with the 5th grade students as part of Peace Corps' World Wise Schools Program. But today was the first day I met the students and staff in-person.

One the 63 cards I received.

When I entered the classroom students immediately began to whisper to one another, "Is that Susan?!," and "Susan's here!" I felt like a celebrity. The students then gave a presentation of about why they think the Peace Corps is important, and thanking me for my service. They said the most adorable things like, "Roses are red, violets are blue, if you need help Peace Corps serves you." My heart melted when one student said that he wanted to join the Peace Corps because his parents were immigrants, and he wanted to serve the U.S. and help others abroad. 

The love fest continued with a the 5th graders presenting me with a Hilldale t-shirt and duffel bag, both personalized with my name. The students surprised me one more time by announcing that they had fundraiser an additional $500 at the elementary school and that the language honor society in the high school raised an additional $500! I was floored. This time last year I didn't know Montville existed, and yet the community has done so much for me and my neighbors in the Dominican Republic. I feel so incredibly blessed by their geneoursosity. When I return to my community next week I can't wait to see my neighbors reactions to the great news. I predict a lot of dancing.

Thanks to the help of Montville residents, family, and friends we have reached a quarter of our U.S. fundraising goal for the library. But that means we still need to raise $4,200. Please help us out, as so many already have, and make our community library a reality by the start of the new school year.
To submit a donation CLICK HERE!

Just a reminder: All donations are tax deductible, and 100% of donations will go to our project. 

Also, you can donate offline. Although donating on-line is the fastest way for projects to get funded, you may also donate by mail or over the phone:

Send a check to:
Peace Corps Headquarters
Office of Gifts and Grants Management
1111 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20526

Please make check payable to Peace Corps Partnership Program
Please also note the project number (14-517-025) in the memo section of the check.
(Please print and mail this donation form with your check, so Peace Corps can contact you with information regarding your donation, if necessary.)

-or-

Call the office and Peace Corps can take your credit card information over the phone at 855.855.1961 x2170.

Literacy in the D.R.

When I received my invitation to serve in the D.R. I initially thought I was going to be teaching English. It took me a second read-through to realize that the literacy Peace Corps wanted me to help improve was Spanish not English. Others are often confused as well, when I say I am helping to improve literacy rates in the D.R. they assume I mean English literacy. It is such a simple assumption to make, of course a country so close to the States and dependent on tourism would consider English literacy a top priority. It shocks us, fortunate enough to have grown up with the U.S. Public School System, that a nation so close and intertwined with our own could have so many difficulties educating its youth.

Basic literacy in the D.R. is a huge problem, currently the D.R.'s literacy rate is 133 out of 205 countries (from the CIA Work Factbook). What does that number represent?

It represents nine year-old kids in the second grade who can't write their names. It represents the two shift school day, which means students have class for three to four hours a day. It represents the lack of textbooks and workbooks in the classroom (forget computers). It represents the poor pay and poor training of teachers. It represents the days of school lost because rain has made the dirt road too muddy.

The number 133 and all it represents, makes me feel like, at times, the work I am doing is a drop in the bucket. But there are moments that warm my heart, that let me know that my work is important to those I reach. Like when my students smile when they read a word on their own, or when a teacher arranges for students to come to both sessions of school.

I always knew that teachers had a tough and under-appreciated job, but I never realized how hard they have to work until I started working alongside them. If you are a teacher you have my utmost respect. Thank-you for all the work that you do.

Now onto random, non-sentimental thoughts:

• My grant (that I originally submitted in September) has been funded! I now have a whole $5,000 to put to use. Hopefully the news will get my library committee energized enough to begin building repairs.
• There was a nation wide commercial strike. All businesses were supposed to be closed for two days to protest rising costs and a potential tax increase. Samaná didn't take things too seriously, most corner stores were open the whole time and nothing closed on the second day.
• School is tiring me out! I want to be in bed by 10pm at the latest.
• Last time I was in town the power was out aka no internet fun for me. The town of Samaná is supposed to have power 24/7 but like everything in the D.R. it is not a guarantee.
• Someone from Majorca asked if I was from Spain. I felt great, until that evening when my project partner gave me a book on Spanish grammar.
• Things I can't find in town: pot holder, can opener, wine opener, large bowls (for mixing and popcorn), and grape jam (I can find orange, pineapple,  guayaba etc).
• My 10 year-old neighbor said I was her best friend! So exciting because I think of her as my best friend too. We read and play a lot together, including making karaoke videos to Prince Royce songs. |'ll eventually have good enough internet and post a video of the two of us singing into hairbrushes.

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.