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