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