1-10-2007 Long Update

Ok, so it’s been a while since I’ve given an update. Sorry it's long. Don’t worry, assume no news is good news bc I’m so busy doing stuff that I don’t have time to write.

So, last week we were in orientation everyday, which kinda sucked because they spoke in Spanish the whole day, no English, it was important, and I didn’t understand most of it! But, then every day we had the adventure of taking the public transportation home to break up the monotony.

There are 4 places we can take classes, but I’m only taking them at two, and four of my classes start next week and one some time in feb, so I had a free week this week. We visited sites to see where we wanted to do our internship and I found one that I love!! It’s with boys from 7-12 years old who work on the streets shining shoes, selling stuff, stealing stuff, or do whatever they can to make a living. The program gets them off the streets and gives them a safe place to be. They come to the place during the day and still live with their families at night. The place provides classes, I think food, sports, art class, and fun stuff for them. As far as I know, I can choose any aspect of working with them. And as of now, I have mornings free and that’s when the ONLY teacher needs a lot of help bc he/she is alone. So I’d be tutoring/helping out with class, which is completely perfect. I’m really excited.

Next, my classes: I passed the diagnostic grammar exam but I still have to take another grammar class at PSU, so I’ll be taking it here and put it to good use while I’m speaking. So that’s the internship, grammar, DR culture and language, some ethnocultural class? (I don’t know what that means), and human sexuality. Sounds like an interesting schedule to mee! Much better than organic chemistry, bio, and animal science!

So, for some funny updates….

-I will be completely honest and say that I have gotten lost twice. I knew where I was, but was not where I meant to be. It’s been really comical trying to figure out the public transportation here. That phrase means, put some car or extended minivan into service that looks like it was previously in a demolition derby. It’s hysterical, I need to take some discreet pictures to show you all what I’m talking about. But imagine getting into a little tiny Corrolla or something like it, that looks like it’s 50 years old, and then shoving 7 people in it! Or, an extended minivan (called little busses here) with, I counted, almost 30 people. Now, mind you, this does not mean seated comfortably and relaxed. This means there were at least 3 people hanging out the side door (but there is no door ever) with a chair too!, me on someone’s lap (a friend thank God), and countless other things… There’s never a dull moment around here. It’s the Dominican way.

-One morning my friend Amy and I were walking to FLACSO (our home base for the program) and as if it wasn’t obvious enough that we’re not from around here, one guy yelled, “Welcome to Santo Domingo!” We laughed, that follows every story I will write.

-Yesterday, we tried to figure out to get back home from one of the places to take class by ourselves. We took a bus to a street near our house? And decided to walk up this giant hill to get to the next street to take the next public car to our street. We were still ½ from home. Well, apparently all of the streets change names at different places and why would you put something like that on a map? So, we just kept walking and walking up this hill, a few miles I think, in the pollution, starving, and getting stared at and sssstttsssed at (the Dominican version of a whistle). The pollution was so nasty yesterday that if you looked to the horizon, you saw brown until you looked up higher to the white clouds. Gross. So, anyway, Amy just kept saying, maybe it’s a little further, it’ll be the next street. I was finally like, I’m sick of this, and I pulled out my map. We walked so far past it, it wasn’t even funny, because the street had a different name where we were than what the map said. I laughed so hard I cried. We finally made it home. Fun stuff.

-Crazy: I was in a little bus (guaguita) and this lady was holding her baby and singing really loud, just started nursing the baby right in the middle of the bus, and kept singing.

Also, apparently my host brother has been teaching me bad words bc I said something to the effect of “I’m fed up with this” when my host dad asked if I wanted some juice after dinner. My host brother, Alex, says it jokingly to say “I’m full,” as I did too, but I got a sit down with my host dad about being vulgar. He wanted to explain the difference btwn words for the street and words for everyday use. It was kind of funny. So now, whatever I learn from my bro and mother, I only say in front of them, they teach me stuff and tell me not to tell my dad.

So, there’s all kinds of things to write about, but the most important is that I’m doing great, and loving it. I’m still in somewhat of a silent world. I’m understanding most everything, but it all comes in and nothing comes out. Meaning, I don’t talk too much. But it gets better everyday. Take each day as it comes, or when you’re lost, each street, and each minute. And boy do you discover the value of laughter to lift your spirits. I get slap happy just about every afternoon when I get fed up with trying to understand Spanish, and all I can do is laugh. But then I feel better!

Thanks for all of your e-mails and replies!

PS to DR folk:

-My mom here is a retired dentist and wants to volunteer her time with a church or something doing dentistry for free a few mornings. Sounds like something we could use! And, she loves what we do every summer and goes off about how all churches in Santo Domingo do is ask for money and do nothing for their people.

-Víctor told me Henry fired Papito, if that’s true I’m pissed. I’m going to call Yasmín and find out, and I’ll keep you updated.