MIA/Weekends in Paradise

This is only half of the pictures I have from the last few weeks. The internet was cooperating today and I didn't want to press my luck by trying to add more. And I to remind all y'all that are buried in snow/ice what 90 degrees and sunny looks like. Just to rub it in a bit :)

Three weekends ago, I went to Sosua, a beach on the north shore about two hours outside of Santiago. It was absolutely beautiful and a wonderful end to orientation.

(From L to R: Olivia, Stephanie, Me, Martha)

Two weekends ago was not a weekend in paradise--it was a weekend of parasites. Our group had planned to go to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic to visit the old plantations and get a taste of the history of the DR, but also to see the "big city". I didn't get to go, but I know that there will be plenty of other opportunities to visit Santo Domingo.

Last Thursday was a holiday (no school!) I don't have class on Fridays and Monday was also a holiday (no school again!) We decided to take advantage of our five day weekend and travel to Samana, a city on the east coast.

This picture pretty much sums up my weekend:

The trip to Samana was rough--it was about four hours on roads full of pot holes in a bus that was packed to the brim (overflowing, actually). When we got to the beach, it was totally worth it though.

Rice paddies on the way to Samana

We spent our first day at Playa Samana. It was about a ten minute walk from our hotel and was actually the beach of a private resort. We talked our way onto the beach, though, and promised that we would behave. On the second day we were in Samana, Chris and I went on a whale watching tour. I was amazed by the whales! I was like a five year old on Christmas morning. It was hard to take pictures, but I think I got some good ones of the beach and the whales:

(This is not the picture post I promised. I originally wrote this a few days ago and hesitated to post it at the time—I didn't want it to be a spur of the moment emotional thing and I didn't want anyone to worry about me. However, because a few days have passed and I still feel the same way, I'm going to go ahead and post it).

I have never felt more alone in my life.

I miss meaningful human interactions. In any given day, I only talk to the people in my program, my professors talk at me, and I talk to my family.

My family is absolutely wonderful, but as much as they try to incorporate me into their family, something in my mind is resisting it—they are not my family. My family is at home, in South Carolina. I would love to say that my professors are great and they care about me on a personal level--but this isn't Wofford. I miss that connection that I have at Wofford with my professors. And the people in my program are great too—but they are certainly not my roommates or my best friends. Four weeks ago, they were complete strangers, just a name on a page. Our single common bond is that we have been coincidentally thrown into the same situation.

But really, our situations are not the same. We are in the same program, in the same country; but each of us is working in a different community, in a different home, in a different organization.

This is truly overwhelming. I clearly don't fit in here and I don't really feel like I belong, either. I know that this is something that takes time—and in time, it will happen. And while I don't miss home, per say, I definitely miss the people and the familiarity. I'm struggling to find something familiar here.

Right now, I'm clinging to the little girls in the community that I'm working for. Kids are kids. They laugh and giggle and are absolutely awed that I'm in their community. The only word I can think of to describe it is joy. Their laughter and their happiness is contagious—I can't feel anything other than happy when I'm around them. Even though we have a language barrier, they are interested in me. Not because I have blond hair (okay, they are a little interested in that) and blue eyes and stand out like a sore thumb, and not because I speak English. They want me to play with them and be part of their world. It's so comforting to be wanted, even if it's by seven year olds.

I'm happy here, I really am. I'm enjoying my time and I'm happy with my family and classes and my organization. It's a little unnerving to be alone, but I know that in time, things will improve. (Read: Don't buy me a plane ticket home and don't come get me).

Oh, how the times have changed...

I haven't posted much lately because it's hard for me to get internet--it involves lugging my computer the whole way to school and walk around campus holding my computer trying to find internet signal in a few places. However, today I discovered that if I stack my computer on top of my suitcase, on top of my chair, by the window, like so:

I can pick up internet from Pepine. I'm not really sure who Pepine is, but I'm really thankful for his unprotected wireless internet.

I promise that I will do a huge post soon with lots of pictures, but for now, I have a few comments about the last 25(!) days.

Twenty-five days ago, I would not have begged to wear my tennis shoes. I'm more of a flip flops kind of girl. Twenty degrees or ninety degrees, I'll take the flip flops.

Twenty-five days ago, I could not imagine trading my perfume for bug spray. Now, bug spray has become part of my daily routine.

Twenty-five days ago, I would have showered every single day. Today, I realize that being clean is a luxury. And it is also somewhat inconvenient. Therefore...you get the point.

Twenty-five days ago, I would have washed (and dried, with a hairdryer) my hair every single day. The hairdryer is a thing of the past.

Twenty-five days ago, I would have never worn sunscreen on a daily basis. Today, I know what a farmers tan looks like and I prefer the sunscreen.

Twenty-five days ago, I would have run to the grocery store to buy whatever food I needed, whenever I needed it. Today, I also realize this is a luxury--if the power goes out, the food goes bad. There is enough food in our refrigerator for about a day.

Twenty-five days ago, I would not have worn the same jeans for fourteen days straight. (Okay, this one still makes me cringe a little bit.) But it's true. Fourteen days in the same pair of jeans.

Stay tuned for a huge photo post soon. Be sure to thank Pepine for me if you see him! :)

How to Lose 20 Pounds in 20 Days

I was floored by the response I received to my last post. I received many encouraging e-mails and I am so thankful for that kind of support. As for the Dominican Republic, things have returned to our regularly scheduled program; phones and electricity are working normally and you wouldn't even know that 4 hours away in a different country things are absolutely devastating. I am so shocked by the support students at school have shown. There was a group that was started called Trabajando por Haiti (Working for Haiti) and they are fundraising and promoting their group like crazy--I love it. We are still planning on going in a few weeks through an organization or the embassy in order to help with what we can and I'm really excited about it.

I'm sure some of you haven't (totally) given up on your New Year's Resolution to lose weight. To help you out a little bit, I'm going to present you with my weight loss plan of 2010.

Day 1—Haul your 100+ pound bags down the street (and by down the street, I mean UP the hill). Find out that you live on the third floor. Haul them up the steps for good measure.

Day 2—Hike up a mountain, through a river, and up waterfalls. Remember, what goes up must come down.

Day 3—Go on a scavenger hunt through the whole city. Be sure to get lost.

Days 4-7—Walk to every NGO in town.

Day 8—Go to the beach. (And, my personal favorite): Eat lunch at a seemingly good place. Be sure to get a Caribbean parasite in your stomach.

Days 9-10—Walk two miles to school, one way. Add a giant hill in for good measure.

Days 11-12—Refuse to learn the public transportation system for fear of getting lost...just walk.

Days 13-16—Lay in bed for three days convinced you're dying, thanks to said parasite. Don't eat—it will not end well, I promise. But if you do eat, you'll get your exercise in while sprinting to the bathroom.

Day 17—Go to your community organization. Decide you can take public transportation alone for the first time and then walk to your site. Take public transportation home. Make sure the driver doesn't hear you when you scream you want out. Backtrack (walk) home and vow to never take public transportation again.

Days 18-20—Eat only bread, rice, apples, bananas, y soup for three days (per the doctor) until the parasite is gone.

Enjoy!

Earthquake in Haiti

Photo Credit:dailymail.co.uk

I'm sure the whole world knows by now that there was an earthquake Tuesday in Haiti. We felt the effects of it here in Santiago and it was frightening. It was the first earthquake I have ever felt and it caught me by surprise more than anything. However, for the Haitian people I have met and the Dominicans with Haitian friends, this earthquake literally shook their lives up. There are people who are don't know where their families are, others who don't know if their friends are alive. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

The equivalent of an earthquake in Port-au-Prince is an earthquake in Washington, D.C. And it leads me to wonder, how can you possibly rebuild a country that was struggling to stay alive? I fear that Haiti is ruined; on the other hand, I hope this is a new beginning. More of a fresh start, than another effort to stay alive. Hearing that Obama decided to send aid was thrilling. I like the way he stated that he did not want to intervene, merely help. The US has intervened in Haiti one too many times, and I think it's great that we're sending aid instead of taking over.

This has also made me realize how easy it is to turn a blind eye to things. When I'm at home in the comfort of my own room, or at school with my friends, it's easy to say “Oh, an earthquake in Haiti. That's terrible.” It's not that we're insensitive, it's that we're oblivious. Here, I can't be oblivious. It's nearly impossible. I'm not in Haiti, and I can't imagine the distress in Haiti right now, but I am on the same island. And I want to do is help. And it kills me that I can't. I'm not on the other side of the ocean, and I can't ignore it. It's everywhere around me.

Please, if you feel compelled to donate, do so through a reasonable legitimate organization. The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) is big on the ground and is doing what they can to help in Haiti. Partners in Health is also another organization that is providing huge relief efforts for the Haitian people. Please continue to pray for the people of the country and the friends and families of those who are missing and those that have died.

I never understood the effects a natural disaster can have on a country until Tuesday. I think it takes a disaster to build a community. I think we saw that after September 11^th. Here, you see the US sending aid to a country that it doesn't have the best relationship with. I think that race lines are (finally) being crossed and it's no longer a matter of skin color. And even though a city is destroyed, lives have been lost, and many are missing, there is a sense of solidarity in the chaos, and that gives me hope.

Orientación, Parte Dos

I'm going to backtrack again and give the details of the past few days.

Thursday was also hectic (are you seeing a theme here?) We visited Acción Callejera in the morning. I fell in love with the organization because of their mission and their aims, but really, it's not what I'm looking for. Acción Callejera is kind of like an indoor playground for street kids. When the kids check in, they leave their shoeshine box or whatever they are selling at the front, like a hotel. Each room has a different “station” where they can play and do different things. It's a really cool concept and I liked the idea but it's not really what I want to do. In the afternoon we visited Arte A Mano and I don't even really know what they do. By Thursday afternoon I was so tired that it was all a blur. On Thursday night, we had a movie night at one of the Estudiante de Apoyo's house. We watched The Orphan and it was probably one of the most terrifying things I've seen in my life.

On Friday we only went to one organization. At the end of the day Wednesday I was set on the fact that I wanted to work for Cuidado Infantil. Friday afternoon we visited Niños con una Esperanza (Children with a hope). Niños con una Esperanza is in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Santiago, Cien Fugeos (100 Fires). Cien Fuegos has the only dump in Santiago and many of the children drop out of school (if they even ever go) in order to dig for metal in the trash dump. They melt the metal down (hence the fire part) and almost immediately, they have picked their future. It's a huge problem because the kids are not educated at all and they are essentially stuck with one job for their whole life. Niños con una Esperanza provides an alternative for the kids. They have a program set up that encourages kids to go to school and then they give them a place to play and meals. They tell the kids that if they drop out of school, they'll be kicked out of the program. Because the kids like the program so much, it works. I loved the neighborhood around Niños. It is by far the poorest place I have ever been but I have never seen so much joy in my life. People in the neighborhood were genuinely excited that we were there and that we might be interested in working with their kids or their grandkids or nephews or what have you. It was overwhelming, but in a good way. When we left Niños on Friday afternoon, I was absolutely torn between which organization I wanted to work for.

Saturday morning we had a few short seminars on “dominicanismos”, dominican-haitian relations, and race and identity in the Dominican Republic. On Saturday we ate lunch as a group at a pizza restaurant and that officially ended orientation!!

Bienvenidos a la República Dominicana

Hola desde la República Dominicana!

I don't think I knew what I was in for.

The last few days have been absolutely overwhelming.

I arrived last Saturday about 3. I have to be honest, I stepped off the plane (and wiped the sweat off of my face and felt my pores clog with all the gunk and humidity, but I digress) and had a mini-panic attack.

Two other students and I were picked up from the airport by Marcos Polo (Yes, you can laugh) and I was taken to my host family. It took me awhile to figure out the family dynamics here because they are so different from the states. I live in an apartment with my madre, her 20 year old daughter Fanya, and a student who is here from NYU for two weeks, Victoria. We also have a doña, which is kind of like a maid; her name is Virginia. Here's where things get complicated. My madre's late husband died recently, so this is a new apartment for her. Her sister-in-law lives in the apartment under us. On the next street over is my madre's mother, my abuela. My abuela is also hosting a student from my program, Chris. My madre's brother, my tio, lives with my abuela. My tio's son, Valentin, also lives there. Got that? Basically, Chris is my uncle, and I'm his niece and that's kind of weird.

Anyway. The two other students who got here on Saturday (Ashley and Dan) and I went to Marcos' house Saturday night. He is our program director, and he's married to our resident director, Elaine. They have the cutest kids in the world! We hung out there for a little while and Rachel, another girl from my program came over. Rachel did the liberal arts program in Santiago last semester, so she's been here for five months already.

One of the questions I have been asked the most is “What are you going to do there?” It's hard for me to put into words, but I'll take a stab at it. I'm in the Dominican Republic through the study abroad program CIEE. My program is focused on Service Learning. In the mornings I'm taking classes at PUCCM University and in the afternoons, I have a service site that I will go to and become familiar with the community. Towards the end of the semester, I have a Capstone project that will unite what I've learned in the classroom with what I've done at my service site. Part of my service site is inventing a “project” that will cater to the needs of the community and the organization I work with.

For orientation on Sunday, we went to a place in the mountains near Puerto Plata called Tubagua. Tubagua was very Swiss Family Robinsonesque. We slept in a tree-house like cabana with a thatched roof. The view was absolutely AMAZING.

We met Martha before we left. Martha came to Santiago last spring in the Liberal Arts program and has been to the Dominican Republic seven times before. Needless to say, she knows what she's doing. On our way to Tubagua, we picked up Oliviaaat the airport. Sunday night we spent a lot of time getting to know each other and playing games that introduced ourselves. Stephanie was the last one to arrive Sunday night.

On Monday morning, we went through some of the basic information we need to know and some of the cultural stuff. Monday afternoon we left for the waterfalls. It was about an hour hike through the hills and then a ten minute walk up a river. Once we got to the waterfalls, though, it was totally worth it. We passed a little community on the way where men were scaling coconut trees and other men were cutting the peel off in the field.

And crossing the river:

I unfortunately don't have any pictures of the waterfalls. But, we jumped in them from above and swam in the water and it was absolutely phenomenal. Monday night we came back to our host families and I pretty much walked in the door and went straight to bed.

Tuesday morning we went to PUCCM to take our spanish placement test. It was pretty miserable. It was also my first glimpse of the 3rd world-ness of this country. It's shocking at first. We walk to school on a random footpath through a very poor community. I feel extremely safe and the people are very friendly and say "hola" as we pass. However, it's a community where the river is completely destroyed by pollution and trash. Later Tuesday afternoon we had a "treasure hunt" through the city in order to get to know the city better. In all honesty, I just felt lost. I know I won't get the city down until I actually walk through it (and get lost) a couple of times. Tuesday night we had "speed dating" with the Estudiantes de Apoyo from the university. The Estudiantes de Apoyo are students that want to help us integrate into the PUCCM community. It's a really cool concept and it helps us speak spanish better because we can practice with them. It's a great support system and they are always really enthusiastic. (Note: it wasn't really speed dating). Tuesday night I also crashed because I was so tired.

Part of the orientation process for service learning is visiting each site so we can get a feel for what each organization does and the general atmosphere of the place. We went to the hospital Juan XXIII and although I was interested in it, I didn't get the right vibe from the organization. It was too disorganized and not really what I was looking for. Wednesday afternoon we visited Cuidado Infantil, which I was also interested in. Cuidado Infantil is an HIV/AIDS organization that works in La Zona Sur, a marginalized area outside of Santiago. They promote health in general and go door to door to help with weighing babies, checking on children, etc. I got really attached to a child from the beginning and it's an organization that I'm definitely interested in.

Wednesday night my host sister, Fanya, took me and Victoria to a discoteca. We went with some of the other people in my program and from NYU. It was an absolute blast.

It's really hard for me to catch up on everything from the beginning to now, so I'll save the rest of this past week for another time. But I'll leave you with a few last things that I've learned:

1. Toilet paper CANNOT go in the toilet. It goes in the trash can. It's the weirdest thing ever.

2. Conchos are the major form of public transportation. They are cars that run on a set route and they are highly scary. (Don't freak out, Mom); In the front seat are 2 people, and in the back, four. And these are cars that are meant to have 1 person in the front seat and 3 in the back. It's a tight squeeze.

3. The roads have no lines. None.

4. Seatbelts don't exist in some cars. That's okay though because you're squeezed in so tightly that you can't possibly go anywhere.

5. Lunch is the biggest meal. EVERYONE takes a nap right after lunch. (In fact, the school has a siesta break).

Until next time, have fun in the snow/cold that seems to have taken over half the country. Nos vemos!

New Year, New Place

In a few hours, I'll be flying to Santiago de los Caballeros en la República Dominicana. With a short layover in Miami, of course.

Stay tuned for updates! :)