Whew!

So i am back in the capital now. This weekend was exactly what i needed to get back on track. Its been so suffocating living in the city and literally choking on exhuast fumes. i was able to get into the ¨campo¨ or countryside, and see a much more peaceful side of the country. Definitely where i want to live when i get my assignment. Anyways, just got the news today that i am getting a raise!!!! instead of gettin 6,000 us dollars when i return after 2 years, i am getting 7,500!!
Its funny that im so excited to make 1500 more dollars in 2 years, but its really cool.
So i wnnna talk a little bit about kids here. Americans think it is a cardinal sin when someone spanks there baby. Well.....here children are beaten on a regtular basis. Literally, the mothers take the sandals off their feet and beat their children over the head with it if they are bad. There is also punching shoving and other froms of abuse, lol. So wehn someone spanks a baby, thank the Lord, haha. Its totally the norm here to beat your child, its quite shoking to see in person really.
Also, education here is horrible. Out of 127 countries the DR is ranked 124. Haiti has a better education system. Kids go to school for an average of 2.5 hours a day here. Thats one of the main reasons that this country has been unable to rise above. These kids are learning nothing in school. One of the biggest problems is having 20 and 21 year olds in 8th grade. The education we receive in the States is infinitely better, on all levels. This means we have our work cut out for us, lol.
Thursday we leave to go to El Seibo for 5.5 weeks, ha. I will live with a different family for those 5 weeks and then come back here for like another week, and then we graduate from training and are given our permanent assignments. Exciting stuff-
love and miss you guys tons!!