Sunday, May 30, 2010

continued

so, to finish up the last post, my new best friend plays for the yankees of the DR. Lets hope! lol.

Yesterday i went to Moca to hang out with a nother volunteer. Its about an hour away from Santiago and it costs 40 pesos to get there (just about 1 us dollar). Although, i was crammed in a glorified minivan with 46 other people. Not comfortable, but cheap, and that is the key. Its a cool little city, smaller than my Santiago, but alot more quieter and a little cleaner. There are a couple cool european style parks and churches. A neat little coffee house. It was actually very westernly....(word?)...influenced, lol. We also visited a super sketchy zoo. It was like a rundown circus. Just poop everywhere, and nasty trash filled river....missing hippopotamus....dont ask......and lion cage! We also encountered an ostrich that was poised to jump out of his cage and murder us mercilessly. Luckily, it didnt come to that and i didnt have to unleash my arsenal of level 16 paladin moves. Save those for the next time i get help up at gunpoint. I took a taxi back to Santiago which cost 600 pesos, but it was worth having the security at night.
On a cultural note, its mothers day here, so happy mothers day Ma, again. Im saluting all mothers today by sitting in a resteraunt called Puerto de Sol, enjoying chicken croquettas, surfing the WIRELESS internet and watching 8 different baseball games simultaneously, while sipping on an ice cold smoothie, and enjoying the breeze coming from the mountain range that surrounds my city. Things could be worse.
Hope everything is all well back in the states, besides the catastrophic oil spill and the failing economy, besides the fact that we havent had water for about a week and electricity is sparse at best, all is pretty good here.
Love you guys, hablamos

Friday, May 28, 2010

Escojo mi vida

So i had my first meeting with my escojo mi vida group. Repaso, its a sexual health themed youth group. So, i walk in to 14 teenage girls staring me in the face. This is going to be the most awkward situation of my life, teaching a 13 year old girl to put a condom on a banana. I guess its good practice for when i have a child of my own, i might as well loose all shame now. ITs gonna be fun though, after we push past the chapter on the oscar meyer weiner it should be smooth sailing.
Oh!! i met who i hope becomes my best friend yesterday! I was at my friend franciscos house and his borther walks out and starts talking to me about baseball. Naturally, im interested, we start naming off our favorite players and what not. I asked him if he plays baseball, and hes like yea i play for the league here. Ok, so there are two teams here that are like the yankees and red sox. All the pro players from the Dr come from these 2 teams, so, this guy plays for the alguilas which is like the yankees.......oop gotta go im getting kicked out talk later

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Business as usual

So i thought i would take advantage of the electricity and write a blog about the business side of things here in the DR. I have been to a few meeting concerning the construction of a community cafeteria here in the high school where i teach.
For the most part, its round table style, only there is no table. Its a bunch of chairs in a circle, so that no one person has all the power..i guess...So its hard to tell who is important and who isnt, lol. The meetings get very heated, there is the slamming of fists, red faces, protruding veins, screaming, but in the end they all seem to come together for cheese and crackers. Thats the greatest part about going to these meetings, there is always cheese, crackers and some kind of soda, usually grape, not my first choice but it works. The meetings are very long, and there is along of finger pointing. Interesting to say the least. In the states, the important people stand in front of you and bore you into submission with facts and figures, here(it seems) everything is done in buena fe (good faith). There are contracts, but they seem more of a formality as everything is sealed with a handshake. Domincans businessmen are too prideful to ever go back on a handshake. Cant count on that too much in the US.
In other news, my rash is getting better! thanks for all those prayers guys, that and the gallons of lotions and cremes helped, lol. Cross your fingers cuz its not over yet.

We have a meeting today with Peace Corps. They are coming to the school to meet my committe and find out that i have been doing nothing for a week. Should be interesting, wish me luck, adios muchachos

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Another rash

Soo in addition to the poison ivy that i have on my right arm. I have a few more mystery rashes on my left arm, waist line, fingers and thigh. I think it may be either bed bugs or scabies for real this time. Im gonna try to change and burn my sheets and wash all my clothes. I dont ever get rashes in the states but here they are copious. whatever,
So, as someone pointed out to me the other day, all my blogs are about my ailments, muggings and frustrations here in the DR. Im going to try and change that.

So, This week at school has been interesting. I have gotten to know a lot of the students. Many of which have told me that it is ok for a 22 year old to date a 14 year old. For instance, the girl sitting right next to me that cant understand english has a boyfriend that is 25 years old. She is 15.... haha. This is just another cultural norm here. Very interesting. Also all the dudes have invited me to drink and do drugs with them, haha. City living.
Also, my host family was not aware that they were getting paid for me to live there, so when i gave them there money for the month, you could imagine their surprise. An american handing them 1000 pesos for no apparent reason, haha. They perked right up, offering their house for the next 2 years, lol. I had to tell them that i am moving out after 3 months, so that ruins their plans for a satellite dish.
I was also volunteered to form an escojo mi vida youth group, which is to form a group of students to teach about aids awareness, health issues, english, and other things like that. Inicially i was kinda bummed about it, because it would detract from my work, but then i realized i really dont have that much to do here so im actually excited about this group, im gonna make it fun. I get to choose 10 students to impart my ample wisdom to. I will probably start by showing the movie Dumb and Dumber in Spanish and tell them that this is what Americans are like.
Today i am making 100 copys of a survey that i have to give to the students here in order to start my diagnostic. We have one more week of school, and then it is vacation time, lol, Peace Corps is a rough job guys. I will still have some work with this escojo mi vida group in the summer, gracias a dios. i dont want to just sit around all day for 2 months.

So, in case you guys were wondering this is my day-to-day
8:30- wake up and start thinking about when i will go to sleep that night.
9:00- breakfast, usually scrambled eggs and bread
9:15- leave for school
9:17- arrive at school, commence standing around and taking to students about why i do or do not have a girlfriend, how many women i can have here, and what type of drug i want to do this weekend.
12:00 leave to go back home for lunch
12:30- finished lunch, naptime for a good 2-3 hours
3-4 ish- return to school if i feel up to it, which i usually do.
6:00- leave school to come back home. Usually at this point ill read my book, which right now is, A Prayer for Owen Meany(one of the best books i have ever read), or play my guitar, or talk to my host family. Basically just take it easy and chill ouside on the front porch. Thats another great thing about this cultrue, people just sit on their front porch and hang out, talk to the neighbors, no TV, just hang out, its really cool. So we do that until about....
8:30- Dinner time! My host mom is an awesome cook, and i usually get chicken or spaghetti with rice, plantains.
9:30- I usually watch a movie on my laptop or talk to other volunteers on the phone to get my english fill in for the day.
11:00-12:00- usually fall asleep.

So now that your all asleep, that is what i do everyday. Stressfull huh? Its alot worse when you have all these rashes, ahaha.

Anyways, love and miss you guys tons, nos hablamos ahorita

Monday, May 24, 2010

mosquitos!

Mosquitos are everywhere!!!!รง
AHHH i hate mosquitos more than anything in the world right now! You cant feel them on you, but then they bite and leave an incredibly uncomfortable sting. One just bit me on my knuckle, my knuckle!! there is like no blood on the nuckle, what are you doing on my nuckle! This country sucks sometimes! man!
Also, i still have this sickly looking rash on my arm. It looks liek leprosy at this point. Im starting to think this is more than just poison ivy.....
So im trying to create surveys for the students and teachers at my school so i can get a good representation of what they want and need. I just found out that school ends this week, so all the work i was planning on doing has to be condensed into these next 4 days. Excited. So, basically, We are taking a 2 month vaction, stellar.
In other news, i got a new banco card, canceled my cards in the states got a new phone, but am still missing my watch. I think of all the things that were stolen, i miss the watch the most, i keep looking down at my wrist longingly, hoping that it will reappear. It was so convenient. It was my alarm, told the time, temperature (always hot), had a digital compass just in case. It was always there for me when i needed it, just ready and willing. And now, it is in the hands of some punk who will probably not appreciate the way i did. Actually, he probably sold it on the street for 15 pesos. People tell me, just use your phone, but its just not the same. I will miss you Watchy McWatcherson.
I should get back to work, oh yea, a rubbed some dirt of off of my bedroom wall last night and it revealed a colony of maggots, cheers to that.
Adios

Saturday, May 22, 2010

new phone number

In light of my recent mugging, my new cell phone number is 809-723-9772, llamame si tu quieres!

Ouch!

So, big news, i dont really know how to start this but last night i was robbed at gunpoint. Two domincan men approached me with a gun and apiece of broken glass and took my wallet cell phone and watch. They did not hurt me, and everything is ok. Im telling you guys this because it was the scariest moment of my life, and i truly thought that last night could have been it. Im lucky to be here, God put his protective hand around me. I was with a friend, and thankfully they did nothing to her. We got out unscathed, im only out 5000 pesos a couple credit cards and a really sweet watch, but its all just stuff, no one was hurt and everything is fine. It was just a crazy crazy terrifying experience that i wanted to share with you guys. God is good!

Alright well i gotta go cancel all my cards and get a new phone, love you guys tons and miss you all! BE safe out there in the world, haha.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

poison ivy

entonces.....as it turns out i just have an epic case of poison ivy or oak, either way it hurts and is extremely inconvenient. It still itches almost a week after contact. It takes up my entire forarm and half my bicep, sucks.
Anyways, we have two more days of the most boring literacy training on the planet. It makes having poison ivy enjoyable. we just have 2 more days then we go to our sites and i go to Santiiago for 2 years, woohooo! im pretty anxious to get started on all my work. For 3 months i am just supposed to observe the community and discover the most pressing needs, then i prepare a game plan to satisfy them.
In other news, the lights went out tonight in my house, surprise, and i had to shower in pitch black darkness, its pretty hard to bucket shower in the dark. Then i enjoyed a nice meal of mashed potatoes and 1 hard boiled egg. I shouldnt complain though, and i hate that i do all the time, because this family is just that poor. This is how they live, and this is what they eat for dinner every night because its the cheapest thing you can prepare. Im dissapointed with myself that i have not been able to accept that yet.
Anyways, im almost out of time, love and miss you guys lots

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Scabbies

woohoo another mystery tropical illness! At first i thought it was scabbies but then i visited the doctor and she told me it was allergic reaction to a previously undiscovered critter. I think it was from when i slept bare armed on the floor of a hostal in downtown santo domingo with 6 other people. This place is filthy, lol. Other than that, this weekend was a blast. We stayed thrusday and friday night at a seamingly clean hostal with air conditioning and running hot water. We went to a Peace Corps Prom, where all the volunteers from around the country came. It was a great night to get to know a bunch of new people. Then firday we went out to a rooftop bar the clonial zone and just chilled. This whole Peace Corps thing suits me pretty well, ahah. Alot of chilling involved. Now today im hanging out in my barrio waiting for my infected arm to stop itching. Ihave taken oral hydrocrotizone and a bunch of other pills to try and combat whatever this is, but it is relentless. Could be a lot worse though.
So anyways, the rest of this week is based on literacy training. Basically, how to teach people to read and write in spanish. We are on lockdown today becuse of eleccions, and people are getting kinda loose. Carrying guns around is very common and i have been thinking bout purchasing an AK-47 for my own personal safety. Its funny to note that in the us, if there is a guard at the bank he has a tiny pistol in a holster. Here they carry shotgun across their chest. ITs very intimidating.
So anyways, thats about all i got for now. and im running out of time. Keep in touch and dont be afraid to spend the $60 or so dollars a minute to call me, lol, love and miss you guys tons! adios!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

COT Survey

Ok, so i gotta make this quick. At the end of every volunteers 2 years of service they are asked to fill out a close-of-service questionnare. They are compiled into a magazine called the Gringo Grita, which is like a Peace Corps magazine, anywyas, they are always very fun to read so i thought i would retrofit the COS survey into a close of training survey since TODAY is the day we swear in as US Peace Corps Volunteers, and our training will finally be over. Its more or less a look back on the past 2 months and change. Entonces:
1. DR nicknames: Jose, Joucito
2. Site: Santiago
3. Program: Information and Communication Technology (IT)
4. Project Assignment: Work with a Polytechnic Highschool to create a sustainable community lab, while teaching and assisting in courses in advanced computer repair, excel, and English.
5. Most useful thing brought into country: Bible, headlamp, tighty whiteys.
6. Least useful thing brought into country: so far, baseball glove, go figure right?
7. Best, "i know im in peace corps moment": Well it was within the first week here in Santo Domingo and i had recently contracted a mysterious gastrointestinal.......conflict.....so one night i rush into the bathroom to let loose the dragon when i see everyone else "contributions" already in and around the toilet. Time was of the essence so i dropped trau and did the deed. Keep in mind there is no running water or elctricity so i get up from the toilet turn around and begin bucket flushing the toilet, all the while everyone elses excrement is hastily flying at and or around my person and the mosquitos attacking my bare bum. From utter exhaustion i stumble back to bed under my mosquito net in the pitch black and pass out till morning. I also frequently see women breast feeding in public transportation.
8. I knew i was dominican when: I crammed myself and suitcase into a 1978 toyota corrola with 7 other people. I also saw a dead cow on the side of the highway.
9. Most beautiful place you have seen yet in country: Playa Esmeralda!
10. How have you changed so far during your service: I have learned how to manage diarrhea and not let it control my life. I also eat street food now.
11. What do you hope to do during your 2 years: Climb Pico Duarte, never contract any kind of exotic illness, and take everything in stride.

So this was more for me to look back on in 2 years and compare my own survey with this. But i thought i would be interesting for you guys to see a little bit of what training is like.}
All in all, as much as i complain and make jokes about this place, i would rather be here doing this right now, than anywhere else in the world. Looking back, this has been the most incredible 2 months and change of my life. I have made solid friendships with amazing people, danced in a way i never thought i could or would want to, eating things i would never dream of, and seen things i would have never imagined possible.
This is the most incredible experience, and i am looking forward to the next two years of my life.
Love and miss you guys tons, adios!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Santiago!

Entonces......here i am. I was given the assignment of working at a exclusive Magnet school in Santiago, the second largest city in the DR. It has its pluses and minuses, for example, i have 24 hours of electricty and running water, on the flip side, i have 24 hours of electricity and running water. I was really expecting a much more bare bones experience. How many times in life do you get the opportunity to live in the bush ya know? I was hoping for something a little more rural. Not to mention, my school has vritually no need for me. They have 40 brand new computers and 30 solar panels to power them. The school was built year ago and it is nicer than 90% of the schools in the US. The only thing i feel like i can contribute here is english. BUT i have only been here a couple days so i dont know the entire situation. I know i am going to have to clean up the computers software wise and help the tech repairs, but i just feel like there are a million different places here that need MORE help than here. I am 5 minutes from an outback steak house and baskin robbins. I might as well be working in Orlando. I have my own desk and air conditioning. BUT, i am starting to come to terms with the fact that i will be resigned to the proffesional life rather than the campo life. Yesterday i was really stressed beacuse i had to introduce myself to 650 students and all the administration here. Also, my project partner continued to say that i would make everyone here fluent in english by the end of 2 years. There is really a lot of pressure for me to perform here, which is good and bad.
Anyways, so now that i am in the site where i will be living for 2 years, i can finally start investing n this place. There are 2 volunteers within 30 minutes of me, but im virtually alone american-wise. My and some new friends went to the river today, cool you may say, yes it was, but i wasnt planning on going swimming and neither was anyone else, so when they all stripped nude i was kind of taken back. I stripped down......to my boxers....lol...and jumped in, the water was great, but it was definitely a weird experience. One of the first things im going to buy here is a bicycle. Everything is very close, so having a bike will make things cheaper and more fun.
My host family here is really cool. They have to 19 year old kids, a boy and a girl, and they are really cool to chill with. One of them is getting married in july and i proceeded to tell her it was the biggest mistake she would make and to think long and hard about it, hahaha. They also have a dog who is pregnant so i may be getting a puppy!
So, basically, im adjusting to this new lifestyle. I guess a big positive out of this is that it will be a lot easier for people to visit me here because Santiago is a major airport hub, and my house is not far frm the center. Plus a major resort town is like an hour away, and pico duarte mountain is a little more than an hour away. Also, the temperature is way cooler here.
Also!!!!! I HAVE A PHONE NOW! MY NUMBER IS 1-809-723-6564. if any of you fools wanna pay 60 bucks a minute to call, lol.
anyways, love and miss you guys like crazy, hablamos

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Hott shower

I just wanted to blog the fact that i had a hot shower today at the US embassy. It was the most glorious experience ever. Also, tomorrow our fates are decided for the next 2 years, so expect a long ranting blog.