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.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
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
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!
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!
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
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)