23 December 2006

Happy Holidays!

Just a quick note to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

It's been a work, travel and fun packed month (too many days in the capital!), and I'm looking forward to some time around the house and with my community "family" and friends. To celebrate the holiday season, I've had fun splurging with some of my friends. We went to a Shakira concert in the capital on Tuesday (amazing!). Her singing and dancing is uncomparable. We decided it was well worth the splurge!


Shakira Raulin Rodriguez

And last nite a couple of the new volunteers in my area and I went to a Raulin Rodriguez concert. Raulin sings bachata... the musica typica here besides merengue. It's my favorite music here, and Raulin is a good performer. We danced the night away... and into the morning - from 8:30 until 4am!

Needless to say, the holiday season has begun (along with my requisite cold). Family and friends are all making the trips up to the campos, pig roasts have begun, and (most Dominican of all) the drinking has started!
While I enjoy my Christmas in the tropics (although Jarabacoa is actually cold!), have happy holidays of your own and stop to enjoy your traditions!

25 November 2006

Updates

Coffee season is starting again. I have been terrible about keeping things updated lately. As so much has happened in the last month, I decided to make several entries so I can post and you can read at your leisure. (It may be awhile before the next update!)

PICTURE UPDATES ARE FINALLY HERE!!! (See the sidebar.)
A few of the things that are keeping me busy these days... :o)

Thanksgiving pies

My kitten... getting big!

Volunteer friends visiting

22 November 2006

New Work Projects

"So, now that your projects are finishing up, what will you do?" you ask. Well, that's a good question because life here is never dull! Courtney and I have found that working together on community projects is much more fun than alone. So besides finding more undeclared kids and following up with the stragglers, we have decided to dive into a very ambitious project. A few months ago, I was contemplating how I would keep in touch with my new "family" here, and I started thinking about ways to teach the youth computers. One option was to take some people down to Jarabacoa and spend time at the internet cafes. But this seemed very expensive and not very effective, so I began to dream bigger. In May, 2 days before the local elections, electricity arrived to Manabao and families living along the main road. Teaching computer classes at the liceo (high school) seemed a much more effective method. So I turned the idea over to Courtney and we began researching our new project. The director of the liceo is thrilled to get computers. The students currently have a Computer Theory class. Imagine... learning about a computer and programs without ever seeing a computer! But despite the enthusiasm, this will be a challenging project. For one, Courtney and I both have primary projects that we cannot neglect. Second, although electricity is now available in Manabao, the school is still not hooked up, nor are the rooms equipped with things like outlets. And naturally, the costs. To supply a computer lab large enough for a class of 25 students will be a challenge... but I think we're up to it! (And if you'd like to be a part of it, ask me how you can help!)

Acta de Nacimiento

Many of you have been interested in the birth certificate campaign Courtney and I have been working on. Well, after months of house visits, searching hospital records, and trying to understand the maze of bureaucratic DR, our hard work has been rewarded. On Oct 20, the DGDC (our government counterpart for this campaign) organized a ceremony for the families to receive their birth certificates. It was a typical show of political-ness. The families gathered i the church in Manabao, a rural town about 40 minutes outside of Jarabacoa. Our Peace Corps Country Director was there representing us, but Fernando insisted that we join the head table also. We were told we would have a few minutes to speak, and Courtney and I decided to thank the people that made it all possible - the community health promoters, the judge, the hospital director... As soon as the DGDC director arrived, we were off and running. Speeches were made - unusually short and to the point. When our turn arrived, we began by explaining the significance of the pins we were giving as thank yous. But as Courtney began to call up the different people, we were waved off and told "later".
The the interesting part began. They began calling out the names of the parents to receive the actas. As each parent came forward, a man was there to photograph them receiving the document... and a package of condoms. Nothing was said about the unusual "gift", but it made a statement on its own.
After all 75 certificates were handed out, everybody was herded to the back door where packages of food were given to the families. If the children were present, they received mosquito nets also. After everyone had gone through the line, the kids were lined up to get toys. In all, it was a big day for these families, although many were upset because their kids weren't there to get the gifts. As soon as the gifts were given out, the officials pulled up and out, leaving all the questions to Courtney and I.
Overall it was a very eye-opening experience to see how Dominicans run an event such as this. Courtney and I had our own feelings and reservations about the process, but we realized that all we could do was step back and let it happen. We would still be here, in the communities to answer questions, do follow-up, and thank the real players. Politics and appearances are very important in this country, and we got a front seat view this time around. Of course... the "officials" weren't the only visible ones. The following Monday, and still to this day, we get reports of how people saw us on the news! ...I do believe I've been on TV twice in this country now... and have yet to see myself!

17 November 2006

New Groups

One of the big reasons I've been MIA lately is a new group of volunteers that was doing training in my site. The group of 17 business volunteers arrived at the beginning of October to spend 5 weeks in the "campo" for Community Based Training (CBT). Some of you may recall my CBT experiences in Moca last year. Anyway, as part of "hosting" this group, Courtney and I helped find housing with local families in 4 communities. Once the group was here, we helped out in several of the training sessions, giving "charlas" (talks), or being available to supplement the material with our experiences, or just answering questions about what it's like to be a real volunteer. Of course... it wasn't ALL work. :o) I tagged along on a field trip to Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve (where we went swimming in a beautiful swimming hole with waterfalls), and had another run at the North Yaque River rapids. It was a great chance to get to know part of this new group of volunteers. This week they are all off visiting their new sites, and next week, right before Thanksgiving, they will swear in and become official Volunteers. Here's to the 2006-08 group! Best of luck!

The infamous jeepon (there were 18 of us in it!)

Rafting the Yaque del Norte

05 October 2006

Celebrations!

So much has been going on lately, where to begin?!

First off, I celebrated my 27th birthday on Tuesday. Courtney and I decided very last minute to have a party. She made me a cake, and I invited some people from my community. It was a very "Peace Corps" birthday! First, Courtney had problems with the cake and ended up piecing together a cake out of the good pieces of 2 cakes. It was so pretty though! She decorated it with flowers, and of course it tasted good! Surprisingly, people came to the party. Naturally, the people who keep complaining that they haven't been invited to the house yet didn't come though! We started around 6pm. Caroline, a new American in my site (not PC), came also. We had cake and chex mix, and all was well, until the water went out! As Miguelo said, "That's a party for pobres (poor people)! Not even water to drink!" But that didn't stop us. I put on some music, whose volume was apparently laughable by Dominican standards. So someone ran to get a better stereo, and we danced the night away! It looks like that year will be full of adventure - I began my 27th year climbing up crazy hills the next morning! :o)



And just last weekend I had another dancing night at my friend's inauguration party. I headed up to Imbert, Puerto Plata to support Mike in the inauguration of his visitor center at 27 Charcos where he's working on an eco-tourism project. There are 27 waterfalls that you can hike up and then jump down (yes, hike up the falls!). The guides are all youth from the surrounding communities. After the morning ceremony, attended by all the big-wigs of supporting organizations (USAID, UN, Canadian Embassy to name a few) there was a band which played all evening. Naturally there was dancing, and I was an easy target among all Mike's guide friends! Mike and I finally took off around 10:30. Getting back to the main road, we thought we heard firecrackers, and turned to see a fire starting. We were certain the brand-new palm-branch roofs were on fire! There was nothing we could do about it, but we were plenty nervous that night! How do you explain to multiple aid organizations that the building they just financed and inaugurated was burnt down?! It was with great confusion, relief and annoyance the next morning that we heard the fire was the caƱa (sugar cane) fields burning right across the river from the center. Why would anyone burn fields at 10:30 at night? Oh, but life's always an adventure here!


And speaking of "celebrating", our youth camp "Celebrando el Cibao" went well! We had 50 youth from all over the north & east of the DR. The main focus of the weekend was diversity. We had a group of JICA volunteers from Japan, some Brazilian martial arts, a Dominican jazz musician that "creates" instruments out of anything (think Stomp, but not as loud!), and many more sessions. I brought 2 13-year-old youths from my community, and I think after finally getting settled in, they enjoyed themselves. It was the first time they had participated in something like that!

Among other busy-ness, the new training group arrives here in my campo on Monday for a month, and I'm taking another 3 youth to a business conference in the capital next week. Should be an interesting time for all!

21 September 2006

Musings of success

Lately I've been sitting at home saying, I need to write a blog... but all I want to do is sleep! This craziness of this last month has caused me to reflect on the meanings of success, and what it means to us Volunteers in the DR and other developing nations.

Success... the word calls up images of high-powered business suits, of private offices, of money. Refocusing, I see crowds and praise and thank-yous. Acknowledgement that the job done was worthy of recognition. Most work in development goes unnoticed, un-praised. Many people in developing places know they are poor, and begin to expect "help" - handouts, support, etc. I am not saying these people don't deserve help, otherwise I wouldn't be here. Nor am I saying development workers should be recognized more... I am just stating our reality.

This reality has required me to make a shift in my understanding and measurement of success. Success here means the completion of a project, the involvement of one person, or changing one person's life. It often can't be measured in dollars or in numbers of people, but in small things: an English word learned and remembered; a family willing to do legwork themselves instead of relying on other people; project partners finally understanding and admitting the need for a business plan (even if they think it was their own idea).

In light of this understanding of success, I walked away from last week with wide eyes. Courtney and I have been working for the last 3 months to get birth certificates for the kids of our communities. We had 120 people - kids and adults - that we were working with. Finally, the day came for all these people to go to the Judge's office to sign papers. By the end of 2 days, we had 70 people completed. Seven more are adults entering the 6-month process in the capital. Courtney and I were blown away by the success of the operative... something we can actually measure in people affected for a change!

We will continue to work with the remaining 50, to encourage the parents to get the missing paperwork and be processed. I have even been asked to extend the project to Constanza, a town about an hour away, where several people have family members.

Seventy people in the campos of Jarabacoa are now legally recognized as existing. They will be able to go to school and declare their own children when they have them. But the work doesn't stop there! Back to the fuzzy view of success... now we must educate the people of these communities on the importance and the process of getting birth certificates for their children so they will have an equal chance at the future.

Sometimes one just has to work knowing it is important and right, and leave the recognition and rewards as a pleasant surprise.

25 August 2006

One Giant Update

Time certainly flies when you're busy. I can't believe I left home 11 months ago, and have spent 8 of those months in my site already! I figure you're all overdue for a Peace Corps update by now!

A quick recap: I am in the Dominican Republic with Peace Corps, a 2 year commitment of which remains about 1 1/2 years. I am doing "Community Economic Development" in Jarabacoa. My particular placement is with a coffee growers association (ASCAJA) where I am helping with marketing aspects and group/association strengthening (specifically, working on a new logo and packaging for roasted coffee, and trying to get the directiva to meet monthly). I live in the "campo", or countryside, with the coffee growers. I was lucky enough to get a placement in the mountains where it's much cooler, although it rains frequently.

In the last couple months, I chose to dive in to several unrelated projects, which now take up the majority of my time. The first of these projects is the often-requested English class. We've been meeting twice a week since June, and have our last class this week. I regularly have between 20-30 students. They range in ages from 8-40, and English levels of knowing nothing to those who can hold conversations. While an actual testable curriculum is hard under these circumstances, I have chosen to focus on pronunciation and getting everyone to talk. As with most people learning a new language, most of my students are shy about speaking out. Therefore, a lot of the one-hour class time is spent going one-by-one with practice phrases.

The second project is a preparation class for a youth business plan competition called Constructing Your Dreams. The idea is to meet weekly to learn about a step in the business plan process (evaluations, feasibility, accounting) which culminates in a 3-day workshop and competition in Sept. The winners receive prize money to start their business.

There is another youth conference in Sept called Celebrando Cibao (Celebrating the Cibao). This conference will focus on national and international diversity. Each volunteer on the planning committee can bring 3 youth to the conference. While planning has been overwhelming at times, we are looking forward to the conference.

The last project I have undertaken is my most important and time consuming. I am working with another volunteer, Courtney, who lives 30 mins from me on a project to get birth certificates for the kids in our campos. Birth certificates are very important because without one, you cannot attend high school, get an ID card, get insurance (although few of these people will anyway), or declare your own children. There are many reasons these people don't have birth certificates: lack of knowledge on the parents' part, lack of money, mothers waiting for the fathers to agree to declare his kid, or just plain neglect. Between Courtney and I, we have found 120 children and adults, 60 of which are ready to get their certificates by the end of August. We are excited about the success of this venture, although overwhelmed by the numbers. After we finish this round in August, we are hoping to continue the campaign through education regarding birth certificates, and possibly have another round later in the year. So far this has been my most concrete and rewarding work here!

Apart from work, life here is good. I am a new aunt (John Michael born July 9 to my brother, Peter, and his wife, Kelly); I have a new kitten, Bean, which wreaks havoc on my life sometimes; I have a Dominican boyfriend named Hito who takes good care of me when he's in town from work every other weekend; and I have a wonderful house that no Peace Corps volunteer deserves, but I lucked out with the owner. My life is much more "tranquila" since I moved out of my host family's half-built house, and it's given me time to appreciate the countryside around me. I've learned more than you can imagine about coffee growing, and (wonders of all wonders!) I've learned to actually cook a couple things! (Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, believe me!)

And how can you be a part of this experience? Lots of ways! Keep reading my blog (updated when possible). Also feel free to email me or snail mail:

Jessica Stearns, PCV
Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado 1412
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
I would love to get news from you, home, or the states in general! (Care packages are welcome too!)

And lastly, if you are so inclined, we can use your financial support in one of the following projects. (A donation of $20-100 goes a long way.)

**Business Plan Competition - a youth business conference and competition,training today's future in entrepreneurial skills

**Celebrando Cibao - a youth conference celebrating diversity

**Birth Certificate Campaign - resources will be used to cover costs of paperwork and logistical expenses. In the future, we may do an education campaign on the importance and process of getting birth certificates.

If you would like more information on the conferences, please follow the above links (or just keep reading) or feel free to contact me. Each conference has its own manner of coordinating funds, so please note where checks can be sent. If you would like to donate to the Birth Certificate Campaign, please send checks to:

Jessica Stearns
1532 Castle Hill Rd
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
I hope you are all well, and I would love to hear what's going on in your corner of the world! Dios te bendiga!

Constructing Your Dreams - Youth Conference

Dear Friends and Families,

Saludos from the Dominican Republic! It is our greatest hope that this letter finds you well. As you are read this, over 150 Peace Corps volunteers are hard at work here in the DR. Working in a variety of capacities, each of these volunteers has dedicated two years of his or her life to promote the social and economic development of this third world country. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of an opportunity to support one of the more exciting efforts being undertaken by volunteers.

Constructing Your Dreams is a youth entrepreneurship initiative founded by a group of 6 volunteers and planned in conjunction with a local non-profit organization, the Dominican Institute of Integrated Development (IDDI). The goal of the initiative is to promote economic development in the DR through youth entrepreneurship. To achieve this the initiative focuses on training Dominican Youth how to plan, start, and manage small businesses.

The initiative has two components. The first is training youth in basic business skills and working with them to develop business plans for micro-enterprises. This is done at a grassroots level by Peace Corps Volunteers and IDDI trainers who work to educate youth in their communities. Through an 8-week curriculum these youth are trained in the basic business skills (finance, accounting, marketing, feasibility studies, etc.) needed to start and manage a micro-enterprise. This culminates in the drafting of a business plan for a micro-enterprise. The second component is an annual business fair. During this fair participating youth from all over the country will come to the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo, for a three-day, two night conference. At this conference participants will listen to speakers from the Dominican business community, attend workshops on more advanced business skills, and participate in a business case study competition. The highlight of this conference will be the presentation by the youth of their business plans. These plans will be judged and winners will have the opportunity to receive a share of prize money to help fund the start-up of their businesses.

We are already pleased with our progress. Over 150 Dominican Youth have received or will receive business training in our inaugural year. We expect that 90 will attend the conference in Santo Domingo in late September. As this date approaches we are currently raising the ~US$20,000 needed to finance this business fair. This is where your support would be greatly appreciated.

Please consider an offer of financial support for our initiative. Donations will go to cover the costs associated with the conference (including food, lodging, and transportation for the participants) as well as prize money to finance winning business plans. Support of any amount is welcome. Our partner organization, IDDI, has 501 c3 status in the US and all donations will be tax deductible. Since Peace Corps Volunteer and IDDI staff costs are already covered by their parent organizations, this is a very effective way to give charitably – 100% of your support will go directly to the youth participating in this initiative.

Below are instructions for those interested in assisting our efforts.

Please direct any questions or comments to:
b.christopher.moore (at) gmail.com
or leave a comment on this blog

Thank you for your time!

Respectfully,
"Constructing Your Dreams" Planning Committee
Peace Corps Volunteers, Dominican Republic

Instructions for Making Donations

1. Checks should be made payable to: Dominican Foundation, Inc.
2. Please write “Peace Corps Program” on the check memo line
3. Checks should be mailed to:
Dominican Foundation, Inc.
5840 Red Bug Lake Road, Suite 280
Winter Springs, FL 32708
4. Please include your name and a return address. You will receive a thank-you letter from the Dominican Foundation which can be used as a receipt for tax purposes.
5. Please also send an e-mail to Peace Corps Volunteer Chris Moore at b.christopher.moore (at) gmail.com or PCV Jessica Stearns at stearns003 (at) gmail.com confirming your name and your donation amount.

Celebrando Cibao - Youth Conference

Dearest Family and Friends,

Saludos from the Dominican Republic! It is our greatest hope that this letter finds you well. All is well in the Dominican Republic; Peace Corps Volunteers are busy promoting and positively affecting sustainable development throughout the country.

As you may or may not be aware, volunteers, of all sectors, are involved in secondary projects. These are projects not part of our initial assignment. Most of these projects involve youth, and range from local reading projects to regional summer camps, etc. Projects are designed to present opportunities to deserving motivated youth in each of our respective communities that might not otherwise be available. One project in particular is especially important to volunteers and for this reason you are reading this letter.

“Celebrando El Cibao” (or Celebrating the Cibao) is a summer camp that takes place over the course over three days and two nights in the Cibao region, or the northern region of the Dominican Republic. For the past three years, participating volunteers have brought between two to four youth from their respective communities, who have expressed an interest in participating in the camp, usually through an application process.

Once at the camp, participants are encouraged and engaged to get to know and share with other volunteers and participants. The theme of the camp is “Celebrating Diversity.” Diversity is a very important topic here in the DR. The homogeneity of the country often causes Dominicans not take the time to look outside of their own backyard.

The camp engages participants, through a course of physically and mentally challenging activities and exercises, to the think about the world. Presentations are given covering topics looking not only at the DR, but to the island of Hispaniola, that is shared with Haiti, as well as the world outside the DR. Participants will then look at the role that they play in these settings and how their actions, both positive and negative, affect those around them. Gender, racial, physical, and religious are just a few of the forms of discrimination looked at over this three-day/two night camp. Members of foreign embassies, dance instructors, chefs, as well as nationals from other countries all share their experiences with participants.

From the camp, we have seen participants come away from the experience with the understanding of the importance of diversity as it relates to their everyday lives. Campers also gain the realization that we are all human beings and deserve to be respected and honored for whom we are inside and out. Following the camp, participants will be charged to return to their respective communities and initiate diversity-related activities that can range from a school presentation to a sports event using the skills and tools acquired during the camp.

If you are wondering how you fit into this equation, let us fill you in. Celebrando El Cibao is planned and executed by Peace Corps Volunteers and has been since its inception three years ago. Volunteers solicit financial resources yearly from the Dominican community and from friends and family in the US. Your donation to our cause would be greatly appreciated. The budget for this camp is approximately $4000 US Dollars. Donations of $25-100 dollars would cover the budget of our camp. With your donation we would be able to continue providing this once in a lifetime opportunity to deserving youth.

Below is the information for those interested in assisting our efforts. Thank you so much for you time.

Respectfully,
“Celebando El Cibao” Committee
Peace Corps Volunteers, Dominican Republic

Check Information and Mailing Information
Please make your check payable to Jessica Stearns. Please mail your check to the address listed below.

Celebrando el Cibao
c/o Marita Lamb
SDQ 8148
P.O. Box 025725
Miami, FL 33102-5725

For questions or comments please contact:

Rachelle Olden, 2006 Celebrando el Cibao Chair (rachelleolden (at) yahoo.com)
Jessica Stearns (leave a comment on this blog)

10 July 2006

I'm an AUNT!

My brother and his wife, Kelly, had a baby! John Michael Stearns was born Sunday (July 9, 2006) at 10:58 am. He weighed 8 lbs 7 ozs. Mother and baby are doing well. My parents and I are looking forward to visiting soon and meeting the new member of the family!

22 June 2006

Today my morning started with an epic battle against a horde of ants. At least, from the ants' perspective it must have been on a Lord of the Rings scale. Now, don't get my wrong. Ants serve their purpose. They nicely carry away the remains of dead cockroaches and spiders and other misc inhabitants of my humble abode. But they last two mornings I opened the front door to let out my cat, only to find the floor by the door swarming with millions of ants. Apparently this particular colony decided to migrate with all their eggs into my house. So, today they experienced a flood, although no redemption was promised. An hour later, with a freshly bathed kitchen, perhaps only a hundred or so ants remain, scrambling to regroup, and I can rest with my coffee and wait for everything to dry. With any luck, they won't be here to greet me and my kitten tomorrow morning!

16 June 2006

A new addition!

I GOT A KITTEN! As of yesterday (June 15) I am the proud owner of a 2 month old black kitten. For those of you who know me, that´s a big deal, and I´m very happy about it. :o) Here´s a couple pics that I took this morning. I brought her home last nite in a bag on a moto (welcome to my life...) and she wandered around the house crying and talking until I went to bed. She actually slept fine though! I´m really hoping she´ll turn into an excellent cockroach catcher. :o) I´m still looking for a name for her... suggestions are welcome. I´m trying to think of one that has to do with coffee, since that´s what I´m working with here. (So far I´ve got Mocha, Coffee, Bean, Coffee Bean... you get the idea.) Suggestions for food and care are also welcome! ;o)

06 June 2006

"You know you're in the DR when..."

One of my fellow PCVs here in the DR wrote up a list of "you know whens..." that was right on. (Elena, sorry for the copying! But it's so true!) So, if you want to know what life in the DR is REALLY like, check out my friend's blog.

25 May 2006

Another visitor

What a week it's been! Never a dull moment, especially not when you have company! Krista was here again, for the 2nd and last time before she takes off for Africa (happy trails... I'm sad I won't be there for the goodbye party!). We had a good week, being our usual unseperable and self-entertaining selves. But we had some help in making a crazy week out of it.
First of all, we had elections here (local, not presidential). Now, while I could write a whole other post on this subject (sadly I didn't get pics taken of some of the more interesting aspects of elections here), I will suffice to say that all Volunteers were ordered to stay in their sites from the Friday before Krista came until the day she left. This gave us limited run-around space, but we made do!
Some of the other excitement included:

  • finding my first scorpion (in my bedroom!)

  • a waterfall trip
  • evening games (Zilch is spreading worldwide!)
  • swimming in the river - we decided to take a gira to the river (think camping-style picnic) instead of participating in election-type stuff
  • LOTS of pictures (taken by Krista)
  • getting sunburned
  • daily bringing of flowers and singing to the Virgin Mary by the women (everyday for the entire month of May)
  • putting up a world map and lots of pictures
  • Dominican men (you'd have to experience it to understand what all that entails!)
  • lots of standing around and hanging out
  • Jessica's chocolate pancakes (yes, she cooks a few things now!)
  • learning to cook arepitas (yuca)
  • some amazing thunder & tropical rain (but not too much)
  • Jessica getting pink eye (it's all better now)
  • breaking a corkscrew

  • hosting a spaghetti dinner for my local girls
  • and lots of language training - Spanish and English and a smattering of Kreyol

Although it wasn't some crazy whirlwind trip, it was nice to relax and enjoy the everyday. The little things made us smile and the thunder made us sigh dreamily (yes, we're suckers for amazing thunder). Now all that remains is explaining for the millionth and 2nd time that Krista won't be coming back to visit since she's going to Africa. ("Is that farther than Nueva Yol?" Sigh. Geography isn't a strong subject here...)



Pics: Jaime "Fish-out-of-Water"; Jose & Fernando working on the Bamboo School (someone's gotta watch!)

08 May 2006

Time waits for no one...

And I think it has flown by me on a Yamaha DT, leaving me sitting on my butt in the dust. Krista recently called to my attention the fact that it's been OVER a month since my last update! Where HAS March gone?!? Of course, this lack of communication is not an indicator of a boring life. Au contrair. Things have been wildly exciting! To briefly highlight a few...

  • Krista visited for a week

  • my parents visited for a week

  • (shouldn't that sum up why I've been AWOL?)
  • I moved into a new house

  • I lost 2 volunteers near me - one finished, the other left early

  • the new volunteer group swore in (welcome!)

  • and... I've taken over the Emergency Coordinator position for my region.
Naturally there has been the over-abundance of meetings to attend, and plenty of time spent with neighbors. The latest pastime has been teaching everyone to play UNO. It's been a blast, but surprisingly difficult for some people to understand! But more on my visits...

Game night at my house with the local crazy boys!

What more could a PCV want...

... than a visit from friends and family? Well, I certainly lucked out and got visits from BOTH, within one month!
I always enjoy having people visit. It gives me a chance to step back from my daily life and see from a new perspective. (Example: Oh yeah, I guess riding in the back of a pickup truck up a mountain road, over a landslide, with 17 other passengers ISN'T a normal activity for most people!) When Krista came, I made sure to give her the "volunteer version" of the DR. This included things like public transportation (crowded pickups - yes, you can fit 8 people in a double cab - and motos - you can also fit at least 3 on a moto!), no electricity, attending a 2 hour mass, dealing with my obnoxious community boys, and of course weather. Yup, rain, and lots of it. Although it deterred us from making it to Samana, we bravely set out for the great cascading adventure known as 27 Charcos.* Naturally, since it'd been raining for a week, the falls were very full, which made for adventure travel indeed!
*For those of you unfamiliar with cascading, it is an
adventure sport that usually involves climbing up a series of waterfalls, and
then jumping back down them. We took the option of hiking up the mountain and
coming down the falls... all 26!
The trip culminated in a typical Dominican evening - a night out dancing, followed by a mad rush to the airport with 4 people squashed in the truck cab... at 1 am. (Go figure, Krista loved it so much she's coming back! What adventures shall we have in store this next time...?)

The twins' First Communion

Jaime playing in the rain

The La Vega cathedral

Beach in Puerto Plata (proof we went to the beach!)

2am is way too early (or late?) to be at the airport!
Flat Stanley got to meet up with my mom again!
My parents' stay was much more... calm, although I did manage to inflict some true Dominican lifestyle on them as well! Unfortunately, my mom was mostly immoble due to a broken ankle the month previous. But she was a great sport and gingerly gimped about as much as we would let her! Although they had made plans to stay in Puerto Plata, about 3 hours away, I managed to convince my parents to visit my site. Naturally I proudly showed them off to all my friends and neighbors. We only regretted that there wasn't enough time (and the lack of communication. Time to learn Spanish, Mom & Dad!)

That evening my favorite bachata artist, Frank Reyes, was in town. Being my loving parents and wanting to experience the DR, they opted to come along to the concert. Well, they got an earful! The DR ranks as the 3rd noisiest country in the world, and they live up to their reputation! Somehow I don't think they enjoyed "Princesa" as much as I did... :o)

Thanks to my mom's first grade class, my neighborhood kids got some new toys. Toys are rare in my campo, and thanks to the generosity, my friends can play jacks and jumprope and cards and frizbee. They have a lot of new games to learn!

After leaving my site, we made our way to Puerto Plata where we spent the rest of the week being spoiled and soaking up rays. It was nice to take a vacation and see new parts of my country... and spend some time at the beach!
So, while I've been avoiding my blog updates, life has marched continually on. Hopefully the next won't take so long! (Although, I have to say this is much more of an update than I've heard from any of y'all! Shoot me an email sometime! ;o))

25 March 2006

Milestones

These last couple weeks have seen some big times for me. During the last 3 months, our job as volunteers was mostly to be conducting a diagnostic research, ending in a presentation for our peers. Last Tues thru Thurs, my group of business volunteers had our 3-month meeting. Not only did we present our findings, but we also had training for us and our project partners and had time to work with our project partners to start creating an annual plan. It was good to see my friends again... we hadn't been together since November... and to spend some time with our project partners playing, working, and of course dancing! Go figure, I had the 2 project partners "mas vivos"! They were the best bailadores, and spent most of the days giving each other hard times about women since both are single! In all, it was a good time... and a definite relief to have the presentation over!

The week before my big presentation, I got the chance to visit a couple friends in the south of the DR who are also working with coffee. I got a chance to see the coffee plantations down there and compare stories. Of course, Kat has it the best... coffee AND the beach! :o)

More "you'll never believe" news... I rode a horse! The other Saturday, Fernando and I made a visit to a community across the river. The only way to get there is walking or on horseback. Well, we started out walking, and I think we made it about 3/4 of the way before our "escort" showed up... with 1 horse. :o) So, I got to ride. It was about 2 hours walking, or 1 1/2 riding. Naturally, we only had 1 horse going back too... I was super sore by the time we got back! I think next time I'll walk! :o)

And, the last big news... I finally have my own house! My boss finally approved a house up the hill from where I've been living. It's a nice house that belongs to an American (my boss might say a little TOO nice!), and it's perfect for right now. I'm still considering another house in a nearby community, but it'll need some work first! In any case, I've spent this last week arranging stuff and cleaning... and even cooking!... between hours at the office. It's so nice to have my own place! And just in time for people to visit! (Hint, hint! Anybody's welcome to come stay and play for a few days!)

And so, that's the big update for March! Next issue: the adventures of Jessica and Krista during her visit!

13 March 2006

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley was sent to me by my mom's first grade class. Stanley is a boy who one day was flattened by a falling blackboard. He discovered that this way he could travel the world in envelopes. Stanley has traveled to the DR and has shown up in a few pics of places I've been. For all those who have been patiently waiting, see some of his pictures on my photo site. See more adventures of Flat Stanley with my Mom's first grade here. Stay tuned for more additions to Stanley's travels!

07 March 2006

Peace Corps Week

Last week, the Peace Corps celebrated its 45th anniversary. The Peace Corps was founded by John F Kennedy in 1961. The DR was one of the first countries, welcoming volunteers in 1962. We have had 44 years of uninterrupted service here in the DR in areas such as forestry, education (now including technology ed), business, health, and water to name a few. Next year the DR will celebrate our 45th anniversary.
One of the programs of the Peace Corps is World Wise Schools (WWS). This project connects volunteers all over the world with classrooms in the US to fulfill the third goal of the Peace Corps: to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans. I have the joy of being connected to my mom's first grade class (see their blog). To celebrate the 45th anniversary of Peace Corps, CWWS held a contest with the schools for a 40-minute phone call with their volunteer. My first graders put together an excellent letter explaining why they should win the phone call, and they were one of 40-some schools that won.
Last Thursday I made a trip to the office in the capital to receive the phone call. The class had prepared questions about my life, my family, my work here, as well as how people live here. I was very impressed by their questions and the way they paid such careful attention during the phone call! I hope they got a taste of life in the DR, and I look forward to my continuing contacts with them!
See www.peacecorps.gov/wws for more information on World Wise Schools, including lesson plans and volunteer matching.

04 March 2006

New Realities

"Like a stop light... Red, green, and... BLUE," rambles my friend Jackie. "Yellow," I gently correct her. It's amazing sometimes to realize that the most basic, taken for granted things in life aren't universally known. Jarabacoa only has one stoplight, and it hasn't worked in years. So hou could I expect my friend from the campo to know? Constantly I am being surprised by these types of little realizations, such as finding out a friend doesn't know how to read. Even more fun are my friends' realizations of me. What do you mean you don't know how to cook rice and beans? wash dishes when there's no water? take a bucket bath?
Last week I was in one of those situations again... but luckily my friends didn't expect me to know. We went to Carnival (not in La Vega like I hoped, but a smaller one in Jarabacoa). How was I supposed to know that if you walk in the street you can expect to get smacked (and I mean HARD!) on the bum?! Like I said... my friends warned me, and I managed (narrowly) to avoid getting a "pela" (beating). Carnival is celebrated every Sunday in February, as well as the Dominican independence day - Feb 27th. They block off some streets where people dressed like demons prowl around looking for an unsuspecting person to smack. At the end of the afternoon, they have a parade with the new masks and costumes for this year. These will in turn be recycled next year to the kids prowling in the earlier parts of the afternoon. In La Vega, all this color, movement and confusion is accompanied by big name musicians. In all, it's a time for Dominicans and tourists to get out and do their favorite things: go out with friends, drink, and dance.
Now we enter the season of Lent, and I'm faced with more things I was unaware of. As the country is largely Catholic, many women observe the religous regulations. (Most of the men aren't religous.) This includes not eating meat on Ash Wednesday (last week, btw) and all Fridays during Lent. Although they were surprised that I didn't know about it, my friends also didn't expect me to participate in this "fast". But it's just one more example of the cultural identities that I am constantly learning and absorbing.

16 February 2006

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

...and mud keeps filling up my shoes! Ok, so the other nite I wrote a long rambling blog (not that this one's short!) on the rain and all its inconveniences. Let's just say it's a good thing I write these things out beforehand! Naturally the rain is good for coffee and other crops, and naturally it has its inconveniences. But as those inconveniences differ from life in the states, let me tell you about our life with rain here. First of all, 90% of the drivers here drive motos. Which means if you're going to get anywhere, you will most likely get wet. It's not uncommon to see people riding around clothed in garbage bags as ponchos, or the passenger (usually a woman) holding an umbrella over her and the driver. But a moto is still better than the back of a wet mule! Secondly, the roads in the campo are dirt, which turn to rivers and muddy lakes when it rains. This makes travel on a moto or even a truck rather dangerous. While a truck is just likely to slip or get stuck, a moto can slide out from under you (or land on top!). Luckily I haven't experienced this! Another interesting result of rain and travel is that the trucks running up the mountain only take people in the cab. Naturally since they're losing money on passengers in the back, they fill the cab full. Imagine... 8 people in a truck cab! (That's still alot for a king cab!)
And the list goes on. Since this is an agricultural zone, the rain is important. But it also damages crops. Nobody picks coffee when it's raining, but the rain makes it ripen faster, often leaving the farmer with over ripe coffee, or a loss since most of the ripe coffee falls from the trees. Cloudy and rainy weather also means not being able to dry coffee (since it's dried in the sun).
So imagine, you go to school walking, or maybe you get a bola (free ride) on a friend's moto, and you get there wet & muddy. None of the buildings are closed or warmed, so you sit thru your 4 hours of school wet. When you get home, there's no way to dry your school clothes (no sun to hang them up, and definitely no driers!) and no way to warm up (no hot showers or heaters here!). So you head back outside to play or work in the rain. Any wonder people get sick here?!
Anyway, rain affects the lives of the people here greatly, but life goes on. For me, it's alot of little changes. Such as how there's no water in the pipes when it rains. (Ironic, huh?) And how there's very little to do other than sit around and talk or play pool. Or how everything gets damp! Clothes left hanging in my room and my bedding all get a wonderful damp feeling when it rains. Hurrah for humidity! So, today I sit here, watching the rain come down, hoping to stay dry, but knowing at some point I'll be getting wet... but hopefully not too muddy! Hope you all are surviving the rainy season at home and staying dry as well!
P.S. I'm hoping to have my own house by the end of this month. Pray all goes smoothly!
Some random recent pics:
Some women picking coffee

Me & some of my volunteer friends during a recent trip to the capital

15 February 2006

The New Duct Tape

"Floss It" (excerpted from the Lonely Planet - Dominican Republic and Haiti, 2002 2nd ed.)

For the cost of a crummy cigar, you can buy a vacation-saving item called dental floss. It's cheap, it's light, it's strong, and it's outrageously useful. Got a fishhook but no line? Try green waxed dental floss. Need to secure a mosquito net? Reach for the floss. Forgot to pack a clothesline? String up a line of floss instead. Got a tear in your jeans or a rip in your pack? A little dental floss and a sewing needle and life goes on.
Dental floss comes in 50m and 100m lengths and is sold in nifty little cases complete with built-in cutters. Some say it can even remove decay-causing material from between teeth and under gums! Now in cinnamon, mint and grape flavors.

04 February 2006

Wishlist

If any of you have the desire to send a care package, here are some ideas!
NOTE: Mailings in a padded envelope are best, but packages get thru also. Please assume one month for delivery!
Mail to:
Jessica Stearns, PCV
Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado 1412
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • Snack foods (eg. peanuts, Balance bars, granola bars, candy - that won't melt easily!)
  • Packaged foods, spices, mixes, etc for cooking (yes, I will be cooking)
  • Recipes
  • Cheap/used books (books in Spanish are welcome too!)
  • Music cds with current American music (burned cds)
  • Pictures!!!
  • Phone calls (1-809-723-7817 - yes, it's international)
  • Letters
  • News!
  • Any other home comforts you can think of!

15 January 2006

Surprise!

"We left your things, but can I move a small bed into your room?" This is how I was greeted after a week away from my house... and faced with walls that were waist high! While gone, they decided to remodel, which means tearing down the house (accomplished this week), and completely rebuilding, this time all block (not wood). Who knows who long it will take! So, I spent a couple days sharing my room (which they left intact!) with the dona and without light since the solar panels have been taken down. We've decided that she's better off in her son's house where her grandson can share the bed with her... and keep her warm I suppose! (I had to be the one to tell her that it wasn't ok with me for her 9 yr old grandson to share the room with us! She took it ok... but she certainly thought I was odd for it!


This surprising turn of events followed on the heels of a good couple days of translating for a medical mission in the capos near Puerto Plaa. They're a group from University Southern Maine that comes every 6 months to these communities. The best part was that my 2 closest friends here came to translate also, and we had time to catch up about the last month. I had the chance to teach several of the med students about coffee. It amazed me how much I have learned already! I'm looking forward to the next medical mission I can translate for (even though health issues give me the willies sometimes!) because it was a great experience, and a welcome chance to see another aspect of the DR.