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.