Back to the Capital

(from Jueves - 4/29/10)

This morning I’m heading back to the capital. I’m up early and wanted to recap on the last few days and then upload this later back in Santo Domingo. CBT has gone by so quickly and it doesn’t seem that its been 5 weeks already. Within the next two weeks, we’ll be back at Entrena for the weekend, find out our placements, go on a visit to our new sites, return and then swear in officially as Peace Corps Volunteers. Everyone is anxious to find out the placements - we’ve all been waiting for this news since day one, and now training is about to come to a close.

During this final week in El Seibo, my dona and I went to a Miss El Seibo pageant, which from my impression of the turnout, is a huge deal here. There was a representative from each of the different barrios - about 10-12 contestants in all. The pageant was for the upcoming Fiestas Patronales. Many cities in the DR have a celebration day, and El Seibo’s celebration is right after we leave town. The pageant started at 8pm, which on DR time means it actually started moving by 10pm. In between the modeling portions, a dance group performed to various Lady Gaga remixes (Bad Romance, yeah!), and a singer performed. There was a lot of enthusiasm for the pageant, and I wish we could stay for all of the Fiestas Patronales, but no such luck.

At the pageant with Corix

Also, on Wednesday this week we had our Youth Groups Presentation. It was a really fun event at the Ayuntamiento (city hall), and a lot of community members showed up. The kids all went onstage to present their projects: a newspaper with articles and images featuring El Seibo’s noteworthy places, a logo design for the Mabi and Dulceria factories, and our group’s documentary presentation on the factories. It was a good close to CBT and a nice way to say goodbye to the community. I enjoyed my time in El Seibo so much and have great memories from here of getting to know the group, and figuring out this new Dominican life of mine.

With some of the Documentary Youth

Over the last month or so I’ve gotten really comfortable in this small town, which now brings me to what I’ll miss about El Seibo: my dona Corix, hermanito Breilin, my cute pink house, the friendly community, the little kids yelling my name in the barrio to say 'hola' each day, the (free!) rogue wi-fi connections, my Spanish class, dancing at Discoteca Wow, being around friends all the time, running in the campo, the mountain scenery, D’Jose Ramon’s jugo, all the baton trucas (tricks) the kids request to learn, 24-hour electricity, the ability to be outside after dark (not so in Pantoja), the nice colmado guy I buy chocolate from that asks about Boston, the few (but appreciated) buildings with A/C, the baseball field/play, the dozens of lizards scattering around on the walls of my room at night, our documentary youth group, and walking 2-3 hours everyday with my neighbors all over this place (we covered nearly every inch of town, mas or menos!). :-)

Mi Casita

One of our last nights in El Seibo (Heather's photo!)

Breilin y yo

xo,

Emma

Climbing Mountains & Making Candies

(from Lunes - 4/26/10)

Okay, so it certainly wasn’t Pico Duarte, but recently I did climb one of the El Seibo mountains. Two friends and I went on a run in the campo that turned to a spur of the moment 2-3 hour mountain climb because it was “just so close how can we not?” Crouching under barbed wire, wading through rivers and getting a lot of scrapes were a few highlights of the excursion, but none could compare to the view we had by the time we reached the top by early evening/dusk. We could see all of El Seibo, the clouds parting, letting the sun peek through and cast rays down over the town. It was a beautiful view: the surrounding mountains, trees, cane fields skirting the dirt roads, and the few lights of El Seibo in the distance. Picture perfect. ...Or at least it would have been had I remembered my camera. Fortunately, a friend and I are doing one last campo run tomorrow to the mountains to get some photos of the area.

We are wrapping up these last weeks of CBT. By now, we’ve all finished the three technical presentations and our youth group has nearly completed the documentary project. We’ll have a presentation on Wednesday at a Youth Group Fair to showcase to the community the projects everyone has done. In addition to our El Seibo fabricas (factories) documentary, other trainees are leading youth groups in graphic design and newspaper writing. For the documentary, we went out with the kids to film and interview at the candy factory. It was fun to see the group asking their interview questions and filming the Dulceria workers. We also filmed inside the candy factory itself and saw the process of the Dulceria Tula candy making. With the footage, the kids spent the end of last week editing and compiling all the video clips to create the documentary. Here are a few photos from the interviews and tour we had with workers at the Dulceria Tula a week ago.

PC Trainees after our Documentary Meeting

In other news, my Spanish class continues to prepare amazing food. Recently we travelled to visit Haitian families and learn to make a desert in the campo - the more rural, hilly parts of town. Together we learned to make a mani (peanut) desert that is really sugary and delicious. We also got to spend the afternoon in a few homes in the campo. Our host, Dona Marta, equipped with a cooking pot, wire metal frame and hot coals, showed us how to roast the mani and remove the outer later of shell by rubbing the mani through our hands. She combined the mani with a sugary mixture and cooked it over the coals, then when it was ready, formed the mani paste into circles that harden in the air and form the candies.

Overall, much was visually different in the campo: simpler styles of homes, dirt roads, no cars, latrines, etc. And it was strange to remember that this family lives in the same El Seibo that we do. It was a great afternoon that also offered a glimpse into a different level of “roughing it,” and living situations that could be in our futures. We finished off the day with a little bachata and merengue dancing overlooking the beautiful scenery in the town - dancing and the fantastic views are two things that are hard to get away from in this country.

Spanish class & friends with Dona Marta

This marks the last week of CBT, and we’ll be heading back to Santo Domingo on Thursday. I can’t believe how quickly these five weeks have gone by, and how soon we’ll know our site placements (less than a week at this point!). I’m really excited for everyone to find out where they’ll be serving for two years, and pretty nervous to find out for myself, too. I’ve grown really fond of everyone in the group and am going to miss being around friends everyday. The biggest culture shock is probably yet to come when I’m settling in at my new site, without the luxury of speaking English, and not within walking distance of friends all the time. We have a great group here, and I’m really going to miss you all!

More pictures and updates very, very soon. Thank you for reading!

xo,

Emma

Playa Esmerelda

(From Jueves, 4/15/10)

Over last weekend, we visited Playa Esmerelda, otherwise known as one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I already want to go back. It was a great day of swimming, exploring and tanning on a perfect, empty beach. 8-)

Everyone at Playa Esmerelda!

Other than a little fun in the sun, we've been working on our technical presentations and with our youth groups in El Seibo. The first presentation (about education and the kids in my barrio) I mentioned in another post. In all, there will be three presentations during training, and a youth presentation. We also have competency exams along the way, too. So, there's a lot packed into these remaining weeks. CBT is moving along quickly, always very busy and learning a lot. It's already more than half-way over - we'll move back to the capital in about 2 weeks - and its crazy to think how soon we'll know our site placements. I'm so excited to find out!

Earlier this week, my group had our second presentation. We taught a 2-hour basic computer class at a community center - how to copy and paste, make a folder, move a file, save a file, use Paint... Which is wonderful, because these are all things I am actually capable of doing. :-) Teaching in Spanish was a fun little added challenge, and most of the students were all at different levels with the lesson. Overall though, things went smoothly and I think everyone had a good time.

About the youth group work: Some friends and I are working with a group of high school students on a documentary project of the local Dulceria (candy factory) and Mabi factory (a local sugary drink) in El Seibo. They kids will conduct interviews and shoot video using our cameras, and then later we'll have a showing of the documentary for their families and friends, etc. Its great to see them so excited about the project and really take on the idea. And I'm looking forward to learning something about filming, too. Should be fun!

Also, recently a few friends and I had the chance to visit a English class and help out at the same center that we taught at a few days ago. It was a blast! And really neat to be speaking with Dominicans in English. Many Dominicans in the street will make an effort to speak English to us, so its nice that there’s a lot of enthusiasm for that here. The class was so much fun. The teacher had them singing American songs and plugging in lyrics in order to practice some new vocab. words. There was a variety of ages in the class, but everyone had a good sense of humor. Which was important, considering it proved to be a somewhat humorous afternoon. At the start of class, we had all the standard “How are you?” “What’s your name?” questions that we hear everyday in the calles. Then, that was followed with what can only be described as a “take a photo with the Americanas on your cell phone” session. By the middle of class, we were all singing a song together - carrying a tune and learning English, simultaneously. Also, I’ve never before had a student stand up during class, walk to the front of the room, and ask for my phone number, but I guess the unexpected happens regularly here in the DR.

Recently, my Spanish class made empanadas which put any empanada sold in the street to shame. Although, I am a bit biased. They were really good though. Furthermore, when I’m living on my own in this country, I will know how to at least cook one thing.

Empanadas!

This week, the whole group watched the movie “Yuniol” together. Among other things, Its a movie about DR youth, culture, and class differences. Check it out if you’re interested! Some of the characters are a bit dramatic in some instances, but I thought a lot of the references were pretty accurate, (bucket baths, mosquiteras, gua-guas, vendedores, the barrios, etc.) It is a recent movie, from 2007, I think, and if nothing else, its a cool way to see what things are like here visually (unfortunately, not everywhere is a Playa Esmerelda, darn!).

So add to this post a lot of walking (a full 2+ hrs daily in total across town!), budgeting 35 pesos (a little more than 1 US dollar) per day, and some fun nights out at Discoteca Wow (the dance club in El Seibo), and you’ve got what I’ve been up to lately! Thanks for reading through it.

Please keep in your prayers the families living with the losses of the Virginia Tech shootings - especially tomorrow. Remember 4/16/07.

Be well!

xo,

Emma

El Nuevo en El Seibo

This post is a medley of a lot of different things at once. Lo siento in advance.

I’ve been here in El Seibo for almost two weeks now. A typical day contains 3-4 hours of both language and technical training. This week in language class we gave diagnostic presentations (toda en espanol) about El Seibo. We surveyed and interviewed members of the community for our data, and everyone chose a different topic. There seem to be hundreds of kids living in my neighborhood, so I figured interviewing the local youth would be a good choice. I interviewed 15 muchachos in my barrio about education. Kids here I’ve found are really enthusiastic about learning, and not one of the kids had a single complaint about school. Unfortunately though, DR education isn’t always of the best quality. Public school is supported by the government, and from what I’ve read, no one pays taxes for education. So the money the government has for education often goes to constructing new facilities, and little is left for maintaining the quality of existing materials, supporting teachers, updating equipment, etc. I read an article recently that said that on average people here complete about 6 years of schooling, often less. As someone who has just recently taken a break from spending my entire life in school, that’s pretty strange to fathom. Imagine just completing 6 years? In the US we’d be through by age 11 or 12. Anyway, I am pretty shocked by what I’ve learned recently about education here, yet impressed by how ambitious kids are about wanting to go to universities and start careers. If quality could match all this enthusiasm, I’m sure students would stay in school longer.

Some of my neighbors

After training and classes, I’ve been running in the evenings. There is a campo area here with cows and other rugged attractions, so I’ve been taking advantage of all the hills and fresh air. However, “going for a run” is not something I’ve seen any Dominican do yet, so all of the runners in our group must be quite a sight.

Campo looking out over El Seibo

Recently, I’ve been happening unexpectedly upon all sorts of cultural events. Twice now I’ve walked down the street to class, and all of a sudden am surrounded by a parade. The first time it was a bombero (firefighter) parade, and the second time, I really have no idea what it was. At first, I figured it was a political celebration of some sort, but when I asked my don and dona, they described it with words like “Satano" (Satan) and “Diablo,” (devil) and didn’t explain too much more about it. I do know that I saw a man twirling a baton though, so it can’t be all bad.

The Bomberos Parade

Man with baton on left!

Speaking of batons or “batutas” en espanol, I’ve started to use them here. I usually head out across the street to the baseball field since it is a really nice open space. On the way there, my little neighbors appear out of houses and start to join me. By the time we arrive at the field, there’s usually about ten of us, I no longer have the batons, and all of a sudden I’m giving mini baton lessons in Spanish to the kids in the neighborhood. It’s pretty fun though, and I can tell that a few of the kids have had lessons before, which means that there’s more twirlers around here somewhere. If nothing else, these batons have survived three flights from Boston to Santo Domingo, and many hours bouncing around in the back of gua-guas all the way to El Seibo - might as well put them to good use.

Last week a friend loaned me "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." If you're looking to read a book, it is a really good one - and about the DR, too. Anyway I hope that wherever you are, all is well with you!

xo,

Emma

Starting CBT

(from Jueves, 3/25/10)

I’ve moved! ...from living under a mango tree, to living under a coconut tree. Such is life in the Dominican Republic. :-) Right now, I’m writing from my new host family’s home in eastern DR. It was a few hours by bus out here from Santo Domingo. We’ve come out here to start CBT (Community-Based Training), and I’ll be here until the very end of April - about 5 weeks. Based on my first quick glimpses of the town, this place is a lot different from the capital. A smaller town compared to the city. Less dusty air, less trash, and less noise in general. And that’s about as deep as my comparison can be so far since we’ve just arrived.

I was sad to leave my host family in Pantoja. They have been so great to me and have made me feel really welcome here. Before I left last night they told me that for as long as I am in the DR, I will have a home there with them, which was so nice!

I haven’t been here long, but it has been an entertaining few hours with my new little host brother, Breilin. He is six and so cute. I gave some “thank you for hosting me even though I’m a complete stranger” gifts to my new dona and little brother. I gave him a Red Sox baseball, “Abran Paso a los Patitos” (Make Way for Ducklings), and a few stuffed animals. His reactions were pretty funny, at least to me anyway, so I thought I’d share.

So first, I tried to tell him about the Red Sox and Boston. Usually, I don’t have to explain where I’m from here. If any Dominican seems unsure, I just mention David Ortiz, and then they usually know. “Breilin, las Medias Rojas son el equipo de beisbol en Massachusetts, donde yo vivo en los Estados Unidos.” To which he just stared at the red Boston “B” on the ball, and asked “How did you know my name starts with a B?” Later that day, together we started reading “Abran Paso a Los Patitos,” and my dona explained to him that this was a book about the where I’m from. He nodded and then pointed to a picture in the book of a building on Beacon Hill and asked me, “Is this one your house?” I gave him a monkey stuffed animal, which he named “Emma,” so I think this might make us friends. A decent start, right?

I’ll be here living here for CBT continuing language training, and starting more technical training with our group of 22. I’m looking forward to it!

Here are some photos of the “play” or baseball field next to my new home.

I’ll write more about specifics of CBT soon. Just thought some people from home might appreciate this little story, so thanks for reading!

xo,

Emma

Día tras Día

(Martes, 3/23/10)

After these first few weeks of training, I’m starting to get into the swing of things in the DR. Things are different to be certain, but I’m really happy here and loving it so far. I haven’t said too many specifics of the daily life yet, so if interested - read on. A typical day (during the first 3 weeks) is spent at the training center (below) and evenings spent in the barrios with host families and friends. As a training group, we spend the day in Spanish classes, Peace Corps and DR-specific information sessions, and presentations from training staff and current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). These presentations cover a variety of topics from Peace Corps medical rules to DR-related politics/history/cultural issues. This week we have oral and written exams on all we’ve learned so far in training.

Aside from the training, the family I’m staying with has introduced me to a LOT of new foods. One of the highlights was drinking a few sips of water from a coconut (not so sure about the taste, but I felt super cool, nonetheless). Also, since I have yet to find a colmado that sells chai tea lattes, I’ve become a coffee drinker here - black with cane sugar. Growing up; getting serious.

Here in the DR, water and lights operate on a conserved schedule throughout most of the country, so sometimes we don’t have either in the barrios. Some barrios have had more problems with the lack of water, but things at my house have always been pretty good. Not to mention, bucket baths are not as bad as they sound. (1. water is never as cold, and 2. water is used less). But, I’m still pretty new, so that novelty may wear off during the next 26 months.

Another novelty to me is sun-dried laundry. I hand wash some of my clothes, and there’s a washing machine in my host family’s house, but no drier so everything is hung on the roof to dry in the heat. Unlike water and light, there’s always plenty of sunshine here. I know its not a big deal, but its my first time hanging laundry outside. Throughout college, I harbored this weird, unspoken fear that my clothes would be taken from the laundry room and hung somewhere public and embarrassing on campus. Well, good news. After the sight of my underwear hanging nonchalantly for all neighbors in the barrio to see, I no longer have this worry. :-)

Anyway, I just feel so lucky to be where I am. I can’t wait to be in a community at work on my own projects. It would be really perfect if I could package up a few New Englanders to be sent here, too. (Anyone in?)

This last photo is in my mosquitera (mosquito net) having a good time.

xo,

Emma

Volunteer Visit

Recently from March 18-21, I went on a trip to visit a current Peace Corps Volunteer. I traveled from Santo Domingo to the northern part of the country. About a 3-4 hour trip by gua-gua and bus. This is a photo I took on the way somewhere between La Vega and Santiago.

The volunteer visit was a great time, and a really eye-opening chance to see a volunteer’s site and projects first hand. I visited Amanda and had the chance to see all the work she has done as a PCV over the past year working on ICT projects at a school in her pueblo. She teaches computer courses and English classes for students and community members and works with a local artisan group. Here are some of the photos I took when we visited the artisan group:

I do not really know how to play chess, and am not sure if I even like the game at all, but I am in love with this mini chess set. If I wasn’t living off a limited budget, I probably would have paid the pesos for it. All of the pieces the artisans make are carved from a large stone and then polished and perfected. Tourists visiting the area come to buy the pieces, and they make profits for themselves and their families. You can sort of see them at work in the back of that photo.

Visiting Amanda was a really good chance to sample the volunteer life for a weekend. I was really lucky to be able to sit in on the classes she teaches and meet the project partners she works with. After seeing Amanda at work, I realized that this is the type of volunteer experience to strive for - working on projects that are important to a wide variety of community members. Not only that, but we didn’t walk anywhere in the town without at least 8-10 people greeting her by name every single time. She really knows her community well, and I could tell that they value her there.

During the visit, we went to the Charcos, which are a series of waterfalls you can climb and swim. I loved it, but unfortunately don’t have any photos of the waterfalls, but you can see the website here. Enjoy these last few photos from the volunteer visit!

Have fun. Be well! :)

xo,

Emma

Colonial Zone, Santo Domingo

During the first week in the DR, the training group took a tour of the colonial zone in Santo Domingo. These are just a few sites in the area that I thought were nice. (The statue outside the cathedral is of Colombus I’m pretty sure.)

xo,

Emma

Carnaval

(From Domingo 3/7/10)

After mass this morning, the family and I went to Carnaval in Santo Domingo. Carnaval was really interesting. From what I’ve understood, it is a celebration held throughout different cities in the DR, the largest celebration of which being in La Vega. In general, I think Carnaval is typically celebrated throughout February, as the 27th is DR’s Independence Day, but Santo Domingo’s Carnaval was today on March 7th.

Carnaval itself was a lot of fun, and a lot to see visually. It was a very long parade, with many people dressed in costumes and masks. I've been in a lot of parades because of baton twirling, but I definitely have never witnessed a parade like this before. There was a lot of loud Merengue and Bachata playing throughout, and some of the people dressed in masks, carried football shaped balls tied to strings. Occasionally during Carnaval, they run out into the crowds and start hitting everyone with the balls. So, to paint a little picture: everyone in the crowd is dancing along the sides, having a good time, and cheering during the parade, and then suddenly a masked parader rushes out into the crowd and starts hitting everyone. Imagine that at your local July 4th parade back home! I was curious, and asked my host dad why people do this, but was told it is a tradition during Carnaval. I wish I knew more about it so I could explain it better, but needless to say, it was definitely pretty funny, quite interactive and sometimes frightening to be a part of the crowd for this parade.

The parade’s location reminded me of the Miss America Parade, formerly held in Atlantic City along the boardwalk, as Carnaval was held next a road right along to the water. Here’s a picture of dusk in Santo Domingo along the parade route.

Miss you all back home. Thanks for reading!

xo,

Emma