tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34161002324299050512024-03-13T12:09:13.269-07:00Erin´s Peace Corps Blog in the Dominican RepublicFor family and friends, this blog will follow my twenty seven month adventure serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. It begins with three months of training at the beginning (late August through late October), and my two years of service (October 2009-October 2011)working as a Community Economic Development Volunteer. Also any vacations I end up taking in and around the area. Enjoy and share with friends!!Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-59189499610648554842011-06-11T22:29:00.000-07:002011-06-12T08:59:49.166-07:00Highlights from the first half of 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>As yet another year is flying by, I find myself recounting the first half of 2011 when it seems like just yesterday that I was recapping the latter half of 2010.<br />
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<b><i>Highlights from the first half of 2011 (get ready for the marathon....):</i></b><br />
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<ul><li>Photos from a boat trip in Monte Cristi, a town in the northwest of the DR, nearby the border with Haiti in January:</li>
</ul><i>Top to bottom: </i><i>(mangroves, famous "morro" rock in Monte Cristi, rocky coastal area, the shoe rock, salt mines on caye off the coast)</i><br />
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<u><b> Trainings for FRUTICOOP: Four trainings in February</b></u><br />
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This February 17 women in the cooperative participated in four trainings over the course of five days. The trainings covered various topics ranging from business plan development, business management and administration, commercialization and sales strategy, transportation, distribution and logistics.<br />
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<u><b>Construye Tus Suenos (CTS) or “Build Your Dreams” 2011</b></u><br />
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This year I have become more involved in Construye tus Suenos (CTS), or the Build Your Dreams program. CTS consists of two parts, the first is a 14 session business course curriculum designed to help youth gain invaluable entrepreneurial and life skills, learning how to write a business plan and how to implement a small business. The second part is to enter to compete in the business plan competition. Twenty plus talented youth and their business plans will be selected to compete in this year’s competition, which will take place in October. Winners will walk away with seed money to fund their small businesses and other prizes. <br />
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<ul><li><i><b>Revising the CTS Manual: </b></i>In the beginning of the year I turned a lot of my energy towards revising parts of the CTS curriculum. A small group of volunteers and I sat down with the manual and revised each section, aiming to clarify confusing sections, correct spelling/grammar errors and add more detail to certain sections. It may sound like an easy task but ended up being pretty time consuming-- in the end I think we have an excellent manual that volunteers can continue to work with and improve as CTS grows. </li>
</ul><ul><li>This year we received funding from the Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), and therefore incorporated a responsibility and healthy decision-making component in the curriculum. The new component doesn’t directly address HIV/AIDS relief, but rather approaches it through preventative methods through healthy decision-making and responsibility. Youth that become involved in the course are working on their personal and professional development. Through involving themselves in a course such as CTS, youth can work on developing skills that can help them to get on the right track by making good and informed decisions that will help them to achieve their goals and get where they want to be in life.</li>
</ul><ul><li><i><b>Train the trainers: </b></i> At the end of March, we held a train the trainers course with 20 or so participants across sectors. The training goal was to encourage volunteers from other sectors to teach the course even though they are not business volunteers. In the daylong event, business volunteers facilitated a crash course on the CTS curriculum, including walking through sessions and lesson plans to help new facilitators feel comfortable with the course material. Hopefully we see some of the new facilitators bringing their kids to the competition this year!</li>
</ul><ul><li><b><i>The CTS class in my town (Beginning of May):</i></b> I started my class this year with less interest from the community than last year. After promoting the course in the local high school, youth groups, and community groups, I was surprised at the weak turnout. I have 11 participants, two of which are older women who wanted to take the course, which I had no problem with. So far attendance varies from week to week, directly correlating with incidence of local baseball games. At least there are a couple of dedicated students—that’s all you need really! We will see how many finish…</li>
</ul> <u><b>Congressional Visit to Batey Experimental</b></u><br />
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A Congressional Delegation arrived several week into March to commemorate 50 years of the Peace Corps. Among them were Senator Kent Conrad (N. Dakota), Senator Hagan (N. Carolina), Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont), Representative Becerra (California, LA), Representative Welch (Vermont), Ambassador Raul Yzaguirre and worldwide Peace Corps Director, Aaron Williams. Director Williams served in the late 60's in the DR where he met his wife, a Dominican woman to whom he is still married. Four other volunteers and I, the country director and other PC employees accompanied the delegation to a site visit to PCV Kerri Magee's site, Batey Experimental in the East. <br />
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<u><b>Reconstruction of Community Space San Juan Bautista: </b> </u> <br />
Another project that has been in the works for quite some time is the reconstruction of a dilapidated community space in the community. I was set to help out with the project a year ago, but it fell off the radar until now. Community space San Juan Bautista was built in the 1960’s and is used by various community groups to host weekly meetings, community events, special courses and weekly services. In addition, it is used as a refuge for up to 130 men, women and children during times of natural disaster such as hurricanes and tropical storms that frequent the country. <br />
I wrote a Peace Corps Partnerships Program (PCPP) grant which should be posted on the website any day now. The project goal is to renovate the community space by replacing the zinc roof with better material and replacing a door. Since its' inception, the space has become worn down. The zinc roof is littered with holes, with rain leaking in during bad weather. One of the large three-part doors no longer works. It is still being used regardless of its' physical state, which has become a danger to community members and groups who use it weekly. <br />
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The project idea was first raised over ten years ago as the space began to wear down. After years of effort the community has come together and raised a large sum of money to contribute to the majority of the project cost, including building materials and manual labor. The PCPP grant will cover the cost of the roofing materials. Stay tuned for info on how to contribute to the project!<br />
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<u><i><b>Industrial Fruit Dryers:</b></i></u><br />
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The industrial fruit dryers were finally installed in the plant at the end of April/beginning of May after months of waiting. They were ordered back in December and arrived on February 17th. The ten weeks they spent in customs felt like a never-ending, stressful bureaucratic battle to get them out. <br />
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One of the reasons it took so long was the lengthy process of exonerating taxes. The taxes alone were a healthy sum of 450,000 pesos (around 13,000 USD), which made the process worth it. For any small business this is a lot of money, for a small women’s cooperative in the rural DR this is a WHOLE lot of money. The exoneration process was an exhausting one of seemingly endless formalities, bureaucracies, and inefficiencies abound. Time is money, and the 10 weeks it took two government institutions to process a request to exonerate the taxes for a cooperative racked up a hefty sum in storage fees at the customs port. If they weren’t going to get our tax money, they certainly took their time so they could still get their money’s worth in storage fees (which ended up being one fourth the cost of the taxes in the end).<br />
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But in the end the dryers finally arrived. We hired a tow truck driver out of Bani to come out and unload the dryers, which were enormous. They were much larger than any of us had imagined, and of course the main consultant did not measure the size of the equipment. We had to break the front door of the plant to make the entrance larger so they could even make it inside the plant. After the dryers spent several days covered by tarps outside we were finally able to find a fork lift the machines and place them in their final resting place in the back corner of the plant (<i>see photo below</i>).<br />
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Now FRUTICOOP has really transformed from a small operation to a semi industrial operation with the arrival of this machinery, in terms of product quality and output. There will be no shortage of work for the women of Villa Fundacion!<br />
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<u><b>Advancements with FRUTICOOP </b></u><br />
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Of course, we weren't completely idle while waiting for the dryers to arrive.... here are several advancement with FRUTICOOP that took place while either waiting for the dryers or preparing for the inauguration!<br />
<ul><li>Hired a part time secretary, who has been working with me and the two managers in organization, inventory, and is learning the digital accounting program. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Organized the offices files with hanging file organizers (surprisingly hard to find in the DR!), plastic organizers and laminated labeling system in the finished product storage. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Bought and installed an air conditioning in the finished product storage area to keep products cool.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Printed and laminated production process flow labels in Spanish and English and put them up around the plant based on the new production line and processes.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Got a flota (business unlimited phone plan) with five phones so the main project trainer, me, the two managers and the security guard all have unlimited calling time between us. We also have internet at the plant now. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Bought a new computer and installed the new HP Photosmart printer donated by my family (thanks Dad and Nancy!!).</li>
</ul><ul><li>Organizational chart and description of positions for new cooperative management structure.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Redesigned product labels according to FDA/EU standards; sent out for nutritional analysis of pineapple marmalade product.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Two new publicity signs: One at the entrance into Villa Fundacion indicating <i>“Cooperative Fruticoop- FRUTISOL, Frutas Deshidratadas, 800 KM</i>, and the other with <i>FRUTISOL</i> (the brand name) and an arrow indicating the entrance to the plant. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Painted the cement block walls an outer storage area a nice green color and repainted the plant yellow. Repainted the cistern. </li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-b0qQbiQfg/TfQ-FUBySUI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/In9UJS8wSTU/s1600/DSCN3271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-b0qQbiQfg/TfQ-FUBySUI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/In9UJS8wSTU/s320/DSCN3271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li>Opened a separate entrance into the business office to eliminate potential contamination in the production area. Put up soap dispensers in the bathrooms.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Bought a pineapple de-corer and peeler to speed up production process and improve pineapple product quality. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Created a new passageway from the raw material reception area to the production area, complete with a alucin roof and anti-virus screen walls, and a new roll down door at the entrance.</li>
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</a></div><ul><li>First test run using the new dryers:</li>
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<i><b> Inauguration (End of May):</b></i><br />
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</a></div><i>A</i>fter we finally installed the dryers, the mad dash ensued to get the plant up to speed for the inauguration in just ten days. The inauguration was a successful event, with some 125 guests, including eight guests of honor that included his Taiwanese Ambassador Isaac Tsai, FRUTICOOP president (my project partner) Maria Castillo, the town mayor, representatives from IDECOOP and the Secretary of Agriculture, amongst others. The event lasted two hours, with coverage from The Listin Diario newspaper out of Santo Domingo and a local news source. There were four speakers (including an impromptu speech from yours truly), a prayer, national anthem, ribbon cutting, a tour of the plant and demonstration, a slideshow that no one could see because of the sun, and dried fruit, sandwiches and punch to enjoy at the end. All in all it went well!<br />
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<i>Below: (1) Taiwanese Ambassador Isaac Tsai speaking at the Inauguration, (2) cutting the ribbon</i><br />
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<i><b>All Volunteer Conference: </b></i><br />
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Every May Peace Corps DR has an All-Volunteer Conference, where all volunteers are required to attend a day long networking event. This year there were around 235 volunteers who are currently serving in country present, many familiar faces and even more new faces! It was surreal to have so many volunteers in one place. It was also the last event for the PCDR country director for the last five years, Romeo Massey, who did an excellent job and will be missed.<br />
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<i><b>Family Visit to the East:</b> </i><br />
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Family came to visit twice this year. First, my sister Stefany and her husband Sean came in March. they came to my site for a night and then we went up to Cabarete on the north coast for the weekend. I took them to Playa Grande and then by Monday was back at my site while they spent the rest of the week at a resort. It was really fun, and I am still waiting to get the pictures! Here are photos from a long weekend in La Romana when my Dad, Nancy and my niece Lily's visit to the DR in May:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-90041432582770838782011-01-07T11:17:00.000-08:002011-01-07T16:05:34.681-08:00The second half of 2010 and then someTime flies! The last six months of year flew by. So much has happened, here is a review of the second half of 2010, starting after my trip back home:<br />
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<i>JULY</i><br />
<ul><li><i>Mesa de Honor: </i> The day after I returned from California, my town had a graduation ceremony for the graduates of the local computer training center. To begin the ceremony, graduates took photos at the computer center, where everyone met up that afternoon. The parade began, where they marched around town until reaching the community center where the actual ceremony took place. I suspect I may be asked to give a speech, since the computer training center staff assisted in the enrollment and publicity process of my<i> Construir tus Suenos</i> youth entrepreneurial business class. Also, a couple of the first classes were held at the center. To be sure I ask the day before, but am assured that I will not be making a speech. Of course, right as the parade begins I am told I will be sitting at the <i>mesa de honor </i>or honorary table on stage and will be expected to give a speech about the CTS class, etc. I run home to change out of my jeans and come back to the parade arriving at the Community Center, with people filing in. I am pretty nervous as the room fills with some 200 plus people and I have nothing prepared. Someone whispers to me that I should read the first and last names of the 21 youth that graduated from my CTS class, a list that I do not have on me and definitely do not remember off hand. I struggle to remember at least the first names of each, especially <i>Fulano’s</i> name that is escaping me. I am sweating bullets as every mesa de honor member goes to the podium complete with their prepared speech in hand. Three hours pass, the graduation happens, the crowd gets very anxious, and ultimately I am never called up to the podium. Although I was confident that my ad-lib speech would have run smoothly I had to laugh at the whole situation after and was honored to be seated at the <i>mesa de honor</i>.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i>(photo: Villa Fundacion, the view from my roof)</i><br />
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<ul><li> The Cooperative’s Peace Corps Partnership’s grant got filled, thanks to donors Steve and Nancy Hopkins, Ryan Hopkins (on behalf of himself and Steve, Scott and Kevin Hopkins), Brianna Russell, Rod and Sally Marquardt and the UPS Foundation, Ltd. The grant will cover the cost of the accounting program Monica 8.5, Fair trade certification, a quality domestic blender, redesign and printing of labels and other promotional materials. </li>
</ul><ul><li>At the end of July/beginning of August four youth and I headed to Neiba for <i>Celebrando el Sur,</i> a youth conference celebrating youth diversity of the southern regions. The volunteer organizaed conference took place over two and a half days at an ecological center in the mountains of Neyba, complete fun and games, charlas on diversity, a world trip to the seven continents, health, etc.</li>
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<i>AUGUST </i><br />
<ul><li><i> </i>I bought a bike! My neighbors graciously took me to the town next door to check out used bikes. I sat in the back of a tinted van as they got out of the van an investigated the non-Americana prices. I bartered down to about 50 bucks for a used huffy beach cruiser with its original tires. Now that I have replaced one of the tires I have a maroon bike, with a black tire, a green tire, pink and grey handle bars. Nothing short of awesome. So far, I have been on a few bike rides out of town to nearby beaches Palmar de Ocoa (10 plus kilometers) and Los Corbanitos. No easy task on a one speed, but well worth it!</li>
</ul><ul></ul><br />
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<i>SEPTEMBER</i><br />
<ul><li>My friend Christina came to visit in September for some Campo, city and beach time. We had a wonderful time and narrowly missed daytime rain in Cabarete in the north, Playa Grande and Samana Peninsula at Playa Rincon. (<i>Below: Playa Rincon in Samana</i>)</li>
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<ul><li>Once a year, cooperatives have to hold a General Assembly to elect new leadership positions, as well as provide reports for what has happened in the year to cooperative members, etc. <i>(Below: Directing the meeting, members participating in the General Assembly</i>) </li>
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<ul><li>Big news for FRUTICOOP, INC. in September, when a grant was a approved by Mission Taiwan to fun new industrial gas dryers, various training, operational costs, industrial cutters and peelers, and much more over the course of three years. The grant was written by an engineer working for the Secretary of Agriculture who has been involved in the project since its inception in 2004. (<i>Below: FRUTICOOP President Maria Castillo, my project partner accepting a check from Taiwanese Ambassador at a publicized event at the Secretary of Agriculture)</i></li>
</ul><br />
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<i>OCTOBER</i><br />
<ul><li><i>Construir Tus Suenos 2010:</i> Build Your Dreams Competition took place at the beginning of October. Two groups from my class and three kids submitted plans, both were accepted to compete. One youth submitted a business plan for an internet shop and two sisters submitted a plan for a fruit shop. Both plans were excellent and they put in a lot of hard work! The competition was a great experience for the youth to get to know other ambitious kids from around the country, learn about locating seed money to fund their business even if they did not take home the prize money (three prizes of up to 70,000 pesos each to fund the full budget of the winners). All the groups did an excellent job, the competition was fierce, and in the end all were winners. The fruit shop took home most innovative. </li>
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<ul><li>For the first time since 2006, the women of FRUTICOOP got paid! For years they have not had the resources to pay the women for their work in fruit production, but now they are paid to date. Of course this has rejuvenated the work force and generated interest in more women becoming involved in the operation. </li>
</ul><ul><li> </li>
</ul><ul><li>IDECOOP, the national institute that supports cooperatives set up a <i>jornada educativa</i> for the cooperative, giving presentations on entrepreneurial spirit, business management, etc. One of the trainers who showed up is the daughter of my host family in Pantoja, who I had not seen in a year. It was good to reconnect.</li>
</ul><ul><li> Just two days earlier, I reconnected with my other host family in the campo outside of Altamira when I went up to give charlas on Organizational Diagnostics and Leadership to the new business training group. I left Santo Domingo at 7 in the morning to get to my host mom's house by 11 AM in Los Claveles, where I had my training a year ago. My host mom was happy to see me and expressed her disappointment that I was only staying for lunch and not for the whole weekend. After saying hi to some of the neighbors I headed down the hill with the others, gave the charlas and then got a ride with the technical trainer to Santiago where I would catch the bus to Santo Domingo. My stomach was rumbling and I knew something was up. The next three hours seemed endless as I held back projectile fluids coming from all ends. I managed to make it to the bathroom to projectile vomit, and camped at the back of the bus until I was able to get to the Caribe tours bus station to take care of other business. This was by far one of the most uncomfortable bus rides of my life and (there have been worse believe it or not) luckily there were no sharts involved (in this case it would have been far worse...). By the next day I felt better, I thought for sure I had giardea but luckily I didn't. Not sure what it was that made me sick, something I ate at lunch I guess!</li>
</ul><ul><li>After receiving the money from Mission Taiwan, FRUTICOOP opened two checking accounts, one for themselves and one to manage the grant money. If you can believe it, due to the overly complicated bureaucracy of the banking system here this process has taken months. Next step, internet at the office and internet banking! We have now begun the planning and budgeting process. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Funded by the PCPP grant, we purchased the accounting program Monica 8.5. This month four women and I went to the capital to receive an initial training on the program and we are now holding individual training sessions at the plant.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Cholera outbreak! The cholera outbreak in Haiti prompted an emergency and mandatory cholera training session at the training center in Pantoja. From there all of the 517-09-02 group boarded a bus to head down south for our OYA One Year Anniversary in site. The party bus did not disappoint and a good five hours later we arrived in San Rafael after sunset. The next day we boarded the back of a truck for the three hour bumpy ride down to the southern point of the Dominican Republic to a remote beach called Bahia de las Alguilas. No easy task to get to but well worth the trip. That night we had a Halloween celebration and all headed back the next day.</li>
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<i>(Above: sunrise in San Rafael; Below: View from San Rafael) </i><br />
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(<i>Below: Bahia de las Alguilas, Pedernales</i>)<br />
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<i>(Our group at Bahi de las Alguilas!)</i><br />
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<i>NOVEMBER</i><br />
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<ul><li>This month began with an end of the season, hurricane. Due to the hurricane’s unpredictability, most of the regions where called to consolidate in our respective consolidation points (also known as nice hotels). I hurricane proofed my home, putting books in bags, moving items away from doors, and then headed into the capital for five nights of buffet food, h-o-t showers, cable in bed and a view. </li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TSdS2OIC6QI/AAAAAAAAAIY/J_tVFaXBghw/s1600/DSCN3080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TSdS2OIC6QI/AAAAAAAAAIY/J_tVFaXBghw/s320/DSCN3080.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<i>(Above: photo of men working construction from the Barcelo)</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TSdTm7MTk1I/AAAAAAAAAIc/cbcBWCigaGc/s1600/DSCN3076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TSdTm7MTk1I/AAAAAAAAAIc/cbcBWCigaGc/s320/DSCN3076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i> (Above: View across Maximo Gomez)</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TSdUIBkFBjI/AAAAAAAAAIg/X7G5u2sRmMA/s1600/DSCN3079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TSdUIBkFBjI/AAAAAAAAAIg/X7G5u2sRmMA/s320/DSCN3079.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> (<i>Above: View down below</i>)<br />
<ul><li>The last training for cohort 517 09-02 took place over three days in Santo Domingo where we shared our successes and lessons learned, and planned for the second year of service. We spent some quality time complete with a trip to the play to see a local baseball game. Good times. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Thanksgiving followed, with the annual brunch at the Arroyo Hondo country club. A delicious lunch thanks to a group of volunteers gracious enough to cook mashed potatoes, sweet mashed potatos (yum!), turkey with gravy, salad, stuffing, and an array of delicious pies. All this followed by some poker, Presidente, an endlessly entertaining talent show and a debaucherous evening of dancing at the after party in the colonial zone wrapped up a wonderful and satisfying Thanksgiving. <i>(Below: Kaitlyn, who helped organize the event and me at Arroyo Hondo Country Club, thanksgiving)</i></li>
</ul> <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>DECEMBER</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ul><li> We had a short taller at the Institute for Innovation and Technology in the capital to test out some equipment that will be similar to the fruit dryers we are getting at the end of January. The tests for dried pineapple and papaya came out well, now we just have to wait for our dryers to get here so we can get moving! </li>
</ul><ul><li>California!! Half way through the month I headed back to California for nearly three weeks of family and friend time, and got in my fill of winter apparel and hot showers. I was back in the DR in time to head back to the campo and then out for New Years in the capital where I had a late dinner of traditional <i>sancocho</i> soup right before midnight with Gabriel and his family. We then went out for some rooftop dancing afterwards to bring in the New Year. <i><br />
</i></li>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>JANUARY</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ul><li>Now I am back in the campo and was surprised to find that it was actually kind of comforting to come back. Everything is calm, slow, and not too hot. It gives me time to process my trip home, the last year and my service, and just breath! I also now do not have a working inverter anymore so that means no electricity when there is no electricity. Back to candlelight and lamps for me in the evenings like most other people. I did some heavy duty cleaning to eradicate and rat proof my house and have killed an enormous tarantula in my silverware drawer, an entire family of rats (including a baby, I'm so soulless now), endless cucarachas and a scorpion. Yes, I am back, and this year will better than the last.</li>
</ul>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-19006589695310553422011-01-07T09:05:00.000-08:002011-01-07T09:05:36.874-08:00Canning Workshop January 6 2011I am back in the campo and fully recharged from my lengthy holiday vacation to California. The first event of the year was held this Thursday at the FRUTICOOP, INC. plant (and in the first week of the year, impressive since it is usually a no work 'flojo' week here). Peace Corps trainers came out to hold a canning workshop, using imported bottles located the capital (finally!) to can fruits and marmalades. This is a big step for us!<br />
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Here are photos of the 15 women and Peace Corps counterparts that participated in the workshop:<br />
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(Preparing pineapple for canning and for pineapple marmalade)<br />
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(Canning pineapple marmalade using Bano Maria)<br />
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(Sealing after Bano Maria, pineapple slices and marmalade)<br />
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(Leaving the office....)Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-61443644857556340602010-06-22T20:19:00.000-07:002010-06-22T20:19:40.858-07:00Construir tus Sueños, Mango Festival and Patronales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple of months have passed since my last blog, and several things have happened. Beginning in April and ending in June, I taught a business class under the Peace Corps youth entrepreneurship curriculum of <i>Construir tus </i><i>Sueños</i> (Build Your Dreams). There was a lot of interested youth in my community, so I formed two classes at the request of students, one section held on Sunday afternoons for four hours in the community center and the other section for two hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights in a community church space. The Sunday class was much calmer, with only six students sticking it out to the end from the initial 14. The Tuesday and Thursday group was a much rowdier bunch, with 15 remaining from the initial 25 students that showed up on the first night. Through hours of working through 14 sessions exploring different business themes from entrepreneurship to feasibility studies, business plans, marketing, basic accounting, budgeting, cost and pricing analysis, etc. In the end 21 students graduated from the course on Monday, June 13th. We had our last session followed by a party, giving out certificates, playing a common game <i>El Secreto</i>, lots of photos, soda, salami, cheese and crackers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After completing the course, they now have the option to work on their business plans individually or in groups to enter into a national competition that will take place over three days at the end of September. If their plans are selected they will compete to win various prizes including the opportunity to have their business fully or partially financed. Many are up to the challenge and excited for the competition, and are working out the details of their plans that they started while in the course.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Photo: Class of 2010, Constriur tus Suenos) </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TCEuk-tj87I/AAAAAAAAAGk/x8hdkeN3Y8U/s1600/Classof2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TCEuk-tj87I/AAAAAAAAAGk/x8hdkeN3Y8U/s400/Classof2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Another happening in June is the Mango Festival/Expo, that takes place annually in Bani. <i>Sun Fruits Cooperative, Inc. </i>(Fruticoop) was there selling their products, along with many other producers and stands. It is incredible I had no idea that there were so many varieties of mango—well over 25 (not sure how many exactly)! The festival was inaugurated on a Wednesday night, with traditional dance and costume performances by youth, as well as colorful modern dance performances featuring booty shaking provocative routines ‘fit family fun’. Workshops, food, free coffee, mangos to your hearts delight, and live music. And let us not forget the inescapable heat of Bani! I worked three of the four days and we moved a fair amount of product, our new and improved mango marmalade was a big hit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Photos: Band with traditional dance; </i><i>Mango Madness at Mango Expo 2010; </i><i>Mangos</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> (photos by Gabriel Socias):</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TCF2WSTKyKI/AAAAAAAAAG0/vSdcx1cArgc/s1600/band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TCF2WSTKyKI/AAAAAAAAAG0/vSdcx1cArgc/s320/band.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TCF1wHAiLlI/AAAAAAAAAGs/13uCrKNpNEk/s1600/mangos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/TCF1wHAiLlI/AAAAAAAAAGs/13uCrKNpNEk/s320/mangos.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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It is Patronales season in Villa Fundacion, and the town is alive with nightly live music, DJs, dancing, and <i>fritura </i>(fried foods) on the central plaza. Patronales is an annual 10-day celebration honoring the town’s patron saint, San Juan Bautista. Every town has one that all fall on different weeks of the year. There are nine days of prayer or <i>novena</i>, starting two days before Patronales begins. So far we’ve had an array of musical guests, including Dominican singer <i>Juliana</i>, <i>los Pepes</i>, infamous for their hit single repeating Pepe over and over again with illicit undertones and double entendres. Still to come is Alex Bueno, who sings bachata, salsa, merengue and more, <i>Los </i><i>Años Dorados</i>, <i>Los Hermanos Rosario</i> (merengue) and and bachatero <i>El Chaval</i>. Relatives living <i>afuera</i> (outside) in the US in NY, Boston, Florida and elsewhere sign into live video chats and feeds of the party, with a camera scanning the crowd and relatives greeting each other via live feed. All is featured on a large screen in the park. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Besides that, I have the usual trips to Santo Domingo to multi-task and get everything done at once. Beach trips to <i>Juan Dolio </i>and <i>Derrumbao</i>, which is the Caribbean side of Punto Salinas that has beautiful snorkeling. Tarantula hunting in my house (they like to kick it at my place), this usually consists of me grabbing a stack of four or five books for the battle and hurling them across the room. Just living that relaxing campo life, reading, listening to the chorus of farm animals and working on projects. My project is up on the Peace Corps Partnership Program website, check it out and make a tax-deductible donation today to support the women of <i>Fruticoop, Inc.</i> working in dried fruit and marmalade production using solar technology: <span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><a href="https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-386" target="_blank">https://www.peacecorps.gov/<wbr></wbr>index.cfm?shell=resources.<wbr></wbr>donors.contribute.projDetail&<wbr></wbr>projdesc=517-386</a>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Most of all right now I am looking forward to my visit to California in just one week! Cannot wait for a break and two weeks with friends and family!<br />
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<i>Photos: On way to snorkeling spot Derrumbao walking past salt pools in Salinas, sand dunes of Bani in background in middle photo, man working in salt pools: </i><br />
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</div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-35538172884021335082010-03-31T08:19:00.000-07:002010-03-31T08:19:51.128-07:00Samana and familiar faces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My friend Mariange came to visit from home and we went to Samana for a few days. Samana is a gorgeous, idyllic peninsula that juts out in the north east, filled with rolling hills of palm trees, turquoise Caribbean waters, and white/yellow sands- truly breathtaking. We met up with another volunteer in the capital who lives in Samana and headed up to her site for the day. After getting to her house we got ready to go to the beach in her town, across the road, down a river where locals bathe and wash everything you can think of, and down a dirt road to the beach. The beach is beautiful, and has an enclave of Italian summer (or year round) bungalow dwellers who try to claim one side of the beach is ‘theirs’ with no legal backing whatsoever. So the kids from the town still head down to their beach and enjoy the seaside swimming despite the foreigners protests, as they should. <br />
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Kaitlin’s <i>Brigada Verde</i> ('Green Brigade') group came down for Water Day activities, with another volunteer and her brother visiting, my friend and I. We swam in the warm water with a nice crisp breeze upon exiting. While there I got to see the site and the town, and meet my dog Choco’s parents. He kind of looks like his mom, a yellow lab type happy dog that looks like she has gotten in a few fights in her life. And the father is an unlikely match- he looks nothing like the dad, who is short, spotted and well…. lets just say Choco takes after his mom.<br />
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That night we got a ride to Samana to head to a resort. Equipped with wrist bands for an all inclusive, we covertly slinked pass the armed guards of the place to mingle amongst the guests of the all inclusive- enjoying an all you can eat buffet and cocktails galore on the house. A little piece of heaven. <br />
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The next morning Mariange and I decided to stay the night in Las Terrenas, a small touristy fishing town about an hour away on the north coast.<br />
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Fisherman at Las Terrenas:<br />
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After several <i>gua guas</i> (buses), we reached the town and found a reasonably priced place right across the street from the beach. The crystal clear blue waters and white sands make for mouth watering beach enjoyment, with the only downfalls being topless European tourists (not exactly culturally respectful here) and a narrow beach that lines the main road.<br />
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There are pleasantly decorated, not too crowded beachfront restaurants, and bars with beanbags right on the sand. The few bar/discoteques at one end of the town had an interesting crowd, lined on one side with sex workers and the other with awkwardly dancing tourists, waiting for the rum to kick to make some questionable decisions... slightly disturbing. <br />
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The next morning after a brief beach stint, we began the 6 hour trek back to my town (4 gua guas and a taxi), with a three hour stop in the capital for groceries and a late lunch. By 9 we were back for the next few days in my town. The next few days were spent with many rich meals, experimenting nervously with my gas oven, walks with the dog around town<i>, </i>and<i> compartir-</i>ing in many a plastic chairs along the way. Thursday night we had a late night domino match with an older couple that lives next door and then went to the beach at Punto Salinas with them the next afternoon for okay snorkeling, <i>Presidente</i> at the colmado and stopping to try <i>majarete</i>, a sweet corn desert on the way home. And Mariange was off the next day, closing a wonderful week—so nice to have company from home!<br />
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<i>Punto Salinas, Caribbean side; Mariange and a starfish; Me and Mariange:</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/S7Nf80kZKdI/AAAAAAAAAGE/3JVz7UshuQs/s1600/DSCN2229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/S7Nf80kZKdI/AAAAAAAAAGE/3JVz7UshuQs/s320/DSCN2229.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/S7NgxtBhdSI/AAAAAAAAAGM/nYksyf1G5es/s1600/DSCN2231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/S7NgxtBhdSI/AAAAAAAAAGM/nYksyf1G5es/s320/DSCN2231.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/S7NhJCJFMzI/AAAAAAAAAGU/uSAtKpRnvvE/s1600/DSCN2228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/S7NhJCJFMzI/AAAAAAAAAGU/uSAtKpRnvvE/s320/DSCN2228.JPG" /></a></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-18387210290096784512010-03-31T07:32:00.000-07:002010-03-31T07:32:38.461-07:00Centro de Madres: Taller de Muñequeria. The Women's Center Doll Making Shop.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>As a secondary project (or<i> complimentary</i> as some prefer) I work with the local Women's Center, or Centro de Madres, giving business charlas, working on organizational strengthening and helping with marketing and sales of their products. The Centro de Madres is a group of 35 or so women of all ages, mainly 40 plus, but there is an entry point for youth to work with them as well. The group meets every Wednesday at the <i>Taller de Muñequeria</i> (Doll making shop), opening each meeting by standing and singing the national anthem <span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><i>Quisqueyanos valientes </i>(or Valiant Quisqueyans). </span></span><br />
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<i>Taller de Muñequeria</i> (Doll making shop):<br />
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<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">I took photos of women making the dolls. The women have a set labor price, getting paid for each part they do in the process. </span></span><br />
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<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Like filling the dolls: </span></span><br />
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<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Or painting the faces: </span></span><br />
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<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Making the dresses:</span></span><br />
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<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"> They have a variety of doll products, each one with a different names such as Lolita and Ary:</span></span><br />
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<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"> </span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-49186058364020492862010-03-30T19:25:00.000-07:002010-03-30T19:25:12.782-07:00Delinquency, corruption and vigilantism- Oh my!My town has had a series of delinquent events occurring since I have been here. Several fires have occurred in the early hours of the morning, burning down a political building, a house with a cane roof, and another home. There have been robberies of motos and batteries (expensive batteries that run the inversors, giving houses and businesses electricity when there is no electricity, which is often. Some say that the ‘mafia’ that runs the electricity in this country are also investors of such goods as these batteries, who have an economic interest to keep the electricity problem from improving). There is a lot of drug activity in my town, nothing which I see with my own eyes but hear about. Apparently a group of delinquents (drug users, dealers, robbers, this is a term used to encompass them all) meets after midnight at different locales, usually <i>banquitas </i>or gambling joints along the main road. The delinquency reached a high point a couple of weeks ago, when an 18 year old girl was violently murdered in the early morning, with the main suspect being her boyfriend who was supposedly deep into drugs, also a case of suspected domestic abuse. Nothing like this has happened before in the town. People die prematurely of motorcycle accidents by popping wheelies and doing tricks, racing, etc.- but never a murder like this.<br />
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The town has taken to meeting weekly to confront the problem. A town hall meeting was called last Saturday to see how they wanted to tackle the problem of delinquency. I could not make the meeting, but several community members filled me in. My neighbor told me this morning that the police rounded up suspected drug users the night. I told her that was great it should nip the problem right in the bud. She then informed me that after bribes to police officers and judges, they would be let free. She tells me a story about her brother. Basically one time her brother turned in youths that robbed his house, and they have since been released. Now they are threatening to kill him since he turned them in. He decided to no longer press charges for his own safety. She said that the town decided to take matters into their own hands, since the police wouldn’t do their job, and you cannot trust the authorities due to heavy corruption. How? Scare them by killing them. If they come into your house, don’t let them leave, deal with the problem yourself. Some people in the town believe they must resort to extreme measures, taking matters into their own hands to restore order- <i>vigilantes</i>. I countered with her that this is an extreme measure, that it is one thing to kill a person in self-defense but quite another to look them in the face and kill them to send a message to others. That is murder and a brutal crime. She counters that everyone in the town knows who the delinquents are, and no one says anything for fear. They do not turn them into the police because they don’t think anything good will come of it. The conversation ends with her telling me that they won’t exactly kill them themselves- no, no- they will HIRE someone else to do the dirty work, because there are people that do it for a living. Intense. <br />
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But this is one extreme view, as I learned of a more rational standpoint from a community leader. First, before taking matters into their own hands a la vigilantism, they are compiling a list of all the delinquents in town, a list that they will give to the police. That is where we are at as of now. He concluded by saying that if the police don’t do their job, the town will be forced to take matters into their own hands. To be continued...Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-17228385631023064112010-03-16T09:33:00.000-07:002010-03-17T11:58:49.559-07:00A recap of 2010As I approach my seven-month mark of being in the Dominican Republic on March 20th, my five-month mark of being in my town is approaching on the 30th. <br />
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A recap of 2010 thus far...... most of January I was scurrying to finish my organizational diagnostic, or rather I had been working on it for awhile so I was more struggling with trying to finish community interviews (a survey of 100 households in my community). I did about 2/3 of the interviews myself, with the other 1/3 completed with the help of the local youth church group as a part of the community service required while in high school. Interviews were a really good way to get to know different households in the community. At times they are also very humbling, grounding my over confidence and self perceived expertise in Spanish when I encounter a 90 something year old woman and have absolutely no idea what she is saying as she animatedly responds to my questions amidst an intermittent cackling laugh. <br />
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At the end of January I dropped all of my things at my new house and then headed early the next morning to the capital for 3 month in-service-training, which was held at a retreat-type convent right on the ocean in Santo Domingo (ironically surrounded by love motels with names like <i>Si o No?</i>). The whole Community Economic Development crew reunited for a week-long training session, filled with <i>dinamicas</i> (icebreakers- a Peace Corps favorite), helpful sessions, and two nights out playing miniature golf and seeing Avatar (the first movie I had been to in five months or so, must be a record for me). Everyone arrived with their project partners for the first two days. <br />
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In my case the treasurer came with me the first day to present the cooperative's organizational diagnostic, went home that night and then the President of the cooperative came the next day for a day of Project Planning. It was hard for me to get people to commit to coming to the training because I mainly work with women in the community whose primary job is being an <i>ama de casa</i>, or housewife. Spending the day away from the household is difficult, as they have to arrange for meals to be made, children/grandchildren to be taken care of and household duties to be covered by in-laws or neighbors. This took some adjusting on my part as far as understanding certain cultural differences and norms that I will be working within as a volunteer. The compromise was one member came the first day, then another the second, but no one could spend the night away from their houses because of <i>compromisos</i> (or commitments) in the house. For the third morning no one was there, which in the end was not a problem.<br />
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Since Christmas I would say one of my own personal milestones/bigger achievements has been moving into my own house. I had this milestone etched in my head when I began service, thinking only six months with host families and I’ll have my own space! I think that Peace Corps DR policy regarding volunteers living with host families is completely necessary, it gives you a full time crash course in culture, communication and integration into the community through trusted, well known members of the community (ideally, but some volunteers are not as lucky). Luckily my experience has been positive and I haven’t really had any complaints when it comes to the host families I was placed with. But it is a feat in itself adapting to a new culture, a new job as a volunteer, and not one, but three different host families in three different towns or cities before settling into your own place. To sum it up, it was a rollercoaster of ups, downs and in-betweens with a constant adjustment period. Finally I feel I am adjusted to the country, and my town is feeling more and more comfortable and I see many familiar (and many still unfamiliar) faces around.<br />
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It is nice and quiet in my new place, and of course at times a bit lonely. Luckily I have my dog to keep my company, even though he is a handful himself sometimes, burning bridges left and right. He’s banned from overnight stays at my old host families house (they also have 4 other dogs so five puts the Dona over the edge). Most recently, while I was in the capital for two days working, I asked the neighbor to give him food and water while I was gone, and left her with my keys. I came back to an exasperated woman who had to chase him around after he escaped from the backyard, who then fixed my back fence around the patio so he could no longer get out. Mind you this is after her and her husband helped me construct the fence around the patio so he would have somewhere to run instead of having to be tied to the fence. Add five amendments to the fence because Choco found some new way to Houdini himself out of the backyard, one case in which her husband had to chase him all the way to the police stop about two blocks away. So I will be exploring other options next time I need to leave my site! But Choco is definitely a crowd pleaser and quite a favorite with the kids in the neighborhood. When ever I am out walking without him they ask where he is—which is funny because I think they remember his name better than mine!<br />
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The house is wonderful. I have a nice view of the mountains, which are especially gorgeous in the crisp morning. It is a three-bedroom house so I have my bedroom (which I just painted a couple of walls a turquoise green color), a smaller room that will be my office, and a guest room. The Mother’s Center let me borrow a stove with an oven and some pots and pans- a huge expense spared. It already had a fridge, a bed for the spare room, and then my project partner loaned me a gas tank, a bed for my room and an armoire. After my essential fan, dishes and silverware and used washer purchases I have a solid base. Finally I have a table to eat and work on so I am set for now.<br />
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<i>My little yellow house:</i><br />
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They say that to never be disappointed or deem anything as a failure you ought to go into things with no expectations. Well here in the DR, I feel that an entirely new definition is brought to the idea of NO EXPECTATIONS. Take the monopoly internet-phone service provider, Codetel (also in charge of the phone network Claro, all under a more commonly known little service provider, Verizon). There is no competition for Codetel here (at least in my area), therefore there is no need no compete to provide quality service to keep that customer coming back for more. The customer, unfortunately, HAS to come back for more. And thus there is no reason to provide excellent customer service but rather barely meet the customer’s needs because, well, the customer has to put up with it. I order a phone line in my house on a Friday, the technician will be at my house within 3-5 day period. The next Friday he calls in the morning, he will be in past 2 PM. Luckily I ask for a contact number just in case. I call him at 4 PM, <i>are you lost? </i>Technician: <i>Uh, um, no well I am in Santo Domingo, I can’t make it out today.</i> Me: <i>And why didn’t you call me and let me know? When will you be coming? </i>Technician: <i>I will be there first thing in the morning, between 8:30 – 9 PM. </i>Me: <i>Ok, well come early because I have appointments in the afternoon. </i> Come the next morning, I call at 10 PM to ask where the guy is. Technician: <i>oh, I’m at my house, um Ill be there in an hour and a half. </i>Of course I need to catch the Dominican translations to these clues. 8:30 in the morning, I can’t believe I believed that one! It really meant three hours later. Or rather they will make you wait a day without telling you and it is completely normal. <br />
Guy finally comes and installs the phone. Doesn’t work. A week and a half later another guy comes, same process. But this time the guy does a good job and everything is set.<br />
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Another example, this time from the public sector. My project partner and I come to decision that it is time to call an all cooperative meeting. It will serve for two purposes, the first being to have a learning workshop help by the autonomous government institution that provides assistance for cooperatives.<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"></span></span> The second purpose is for me to open up the meeting with a presentation of my organizational diagnostic, a talk on project planning and management and to present the project that we will be working on for the next year and 8 months. Fifty invitations were sent out, it will be the first time the entire cooperative meets as a group, as they rarely meet (only the directive has met monthly since I have been here, the cooperative is at a stand still at the moment and picking back up now). The day before the event, the institution calls to cancel last minute- they won’t be able to make it. I mention expectations because my having no expectations, or certain low expectations was more limited to a) people showing up an hour late; b) maybe a third of people showing up. I guess I didn’t even think about whether or not the government agency was going to hold their appointment and their side of the bargain. But such is life here in the DR, you can’t really count on certain public services, the more obvious examples being electricity and water. (On a positive note, I must mention the institution has been extremely helpful otherwise- setting up an NGO meeting and providing some good resources!).<br />
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In the end a little under one third of the cooperative showed up, or 16 people. Thirteen of them were women that work in production, so I will be working with them more closely in the coming months. I can only look at it as a success in that I reached new people in the cooperative, presented my project and introduced myself to a couple of new faces, and talked about project planning. A second small success came right before this meeting at the monthly directive meeting, where we held a session to come up with the vision and the mission statements for the cooperative.<br />
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And a third success was a marmalade workshop. The sub Director of the PCDR came out to our campo with his wife two weeks ago to hold a small workshop on making marmalade using pectin. The marmalade product the women had been making was coming out much darker than it should, losing its color and flavor in the extended cooking process it took to make the marmalade. Pectin is a natural substance found mainly in citrus fruit that works as a gelling agent, reducing the cooking time to just minutes. Six women came to the workshop. We made mango marmalade and now have to work out the details of our own recipe. Now I am doing a cost-benefit analysis, looking into sources for glass bottles and pectin, which can both be quite expensive.<br />
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<i>Women making mango marmalade: </i><br />
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Coming up soon are business classes for <i>Construir tus suenos</i> starting in April with youth in the community, continuing to implement the project for <i>Fruticoop, Inc.</i> and continuing to work with the women’s center Doll Workshop, or <i>Taller de Munequeria.</i> And soon my friend Mariange will be visiting from home—which I am very excited about!Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-23503132072610093422010-01-05T12:34:00.000-08:002010-01-06T10:07:39.721-08:00Holidays in the DR<i>Holidays in my site…</i><br />
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December is a sleepy month in the DR. The first half of the month was filled with the last meetings of various community groups, wrapping up the year with <i>Angelitos</i> (secret santa), eating the <i>Dulces de Navididad</i> (Christmas sweets of apples, raisins and gumdrops), dancing to bachata and merengue and <i>perico ripiao </i>(very fast version of merengue), and playing a game called <i>El Secreto.</i><br />
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<i> Dulces de Navidad</i><br />
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<i>El Secreto</i>, or the Secret, is a game with many different versions played at parties. <i>Version 1: </i>Wrap a present and attach a chain link of paper to it, with each paper containing a sentence. A person begins, opening the paper that contains a sentence such as: he who is the biggest flirt, the girl with the lightest eyes, the cutest, and the most voluptuous. It really depends on the party and the crowd at how tame the sentences will be. The person reading it chooses the person in the room they think fits that description, and gives them a kiss, usually on the cheek. The game continues until the chain is gone and the last person opens the present. <i>Version two:</i> Put papers in balloon. A boy takes the balloon and a girl comes up and they pop the balloon using their bodies (usually sitting on the lap works best). They read the strip of paper in the balloon and game continues as such. <br />
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As food is an integral part of Dominican culture, there are many, many big late night meals with your bowl/plate filled to the brim with amazingly tasty Dominican cuisine (to give you an idea: spaghetti, <i>moro</i>- beans and rice mixed, yucca, <i>guineo </i>or banana served in more ways than you can imagine, <i>plátano maduro frito</i> or fried ripe plantain, <i>guandules</i>- green beans with the beans stripped out and normally cooked with coconut, bread, chicken and pork, goat, Russian salad, potato salad, stewed eggplant, okra, don’t get me started on deserts, etc.). <br />
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There is also the <i>aguinardo (caroling a la DR)</i>, where groups of people start at one house and begin singing and dancing in the early morning hours, moving from house to house, waking people up that then join the group. The crowd grows as they move through the community. <br />
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Christmas is not as big of a deal as is Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is largely centered on the three F’s- <i>family, food and fun</i>. Preparation for the big Christmas Eve meal often begins the day before, and continues the entire next day. The food is set out and the massive food consumption begins. Many people pass through, sharing the meal and wishing each other a Feliz Noche Buena (Merry Christmas Eve). Some people pass through singing Christmas songs. This continues until very late (12/1 or even later) with music, dancing, and Presidente beer if one so desires.<br />
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<i> Caroling (aguniardo) a la DR:</i><br />
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<i> Host parents' daughter, Yamile with excellent food she prepared: </i> <br />
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<i>host parents dancing:</i><br />
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Unlike American culture, or at least in my experience Christmas presents are not exchanged. Santa doesn’t pass through the DR or much of Latin America from what I understand. Presents are instead given to children on January 6, Dia de los Reyes Magros, which the government changed to the 4th this year because it fell on a Monday and a four- day weekend just wasn’t long enough. Christmas day is a quite and relaxing day where people eat leftovers from Christmas Eve. It was not easy being away from family this year, and although I was quite distracted on Christmas Eve with all the festivities, Christmas Day held more somber tone for me. Luckily, some family friends were heading to the beach and invited Choco and me to come along. We stopped by Los Corbanitos, which is a remote and beautiful beach that happens to be the closest to my town (5 Km away). Then we continued on to spend some time at Punto Salinas.<br />
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<i>Me and Choco at Los Corbanitos</i><br />
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<i>Christmas Party in the Capital…</i><br />
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A week before Christmas I was also in the capital going to go the Director’s annual Christmas party, held on the top floor of an apartment building that has an amazing view of Santo Domingo and the ocean. We enjoyed some Chinese food and an amazing array of deserts, and some hanging out time. I was asked to attend an event in Azua, a town thirty minutes past Bani to go to a conference hosted by the Secretary of the Environment (with Jaime David, former Vice-president and now Secretary of Environment) at an off the road beach. Accompanied by three other volunteers and a Peace Corps driver, we finally found the event after much searching, which was to support a sort of local shrimping project sponsored by the Taiwanese government and the Dominican government.<br />
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<i>Outside Azua:</i><br />
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The beach was quite nice and the day interesting in so many words, with a flat tire on the way home and a nauseous bus passenger who projectile vomited a hot pink substance all over the <i>cobrador </i>(fare taker) and me on the bus ride on the way back to my town from Bani. Good times. <br />
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The New Year….</i><br />
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Two thousand ten a new year and new decade has commenced. Just to think ten short years ago we were all huddled up in our basements with can openers and stacks of bottled water awaiting the impending doom of Y2K (although I was probably dancing to electronic music in some warehouse)! This new years I brought in 2010 in Caberete with some great PCV friends and also my friend Julieta who happened to be around to celebrate! <br />
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Caberete is a beautiful beach town east of Puerto Plata. From Puerto Plata (roughly 3 ½ hours north of Santo Domingo) continue onto Sosúa, the sex tourism capital of the DR, and take a taxi twenty minutes east to Caberete, a once sleepy surfing town turned tourism and water sports destination. We lucked out on weather really, with the day time being mainly clear to enjoy the gorgeous beach, warm water, and waves fit for challenging body surfing. We had a nice place with a kitchen and beds for everyone on a place right on the beach. Caberete is nice because everywhere seems to be pretty much on the beach, with the main road running along the beach and nearly everything accessible to the beach. There are a lot of nice beach side places to eat and beach side bars for afternoon/night time. Accommodations are inexpensive compared to other touristy places. It was a great time and I could not have asked for better food, company, fun and beach time. After new years we had a quick stop in Rio San Juan, a beautiful quiet neighbor of Cabarete with hotels on the cliffs of the ocean and beautiful picturesque beaches just a 10 minutes bus ride away. Gorgeous and I will definitely be going back.<br />
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<i>Cabarete:</i> <br />
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<i>Playa Grande, Near Rio San Juan:</i><br />
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My trip up north was just what I needed to start of the New Year running with a very work filled January. Being back in my site feels better than what I expected. I have already began chipping away at the mountain of community interviews I have to conduct for my survey, the breadth of the work I have to complete in preparation for 3 month IST (in service training held for one week in the capital). <br />
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<i>Host mom phone outside house:</i><br />
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<i>Choco sleeping:</i><br />
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</div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-53975249074517748942009-12-04T08:28:00.000-08:002009-12-04T08:28:10.533-08:00My first month in site and a funny storyI have been in my site for over a month now. Things are starting to fall into place a little more each day, although readjusting back at my site after three fun filled pseudo debaucherous days in the capital proved more difficult than I thought it would. <br />
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<i>So what exactly have I been up to?</i><br />
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I have been working on my community and organizational diagnostics, and getting to know my community. The first three months of Peace Corps service are a diagnostic phase. As a community economic volunteer you complete two diagnostics: the community diagnostic and the organizational diagnostic in order to form needs assessments for both and to design your projects. Part of the community diagnostic is a community map, where you walk around recording streets, houses, churches, identifying small business and resources for the community (example: where the water comes from; public transportation, etc.). <br />
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I started the community map about a week after being here, which I am about ¾ done with at this point. The town, which is a Municipal District already had a map of the streets from the early 90’s when they paved the majority of the roads. I got a copy from the local <i>ayuntamiento </i>(city hall) and it proved useful in navigating and adding houses, new streets that aren’t on the map and filling in the 100 plus micro, small and medium sized business in the town. Walking around I have been meeting a lot of people that don't live in my area but in one of the five other sections, talking to kids, business owners, sitting with residents in plastic chairs under the shade of trees in the street in the early afternoons, to <i>compartir </i>(share) and gain <i>confianza</i> (trust) with the members of the community. <br />
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Just getting my face out there and getting to be known is good, even though the crazy and bewildered looks are a bit draining sometimes (although less frequent). Sometimes it is overwhelming, with so many new people that I can hardly keep track of whom I’ve met, who is related to whom, and who is a member of which group(s). Although a town of 6000 seems small and tangible enough, it is a lot at times to be one person trying to remember so many people. I keep reminding myself that it will take time to integrate, and after a month I finally feel like things are slowly beginning to fall into place.<br />
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I am just beginning to interview households in order to conduct survey of the community with the help of the local church youth group. With this I can gather basic info on the community, identify needs and potential projects to work on with the community while I am here. <br />
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As my town is very organized, I have been going to many community group meetings. I sit in on many, many conversations involving a lack of water in this dry region that has barely received any rainfall yet this year, affecting the crops, business and life in general. They are working diligently to get wells working to extract water down below the dry river bed of the Rio Ocoa, but are waiting for government agencies to provide the much needed equipment and resources necessary to get all of them to function. Daily conversations consist of farming and local crops, which I expect to be an expert in by the time I leave (mainly mango, onion, papaya, plantain and banana). <br />
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I also hear a lot of <i>chisme </i>(gossip) about people who I’m not yet familiar with being so new, so it’s hard to follow (<i>so and so from such and such town who is related to Fulana who blah blah blah with Fulano</i>). <br />
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And of course, I go to the beach with my family. I’ve been to the two busier points nearby- Palmar de Ocoa (8 km) and Punto Salinas (Not many kilometers, but more than 8):<br />
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</div>(Salt mines at Punto Salinas)<br />
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(Boats at Palmar de Ocoa)<br />
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Now I am about ¾ done with my organizational diagnostic, which analyzes many areas of an organization in addition to a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis. In the first week of February the CED volunteers in my training group will come together at the 3-month IST (in-service-training) with our project partners to present the diagnostic and then begin project planning. <br />
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My cooperative, <i>Fruticoop, Inc.</i>, which produces dried fruit and mango marmalade using solar technology has a wonderful product but has accrued losses in the past several years due to lack of commercialization and sales of their products under the brand <i>FrutiSol</i>. I hope to help promote and sell the product, assist in the internal organization and improving some of the production problems that the currently have, and the quality control of the product as well. <br />
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My project partner, also the president of the Cooperative is very motivated, and we have been meeting a lot. Tomorrow I will be going back to Santo Domingo to meet with the directors of the Foundation for Agriculture and the Environment (FAMA, a national NGO that initiated and managed many projects within Fruticoop, inc. since it’s beginnings in 2003/4) to discuss the collaboration between the two and see the organic market they have every Friday where they sell our products and also produce from local farmers. <br />
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That is my work/personal life in a nutshell. In addition I read, a lot. I sleep and enjoy my afternoon nap. I watch puppies and roosters and palm trees in the hot sun and ponder buying a hammock. And I talk to other volunteers and people from back home about it all, the good and bad. I motivate myself to do work and as soon as I do I realize how much there is to do and while living here there will is no shortage of opportunities for projects and willing parties to take on new projects. <br />
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And to wrap up this obnoxiously long blog entry, I have funny misunderstandings- even though I feel comfortable with Spanish and feel like I am improving all the time. And the story goes that one morning a couple of weeks ago my Dona comes in and tells me that one of the dogs, Lila, has a <i>garrapata</i>. I did not know this word yet so I ask what a <i>garrapata</i> is. She says, oh <i>es un pajarito que chupa la sangre</i> (Literal translation- It is a little blood sucking bird). Having just woken up and still deep in slumber I forget that the word <i>pajarito</i> is also used to describe insects and bugs. So I start imagining this crazy big bird sucking on the dog Lila’s blood, and start wondering if Lila is going to die or is dead, or what this crazy bird is that I have never heard of. After this goes on for awhile (way longer than it should have) I finally realize that <i>garrapata</i> is the word for tick.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-17760694603908210732009-12-04T07:58:00.000-08:002009-12-04T08:34:59.796-08:00Dia de Pavo – Thanksgiving in Santo Domingo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanksgiving was last week and many volunteers convened in Santo Domingo to celebrate. I went in on Wednesday (about a two hour trip from my site). After dropping off my things at the Peace Corps office I went to lunch at the Embassy, an amazing refuge with mouthwatering hot turkey sandwiches and a refreshing pool where you’re specifically instructed NOT to throw your toilet paper in the trash, you can take hot showers, and no one is looking at you crazily for wearing a <i>gasp*-</i> bikini! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From there I went to the vet with a couple of other volunteers to adopt my adorable new puppy! The <i>cachorro</i> (puppy) is the only little boy out of six from a batch of puppies that another volunteer had been raising at her site in Samaná, then brought them all back to Santo Domingo, where they were adopted by other volunteers. He is about seven weeks old, brown (looks kind of like a chocolate lab) and his name is Choco “<i>Don’t call me Viralata</i>” Late (Viralata is the word here for street dog, named for dogs knocking over trash cans). I was going to go with Hank, but that doesn’t exactly translate well into Spanish, and then it would be something like <i>Eris</i> (what people sometimes call me) <i>y Ank </i>(the H doesn’t really get pronounced), so you can see why I decided against it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Choco at home)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That night we had a dance party on the second floor of the hotel where most of the youth volunteers were staying after a healthy dinner of <i>comida criollo china </i>(Chinese and fried food joints scattered around the island). The next day was the Thanksgiving extravaganza at a country club near the Botanical Gardens in Santo Domingo. Lots of pool time, excellent brunch with your T-day dinner staples of Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin and pecan pie, mashed potatoes and a new personal favorite, sweet mashed potatoes. Followed by some more poolside fun, a talent show and then out in Santo Domingo to some places that reminded me those I used to frequent in Barcelona while studying abroad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And by Saturday morning I was back my site with the puppy, getting back into the campo life. Now at the house we have two dogs, and four puppies. As my Dona says my dog is still <i>pegado a la teta</i> (stuck to the teet) because he keeps trying to feed off of the Mom that is feeding her puppies that are about a third his size. The photo explains it all:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Mamando con los otros cachorros)</span><br />
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</div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-71918971499698597112009-10-31T18:18:00.000-07:002009-10-31T18:24:07.562-07:00Project Partner Day and First Site VisitI finally got my site and have already gone for a visit. I am living in a small pueblo of about 6000 people southwest of Santo Domingo, about 30 minutes southwest of Bani. I am right near the sand dunes that are famous in the Caribbean, a few nice beaches within a short motoconcho or guagua rides reach. It is semi arid desert weather, with lower humidity than Santo Domingo (gracias a Dios) and temperatures usually in the 90s right about now. It is pretty much summer all year round and doesn't rain much. Since it is fall I am coming into their cool season, which is still hot.<br />
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Before you permanently move into your project site, trainees go for a five day site visit. It begins with the madness that is project partner day, where we meet our project partners who we will be working with the next two years. After working with them in the morning and having lunch, everyone departs to their respective sites and brings as much of their belongings as possible to make for an easier trip on the permanent move on Friday the 30th. We lugged all of our stuff to Entrena, hopped on buses over to San Pablo where the day happens (this was the same convent we had all spent our first night in the DR two and a half months earlier). I met my two project partners, a man and a women who were both very nice, good first impression. The woman is a member of the cooperative that produces dried fruit (my actual project partner is the president of the cooperative, but she couldn't make it), and the man is a member of the local development association.<br />
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Shortly following lunch we set out to my site. First we made a quick stop at FAMA in Santo Domingo, a local NGO that supports sustainable development projects in my site and around the DR. We met with the staff and then headed southwest on the highway. <br />
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We finally get there (ok, it is close only a little over two hours) and I am pretty surprised at how nice the town is. Little tree lines streets with sidewalks and paved roads throughout most of the town- notably clean. Some areas are more marginalized and poorer than others, not all roads are paved but nearly all and there are about six parts of town. There is also a Haitian community here so I look forward to Creole training in the spring to integrate with the entire community.<br />
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</div>My host parents are in their early seventies, and their granddaughter in her twenties lives there as well. My host dad is the president of the development association and the granddaughter is the secretary. Also there is a parrot that whips out phrases in Spanish asking the important philisophical questions like <i>hay platano</i>? I get a special gold medal if I can teach the parrot my name, since Erin usually becomes<i> Eris </i>here (parrot in the photo, chilling in its tree in our backyard). There are also a couple of shaggy dogs, a couple of roosters, a cat and her kitten (standoffish but it will come around) and some other birds. The little shaggy white dog is pregnant so I may be getting a puppy very soon.<br />
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<i>Back yard at my new house.</i><br />
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</div>My house is nice, there is a normal bathroom and shower, fan in room, nicest place Ive lived out so far. So its comfy. And there are three cooperatives: two mango cooperatives that sell mangoes domestically and export, and a cooperative that produces dried fruit using a solar powered drier. The dried fruit cooperative is my main project and is mainly comprised of women, with some male members. My other project partner works in the local development association (the president is also my host dad) which is down the street from my house. There seem to be a lot of motivated people that I met at the various community group meetings I went to throughout the week, and a lot of opportunities to work with the community.<br />
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<i>Below:</i> <i>View of the Caribbean from a church down the street from my house.</i><br />
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</div>The town has the local hospital for the region, highschool, primary school, two baseball fields, a central square, and lots of small businesses (little clothing stores, colmados, colmadons, ferreterias, auto repairs shops, paint shops, cafeterias, etc). There have been a lot of development projects over the years due to some very active a forward thinking community associations and residents, and remittance money being reinvested from the large Diaspora living mainly in the Bronx (also Boston and Florida). Every household seems to have half of their family in the little DR, aka the Bronx. <br />
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The town also has trash collection and organic trash collection that they have a large organic compost, where they make fertilizer and sell it. Basically Ill be learning a lot and working with some sustainable development projects. (See photo at left, the <i>Planta Abono Organico</i> or Compost and my host dad).<br />
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So my first impression is good and I am excited to go back next weekend and get started. We swear in as volunteers on Wednesday, and will offically start our two years then. Made it through training and now the real work begins!!Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-1884234144254937292009-10-05T16:00:00.000-07:002009-10-18T13:24:42.046-07:00Living in the Campo and shortly returning to PantojaWe have been in the campo for almost three weeks now, and have about a week and a half left here before we head back to Santo Domingo for the Business Plan competition (something that Community Economic Development Sector works with' volunteers work with youth to form business plans, and the winners of the competition are given seed money to start their business).<br />
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</div>Campo life is definitely very relaxing, and I enjoy my outdoor shower under the stars, or in the plain daylight dumping refreshing cool buckets of water on my head while looking up at my avocado and cherry trees. (Photo at left: in my favorite avocado tree next to my house). It is nice to get to know the community more because it is that much more tangible because it is smaller. The volunteers are spread out between four different communities, so we all come together for technical training and the occasional get together.<br />
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Two of the more recent eco tour sights included a trip to 27 charchos, beautiful waterfalls near our sites that boast 27 pools of water beneath a canopy of trees. We hiked only half of them in the interest<br />
of saving some time and cash since we had to get back before the afternoon to go to community meetings. We went equipped with helmuts and life jackets and fun guides with interesting animal calling talents that jumped out at us from randomn spots in the bushes. My ego definately came down a few notches after being tricked way more than once. But the water was beautiful, we for the most part all made it off of even the larget charcos, and enjoyed swimming in the cool blue-green waters underneath the trees in stone water ways, sliding in some parts through rocks that were crafted into natural water slides falling into pools. <br />
Below: The jeep we roll 20 deep in...<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/Stt3IniqtmI/AAAAAAAAACI/gCv06yDvqq0/s1600-h/DSCN1736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lzNHaiVGuEA/Stt3IniqtmI/AAAAAAAAACI/gCv06yDvqq0/s320/DSCN1736.JPG" /></a>The second of our ecotourism trips was, well, interesting. What was supposed to be a three hour round trip hike turned into a bushwacking extravaganza up the face of a mountain and back around the other side to the much anticipated water falls, the source of the 27 charcos and was supposedly well worth it. After hiking up the front of the mountain to a dry pool at the top (where I think the guides thought the pools were, but they were actually way on the other side), we scaled back down and went right up the face of the mountain to the top in order to hike down the other side to find the what seemed to be imaginary pools. We made it up eventually but were at times quite frustrated beacuse we ran out of water and didnt anticipate such a trek nor were we prepared for it at all. We hiked down the other side to a trickling pool and filled up our water bottles with fresh spring water. Good thing because on my way back up a few of us ended up having to drink the water (I had to have water) but took anti-parasitic medication after we got back. But in the end it was worth it with a beautiful view from the top and a wealth of experience, plus we had a good group experience to tell the others. I definitely will be asking more questions beforehand next time around.<br />
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This past weekend members of the Junta de Vecinos and all of us living in Los Claveles went to the beach in Puerto Plata to take in the sun. It was beautiful and right on the beach, one of the days that truly reminds me that I live in the Caribbean, except for the fact that I am sweating in October. And since it took us four hours to go in a big group to get there, when it was only 45 minutes away, I was also reminded I live in the DR. The beach itself was amazing, with crystal blue waters stretching out for miles, palm trees and white sands stretching on either side as far as you can see. And the water was relatively shallow and calm. I am getting used to the fact that I have to wear my tank top and shorts in the water, since I was around the community (although I prefer the bikini, what can I say). But it was also a tourist beach, so it wasn´t a huge deal if you were in a bikini, but it is definitely weird for Dominicans, who like to cover up while swimming. <br />
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The way to and from the beach was crazy and wild. We were piled eleven in a minivan while the rest of the people were piled in an old school bus. The entire way there the two drivers enjoyed a fun game of chicken, darting in front of oncoming traffic to cut in front of each other. My life flashed before my eyes several times but I wasn´t about to get around in walk soooo, I hung on for the ride. Most of the drivers here are pretty crazy and questionable two lane roads are often three lane roads with the middle (and the other lanes) used for passing no matter if you are in a blind turn, hill, or whatever. I guess I am not that disappointed that we don´t get to drive here! <br />
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</div>Besides all that, lots of technical training and I have become surprisingly accustomed to certain aspects of campo life. For example large spiders in my bed, effective latrine use and flicking off ´pajaritos¨, which literally means little birds but it is the word used for insects. I often get laughed at for dodging the pajaritos and ¨mariposas¨(Literally a butterfly, but no this also means big moths), but all in good fun. <br />
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So far it has been fun, ups downs, we are all getting closer and I am especially excited to see all the other groups of volunteers when we reunite in Pantoja in the coming weeks!!<br />
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Photo above: Ladies of Los ClavelesErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-56474684953613204362009-09-13T10:28:00.000-07:002009-10-31T19:14:11.484-07:00Community Based Training and Campo LifeWe have arrived in the campo to our campo site for community based training. Our training group for Community Economic Development has been placed in four small communities off of Altamira, a small pueblo off of the main highway. Of the four communities me and six other volunteers are placed in the most remote of the communities, called Los Claveles, which is a community comprised of about a couple of hundred people. Our Spanish teachers are placed in the community with us, so we can have intensive language courses daily, mostly applied Spanish and pretty relaxed. The other half of the day is spent in technical training, which was initially going to be in the community furthest from us at 8 km away, called La Fundacion, but since it seems to be cooler in our site we will now have the technical courses in the cooler mornings of Los Claveles, a bit higher up.<br />
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I live quite high up on a mountain, and it is breathtakingly beautiful. There are lush green sub tropical mountains rolling for miles, as far as the eye can see. It is quite a hike to get up to my house, so I am expecting to be in great shape! And about a twenty minute hike up the road you reach another town called La Loma, where there is a magnificent view. Below: view from my house.<br />
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Leaving Santo Domingo was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. This last week was fun, but also intense and filled with ups and downs. Three people left so far, and I hope that we will not be losing many more during CBT training. We all went out to the car wash (car washes that are also make shift dance clubs at night, with merengue, bachata, reggaeton and el presidente, a popular beer to your hearts content) on Wednesday night to have a big send off and let off some steam before we all went our respective ways for the next five weeks. Good times. <br />
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We took the ride all the way up north and I was a bit nervous about how the site was going to be. Our technical trainer used an effective strategy that painted a picture of the worst scenario possible, so our expectations were very low. I think that it worked well because my house was described to me as the humblest and I was to share a room with my host sister who was living there, and if I was lucky I might have a sheet dividing our room. But, upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised to find a large space enclosed by sheets as my room. And a home nestled on the top of a hill with a view, and a very welcoming family!! I live with my host mom, Ramona, her husband Seney (in their forties), their daughter, Fanny (20), grandpa who is visiting from Santiago, grandson Carlos (5) and cousin Juan (16). The walls of the house are made of old soy oil tin(or zinc) of a faded blue and green painting a colorful picture of a soy field, reminiscent of warhol in that it is one label on top of another, and some wood with a zinc roof. It is very communal living, in that you can pretty much hear everything, especially since most of the rooms are divided by sheets. But families here are very close and spend a lot of time together, so they are all very close anyway and have nothing to hide! I shower outside under an avocado tree, right next to the outdoor kitchen with a precarious curtain clinging to the tin. I listen to mom and dad and the family chatting while I pour refreshingly chilly water down my body and cross my fingers that I don´t see an eyeball peering through a little peep hole (my own paranoia creeping, I hope).<br />
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Blackouts are rampant, and often you here <i>apago la luz</i>, or <i>se fue la luz</i> (the lights went out). A while later this is followed by <i>vino la luz</i>,inidcating its welcoming return. So often I fish through my stuff in the dark or sift by flashlight. Mostly I eat by lantern, too. Or outside on the patio, which is nice and refreshing. But my best icebreaker now is the joke told to me by a fellow trainee, which has been working out pretty well to lighten the mood upon meeting new people. Q.What kind of wine do all Dominicans, I mean ALL Dominicans love (Que tipo de vino les gusta a todos los Dominicanos). A. The lights came on (Vino la luz!). Of course this does not translate well, but for those of you who speak Spanish it works. And <i>vino la luz</i> can also be substituted with <i>Vino el agua</i>, because the water often goes out as well. <i> </i><br />
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<i>Some photos of the campo (below: my sweet ride up the Loma)<br />
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As an ending note, there is lots of dancing. Merengue, bachata, less reggaeton than I thought so far. I am thrilled to report that my Merengue is coming along quite nicely, so I expect to be up to speed by the end of CBT. We have been out dancing a couple of nights with people in the hood, and everyone knows each other so each of us volunteers are always going out with our little brothers, cousins, sisters, the works. Chisme also travels fast here. One volunteer wasn't allowed to go out one night and the next morning three people stopped by my house to talk about how so and so didnt let her volunteer go to the dance. <i>No puede ser. </i>She was definitely allowed to come out the next night after all that chisme. <br />
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And last but not least the motoconcho rides, the crazy motoconcho rides. I love riding around on the back of these tranport motorcycle taxis, and enjoying the lush green sub tropics around me and warm breeze through my helmut while I ponder in wonderment that this is my job, but I can´t help but imagine flying through the air and crashing and burning on one sometime. Hopefully I will never see that day, or it will be minimal damage! They arent so bad and these choferes (drivers) know what they are doing, so I think we are in pretty good hands. And pictures will come up next week to make things more intersting, <i>si Dios quiere</i> (common Dominican phrase used to say something may or may not happen!).<br />
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</div><i> CBT host dad's parents a few houses down</i>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-77265992189430027992009-09-08T15:55:00.000-07:002009-09-08T16:04:48.125-07:00Volunteer site visit and last week or soA lot has happened in the past week and a half.<br />
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Where to begin, well as a recap we had a visit from Aaron Williams, the newly appointed director of the Peace Corps last Tuesday. He began his career as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic and served with another returned Peace Corps volunteer, Senator Dodd. He spoke to our training group and then had lunch at the Entrena center. He is a charismatic and very friendly guy--it was inspiring to think that he had come full circle all of this way, beginning in the DR and ending up as the director of PC- afterall, that could be one of us some day.<br />
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Moving on, we had our volunteer site visit this weekend. Thursday morning I got up early and headed to the bus stop to go to Hato Mayor, a province (and small city) about two hours north east of Santo Domingo. From there I took another small gua gua (gua gua is literally a word for baby, but also a local term used for bus- generally over crowded and packed to the brim in Santo Domingo, but not so bad in the outer city buses SO far) to Vincentillo in the El Seibo neighboring province. Thirty minutes later, after passing across a couple of small rivers and through small towns I arrive at the volunteer´s site who I am supposed to visit, who has been in her site for a year in a campo (small rural town). <br />
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We have lunch and begin chatting. The point of the visit is to gain perspective on what life will actually be like as a volunteer serving in the DR. We go next door to a local cafteria-auto part store and have a tamarind juice replete with sugar. We are chatting with some local communiy members and I know I am getting in good with them when I spill juice on my shirt, and one of the locals feels comfortable enough to laugh and say <i>oh, just like a baby!!</i> I think he was laughing with me not at me. <br />
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As far as project sites there are four different settings you can get placed in: Batey (poorest communities, majority population comprised of Haitians or of Haitian descent, usually nearby sugar cane fields as the communities would generally harvest sugar cane), Campo (small rural towns, can be very remote or nearby small town or city), Pueblo (small town or city, larger than campo), or city (bigger city, regional urban center, etc). She has project partners in the campo and in the pueblo, as she works with a cacao block based out of Hato Mayor, and also has a project partner at the women´s association in her town where she lives (rough population of 1500 people). Half of the time she is working in town and the other half she is hanging out in the campo.<br />
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She works with the cacao block that is made up of 27 small producers or so in the region. I learned all about the process of growing, harvesting, fermenting and drying cacao, the different grades, fair trade processes, etc. She is also working on a local chocolate tour where tourists leave from Hato Mayor to visit different fincas (small farms) nearby and then stop at the women´s association in her town for lunch, where they also produce sub products such as cacao marmelade and wine. I definately wouldn´t mind working with a similar project with cacao producers, eco tourism, coffee producers, etc. She also has a bunch of side projects working with local youth and artisans, developing a business plan through one of the CED initiatives <i>Construir tus suenos</i> (build your dreams). <br />
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We got along really well and it was great to see how she lived, worked and to finally get out of Pantoja! Plus, I was able to get a better idea of what I want out of my service, and what kind of setting I want to be in. At the moment I am thinking I want to be in a pueblo, not a campo. Of course, <i>right near the beach boyeee. </i> <br />
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The campo was an experience. It is exactly what you would think, smaller town, fewer people but a tight knit community, a bit slower lifestyle with a lot of hanging out. And beautiful. We went to a river by her house settled in green lush mountains with a climate that is slightly less suffocating than Santo Domingos heat and pollution sticking to your skin. There was a full moon one of the nights right when we were hit by frequent blackouts, so we played dominos and this awesome card game called casino by candle light with some of her friends from the neighborhood. It is peaceful especially once you get used to the occasional dog and cat fight noises in the distance, crowing roosters, etc. And lots of lightening bugs flashing a light green color in the distance (called cucuyos).<br />
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Of course I now have important info regarding campo life- including latrine use, latrine use at night (flash light to scare the roaches back down into the latrine or keep your eye on them at least- I gained the courage for this after a couple of nights), bucket baths and dishwashing, amongst other things. Also, dealing with tarantulas that supposedly get prettty big (but we are lucky to have no venomous snakes or spiders in the DR).<br />
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Overall I walk away encouraged because I feel that with motivation, a good project parter or two, a lot of perserverance, and hard skin (not taking things too personally), I can be succesful working and living here on a project for two years. And there seem to be a lot of opportunities for good projects for CED. It took her awhile to become integrated into the community, and I think the first three months will be the most difficult, trying to become integrated into the community, respected and trusted, and make strong comnnections and friends within. <br />
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To wrap it up Ill say a few random things. One, I think I have heard the several extremely popular DR songs about 100 times since this past weekend. One is called Pepe, and literally just repeats Pepe over and over again. In fact, I´ve heard it three times already since being in this internet cafe!! Not so annoying yet but I suspect it may be in the future. Two, I´m getting better at bachata, a popular partner dance. I got plenty of practice Saturday night. Merengue, a little slower but coming along. And three, I finally went to the beach on Sunday with a group of volunteers. It was awesome, warm crystal blue/green water in the Caribbean, hot, white sands and palm trees. I am ecstatic to be here in this gorgeous country. Thursday we seperate into our sector groups and head up north the Alta Mira to do five weeks of Community Based Training. Will add pictures soon!Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-41306518309128588872009-08-29T16:05:00.000-07:002009-09-08T14:58:10.305-07:00Four ice creams and a funeralFriday night after getting home I got my stuff together to go on my weekend outing to Las America´s to my Dona´s middle son´s house, Leonardo, where he lives with his son, Leonardo. We had dinner and they came and picked us up around eight thirty ish. I sat in the backseat wondering if this really was a weekend of courtship as I listened to Spanish love ballads in the back seat with Angelo drooling on my arm, deep in slumber (I am happy to report it didn´t turn out that way). We got to their apartment half hour later in Las Americas, which is a neighborhood by the airport. It is a new apartment complex, his place is a three bedroom apt. on the third floor of the complex. So there is a very nice breeze coming through it, and it is relatively quiet compared to Pantoja. <br />
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The Dona let me sleep in the room she normally sleeps in which was very nice. When I got up in the morning she told me that her sister-in-law had passed away after a struggle with bone cancer. She hadn´t been doing so well the last week, and did not make it through the weekend. <br />
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So we cut the weekend short and went back to attend the funeral and be with family. Of course that was after she cleaned her son´s house, cooked breakfast and lunch, and proceeded to do all his laundry- so we actually left around 1 PM or so. <br />
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Before I get to that I had breakfast this morning and have been getting more and more meat in the morning. You all, or well, most of you know how I feel about ground beef! I think it is one of the meats I can´t bring myself to eat. So I had a tamale of sorts made with plantain and ground beef with a side of sausage (which I found it is turkey sausage, awesome!). I talked to my Dona explained to her that the plaintain is good but I´ve never really had beef before, and at home I just don´t prepare meat for myself and am really not used to eating so much. I reached my meat limit at that point and she totally understood and was like, ok, so do you like goat then? But I think we got it clear that Í´m fine with chicken, pescado (fish, but there is also bacalao, which is this very fishy tasting dried fish that is rehydrated and added to stuff-- not my favorite), and I am sure the turkey sausage. So for lunch we had a really tasty pescado with coconut milk that was fresh from the market (the place is right by the sea).<br />
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We then headed back into town, changed and walked to Los Alcarizzos to go to the funeral. Funerals are a bit less formal here, and people just pretty much stick to anything that is not bright. There was a lot of black and white, but also a lot of jeans and t-shirts. The service literally happens (in most cases) in the same day. Perhaps in this case they knew it was coming, so maybe that is not always the case. The church was packed to the brim, with people spilling out of the back and sides while the ceremony proceeded. It was somber yet there was a lot of singing, reflection and prayer until they brought her coffin down the aisle, and my family (who were here close relatives) were all crying as she was put into the hearse. It was very humbling and I never felt awkward not having known her, because here they really do take you in as family and are so welcoming. <br />
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We went in front of the funeral home with the family and sat on the side of the street in plastic chairs. Here you do a lot of hanging out together, which involves a lot of just sitting together. On the porch, on the street, and not necessarily talking. If it were eight days ago I would have felt awkward not having conversation while sitting there. But this was comfortable silence when there was silence. After awhile I declared I wanted ice cream. Melissa sent her boyfriend to come with me to get it.<br />
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We walk across the street and into the shop. I pick up an ice cream and then remember about the sharing aspect of Dominican culture. Everyone shares. If you have a coke, and your at a table with four people- be prepared to only have a portion of your coke, because everything is shared no matter the amount you have. So I pick out an ice cream and ask if he thinks that Melissa wants one. He goes, yes of course, get her one. I pick out another ice cream and he goes, two? Your only getting two? So I am thinking I should get three then, one for mom. Then he asks, wait, just three? And I am like, there are ten people out there- how many ice creams am I supposed to get! I end up getting four- one for him, too. Now I know about the sharing, but am not sure how standard it is that he expected me to also buy him an ice cream as well, or not. Well we go outside and I had them out and the Dona gave the rest of the people out there her´s to share which she didn´t want. Everyone had a bite. I´ll end this with saying that I like the idea that everyone here automatically shares. Angelo is literally always offering everyone his soda, or whatever it is he is eating, etc, its endearing and an all inclusive type thing which I like.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-8110517502736009962009-08-26T14:58:00.000-07:002009-10-18T09:26:09.165-07:00First Sunday<b>Sunday August 23, 2009</b><br />
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This morning I got to sleep in until 9 AM. I didn’t want to sleep any later, because I am sure my family already thought that was a late hour- although my Doña did tell me to sleep in today. She went out on the town today, to church and welcomed me to whatever I wanted in the fridge. I like my situation, I wash my own dishes (this avoids some conversations on me finishing the plate, because I can cover it, stick it in the fridge and save it for later with no questions asked, or at least that was today). Also, I can make my own coffee if I want it, etc. After she left I asked Melissa to take me to the local internet café/call center around the corner. <br />
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After I had an enormous lunch of this delicious eggplant concoction with tomato and some sort of picante, rice and beans and a salad with a very tasty dressing. Right after a group of volunteers had passed by to see if I wanted to play baseball. So I changed really quick and we walked across the highway and up the hill to a baseball field in another neighborhood, Los Alcarrizos, which is up the highway. <br />
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We decided to sit and share a liter of beer in one of the local colmados, where we ran into other volunteers who were playing at the field we had been looking for. After we decided to play some baseball. You would think Dominos and baseball would be the first national pasttimes of the DR, but there is one ahead- chisme. Chisme is the gossip going arund the neighborhood. I am sure that the whole neighborhood knows what I do, where I go and when. And I was wearing WHAT? And I didn´t eat all the chicken? Ay, que no! I must have hated it! <br />
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So we walked around the corner to the field which is nestled in amongst a bunch of house. There are a ton of kids in the area, so even though there were only six or so of us at this point (including one volunteer´s brother, so eight), we picked up about ten more players as a bunch of local kids (girls and boys) ranging in age. It was really fun, and I was the captain and had to keep telling this overly eager little bare foot cherub that he had to wait his turn to bat every minute, he kept being like am I next, when’s it my turn? Why am I last? I was like, no you’re first, but you have to wait! I had about two innings before I left to get back to my house when I said I was going to be there. It took a lot longer to get there than back, since we were back in about 15 minutes. <br />
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</div>When I came back I enjoyed a nice lemon juice mixed with avena (literally oatmeal, but more like cream of wheat). Then came out the digital camera. I was totally mistaken about who lives here, because Angelo lives here and not Luigi. Luigi was here when I first got here but so many family members and friends run through the house that it is confusing trying to figure out how exactly every one is related and whose kids are whose. But Angelo and his cousin were running around while I took pictures of them playing baseball, holding up sugar can, or whatever. I also got some photos of the house and some family for everyone to see, but I will have to post them later…. Sorry! <br />
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And that night we had the regular mix of Dominicans coming through our house. Doña Isabel’s second oldest boy (she has six children), Leonardo was over with his son. I sat out in the back porch for awhile. The elusive Don came out of his hidden door in the porch and was visiting for a bit. I actually spoke to him for a second yesterday and found out that he is a saxophone player in a band and plays every other weekend or so, and has played for the Embassy. I retired to the kitchen and began to read while they all visited in the back porch. <br />
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In our cross-cultural sessions we are told that going to our room and shutting the door is like shutting out the family, sending the signal that we don’t want to talk or hang out. So as long as I am in the common area, and still around everyone- it still is just enjoying the company! I actually managed to eat the leftovers from lunch for dinner, because my Dona had so much company over and I truly didn’t want to eat a huge meal either, so it worked out for both of us! She told me that Friday night Leonardo was going to come pick us up and we were going to stay at his house for the weekend in Las Americas nearby the airport. I said ok, but as long as I am back on Sunday early morning because I have to meet up with my group to go out during the day to a museum! I’m kind of nervous I guess. Where am I going to sleep? Is this a courtship?! Must ask these questions.<br />
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After dinner I took a ride with Desiree, Melissa and her boyfriend to drop of Desiree in Los Cocos, where she lives. I really like the family, they are all really nice and welcoming. When I got back I met the oldest daughter, Yane who is mid-thirties and has a 13 year old. We sat on the front porch and had a really long conversation. She sells clothes, and is a professor who currently works in the Department of Education for a business. She was talking about a recent trip to Montreal that she took, and also about cooperatives in the DR, which was super interesting, especially since I may end up working with some sort of cooperatives while I am here.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-47535853491216298092009-08-23T09:42:00.001-07:002009-10-18T08:42:02.448-07:00August 22<span style="font-weight: bold;">August 22</span><br /><br /><br />I woke up early the next morning and got ready for school. I had quite a spread at breakfast, which was a relief because the fruit from dinner held me over just enough until then. Despite telling my Doña I didn´t eat meat very often, if at all, I had a healthy ham and cheese sandwhich for breakfast. I expected this and ate it anyhow, I figure I´ll be open minded and try to eat what they give me. I also had a coffee which was delicious, replete with milk and an abundance of sugar. Angelo had breakfast with me and also had his little cafe con leche to add to his bucket of energy. Desiree, Doña Isabel´s youngest daughter (25) was also there. I haven´t spoken to her as much but we are making progress. I got an eye-roll this morning, but also a smile, laugh and some light conversation so I think we are good.<br /><br /><br />At Entrena we had more vaccinations (tetanus and another rabies shot), health policy and cross-cultural sessions, and then a session with current volunteers. We did an exercise where we all stood in a big circle, and picked a statement out of an envelope. Each of us read our statements, one at a time, and whoever the statement was true for had to take two steps into the circle. The statements ranged from political preferences, to past experiences (good and bad, from losing a family member to being physically assaulted, to needing someone to help you out at the moment), amongst other things. They varied and it was a really interesting exercise meant to show the diversity of the group, and kind of breaking into a depth that we had not all reached in the three days we have known each other, especially as asking someone a personal question isn´t exactly an icebreaker. Of course, we all have come here for different reasons, but all with the same objective, to create positive change in the Dominican Republic, overall and within the specific sectors we are working in. And as one volunteer pointed out, it is a representation of America itself, being a heterogeneous country filled with different cultures, backgrounds and points of view. And this is the group (as well as other volunteers and staff in country, Dominican friends made, host families, and other support groups we form, etc) that throughout the next two years we will have to be able to help each other through hard times when we want to quit and go home, and also share successes. And this won´t be a walk in the park or a picnic, it will be a life changing and shaping two-plus years; from what I have heard it is filled with ups and downs.<br /><br />After lunch I had my language proficiency interview, so that I can be placed in my permanent class on Monday. My Doña´s neighbor picked me up and we went home. Since that afternoon thunderstorms ensued, cooling down the hot climate. You sweat like crazy here, and the rain comes and cools everything down. Also the mosquitoes are rampant and have taken a liking to me (like always) so I have about twenty bites on my lower legs that aren´t always covered.<br /><br />I went for a little outing and went for a walk with another volunteer in my neighborhood. While walking back to my house, we ran into another group of volunteers who were exploring as well. That night I had a bigger dinner including a whole little chicken, salad with avocado and tomato and rice and beans. I ate some of the chicken and then told me Doña how tasty it all was and declared I was full, and asked if someone might want the rest of my chicken. The little kitten did, who looks a little hungry all the time. She attacked the meat ferociously, ripping the flesh from the bones and tearing through the skin. When the dogs came to get some of the booty she ran under something to protect her dinner.<br /><br />That night I sat out back with the Doña on her rocker, the kids, and met the oldest son, Eddy. We hung out there a bit and I showed the highly anticipated pictures of my mom and family and talked about my family for a bit, etc. Here in the DR the first thing brought up in a conversation is more along the lines of ¨How is your mother, and your family?¨instead of ¨what do you do for a living?¨".Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-17184857988742372962009-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:002009-08-23T10:29:34.146-07:00Staging and my first two days in the DR<span style="font-weight: bold;">August 18-19</span><br />
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The going away and sendoffs were plentiful, and I left when I didn´t think I was capable of consuming any more rich brunches, plentiful dinners, nights out and lunches with friends. After a light sushi dinner with my sister, Stefany, and my mom I slept for a good four hours and woke up on August 18th at around 4:30 AM to have breakfast with my dad and stepmom before leaving for the airport. My mom picked me up at 6 AM and we headed to the airport... Good thing I got there early to discover a canceled American Airlines flight due to mechanical errors (fuel leaking or something that would have been, um, totally fine...). So I was rebooked to a flight out of SFO and was transported there to catch a later flight leaving at 12:45 PM to DC, via Dallas. The hauling of my luggage began, but finally by midnight I made it to DC and shuttled over to the Holiday Inn National right next door to the airport for a much needed nights sleep before staging.<br />
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I got to my room and met the first volunteer, my roomate who was also a Community Economic Volunteer. We chatted about important things like what we packed. And perhaps more important things, like what we expected, how excited we were, why we joined Peace Corps, etc. The next afternoon staging began (an orientation of sorts) at 1:30 PM. I was surprised to see so many people- 51 volunteers in total in programs of Healthy Communties, Potable water and electricity, Community Youth Development Volunteers, and Community Economic Volunteers. After registering, getting our tickets, reimbursed for everthing and turning in paperwork, we went through some basic get-to-know eachother icebreaking exersizes, found out more info about this rogue assignment in the DR (yes!), especially what to expect in the first few days. Afterwards we went to dinner went back to the hotel since we had to get up at 2 AM the next morning to leave for the airport.<br />
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I got around two hours sleep at most, so I was pretty exhausted (as was everyone else, I´m sure). Pandemonium ensued at the airport, there was a group of volunteers heading to Belize that were in line ahead of us, and our big group, plus other travelers who had no idea what they were getting themselves into that morning when they came to the airport. Finally after getting the bags checked I was able to eat, get some coffee and relax a bit before the first flight to Miami. We flew through Miami and onto the the DR-- finally we had arrived by around 2:30 PM on the 19th.<br />
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Our Program Director, Romeo Massey, an older an jovial man was there to greet us. We went through customs and walked outside. The moment was almost surreal as we walked out the gate, a group of volunteers currently serving were waiting out the doors to greet us with signs and applause. We walked out to the vans and hopped in our collective buses that would take us to our first night in the DR, at a retreat center 45 minutes outside of Santo Domingo. We got to the retreat center, a convent of sorts and were assigned rooms- 3 to a room. Then we all headed to have a snack for lunch, meet staff, and then have an initial presentation by the training director of Entrena, Jennifer. Entrena is a training company subcontracted by Peace Corps, and we are one of only two countries who subcontracts trainers. We got the first series of Rabies Vaccinations, went through some policy basics, and an outline for training during the first ten weeks of service.<br />
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Outline of 10 weks Pre Service Training (PST):<br />
Weeks 0-3.5: Urban setting, live with a family in Pantoja, a city outside of Santo Domingo. Attend training at the Entrena center in Pantoja.<br />
Weeks 3.5-8: Community Based Training. Go to site in the interior with other volunteers of your sector. My group, Communtiy Economic Development will be going near Puerto Plata on the North Coast. It is supposed to be beautiful up there, I´m excited to see more of the country.<br />
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Then we come together again back in Santo Domingo, have exams to ensure that we have learned enough to qualify as volunteers. After this the group gets sworn in on October 28th, and we are assigned to our respective assignements, where we will be posted to carry out projects for the next two years.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">August 20</span><br />
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The next morning we left the retreat center to head to Entrena for our first full day of training. This place is gorgeous, it is removed from any surrounding, full of lush green trees, grass and plants and is an oasis of sorts. Many countries don´t have this environment for training, they may have training in just a room but we are fortunate to have an entire center, where we eat our meals, have Spanish classes in outdoor bungalos, etc. We went through training, mostly around policy and had an afternoon Spanish class. And that evening, at around 4:30 PM our host families came to meet us.<br />
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This was a nerve racking situation almost, with all the volunteers standing outside with their luggage, looking around for their new moms and dads and families, and a large group of Dominican Doñas looking for their new kids. Finally I was united with my new Mama, Doña Isabel. We walked down the long driveway to the street and jumped into a coche compartido (a taxi that incredibly fits seven people in it- including the driver). We hop in and drive a short distance to my new house in Don Gregorio, a neighborhood that is about a fifteen minute walk from the Entrena Center. I walk down the corner past an abandoned building to the back, and walk by the mechanic shop right in front 0of my house, then to my front door. She opens the gate and we walk through with a little puppy and kitten following en suite.<br />
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The house has a small porch out front with two rocking chairs, and two bedrooms. There is a living room with a sofa that has about ten pillows lined up across, more for show than congregation. My room is connected to the Doña´s room through the bathroom. The kitchen is in back and then the backyard is shared with her sister, who lives right next door, and her daughter, Melissa (31) who lives right in back. They have chickens and roosters that they raise for meat and cockfighting, a favorite pastime here. Her niece, who lives with her sister next door, has a son named Luigi. Luigi is a quiet, wide eyed and adorable little seven year old who sleeps in the Doña´s room. And the Don of the house, Juan I had seen wandering around throughout that first night, but didn´t actually meet him until the next day. There is also an extremely lively and gregarious ham, cousins with Luigi named Angelo. He is about 8 and is definately quite the entertainer.<br />
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That first night I got to know my Doña, Melissa and Luigi. Melissa is very friendly, is studying to be a teacher and has a hair salon in her house out back. She was doing the neighbor´s hair, and I sat out there playing catch with Luigi just hanging out. It turns out that another vounteer, Eva, lives right next door. She came over for a bit and we chatted on the porch. After some fresh fruit for dinner I took a shower, which is a showerhead that runs into a big bucket, then you use a bowl to rinse your self and wash off. First experience with bugs came at this point when I looked down to find a centipede had been in the bucket and was now near the drain. I organized my room a bit, put up my mosquitero (mosquito net) and finally laid down. With the fan on, of course.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416100232429905051.post-4479963512890258102009-08-16T14:35:00.000-07:002009-10-17T09:36:51.903-07:00Before coming to the DR<b>Less than a week before departure</b><br /><br /><br />I am set to depart for the Dominican Republic in less than a week. If you had asked me four months ago when I was set to leave I would have given an indefinite answer: “well… I was set to depart in January 2010, and now it may be as late as May 2010”.<br /><br /><br />But in the end I am leaving on August 18th, 2009 for staging (orientation) in DC and leaving August 20th with my training group for the DR. Life, as we all know is unexpected, and my Peace Corps experience has begun as a shining example for this truth.<br /><br /><br />I submitted my application on Christmas Eve, 2008, the idea set in my mind that I would be leaving around August. With this in mind, I decided it best to move from Brooklyn back to the Bay Area to be closer to family. As I packed up shop in NY, I had my first interview with my recruiter in the NY regional office. I learned that the influx of applicants (most likely due to the economy) put my projected departure date at January, 2010- a little longer than anticipated. I had also applied for many other fellowships and jobs to keep my options open, and as family and friends know that I was juggling many different options and ideas up until the beginning of July! <br /><br /><br />So I went on a month long trip to Central America before moving back to California in mid-March. At this point my recruiter was in contact with me, trying to get me into a NGO Development Program. When I got back I learned that I didn’t have enough consecutive full time experience working with NGO’s to qualify, so my application was withdrawn. I was to contact my recruiter at the end of April and ask her to resubmit my application for a training group leaving May/June 2010. Needless to say I was pretty down about it, and wasn’t sure if Peace Corps was going to happen after all. But a few weeks later she called me and asked if I were interested in recent openings for Central/South America as a Community Developer, set to leave in August. Of course I was interested! <br /><br /><br />Upon receipt of the nomination I was sent a medical package and began the intense medical process. I finally got through the medical office just in time to get into the Community Economic Development Project as a Community Economic Adviser, serving somewhere in Central America or the Caribbean. I spoke to the placement officer and waited for the package in the mail to tell me exactly where I was going. Finally it arrived. I remember sitting on the couch and opening the package, inviting me to serve in the DR. I was so excited and relieved to finally have received an invitation package, it made it real, it made persistence and all the unknown worthwhile. <br /><br /><br />That was five weeks ago, and now I find myself leaving in less than a week. I am excited, nervous, anxious, nostalgic- all of the emotions that one would feel before becoming acquainted with an unknown and exciting future. <br /><br /><br />And I began this countdown to departure five and a half weeks ago. This time has been amazing, with various send-offs, hanging out with family and friends, partying in SF/LA, various dinners, park and pool time. Nothing but good times, to pave the way for an amazing two-plus years of more good, and many hard times. I hope to emerge a stronger, more appreciative and confident person, equipped with a wealth of life experience (professional and personal), creating strong and lasting friendships and really making an impact with the people of the community I work and overall, positive change.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08657607843821449999noreply@blogger.com0