Visiting the Campo

March 23, 2009

Everything was in slow motion for a moment. I was on the back of a motoconcho (motorcycle taxi) and I could feel the misty rain on my face. The air was so fresh that I tried to suck it all in. I passed vibrantly green pastures with lazily grazing cows (or “vacas” as we call them). Roosters (or “gallos”) and chickens were wandering around in front yards. Colorful wooden houses lined one side of the street, and I saw smiling families sitting around, hanging laundry, sweeping dirt floors. One house was on a cliff overlooking a rushing river. I felt as if I was looking at a photograph but it was all real. The motoconcho made its way up a very steep and muddy hill. My friend was on a motoconcho directly ahead… At this very moment, I felt happy – and where I’m supposed to be.

This past week was rather enlightening. I visited another Volunteer at her site in the Cibao region, a central valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. It was my chance to see how another Volunteer actually lives.

I took a bus from Santo Domingo and traveled to a medium-sized pueblo. From there, I took a “transporte” (public minivan) to a small town across the river. I instructed the driver to drop me off in front of a large Colmadon (a popular dance spot and general store). I walked down the muddy street looking for the gringa’s house. I saw a silhouette through the window and heard Spanish. I took a closer look and I was relieved to see that it was her!

We spent the day visiting people throughout the community. Wherever we went, we were treated warmly and served food and coffee. We didn’t have to buy lunch that day. We visited a friend at her rather large farm. There, we picked cherries, made fresh juice, relaxed on the front porch as it rained, and got manicures. When night fell, we lost the luz (electricity), so we sat by candle light and talked. Suddenly there was music and I watched my new friends dancing bachata by candlelight. My friends little niece clapped her hands and moved to the music… There were three generations of women just dancing…

On Friday, we went to the river, a local hangout spot, with vistas of the mountains surrounding it. We attempted to swim, but it was rather cold. After our attempts at swimming in the river, we walked back to my Volunteer’s house. On the way, we picked up some tostada sandwiches (pressed bread, onions, ham, cheese and pickles) and some fresh pineapple juice… so good. (As an aside, I would like to say that I love Dominican food. Almost everything is so flavorful, and many things they make take a long time to simmer… And they love sugar! Just typing this right now makes me hungry for dinner!) That evening, I got to experience two more cultural activities: baseball and merengue! Dominicans love baseball. There are so many local teams and many Dominican pros actually join major league teams in the U.S. And merengue, everybody can do it – even the little kids. So I have a lot of practicing to do!

On Sunday, we all went to the beach, and it was a good time. There were a lot of tourists there, so it was the first time in country when I didn’t feel like I stood out. We even ran into a few other Volunteers! They’re everywhere! I went swimming for a long time in the warm Atlantic, and I just felt so calm and relaxed. That afternoon, I joined a couple other Trainees and we took a long bus ride back to the capital.

The purpose of visiting a Volunteer at her site was to discover more about the role of Peace Corps in the community and the lifestyle of a Volunteer. There are many challenges that arise during a Volunteer’s service. For instance, the Volunteer I visited didn’t have a working computer lab because the batteries that kept her lab running (electricity is unreliable) were stolen. She is in the middle of the process for getting replacements, but bureaucratic red tape from government agencies is prolonging the process. In the meantime, she’s active in a youth empowerment group called Escojo which educates the local youth on sensitive topics such as STD’s and pregnancy, drugs, gender identity, cultural sensitivity, etc. There will most certainly be hiccups in my service, so I will have to learn to be creative in how I approach them. Patience is a virtue here in the Peace Corps.

Inspiration... and Humility

Inspiration
March 13, 2009

Today was really inspiring indeed. The country director (the PC head honcho for the DR) visited us today and talked to us about the PC program in the DR. He said that never again will we have a job like this in our careers -- we will have complete freedom and opportunity to do what we want in our sites (the American dream! haha). We will be completely in charge. He said that he's witnessed the transformation in many Volunteers... They start out as starry-eyed, timid Trainees like ourselves; then after 3 months in site, they have a little more confidence. At one year, they are pretty confident and comfortable in their site, and then at 2 years, well, they're absolutely unstoppable. Nothing phases them. They have so much confidence, they can do anything. He said we are really going to learn how to be great leaders! And the doors that will open for us afterwards will be incredible.

It's not going to be easy, because most (older) people here aren't open to change... However, more than 60% of this country is under 25 (!!) so we will have a huge opportunity to inspire some young minds and maybe help shape the future of this country. Education is not wonderful here, so I really hope to incorporate some interesting, educational topics in my computer classes. Beyond that, I can develop any other projects that may be beneficial to the community!

Technical training starts in little over a week. We will be traveling to another town in the East, and there we will learn how to build a computer lab, how to utilize teaching methodologies, and how to use more sophisticated software. I’m really excited about all that I’m going to learn!


Humility
March 17, 2009

I want to take a moment to speak about humility. I’ve lived here for only 2 weeks, and I feel already I’ve been humbled.

We complain a lot in the U.S., but the reality is that the U.S. really does have it better than most countries. So far my experience here has been so wonderful, but I’ve had to live without the comfort of what Americans would deem basic (and usually reliable) necessities. For instance, I can’t get internet when I want anymore. Now, I have to try and steal it from the wireless network near the training center, but the connection is soooo slow (I’ve been having flashbacks of the terrors of dial-up). Sometimes, I go to the internet center (with a much faster connection) and pay for an hour of time there. But now I can’t watch videos when I want or browse. I can’t research or find comfort in just mindlessly wandering the internet. I have to plan out my internet surfing. I’m going through withdrawal symptoms for sure!

Also, I haven’t had a hot shower in about 2 weeks, and it will probably be several months before I have another. The water is cold and rather shocking, but I’m sure I’ll appreciate it when the weather gets horribly hot... which it will. It’s supposedly abnormally cold here (at a chilly 75 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit). Everyone keeps declaring, “Hace frio! Hace frio!” but I’m loving it… as long as I’m not in bitter, face numbing 10 degree weather.

Perhaps surprising to many of you, basic utilities in America are almost commodities here. Running water and electricity here are not always reliable. Both utilities could go out at any time without notice. That’s just how it is here. Many of my fellow Trainees have to take bucket baths from water held in a tank and many don’t have electricity for certain hours of the day. The infrastructure here just isn’t as advanced as it is in the U.S. Fortunately, where I’m staying, we’ve had little problems with electricity, but that won’t always be the case during my service. But no worries, I came prepared! I brought three kinds of light sources!

A final example is that people here can’t afford to indulge in “luxuries.” What I mean by luxuries is buying a new purse or even a bath towel! Okay, I went to the equivalent of a Wal-mart here and the towels were super expensive, and forget about getting a good one! I couldn’t believe it! Also, the money they gave us is for small expendables. I came here without a handbag (which I totally regret), but I don’t have enough pesos to buy the cheapest handbag. I can ride the “guagua” up and down the street forever, but I can’t get a handbag – unless I change my dinero. Oh well, I will get by for now… A couple other Trainees were so kind to lend me/make me a purse. Sooo very sweet.

I would say, if anything, I’ve learned quite quickly how many advantages there are in the U.S., and I understand why people immigrate there. The poorest person in America living on welfare can afford to have a decent public education (even a university education), computer, reliable internet connection, running HOT water, and consistent electricity. Here, even the middle class may not have any of these. We, as Americans, really have so very much. I believe one of my goals has been met (and will continue to be met throughout my service) -- I have come to appreciate what I left behind in America, and so far, I’ve learned to humbly live this new life with less technological “advantages.” I know there will be more challenges to come, and I hope to adapt to them…

But let me just say, the wonderful experiences I have had here thus far really outweigh the minor inconveniences.

The Immigrant Experience

It´s a strange thing to be a foreigner in another country. I´ve never experienced this before, but I must admit it´s an experience I will take with me for the rest of my life. I think I can say that I now understand the immigrant experience in our country. There are many, many different idiosyncrasies between the country, and they may be small but it takes some getting used. For instance, just typing on this Spanish keyboard is a challenge.

For instance, everyone notices you. Being a ¨rubia,¨ I really stand out. Some Dominicans try to practice their English with me, which is cute.

The other night I connected with my host family through language. My host mom emphasized my gringo accent (I speak slowly in English already, not to mention Spanish!). It was funny, and we had a laugh. And when I tried to pronounce the Spanish equivalent of the word ´probably,´we all laughed hysterically. For the life of me, I just could not pronounce ´probablemente!´ When I tried to teach her how to say the word ´sprinkling´(as in lightly raining), she couldn´t say it. Though it´s hard for us to have a real complex conversation in Spanish, we find ways to connect and laugh.

Bienvenidos a La Republica!

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos! Saludos de la Republica Dominicana!
3/10/09

I know I should have written a post a few days ago, but let me just say, so much has happened since Wednesday when I went to Miami for staging. I have just been overwhelmed, and I needed a few days to really absorb my experience here.
It’s so difficult to adequately describe what it’s like to start a new life in another culture. It’s a rather profound experience, and rightly so, I’m oftentimes at a loss for words (especially in Spanish, but also in English!).

When I first arrived at the Aeropuerto de Las Americas in Santo Domingo, I immediately felt different. I realized there was no turning back, and I would be forced to read, speak, and listen to Spanish. All of the signs were in Spanish. Even just asking an employee at the airport about the location of my gate-checked bag was a challenge. I was far from home, and it was at that moment in the airport that I realized that this whole new life was very real.

All of us trainees stuck out. We loaded our many bags into carts and then we proceeded to the airport parking lot in a very timid line of baggage carts. There we were greeted by current Volunteers and I was interviewed by a writer for the Peace Corps DR newspaper. I didn’t really know what to say, but I suppose I will be quoted in next month’s edition.
We all piled in a small bus, similar to that of a “guagua” (small public busses). Our first images of the country were miles and miles of beautiful coastline, obsolete Corrollas and Accords weaving through traffic, colorful cement houses, and people milling about on the sidewalks. Everything looked, felt, and smelled different.

After an hour, we arrived at a religious retreat where we spent our first night in country. There we were greeted and addressed by the Country Director, who told us that we made the best decision we could make. He described how the DR is a wonderful country in which to work and we would inevitably fall in love with it. Afterward, we received our first shots (for rabies!), “mosquiteras” (mosquito nets), among other things.

The next day was my first experience stepping out of my comfort zone; I moved in with my host family with whom I could only speak Spanish to communicate my needs. At first I felt really lost, but after taking a moment to reflect, I realized that I could indeed do this! Even though I have been here for only a week, I feel that I’ve learned so much and my Spanish is quickly improving. I live with a Doña and her daughter, and already I have participated in many cultural experiences.
There are always visitors at my house, and all of them come unannounced. That’s how things work here; everyone is so welcoming, so warm. “Vecinos” (neighbors) always visit with each other. Family members live closeby. Everyday, people participate in the custom of “compartir” (literally “to share”) by visiting with each other and oftentimes exchanging “chisme” (gossip). As you know, I’m not as extroverted as I could be, but I find that to be changing now. You greet everyone you pass here, and I find myself doing that naturally now. “Hola!” “Buenas tardes.” “Como està?”

Another cultural activity is hanging out at the “colmado” (“bodega” or general store). The past few afternoons, other trainees and I sit outside the colmado and have glass bottles of Coke (tastes different than the can and it’s a nice experience to sip coke and talk). We chat about our day, our families, how we got to be here. And then as the sun is setting beyond the mountains in the distance, we walk home.

This evening, I learned how to play dominoes, another favorite Dominican pastime. It was fun to connect with the other ladies around the table. Even though it is hard for me to communicate with them, we were able to connect through dominoes (I also won a lot too! Haha).

Every new day has been exciting, and I’m learning so much. I never know what will happen tomorrow…