tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21303128014130814612024-02-07T12:19:09.000-08:00Peace of MindGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-66878120689643705992011-07-16T16:27:00.000-07:002011-07-25T13:17:59.869-07:00Luz, Camera, AccionWow. Ok. I am really bad at keeping up with this blog. But for good reason, I have been very busy lately. Projects are finally calentando, "heating up"...grants coming in, groups coming together, working Peace Corps Committees, etc.etc. In the last few months I have developed my girls group, a boys group, created a committee to build a childrens park, went to a boys superman camp, started a dance group, became part of the Peace Corps DR 50th Anniversary Committee, received three grants for projects, been certified as a scientific and advanced diver to do reef studies in my community, ok you get the point. <br /><br />it. is. a lot.<br /><br />But all that is "stuff." The reality of it all is that I am almost in the DR a year. One year. I feel more and more at home every day. And everytime I leave and return, I come back more appreciative of where I am. It could also be because we are in avocado season and I get to return to rice sacks full of avocados from my tree (I am eating about 5 a day on average). Anyways...<br /><br />Being here 10 months or so in my community, I am seeing changes. I am rolling through the seasons- babies have been born, elders have passed-I am noticing the changes of life and the changes in myself. I am no longer treated as the outsider who is passing some time in the community. I am told to do chores around my host families house, mandared (sent) to run errands, babies thrown at me to cuidar (take care of). I am trusted here as part of the family, I have received my right of passage.<br /><br />It really does take a year to get the ball rolling and right now I am in a good place. This is where I am supposed to be, this is what I am supposed to be doing. More than ever, I feel a disconnect from home. Sometimes I am lost in translation catching up with others abroad. I can run through a story about my day and at the end one word that is misunderstood can throw things off. I can talk blue in the face about my near death experience on a gua gua, or climbing trees to get a chin of lemoncillos, why I sleep with a Colin next to my bed or why I was guapa with the tiguere down the street... Gua guas aren't some type of animal, they are our public transportation mini vans and no I don't rent a watchiman (guard) to protect me at night (Colin is a machete)-sorry Mom. Volunteers have really become family. It is a much needed support network because in the end, they are the ones that understand best.<br /><br />Everyday is different. Right now, it is good. I am in a beautiful place finding that balance I need and it feels comforting to really just be at peace with it all.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-43673457875363988362011-05-19T08:39:00.000-07:002011-05-19T09:03:33.634-07:00Community CareRunning through my community this morning, the usual. Everyone is used to seeing me past by. We shout saludos, get a quick como estas in. It's second nature.<br /><br />This morning I run past a truck selling vegetables and get <span style="font-style: italic;">hollered</span> at.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">New Dominican in the Community</span>: RUBIA! I LOOOVVVE YOU! [man nearly gets down on his knees]<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Dominican Rastafarian from my Community</span>: [shouting from a ladder at the top of a building]: Ella es dominicana! [sneering at the unfamiliar face like he should know]<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Me</span>: [I turn around laughing] ya tu sabes!<br /></div><br />I leave the men laughing behind me. <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">Integrated?</span> I would say so.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-34262118634620090302011-05-16T08:47:00.000-07:002011-05-16T09:30:49.722-07:00Monday Morning Inspiration<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:130%;">“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” </span></div><p style="text-indent: 11.6pt; color: rgb(204, 51, 204); text-align: center; font-weight: bold;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">–Mother Teresa.</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTH4OUIu8e5J0lBvto_OJdROL1GjXrYQxAkN1tsxLNsicVODg_xfC7GG_buu4aNyWodY8KdE_JHR8MGaAaH4ax8j7Vd0NQS_Lw6NwTqconIxQ0oyREfT1O0987sYJs86kF8MNmFVrE20/s1600/P1070673.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTH4OUIu8e5J0lBvto_OJdROL1GjXrYQxAkN1tsxLNsicVODg_xfC7GG_buu4aNyWodY8KdE_JHR8MGaAaH4ax8j7Vd0NQS_Lw6NwTqconIxQ0oyREfT1O0987sYJs86kF8MNmFVrE20/s320/P1070673.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607349163246361138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">My favorite </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">ChiChi</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">. Can't take that smile away </span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFwJWaSEYWmMds-Wzld8FDXlDrZlCYXzzhpUVQVOuutXz5ThN9vAetH3_Xv-RxY4Vl97i0s318SKKaIJdYLnortVAK-4H8EWIoWuu_8Cl-IVNX7Z4RsMl8UsSGSFlC7kFyjR74Wb_mlo/s1600/P1070664.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFwJWaSEYWmMds-Wzld8FDXlDrZlCYXzzhpUVQVOuutXz5ThN9vAetH3_Xv-RxY4Vl97i0s318SKKaIJdYLnortVAK-4H8EWIoWuu_8Cl-IVNX7Z4RsMl8UsSGSFlC7kFyjR74Wb_mlo/s320/P1070664.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607347974135762610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Working on my World Wise School Project. Our 5th Grade Class receiving their U.S. Pen Pals and some great schools supply donations<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5PeKU0sSD7o2C4qAkbXGsIwCUFLCnpgFUJd8WRCIJjf3HS588C3rGufVwTiEMeK72NjJKobEdAwuFCiEEwkSOUbeUlWnHA8-e2MYaI3i6aAmb-4R1gVFbDCmWfaQ2EQoWY2zSVsHyEE/s1600/P1070667.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5PeKU0sSD7o2C4qAkbXGsIwCUFLCnpgFUJd8WRCIJjf3HS588C3rGufVwTiEMeK72NjJKobEdAwuFCiEEwkSOUbeUlWnHA8-e2MYaI3i6aAmb-4R1gVFbDCmWfaQ2EQoWY2zSVsHyEE/s320/P1070667.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607347982636819762" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Reading all about her new American friend. 3rd Goal of Peace Corps Success Story</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCWdN6HKOmSURL_SDXkvPP7wOr-_BatLmtQIoXv3pjyaCHTF7oVlqTlQRtOL-VouA3SUOeuRQPoiYQXHI_Z-Y9gXN4xjDxhcvaAbSpGYGzl_RKJkraEIvcOfF1SCVwlOoJclsf6KFgvw/s1600/P1070687.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCWdN6HKOmSURL_SDXkvPP7wOr-_BatLmtQIoXv3pjyaCHTF7oVlqTlQRtOL-VouA3SUOeuRQPoiYQXHI_Z-Y9gXN4xjDxhcvaAbSpGYGzl_RKJkraEIvcOfF1SCVwlOoJclsf6KFgvw/s320/P1070687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607347968937555586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Part of my new girls group, Chicas Brillantes, doing a fun activity in my home</span>.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">Girl Empowerment</span><br /></div>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-7536492390395837642011-05-10T10:04:00.000-07:002011-05-10T10:45:37.792-07:00And The Wheels Keep On Turning2 weeks in the States does a body good. Well rested and ready to get going again. It was a lot harder leaving the second time. But I think I got enough buffalo wings in to last me until I return Christmas time.<br /><br />I got back to my site and it feels different. The air smells different. The streets are quieter. The season is in the midst of changing.<br /><br />I have learned a lot going back home about myself and how I want to finish my service here in the Dominican Republic. You forget that you aren't here just to work. I have been in my community so long that I am a resident, I am <span style="font-style: italic;">part</span> of this community. I am no longer the gringa- I am a neighbor, a teacher, a friend, a sister. Living a well-balanced work/personal life is essential or else time will pass by and you will feel like you never got to take in all that is around you.<br /><br />I have a busy month ahead of me. I just returned from my first conference called Sirve con Fuerza-an educational 4 day volleyball camp. I brought six girls from my community and we spent time 'compartiring' (sharing) with ten other volleyball teams from other volunteer sites around the country. Imagine some of these girls have never left their little villages. It was just like summer camp in the states-late nights, dancing, singing songs, talking til the wee hours in the morning. It was an experience these girls will never forget and it makes me happy that they were able to let loose and be themselves and talk about things that might make them uncomfortable at their homes. It was four days of empowering these girls to go back to their homes inspired. Hopefully to be conscious that they are in control of the decisions they make in their lives and with the hopes that they can themselves teach others what they learned-many themes that are taboo to talk about such as sex, HIV/AIDS, breaking the social norms of being a female in a machismo world.<br /><br />I left <span style="font-style: italic;">empowered</span>. Sunday I have my first meeting with the younger girls to start a girls group for ages 11-15.<br /><br />I leave for the capital tomorrow for our annual All Volunteer Conference. Just as it sounds, an annual conference where volunteers are obligated to come to the capital for two days of meetings. Incentive: We have our annual Peace Corps Prom after. This years theme: Tigueres de la Carribean. Basically, dressing very trashy gangsterish-bright colors, matching everything. How important these traditions are to keep us all sane on this small island!<br /><br />That is all the news I have for now. This month is going to fly by. I will be getting certified in a science dive course at the end of the month and will get to travel to a beautiful part of the country in the south east. The fishermen project is still chugging and next week I start the business course I have been promoting in my community.<br /><br />Mangoes are falling from the trees all day-so many that you have to watch your head when walking. I was gifted a full bag of mangoes yesterday. Trying to find new recipes for what I can do with all these mangoes. The best season is on it's way- the season of avocados. The avocado trees are already starting to flower. Can't wait to get gifted bags of those!<br /><br />O, forgot to mention. Chopped 14 inches off my hair at home. Went to a good cause and it is so much easier to shower now!<br /><br />Until next time,<br /><br />Think of something that inspires you and do it<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GLmKalioDt65S_qgrMx4Ur7qSXnPeWOqz2jP41f6SPZrmZGIzpMGpa8A6rMrHzD0KwDgWYIpe8bZjP_FHCyJ2YTpbmutxm9Mh7AXYARa9_4el3OsLc-B4kp7zmVfJJRUqRrv-rQtxeM/s1600/P1070642.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GLmKalioDt65S_qgrMx4Ur7qSXnPeWOqz2jP41f6SPZrmZGIzpMGpa8A6rMrHzD0KwDgWYIpe8bZjP_FHCyJ2YTpbmutxm9Mh7AXYARa9_4el3OsLc-B4kp7zmVfJJRUqRrv-rQtxeM/s320/P1070642.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605143927811116658" border="0" /></a><br />Sirve con Fuerza Camp 2011<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJ1o-7r5RvmgM-q2BOCmSF3zhmxxlTZznOs-kweyDK9gexCCQjlk8Lw_UVBknmGNupGLRWPq-F7ezG9tLnEmvYOhbIiHowXjbiVvKytU7V802yFFWE6qsvMVB9ceYtTAkx0ITV5TRY-U/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJ1o-7r5RvmgM-q2BOCmSF3zhmxxlTZznOs-kweyDK9gexCCQjlk8Lw_UVBknmGNupGLRWPq-F7ezG9tLnEmvYOhbIiHowXjbiVvKytU7V802yFFWE6qsvMVB9ceYtTAkx0ITV5TRY-U/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605143921726706194" border="0" /></a>Home relaxing with friends-that is all I wanted!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm9DekgBkerULAr6uRdjJSEPITsvXU9gKHx9IrjDWJsx7u8rJ5hd566PW-v2K6iGKaBMV04oRjzpFPaxsT5xk9hD-hV10TuY6AqaYIQQ5qha9gnj10Jh49MTObN5bi4Ql7cvSwf6jV-Q/s1600/julis+graduation.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm9DekgBkerULAr6uRdjJSEPITsvXU9gKHx9IrjDWJsx7u8rJ5hd566PW-v2K6iGKaBMV04oRjzpFPaxsT5xk9hD-hV10TuY6AqaYIQQ5qha9gnj10Jh49MTObN5bi4Ql7cvSwf6jV-Q/s320/julis+graduation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605143930396238674" border="0" /></a>Home for the Law School Graduation-Congrats Juli<br /> <br /></div>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-77078565948931144222011-04-10T08:30:00.000-07:002011-04-10T09:39:21.758-07:00Trinity<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-style: italic; font-family: courier new; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" >"True friendship is when friends can walk in opposite directions, yet remain side by side."</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:courier new;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Just had one of the best weeks in site. Nothing like having your girls come for some <span style="font-style: italic;">much needed </span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> quality </span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">girl time. It is always nice to show people back home what I am up to here-words and pictures can only describe so much. We accomplished so much. Community service work, painted an entire mural, got in tons of beach time, delicious food, fresh air, good conversation, lots of laughter.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Always like we never skip a beat.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);SelectColor(this,'ForeColor');ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_ForeColor" title="Text Color"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Text Color" class="gl_color_fg" border="0" /></span></span></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hGqERGr95qpyq7Xp-RCh5_2Wj7LD5IZhYERpd-iUVnbGSHcmyzH0VV9aIBczmJOh1odpE4GbOHEzIk7v7UBI9-v_jdtH1SEV4201FKn9jD49LeLUy3OVVDwSeVVT_0kfpTu6gscSTSE/s1600/DSC_1239.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hGqERGr95qpyq7Xp-RCh5_2Wj7LD5IZhYERpd-iUVnbGSHcmyzH0VV9aIBczmJOh1odpE4GbOHEzIk7v7UBI9-v_jdtH1SEV4201FKn9jD49LeLUy3OVVDwSeVVT_0kfpTu6gscSTSE/s320/DSC_1239.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593992635779562018" border="0" /></a>Our gorgeous mural<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CpwKwwj88nGs2bABvj0-k_BQSb3YCBWM8XZLvP5SjqXCdxKgAgEXBB9bjQWvZc5MDc4oa4D3-z9dgSbklRv3yAz_qRcUjxKQMUKUdxPxwCqNv508k8PNeefzH1mBd3K_d4gItTJ5xPA/s1600/DSC_1291.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CpwKwwj88nGs2bABvj0-k_BQSb3YCBWM8XZLvP5SjqXCdxKgAgEXBB9bjQWvZc5MDc4oa4D3-z9dgSbklRv3yAz_qRcUjxKQMUKUdxPxwCqNv508k8PNeefzH1mBd3K_d4gItTJ5xPA/s320/DSC_1291.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593992638849215122" border="0" /></a>One of my English classes (the younger kids) graduating. 10 cakes and over 100 fresh baked cookies later...Couldn't have done it without the help of the girls<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HohyphenhyphenNF_6SIEJPsqqwj1vnwrAc2WJCRpo0MVX85JO3FcDgQ5VfvpKdThyWYyblxMEtyUFd-gJ1izlnBTdFHBUwXqBlpDMSH_Awy9OWf2K6Nbgh0BpNG_s_L5j0UIo3GPrIvJFfSb3tcY/s1600/DSC_1360.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HohyphenhyphenNF_6SIEJPsqqwj1vnwrAc2WJCRpo0MVX85JO3FcDgQ5VfvpKdThyWYyblxMEtyUFd-gJ1izlnBTdFHBUwXqBlpDMSH_Awy9OWf2K6Nbgh0BpNG_s_L5j0UIo3GPrIvJFfSb3tcY/s320/DSC_1360.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593992641187167906" border="0" /></a>All we wanted to do is sleep.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBe7tFAH9StEjfMiOneX1BL5gpBOBVx9nAIf6rhUXsBYjtNB4sqASjLnm0lcXo0A97EorhUdx4MzDkJrBfDsxbs_rOpAygXrmjzWBC3j1aeZsSUjGa1_Z2XtM1lepdxIcxHnEUZu8EYc/s1600/DSC_1400.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBe7tFAH9StEjfMiOneX1BL5gpBOBVx9nAIf6rhUXsBYjtNB4sqASjLnm0lcXo0A97EorhUdx4MzDkJrBfDsxbs_rOpAygXrmjzWBC3j1aeZsSUjGa1_Z2XtM1lepdxIcxHnEUZu8EYc/s320/DSC_1400.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593992646548511122" border="0" /></a>El Cabito. As Kate said, "I can't believe places like this actually exist"<br /></div>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-55375220702020620522011-03-31T08:22:00.000-07:002011-03-31T09:13:35.180-07:00Chugging(Written March 23, not posted due to technical difficulties)<br /><div><br /><div>I know,<em> I know</em>…I said I would be better at writing but then all my projects started rolling and I just haven’t had the time to just sit down and lay out all my thoughts. I also just got over being sick for a week-have a new appreciation for all the American comfort foods like warm soups of all different kinds (Panera, grocery fresh soup bar and Thai Pho). No fun being sick all alone, although my host family did make sure I was okay. With that said, I am just going to get to it.<br /><div><div><div></div><br /><div>Yesterday I cruised with my host dad on his motorcycle to some of the poorest little isolated villages in our region. Some Italians had donated money to give some less fortunate families cement flooring. I spent most of the day traveling to these remote sites-so far out there that the children have to walk 10 km to school every day. It made me realize how fortunate I am in my community and at the same time how I want to find a way to reach some of the communities outside my own. Whether it is by choosing a few families to be part of my latrine project or raising more money to put down flooring for some families who literally sleep in the dirt (COST), hopefully I can spread myself a little more toward the more isolated communities that really lack bare necessities. When I first got to my site, I was a little disappointed because I felt like Peace Corps doesn’t send people to places that have the most need. However, I learned that it is hard to be placed in the poorest areas because of the lack of structure and resources in the communities along with the lack of motivation amongst community members. If members of neighboring communities, like my own, are able to educate these communities, that is where they need to start so that they are able to move forward and develop themselves. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So about my community. Some of my projects are getting going, but others are a little frozen. Fishermen project is off to a slow start as many fishermen have been busy with side jobs and out of town on fishing trips. Other projects are keeping me busy including a project plan for a community park, day trips for medical missions in other parts of the country, and getting prepared to teach a business course. I am enjoying my new found freedom of living alone. Everyone here tells me “how sad, you can’t live alone.” I was thinking the same thing (the how sad part that is, there is no way I would move in with someone here). I always lived with a lot of people-family of 5 at home, never had my own room after I moved out-needless to say, there was always somebody around. Now I come home at night and it is very quiet. Sometimes too quiet, but my new puppy Habichuela (Bean) has made the house feel less empty. But I am learning to live solo, and I actually like it. I like me time. I like that after a long day, I can come home and choose what I want to do and I don’t have to compromise that, or listen to the noise of my host family, and live in tight quarters-Life really does get a whole lot better once you move out. And one of the best parts is that I get to have visitors and I love to host people. Some volunteers have passed through and my sister and Sergio. Great times, fun memories. Would be nice if I had less meetings lately so that I could be a better host, but hopefully after I get done getting some of these projects organized, life will slow down. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I have been in country now <strong><em>eight</em></strong> months (can you believe it). Although I have kept some of my American ways, I have in other ways been ‘dominicanized.’- I yell for people to get their attention, I am as negro (dark) as some dominicans, I eat whole fish head and all, I am so good at scaling fish a gringo asked me for help, I can make a mean sason (seasoning), my guandule (pea) peeling skills are exceptional, I have mastered riding a motorcycle and bucket bathing, and learned to be fashionably late to meetings. I have also learned to just take it easy (cogelo suave) and enjoy sitting outside passing time doing not so much (when I have time for that). </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Mango</span></em> season is approaching. There are so many outside that I have to be careful crossing under the trees as I might get pelted by mangoes. My grandfather keeps telling me I will grow tired of mangoes, but I have a bet going that after bags of mangoes, I will keep eating them. Really glad sister brought me a blender. Fresh mango smoothies, yes please. I feel like I have been in a constant summer since August. We have some ‘cooler’ days, but for the most part, the sun has stayed strong. I will be going home in April and I am excited for some chilly days where I can throw on a sweater and wear sneakers. Never did I think I would miss that. Yes, I am going home. Just thinking about it I get overwhelmed with my food options-what will I eat first! But before thinking about home, I have a Shakira concert I must attend (would I really miss Shakira performing in a Latin American country?) and my best girlfriends coming to visit. April is sure to be an exciting month.</div><br /><div>I think I am going to end it here for today. I am at a neighbor’s house and the smoke from burning trash is getting to me. No matter how much they cough, they still burn their trash AND they have trash pick up. Don’t quite understand their reasoning of inhaling toxic fumes from burning plastic. Some people think I am crazy when I tell them that you really shouldn’t burn the plastics. </div><br /><div>O forgot to update on my International Women’s Day Event. Great turnout for my first big community event-65ish girls. All went well, minus the fact that it got a little too competitive for my liking, but that is always an issue when it comes to sporting events.<a name="_GoBack"></a> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590267502427763906" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8c9F5ER6QJv2Bhd4FKkQvPKK6QUwg-hkH9FnXio5sYFJ13Z-HMHMKgXYrt7H8a6JlzRQZ7eYGSOUXIYIsDYO1Ve5GWpPLqCVY2mcoW_g7kLz_CfyRMCnayaRdTs5iMsvN_WYl5Bfkpsg/s320/New+Picture+%25281%2529.png" border="0" /></div></div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590267766723568546" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kLQ37na8-4MXxXi_gTRTNvyMlHOyPDexXRa8lp0E23fj7M605Ir8Gh9LI4UuyI3UbIjEmxxK834vY7PRC8YoNk2qUj2fm5DqZHpLfCt9pH0cdsTPylPMjNV6ps0Vbih6pLkFscJlhjQ/s320/New+Picture+%25283%2529.png" border="0" /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590267938060149874" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngC_e5UIG8pSnfze7L1IiC6fk90iYT4LCKhyD4ZXvl9XVdzXla6RBWrChLRj9kqt7C64e2pWKkOAxxy5f1GwtpsAFqHmncZIXNncRVQs77fBwN53kYFSeOMZPWDJWBRy1XaFjCUHBLPA/s320/New+Picture+%25284%2529.png" border="0" /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590268098578134018" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mC5Qe08WGjTiLGToPvYbI77l_VObESioad0VAnC4aekKCoM_IBFxbDWJoEh8BZJJTXDF2Jq41iIw9nSUKFAjaDEI_lJ1uantXD3LWINtvpBetJlg_5dIk8rl6I1R6BR6UUUffRbYPaI/s320/New+Picture.png" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590268280217906162" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxFxBUZE4olh6c5IWx_yc0LI3XxAVfXg2JSIpGAI2FdOmfXF4xd9IdjLgX8Rql_c_dOIJcChmGNKu05oMBIzZDYikVf5Z5_un3Yh0cqkMbX1wwW22MwS3EA-Fffle8H29bcecSMqYwsM/s320/New+Picture+%25282%2529.png" border="0" />Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-59075912444751744582011-02-17T10:07:00.000-08:002011-02-17T12:28:49.714-08:00Paso a Paso (Step by Step)I know, it has been a while. A<span style="font-style: italic;"> long </span>while. Now I have to play catch up. So what have I been doing? Well, I presented all my findings from the community at Peace Corps three month In Service Training. All business volunteers came to the capital with their project partner for a weekend of presentations and strength building workshops. It allowed us to prioritize projects in my site and see the need of the community. Did you know...<br /><br />49% of my community never finished primary school<br /><br />Unemployment rate is at 52% with only 15% of the population having a stable job<br /><br />The median income is $188.00 U.S. Dollars<br /><br />15% of the community do not have a latrine or a bathroom<br /><br />This is some of the information that I collected from my first three months. It is very helpful in shaping my projects and what I will focus on in the next two years.<br /><br />After returning from the conference, I thought that things would speed up-I was going to be moving into my new home all on my own, starting up some of my projects. Just the opposite happened. It has been very difficult to find motivated people to work with. It has been even harder to have the community decide on a project to work with. Some days I think they are confused as to why I am there. At our development association meeting I finally stood up and said something. I told them that we must meet more than once a month to accomplish anything and that I am here as a resource and that they reallllly need to use me. I talked about forming committees so we can have a strong group working on projects, having a vision for the year with long and short term goals. I think I got to them, but like I said, things are slow.<br /><br />My fishermen are continuing to surprise me. They are motivated to work and I have taken them on as one of my main projects. A lot is going on in the country about developing code of conducts for fishing, trying to promote sustainable fishing practices, etc. They are going to see a big change in the next year or so as the government is taking more of a stand with the fishermen. For us, this is great. We want to do conservation projects and we are hoping that organizations in country will support us. I started to write a grant for lobster houses and FADs (Fishing Aggragative Devices) with the hope of repopulating the lobster species and taking pressure off the reefs from being fished.<br /><br />O, forgot...started two English courses. I have 100 students. Yes, one-hundred. It is too much, but I am surviving. The little kids are tough. I am currently recruiting a classroom mom for help control the rascals. My older group is doing great. They are learning little by little and it makes me proud (even though I am not too keen about being an English teacher).<br /><br />My first big event is coming up in March-I will be hosting a Peninsula wide International Women's Day event. Over sixty girls from the Peninsula will be attending. The day will be filled with activities including a Volleyball tournament, sex and gender dramas, career planning and self-esteem talks, a professional volleyball player will be attending to mentor the girls, we will be having lunch and at the end of the day we will be parading through the community showing everyone how strong we really are. I am very excited. Hoping that the girls in my community come through to help me. Lets just say at our first meeting, only two girls showed up, an hour late. But that is how things are here and you have to learn to roll with the punches.<br /><br />I am living on my own now. My host family doesn't understand that they don't have to prepare food for me anymore. They also get very upset when I don't show up at night to watch soap operas with them. Some things will never change. The independence is glorious. I get lots of visitors. My neighbors are great. It is a little loud (the owner of all the 4x4s lives right next to me and he stores the vehicles there at night, so at 7:30 am his workers are revving the engines getting them ready for excursions). But I am used to it. The roosters usually wake me up before the 4 wheelers.<br /><br />My sister came and visited. She just left Monday. It was incredible. We relaxed, enjoyed sister time, saw whales, went to all the beautiful beaches. I was able to show her some of my work too. I think she has a better understanding of what I am doing here. Maybe a little bit more appreciation. She experienced living without water for three days...let's just say I don't think she will be joining Peace Corps.<br /><br />Today I am in the capital at the office awaiting another visitor. I had some time to speak to one of my bosses. Although lately I feel like I haven't made any progress, she gave me the assurance that I am actually picking up speed and doing a lot. Some days I just need to hear it. Since I don't physically see anything changing, sometimes I get down in the dumps, thinking that I am making no progress. It was a pick me up that I really needed.<br /><br />So I have a lot on my plate right now. English classes, volleyball team, fishermen, starting a latrine project, maybe constructing a park, learning to live on my own. At this point I take day by day. You can't think so far ahead because things change and everyday brings something new to the table. It's slow, but I am still chugging.<br /><br />Some fun from sissy's trip...<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZLWnur_izRarMCLvN6Fvqy7sfZqR7SkvLy10ppGNgmcqDUuAFqSUqFi3k4GGMdll-QMaZgM7R6DDfSEhmtx0Dch8ZOhvKERG1XdLi3vFLfbD9IWCAznbFgTXUz8VAitfJn83pRg00AQ/s1600/IMG_0112.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZLWnur_izRarMCLvN6Fvqy7sfZqR7SkvLy10ppGNgmcqDUuAFqSUqFi3k4GGMdll-QMaZgM7R6DDfSEhmtx0Dch8ZOhvKERG1XdLi3vFLfbD9IWCAznbFgTXUz8VAitfJn83pRg00AQ/s320/IMG_0112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574732373534459858" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">La Cascada en El Limon<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpMFUU6VYlLXkthSMg-IWb_ROl8MMajdc0fMYoGqPM5SPZQ7yKFZ55eeWFbXQNqkTr7O0faJ8x_QK9ZEpWjH_YIW76ppm8a1_HMpAV1QJacixzzm0Q9Uxf7UTvukxGM7eIRsjkp-WDAQ/s1600/IMG_4356.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpMFUU6VYlLXkthSMg-IWb_ROl8MMajdc0fMYoGqPM5SPZQ7yKFZ55eeWFbXQNqkTr7O0faJ8x_QK9ZEpWjH_YIW76ppm8a1_HMpAV1QJacixzzm0Q9Uxf7UTvukxGM7eIRsjkp-WDAQ/s320/IMG_4356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574734280007186098" border="0" /></a>view from El Cabito<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_HXDZQRM70IKKiaLrXnb_Q0EvphfocCos3LI2EeHcIjlUivHALRh_Lsn31Nc7O9Yn_20C_-0dRoUYXmujkvFbMP4ZHXathWJY6pAUK0ZK2l9q8BviHSwXNjMN9czI3sPXbOpQre51BA/s1600/IMG_4220.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_HXDZQRM70IKKiaLrXnb_Q0EvphfocCos3LI2EeHcIjlUivHALRh_Lsn31Nc7O9Yn_20C_-0dRoUYXmujkvFbMP4ZHXathWJY6pAUK0ZK2l9q8BviHSwXNjMN9czI3sPXbOpQre51BA/s320/IMG_4220.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574752910127361330" border="0" /></a>Humpback whale season!<br /></div>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-48411251982206361972011-01-05T18:51:00.000-08:002011-01-05T20:34:43.856-08:00Is This Really My Life?It is almost 11pm, I am sitting at the edge of my bed, about to fall off because my mosquito net is taking over. Reflecting on today I can't help but think that this is <span style="font-style: italic;">my<span style="font-style: italic;"> <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></span>life. I woke up today at 7am. Spent the day on the water deep sea fishing with one of my uncles and his ten year old son for mahi mahi. Sat in awe at the amazing coastline that consists of untouched land, cliffs with such dramatic drops that make you think that there really has to be some higher power that constructed this world because they are <span style="font-style: italic;">breathe taking</span>. You feel consumed by the coast looking up at these cliffs with such powerful waves crashing into them-words can't even describe. The water is bluer than any blue you can imagine. Then there is us on our little wooden boat, cruising along in the open water, miles from the coast. The water is rough. We tilt side to side and the boat jumps over the waves as we try to get further and further from shore, heading towards the birds in the open water. They too are out there to hunt and we use them to guide us towards the fish. We fish using line, but not with fishing poles. The line is wrapped around their hands. When there is a tug, watch out- a fish is on the line and if you are not careful and the fish is very big, you can be pulled off the boat, or worse, have the line slice through your hand.<br /><br />Today I was taken by my surroundings-by nature. It was so powerful. <span style="font-style: italic;">Surreal.</span> Being out on the water is a whole other world. A world that many people here know very well. A place where some spend more time in than in their own homes-one that I am developing a relationship with. The water, just like any of us, has a mind of its own-it has good days where the water is calm and shares it's treasures with it's visitors. Other days where is breathes heavy and can eat you alive, crashing sporadically with a natural force that is more powerful than two cars colliding. Unlike us, it has no restrictions and doesn't have to play by any rules. <br /><br /> I am learning so much about something that I knew absolutely nothing about. How to sail a boat, fish in different ways, fishing terminology, how to cut and prepare fish, etc. etc... Anything and everything about what is out there in the open water. Might have been easier if I studied Marine Biology, but never too late to learn.<br /><br />After a day out at sea, my friend's father who is in town and is a fishing expert in the states (works for Santa Monica Seafood Company) came and spoke with my fishermen about sustainable fishing. He goes around the world seeing how other cultures fish, trying to promote sustainable fishing-something I am working on. It was sad to hear stories about fishing communities who have exhausted and cleaned out their waters. A sad reality for too many places around the world, including the United States. Some of his stories were so moving that it brought tears to my eyes thinking that in ten, fifteen years from now my new home could be living in a place completely depleted from what they survive on. We talked about conserving not only the bay and the life in it, but also the livelihood of the community. Will they be able to get the joy of seeing their children take on the family business in the future if they don't change their ways? Will their children even have that opportunity or will they have to move to the capital to find work elsewhere because the fish will be no more? The answer is as clear as the waters-which right now, is pretty crystal clear. If they don't take it upon themselves to change, then they will have nothing left. They must be the example, they must set the foundation and create a code of conduct and not wait until the government decides to put their foot down and step in. If they don't stop killing lobster that are pregnant and fish that are as big as their pinky that have no meat, the water will cease to provide, the reefs will die and as a community we will lose our most precious resource. <br /><br />My fishermen know the dangers, they understand what is happening. They are already feeling the consequences as the ocean is going through an ecological meltdown. They say it is hard to change what you depend on for survival with no resources for change. This is true, but they must set themselves apart from the others or else it is one deadly cycle. If we (and I say <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">we</span> because as a human race, we are all contributors, <span style="font-style: italic;">we</span> share this <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">responsibility</span>) continue to point fingers and blame others for what is the reality, no one will ever be able to restore the sea's bounty. Just thinking about it gets me upset. Especially when I am out on the water and I think that my children might never have the opportunity to see anything like this. We will be left with ghost habitats, reef-less waters, and poisoned seas. Hopefully, we will be able to determine the worth of our waters before the well is dry.<br /><br />Days like these remind me why I am here. There is so much to do. So much to share. So much to learn. The fishermen here have a great deal of knowledge, lack all financial resources for change, but at the end of the day, have the motivation and a passion for fishing that I (positive thinking) feel will spark change. In my opinion, we have accomplished one of the hardest things and that is admitting that there is a problem and obtaining the knowledge to know how to fix the situation. We will work from here. It is a long process, but as I remind them at the end of all our meetings, as long as we stay strong, podemos lograr cualquier cosa (we can accomplish anything).<br /><br />I guess I should stop here for today. These entries sometimes go on forever. It is hard to stay on topic when I am constantly experiencing new and incredible things. Never would I have thought that I would be making fishing contraptions, learning local lingo for all four types of tuna, scaling and preparing fresh fish [ate a grilled (don't worry, fully grown) red snapper for dinner tonight and yellowfin sashimi yesterday. Life is rough]. But as I am learning, life is just full of unpredictability. Just like the sea, life can change directions unexpectedly.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-7550543158414015732011-01-01T13:04:00.000-08:002011-01-01T16:45:57.638-08:00Inspirational Words To Bring In The New Year<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >An Inspirational Short Story</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I Wanted To Change The World</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >By Unknown Monk, 1100 A.D.</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town.<br /><br />I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world." </span>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-76158519232033355342010-12-29T12:08:00.000-08:002010-12-29T12:22:30.907-08:00'Twas the Night Before Christmas...when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Whoever wrote that never experienced a Christmas on this island. It is always loud here. Remember, I live in the second loudest country in the world. My Night before Christmas played out a little different than Mr. Moore and Livingstons traditional story. <br /><br />Holidays here came and are going fast. Didn’t feel too much like the holidays, although we did get a couple days of “chilly weather.” By their standards-high 60s, and they think that they are experiencing the cold winter of Nueva Yol (New York, as my doña calls it). When I try to explain that it is as cold in New York as sticking yourself in our freezer, which doesn’t get too cold, I get a blank stare. She thinks I am lying. Lost cause. I have to simply assure her that “burr, yes it is cold here.” She smiles, excited to be able to experience the cold that she thinks she can relate to the Big Apple, the city of all cities for them- the city where all Americans live, because all other forty-nine states don’t exist. Except maybe Florida because Miami is where the other Americans live who don’t live in New York City. And although they know I am from California, to them, it is all part of New York. Needless to say, I can’t wait until sister comes with a world map. Geography 101. <br /><br />Back to Christmas. Christmas Eve consisted of a hodge podge of all the ingredients one can possibly find in our town, which don’t get too excited, it isn’t much. It is the only day of the year that families use their oven to cook chicken and pork instead of as a shed to store dishes (reason: gas is $$). Our dinner table consisted of an array of chicken and pork, rice, Russian potato salad (I have yet to find out what is Russian about it), spaghetti, cabbage salad, bread, apples, almonds, raisins and grapes (the four traditional Christmas treats-they only appear at Christmas), what I call my cookie attempt (the oven just doesn’t work properly and killed my snickerdoodles) and an equivalent to a pumpkin pie that I made that was very successful. The family prepared a plate of food for the neighbors so that they could have a taste. We ate together around the table after giving away half of the feast and talked. My sister snickered at my pie, smelled it and refused to eat it. I wanted to reach across the table grab her head and stick it in the not-so- Russian salad. I gave her a smirk when everyone told me how delicious it was. I even prepared one for my fishermen at our meeting on Christmas Day-definite win. Some people here are just so opposed to trying anything new. Some are too set in their ways, never divvying from what they know. It is a whole other story that their minds in school are never worked to be creative and think outside of the box and do something different than the rest of the group. Don’t even get me started.<br /><br />So my first Dominican Christmas… I survived the mockery of my cooking, what else can I say…The holidays here can’t compare to the States. Dinner was nice, but that was it, nothing else. O wait, forgot to mention one thing. Remember I live in an evangelical community? Well, they have a tradition that the week leading up to Christmas they go caroling. Real cute right. O, just wait. They “carol” more like sing loud somewhat angry sounding church songs from 2am until 6am going through the streets to people’s homes to “save” (convert) people. I think I prefer some good old fashioned Jingle Bells.<br /><br />2011 is right around the corner. My community is basically paralyzed until after the 6th of January when they will celebrate Three Kings Day. I asked what they customarily do, but I was told nothing. Apparently, a good excuse to extend the holidays and relax. I’ll take it. It is nice to be able to take a few days to myself, put work aside and just talk to people (which is basically what I have been doing anyways), enjoy the beach, clear my mind and find a place to live (cross your fingers things work out). My dad even pulled out some machines that the artisans use and showed me how to make some coconut jewelry. Final product still in the making.<br /><br />I am excited to start the New Year. Pretty symbolic in the sense that I am going to really begin my projects here. I will be proposing a lot of New Year’s resolutions to my fishermen, which include hopefully constructing and opening our cooperative this coming year. Who knows what this year has in store, but I know I am in for a wild ride. <br /><br />Wishing everyone a healthy and happy New Year. Let this one be sweeter than the last.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-58684120194383229122010-12-29T12:03:00.000-08:002010-12-29T14:05:15.758-08:00You Don't SayWritten: December 21<br /><br />I was interviewing one of my favorite doñas in the community the other day. My interviews never consist of just going through a survey. That would freak them out. Too official for them and let’s be real-you can’t really get to know people by doing that anyways. It is all about conversating, drinking coffee, burping babies, sometimes helping peel fresh peas that they are working on for dinner. You get my drift. So, we are “conversating.” She is explaining to me why her grandson lives with her. His mother left him when he was a baby. <span style="font-style:italic;">Why?</span> She didn’t like to cook. I hope that is what they told their grandson. Apparently an aversion for cooking is fair game for leaving your family. It does take up a lot of time, but <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span>? <br /><br />They say when you can cook, you better find yourself a man if you haven’t already because you are ready to get married. It appears that when you are sick of it, you are also ready for a divorce.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-15394394483854053032010-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:002010-12-14T16:19:52.912-08:00Blast into the PastRainy day. Stuck inside unless I want to drown in puddles and slip and slide on our muddy dirt road. I must say, these days are really nice. The air is even a little chilly today. That’s a first.<br /><br />I’ve had a lot of time during my diagnostic and interviewing time to really observe the people in my community. I’ve developed strong relationships with certain people in the community. One person that I want to share with you worth mentioning is my 76 year old grandfather. This man works like a caballo-it is written all over his sun kissed wrinkled skin. Three times a day he walks to and from his farm where he grows all the food that the family eats. He also walks his five massive cows (yes with a leash made of rope) around the community to bring them to the places where they feed on the land. I went with him one day to see part of the land that he farms. We walked over tons of plants and bushes. Thinking that we were just crossing through overgrown weeds, he explained to me that each plant actually was a crop. Great, I am stepping all over the family’s food. No te preocupes (don’t worry)-they all run over their crops apparently. Most of his crops are viveres, or starchy vegetables like potatoes, what is equivalent to sweet potato, pumpkin, and yucca. I would’ve never known that these plants actually bear food or that each one was a different type of plant as most of them looked the same. <br /><br />There is something that draws me to my abuelito. Maybe it is his knowledge of the land, knowing every leaf to pick from our yard that can be used to make tea, using the direction of the sun to tell what time it is, his ability to trek up a mountain faster than me, how he walks through the streets with his machete in hand- I don’t know. There is a sense of peace that shines from him that must come from living his simple, stress free, yet laborious life. And although he is an elder in the community who is still really living by our times, in like the early 1900s or something (and not the city in the early 1900s, think middle of Kansas), he just understands me. When my uncles are around asking me questions about life in the states and they just refuse to believe certain things I say, like how when a man marries a woman, it is not socially acceptable for that man to be with other women, my abuelo will speak up “Things are different there, it isn’t like here. Men and women are faithful right?” He just genuinely understands. And by understand, by no means can he comprehend the life of someone who lives in the States, who <span style="font-style:italic;">drives</span> to the grocery store to <span style="font-style:italic;">choose</span> from an entire aisle what type of cereal they want for breakfast (<span style="font-style:italic;">“cereal for breakfast, what’s that?</span>” he would say). But there is something about him that I just connect with. We are opposites -black and white, but there is some gray where we have come to develop a relationship different from anything I have ever had. I sit for hours with him underneath the big mango tree talking about everything from how the house I live in here used to be fields to grow tobacco or explaining that in California it is really four hours earlier than it is here, learning how he could never eat the cows that he raises, how he is convinced I will be sick of mangos during mango season, together trying to explain anything at all to my very senile grandmother... And sometimes we just sit in silence. But that is okay here. You don’t need to fill silence with conversation. There is no “awkward silence” and I am getting used to this. When I just don’t have anything to say, it’s nice to know that I don’t need to say anything at all. <br /><br />So I hope you feel like you got a snapshot of Abuelito. He is an intelligent man- not from a University education (he cannot read or write, there was no school here when he was young)- but smart nonetheless. A University education is not the type of intelligence he can use in his daily life. It is his experience and understanding of his surroundings that is his survival kit. Intelligence isn’t necessarily packaged in the form of a book or a classroom education where I live-it is all<span style="font-style:italic;"> relative</span>. <br /><br />But there is something about my abuelito. I wish I could explain in words, but I think you just need to sit with him under the mango tree to really understand.<br /><br />-picture coming soon. (I know you are intrigued, don't lie) My hand held digital camera broke and with it went the photo of abuelo-Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-60264949944135036832010-11-29T18:59:00.000-08:002010-11-29T19:11:41.857-08:00New Appreciation for Canned Cranberry SauceTurkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, pies, even your classic canned cranberry sauce. I had it all Thanksgiving Day despite being far from American soil. Get almost 200 PC volunteers together, and we make it happen. I travelled to the capital for Thanksgiving to spend a few days with my fellow Americans to celebrate our gringo holiday. After reuniting with my fellow PC friends, I realized how much I really needed to get away for a couple days to clear my head. Thanksgiving Day was filled with everything American. My day began at 7 am with the traditional Turkey Trot, a 6K Run around the Botanical Gardens. Not going to toot my own horn, but I rocked it- 31 minutes. The rest of the day was spent at a Country Club filled with sports activities (soccer, basketball, volleyball, football, swimming relays) and other events, plus a priceless talent show. Only mistake was that the swimming relay was after our Thanksgiving lunch feast and I almost puked while taking off in the water. I almost won, so it was worth it. Needless to say, our Peace Corps family did a great job at easing the homesickness during the holiday time. Being at my site eating platanos and rice for the umpteenth day in a row melting in what feels like summer heat just wouldn’t have sufficed. There was a lot to be thankful for as we all gathered together for our gluttonous feast. I am thankful for all the families and volunteers that sent overseas classic treats for the holiday including our canned cranberry sauce, Trader Joes walnuts for incredible pecan pie and boxed stuffing even though I am gluten intolerant and couldn't enjoy it, it was nice to see it on our big round table. I am thankful for being a strong woman when at times it is easier to toss in the towel. And when things get tough here I am thankful for having support from my family and friends. I am thankful for only being twenty-three years old and being able to have the <span style="font-style:italic;">opportunity</span> to do this. There is a lot to be thankful for. Toilets, running water, I can go on for pages. <br /><br /><br />I am not going to lie. These last few weeks have been really tough. If anything that I have learned is that you don’t really experience much of a spectrum of emotions here. At least not at the beginning. Your highs are really high and well your lows, well they are lowwww, like you are buried 6 feet under. Imagine being on a roller coaster simply with big inclines and you know, what goes up must come down right? Ok I am realizing that this sounds really bad and don’t worry people, I am ok. On a good note, I had a very successful meeting with the Fishermen’s Association on Saturday. Working with them has been a lot better than I thought it was going to be. There’s me-young independent American woman (hear me roar) and twenty plus grungy machismo fishermen (which never smell like fish surprisingly) most of which have only seen a woman do work in a kitchen. But, they actually listen to me and are motivated to work with me. Next week I will be giving them a charla on the basics of starting an association and we will definitely be covering the importance of an agenda. The meetings sound like a Sports Bar during the Super Bowl-people shouting over one another, say the wrong thing and someone might get up and throw a punch. Let’s just say we will be working on group strengthening for awhile. I spoke during the meeting which was a big deal because I have been the fly on the wall trying to observe the group dynamic simply nodding when things are said that I agree with and standing to pray with the group at the beginning and end of each meeting. I think some of them were starting to wonder if I was mute or just dumb. After I was done talking, a man cleared his throat, stood up and reminded everybody that by the grace of g-d I was there to help them and that the words that come out of my mouth are wise and that on behalf of everyone that they feel that we should move forward together to create a strong organization because together, si dios quiere (of course) we can accomplish anything. –Everyone mutters in agreement- Feeling of success. Check. I’ll take each little win as they come. So the roller coaster does have some loops.<br /><br />This week I will hopefully be prioritizing the projects I plan to work on here in Las Galeras. Tomorrow I have a meeting with the Development Association where I am going to work with the group on SWOT analysis of the community (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) so we can set up some of my responsibilities and possibly a plan for the next couple years.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-18922093494246957872010-11-10T16:43:00.000-08:002010-11-10T17:46:21.997-08:00Confianza Over A Cup of CoffeeI have been in Las Galeras for a week and a half and days are going by fast. I am still the new kid on the block, but I am finally able to put names to more faces. The importance of my first three months at my site is to build confianza, translating to building trust, with my community-building relationships and an understanding of one another.What exactly does that entail? Walking around talking to everyone in the streets, going to people’s homes and having coffee with doñas, stopping by the school to talk with teachers, watching dramatic telenovelas with my family, listening to music with some neighborhood kids, going for a quick dip in the ocean with my sister and cousins, helping kids with their homework, taking a jewelry making course with local artisans, sitting through intense evangelist church services, attending every community meeting for every organization, meeting with the mayor, making small talk with the farmer that always rides past me on his horse on my run, etc. etc. Thus far, it has been a great way to compartir, to share who I am and why I am here, but also to get to know other people and understand the members of my community. Needless to say, I have been very busy. And although some days are harder than others (sitting through church gatherings are very intense and not exactly my cup of tea), I am starting to feel more comfortable with my surroundings. <br /><br />Yesterday I hosted my first, somewhat official event, a Veterinary Medical Mission. Veterinarians from the United States came to give free services for the animals in my community. It was a great turnout with about 150-200 animals receiving care from vaccinations, operations, neutering and consultations. I was in charge of finding a location for them to work, setting it up and translating for the veterinarians during the event. This was a quick win in my community-a great way for members of the community to see that I will be opening the doors to many opportunities that they can take advantage of. <br /><br />Today I have been inside all day due to the unruly rain. Keeping busy doing my own research and homework and passing time with my family as they watch TV at an audible level to drain out the sound of the rain. This morning when I had a little time to myself (this never happens). I found ABC and NBC television channels (didn’t even know we had them). We get the news from South Florida, so I spent a little time watching Good Morning America. I feel so out of the loop and to be honest watching English television, seeing familiar places, getting the update on who was kicked off Dancing with the Stars last night, made me home sick. Maybe it’s better to keep the distance that I have developed. Don’t get me wrong, I love being here, but there are days where you just miss a piece of America. Whether it is being able to drive somewhere, have a choice of what I want to eat (miss the chain restaurants), talking to people that I can relate to, hearing the same teenie bop song on the radio every fifteen minutes, Monday night football, efficiency-okay, you get my point. So I guess for the best, I was lucky to only have about ten minutes of the TV to myself before my host dad came in to watch the very graphic local news. Nothing like watching a dead gang member murdered on the street-live, no censoring. Just another cultural difference. I might not get used to that in two years, but I can definitely get used to using rain as an excuse to pass the day inside since the town shuts down when there is rain. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeDsMQiTN28U-yPc97LbmLEIduIFPhw7OJmq8i8xbyEKFD3hF3slwKQw-y5UMxaZz6WY2CULi-8t5olnnR3YUkDuD5Hgj6mKEDZObxEqXgFAdXKNoQ5rOnHQY01rt3NQVy6qkwE8IGmI/s1600/PB090596.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeDsMQiTN28U-yPc97LbmLEIduIFPhw7OJmq8i8xbyEKFD3hF3slwKQw-y5UMxaZz6WY2CULi-8t5olnnR3YUkDuD5Hgj6mKEDZObxEqXgFAdXKNoQ5rOnHQY01rt3NQVy6qkwE8IGmI/s320/PB090596.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538100170969892130" /></a><br /> A rainbow on my street after some of the rains<br /><br /> Some pics from the Vet Med Mission<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLz9QpomqgtBjLZx-Ur3INld8lRlyAwe5cq4wQxH4IfrV3whZBIIkiij4WQTtbjKbR1NDCIO0Mn9HD9At5pGD-g3H6rj243EpNVl-7kP_WgfLVa_hlFDWz9xUAZPG9ay85deL3_vZBn2I/s1600/PB090609.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLz9QpomqgtBjLZx-Ur3INld8lRlyAwe5cq4wQxH4IfrV3whZBIIkiij4WQTtbjKbR1NDCIO0Mn9HD9At5pGD-g3H6rj243EpNVl-7kP_WgfLVa_hlFDWz9xUAZPG9ay85deL3_vZBn2I/s320/PB090609.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538100167721983522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7KcPG9XVxuAT9HNtlRh6F0VRxIPq-5VpXz_p5xOygR3bYNgrlvVQUApfQxuixNqakUVNjjD-DJ1yzDZzseIThRFptuuNj6h3c0s1N0LvOPUxQpZf3mJo6SgtPYbOPWDgkVbgrfS-4NY/s1600/PB090606.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7KcPG9XVxuAT9HNtlRh6F0VRxIPq-5VpXz_p5xOygR3bYNgrlvVQUApfQxuixNqakUVNjjD-DJ1yzDZzseIThRFptuuNj6h3c0s1N0LvOPUxQpZf3mJo6SgtPYbOPWDgkVbgrfS-4NY/s320/PB090606.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538100157107721186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8i01RHFQnQD3MGdBHkdncBfvQy_MCOaudrEx96dNveeYY5eKuAw4SEe29-IJiY_VizImLX7S0kiZSd6KMvMn_xAY6Ou1smh60B1oQ9qW-12Zif1Hu8kvTEZ64fmALuRDgYXlJvn-tGc/s1600/PB090607.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8i01RHFQnQD3MGdBHkdncBfvQy_MCOaudrEx96dNveeYY5eKuAw4SEe29-IJiY_VizImLX7S0kiZSd6KMvMn_xAY6Ou1smh60B1oQ9qW-12Zif1Hu8kvTEZ64fmALuRDgYXlJvn-tGc/s320/PB090607.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538100153669994130" /></a>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-59162966166667509432010-11-04T18:04:00.000-07:002010-11-04T18:22:51.344-07:00A New Place to Call HomeI know, it’s been a while, but with good reason. Since my last entry I have traveled back to Santo Domingo, had my official site visit, went back to Santo Domingo, bought a guitar, swore in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer and finally permanently moved into my new home in Las Galeras. –deep breath- Now is when all the fun starts. <br /><br />Last week was the accumulation of my three months of training. I took the same oath the President of the United States of America takes before swearing in to office. If it wasn’t official before, I certainly am now. The big day came and went, I had to leave my support network and begin a new journey all alone in my new home. I had become so accustomed to the security of being around other volunteers that this transition will take a little bit of time to get used to. <br /><br />So here I am. In my new community. Dropped off at the end of the road (literally), eager to start. And now what? My site has a little bit of a different dynamic than your typical site. Unlike some of my other fellow volunteers, there isn’t a set project here for me to work with. I am here to figure out the needs of the community and work from there. Pretty broad, I know. Las Galeras has never had a volunteer before which comes with its positives and negatives. Some people just don’t really understand why I am here (they could very well be thinking that I am just like any other gringa mooching off their incredible beach). Others have approached me with tons of projects that they feel are all feasible. Apparently in two years I am capable of starting a women’s group, artisan association, fishing cooperative, vocational school, building a library, starting a rock climbing ecotourism project, teaching English classes-o the list goes on. Thus far, I have experienced a mix of emotions. It is all very overwhelming, but I take day by day. The crazy thing is, I wake up and I am supposed to figure out what the heck to do with myself-no more schedule like in training. This week I am that awkward neighbor, walking house to house meeting all my neighbors and desperately trying to remember all their names (Note to self: blue house made of wood with pink door belongs to Negra-yes her nickname is Negra because she is very dark). My notebook is filled with these little observations. I am taking things very slowly, and with all the rain we have been getting, days have been passing fast and although it has been harder to walk around with the road block of mud and puddles everywhere, I manage to keep myself busy. <br /><br />Keep in mind, I have three months to figure out everything before I report back to the Peace Corps with my diagnostic. In the next three months I will be doing a variety of things including mapping out my community, interviewing 100+ households, analyzing the needs of the community and creating an action plan for the next year. It’s definitely far from your typical cubicle job. <br /><br />O and about Las Galeras. Did I mention I will be living in paradise for the next two years? Karma has come my way because I am a 5 minute walk from one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. I did ask my supervisor if at all possible I could be placed near some form of water, a river or anything (somewhat jokingly), and well she gave me the entire Bahia de Rincon. Very tempting to pass the day on the beach, snorkeling- my uncle, lucky me, owns a scuba diving school (yes I will be getting certified). It is nice to know that when things get tough, whether it be trying to manage my work or confronting the inevitable dengue and amoebas, I just have to take a stroll down the road and remember, I am living in paradise. <br /><br /> Anyways, Las Galeras is a fishing village/town. In the past few years it has become more well known and it is becoming kind of an off the beaten path tourist spot. I should clear this up. The money from tourists lies primarily in the hands of foreign investors and the locals continue living with bare minimum, most in poverty. There might be a luxurious hotel close by, but my community still lacks running water. This is a country where most of its people don’t have the privilege to think about the future. They live day to day here. If they are able to put rice and beans on the table for dinner, well then that is all that matters. Tomorrow they will wake up and try to do the same thing over again. This is the mentality here amongst the poor and unfortunately this puts them at risk for generations of continual poverty.<br /><br />This where I come in. If Las Galeras continues to grow, what affect will that have on the locals? Where can the locals get jobs? Although more than 80% of them depend on fishing as their main means of income, the fishermen don’t work together nor are they able to sell markets, hotels, etc. (the issue with the fishermen alone gets me heated). The youth who graduate high school don’t do anything. All in all, there is plenty of work that needs to be done here.<br /><br />I have a lot of support from the community and my host family. My doña not only makes the best food in town (getting used to fresh fish all the time) but I think if someone tried to be mean to me, she would throw a coconut at their head-doña power. <br />I am learning to take things at a slow pace and for everyone reading this, ya I know you probably chuckled. But here, things get done “si dios quiere.” Things will get done, god willingly. This is how everyone talks. “Will you be attending the meeting tomorrow?” Response: “Si dios quiere.” This person is not committing to anything and when tomorrow comes and if they remember there is a meeting, well then they might go or they might not. Not the most efficient way to run things, but this is how time passes here on the island, even more so now that I am in a beach town. If the Ministry of the Environment can be two hours late for a meeting yesterday, I can only imagine what normal Dominican standard time is like here. And as hard and frustrating as it might be at first, I just need to remember to cogelosuave-take it easy. <br /><br />So ladies and gents, family, friends and dedicated followers, I am finally here, living the not so glamorous Peace Corps life. Out here on my own and things are, well things are happening. I am very happy with my site and that is what is most important right now.<br /><br />Sorry for taking so much time off, I’ll try and be better about writing-si dios quiere.<br /><br />Paz<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqAg46u6oLYIre2CjrZzJrOZ_MR0lKkhxOAraF-WXbSPO6b4PUI9ToaZT2rFCia5CI5Tvy9D-L6y63BOjAc4WXcCSriUEnO7ByeyothVsuc0L1uwbpWWHlSgCvrMUZtvCZ8A2gvAi5OQ/s1600/76940_458228231568_517111568_5431577_4485756_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqAg46u6oLYIre2CjrZzJrOZ_MR0lKkhxOAraF-WXbSPO6b4PUI9ToaZT2rFCia5CI5Tvy9D-L6y63BOjAc4WXcCSriUEnO7ByeyothVsuc0L1uwbpWWHlSgCvrMUZtvCZ8A2gvAi5OQ/s320/76940_458228231568_517111568_5431577_4485756_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535866859290924898" /></a><br /> The Whole Gang Swearing In<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwvDZAEACR1iffBo-LOW69XJwXH5pTEDsz3sTUv7QvZvrt31I8O74mDgpTtFX5uBsduB8opf4TA76O_A6jSEBCMvcnLekUs1oRtIhF7XafeJpLsVvfYWxyK5dtAxGh_PxSVP9bROp_TA/s1600/PA210565.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwvDZAEACR1iffBo-LOW69XJwXH5pTEDsz3sTUv7QvZvrt31I8O74mDgpTtFX5uBsduB8opf4TA76O_A6jSEBCMvcnLekUs1oRtIhF7XafeJpLsVvfYWxyK5dtAxGh_PxSVP9bROp_TA/s320/PA210565.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535866858996032834" /></a><br /> My New Home, Las Galeras, Samana, Republica DominicanaGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-63122522271732392492010-10-18T18:19:00.000-07:002010-10-18T18:33:16.037-07:00All The Right MovesTomorrow is Project Partner Day. Meaning, I will be meeting my mentors (community members/leaders) who will be with me in my project site in Las Galeras. After a day filled of group strengthening activities and ice breakers (joy), they will be taking me to Las Galeras. It's a big day. I will finally get to see where I will be spending my next two years. I am really anxious/excited/nervous, but most of all ready. Training is coming to an end and although I feel a little overwhelmed to leave everybody and be on my own, I am also ready to get this all started. Catch is, I only get to stay until Sunday. I can't leave training without graduating of course. That big day is next Wednesday-Swearing In. We actually take the same oath the president of the United States takes (fun fact). <br /><br />In other news, I celebrated my 23rd birthday (one of three birthdays I will celebrate in the DR) last Thursday. Thanks to my wonderful friends, I had an incredible candlelight dinner. No, we don't eat by candlelight to be romantic, se fue la luz (the lights went out). Like always. Although I couldn't be with my family and friends, it was so nice to be around people that I have become so close to and come to love like my family. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkUy_E_UVLrCI9fLAaEGRgkNXaAvnW4M8dH72WjtBKJwmTZEm0FzGeZR1OMoeOGCF_l6HrymdwgyXUYK68Ju423U0NnI0s-7Oz0rgag5o-Vr-FV1MmZq21SYD7VqYg_vub1Oyn7xS0ck/s1600/Fundacion+117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkUy_E_UVLrCI9fLAaEGRgkNXaAvnW4M8dH72WjtBKJwmTZEm0FzGeZR1OMoeOGCF_l6HrymdwgyXUYK68Ju423U0NnI0s-7Oz0rgag5o-Vr-FV1MmZq21SYD7VqYg_vub1Oyn7xS0ck/s320/Fundacion+117.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529562842312712050" /></a><br />(Just so you can get the candlelight feel)Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-10727177217887099062010-10-13T09:24:00.000-07:002010-10-16T11:06:41.010-07:00Hands on LearningWritten: October 7
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<br />Today I spent my technical training climbing and jumping off 27 waterfalls. No big deal. What a great way to learn about eco-tourism.
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<br />Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-81480291903535946002010-10-13T08:46:00.000-07:002010-10-13T08:49:58.977-07:00Drum Roll PleaseWritten October 7<br /><br />Yes, I have the answer we have all been waiting for-where I will be living for the next two years of my life. I know the suspense is killing you. But, before I let you in on this essential piece of information, I am going to tell you about the Peace Corps Business Plan Competition I partook in this past weekend. (Please don’t read ahead to just find out my site). I traveled to the capital with the other trainees to see the annual business plan competition that is put on by other Peace Corps business volunteers and a micro finance NGO. As business volunteers, we have the opportunity to teach a course on basic business skills and how to write a business plan to the youth in the community where we serve. Youth create an extensive business plan on a micro business that they would like to start in their community. These plans are submitted and the best plans are presented at this national conference each year. This year, there were three winners-the groups actually get the money to start their business and even those who don’t win the money are so passionate that many find ways to fund raise to start their business. Businesses varied from starting an internet café, to a hot dog stand to a repair shop, etc. It was such a rewarding experience sharing the weekend with such motivated youth. I didn’t realize how much of an impact this experience has on so many of their lives. There were teenagers there that had never left their little campo before and now they had the chance to start their very own business! It was the first time I really got to see Peace Corps Volunteers in action. The whole weekend got me so excited to get started. I will definitely be helping out next year to plan the event. <br /><br />All the business trainees were super anxious this weekend-the other volunteers in different sectors had found out about their sites and then current volunteers were telling us that they found out their placement at the end of the business plan competition when they were trainees. But we had two weeks left to go in training, so we weren’t expecting to hear anything. The director had made it plenty clear to me that she still wasn’t sure where she wanted to place me. I mean, it is very difficult to place us. In our sector, there is such a diverse amount of work that you can do, they really try to match your skills and your preferences. Sunday rolls around, we are reflecting as a group on our weekend and the Director walks in. Everyone stops talking and just looks over, because I think we secretly knew why she had walked into the room. She explains to us that we are going to have a class on geography. Geography? Really, almost two months in and we are going to go over geography again? But, the twist was that we were going to have a geography class to show us where our placements are on a map. Everyone went crazy. We were screaming, some people started to cry. I mean, this is a huge deal. We have been basically walking blind, left our home for two years not even knowing where we will be living, putting our future in their hands- yea, it’s a big deal. Since the computer wasn’t working (go figure), we pulled out a huge map. We sat together, holding hands, anxious to hear everybody’s placement. For each person, a sticker was placed on the map showing the location, a one to two sentence description of the site project was given, a drum roll and then the person who’s site it would be was announced. The placements were given, starting in the south. I was one of the last placements to be announced. A sticker was placed literally at the end of the road on the peninsula of the D.R., the providence of Samana, on the water. Everyone gasped because it is 1. Almost unheard of to get a placement on the beach 2. Where exactly the sticker was placed in Samana is one of the most, if not the most beautiful beach in the whole country. It was announced that the person who would serve there was going work with an organization to aid in business development, help with some fisherman project, but also do community development work. The community needed someone innovative and creative. Super broad I know. My name was called and I freaked out. Everybody, I will be spending the next two years of my life in Las Galeras. Look it up on the map, research it, get excited! Luckily, one of the current volunteers that was at the business competition is my neighbor (about an hour away and from San Diego, go figure) and she was working on preparing the site for me. She didn’t have too much information for me, but she had a picture of my site on her phone. Uhm, let’s just say that if you plan on visiting me, be prepared for paradise. <br /><br />I don’t know too much about my project just yet. I have to wait until the 18th of October to receive more information, but such a weight is lifted off my shoulders. Not only am I relieved that I know where the heck I will be living, but I feel like karma is coming back to me and it tastes SO sweet! The director did such a good job at placing everybody. It seems like everybody’s preferences were taken into consideration. What a great way to end the weekend. I feel like I have something more concrete to look forward to now. Knowing my site has made this experience seem so much more real already. Las Galeras-can’t wait!Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-16153123031481978522010-10-13T08:44:00.000-07:002010-10-13T08:45:25.385-07:00Keeping two feet on the groundWritten: October 1<br /><br />Today my sister and the neighborhood children came running to me to ask a question. They wanted to know if you could open windows on an airplane. One of them shouted before I could answer “of course not because that would make the airplane fall to the ground.” I tried to explain that there was no way to open a window but not because the plane would necessarily fall, but because the oxygen isn’t breathable when you are up that high. They looked at me a little puzzled, still trying to understand how there could be windows that you couldn’t open. Just puts things into perspective. Everything has been so fast paced and because I am still surrounded by my colleagues, sometimes I forget that I am the alien, the one that has lived a life so different from theirs.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-83579568591938689932010-10-13T08:42:00.001-07:002010-10-13T08:44:16.138-07:00Life in the CampoWritten: September 27, 2010<br /><br />Where has September gone? Training has flown by and I feel like I have been here in the campo for a long time now. I haven’t written much of anything a) no internet b) I just haven’t felt very motivated to write lately. I have just been taking in all the experiences. <br /><br />My experience of campo life in a nutshell: Saturday, I was walking back home after visiting a neighbor and my mom shouted to me to hurry up and run over to hop in the back of her cousin’s truck. My motto is “go wherever I am invited” so I didn’t hesitate at all and jumped into the bed of the truck. My cousin told me that we were going up to the neighboring village to go kill la culebra, the snake, that had already killed a puppy, four chickens and a duck on their grandma’s property. So here I am thinking sure, why not, the snake could hurt someone so it is important to fix the problem. So we drove up the dirt road with four people in the bed of the truck. As we passed neighboring homes my cousin announced to everyone that we had come in search of the snake. Next thing I know, the truck is piling up with people to come help us find the snake. Even a man with his machete trekked behind us on his horse. We arrived at the house and were told the snake was hiding in the latrine. Minutes later, the latrine was in pieces and men were hammering away at the cement foundation to get underneath to find the snake. All I kept thinking was, how the heck do they really know that this is where the snake is. Well, apparently they knew because an eight food red snake appeared. Within seconds, its head was chopped off with a stick and a dull shovel (a little confused because the man with the machete was right there) and la culebra was being carried into the road. People gathered around and messed around with the snake for about an hour. It was quite a sight to see-the whole body was still squirming around without a head. Then, beer was poured on it and set on fire. Cooked snake is not the most pleasant smell. Now, trash is a big problem in the DR. Most places don’t have a place to put their trash, so I wondered what they were going to do with this huge snake lying in the middle of the road. Obviously, make a leash for it out of rubber wire and carry it through town. From there, I don’t know what happened to the poor snake, but it was quite a spectacle. <br /><br />Do I kill snakes everyday, no. But, I have become part of this community. Everyone knows who I am and I am always stopping in the streets and at people’s homes to say hello, play dominoes, eat, drink some fresh juice or have a little coffee (yes, I am drinking just a litttttle bit, it’s a must if I want to pass time with my neighbors). My domino skills are getting better and I am starting to understand campo Spanish a lot more.<br /><br /> On training days, Monday through Friday, I have somewhat of a ‘schedule’- at least set times where I have Spanish and Technical Training. I start my days at 6 am. I go for a beautiful run through on a road through the lush hillsides. Although the hills are a killer, getting to the top is breathtaking. The landscape never ceases to amaze me. I come back home to shower, if there is water, and get ready for class. We have classes all day long every day basically. Sometimes we have community interactive projects that take up part of the day, but most days are long. Between the humidity and long hours in class, taking a nap is never difficult. <br /><br />Despite the fact that it is almost October, it is still extremely hot here. It really messes with your mind- I feel like its still summer and with training it almost feels like I am at summer camp. I am definitely ready to gain some freedom, training can be very restrictive. I have no control over a lot of things in my life right now-my schedule, what and when I eat, where I spend a lot of my time, etc. It is hard when you come from being so independent. After six months of living with other people, freedom is going to be very sweet. Until then, I am trying to appreciate the cultural differences, lack of privacy, and the mountains of platanos (I don’t think I will ever appreciate these).Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-79430527926423345252010-09-08T10:59:00.000-07:002010-09-09T05:20:38.952-07:00Adios Santo DomingoThis past weekend I finally got out of the capital and spent my weekend in another volunteer’s site to see how a real PCV lives. Let me start off by saying, this country is so beautiful and diverse. I traveled two hours north of the capital to an artisan town. It was such a relief to finally see a volunteer in action. I received so much reassurance that this job was meant for me. My volunteer is in the last stretch of her service and has accomplished amazing things. She has built a library, organized an artisan group who sells the most authentic, symbolic and popular ceramic dolls in the country, she has taught English, business and sex education classes, organized regional conferences and camps, the list goes on. It was very inspirational. I also got the ins and outs of PCV life (something our trainers don’t really know). The volunteers in the DR have one of the most active PC support systems in the world. Volunteers organize tons of events, we celebrate holidays together, put together conferences, travel, have numerous traditions, take part in marathons, etc. Now I understand how much of a family we truly are. I have so much to look forward to in the next two years. <br /><br />I am finding it difficult to express everything in my blog. I have so much to say because everything is all new to me. I could go on forever just about this week alone. Tomorrow I am leaving for more technical training to the north part of the country with other volunteers that will focus on Economic Development like myself. We will be there for 5 weeks. Once I return, I will finally get my site assignment for the next two years, the moment we have all been waiting for. <br /><br />Yesterday I was asked in my placement interview, out of 1 to 10, how committed do I feel to Peace Corps. After finally seeing real PCV life, I feel highly committed. I feel very motivated. I am eager to find out where I will be serving. <br /><br />I think after this post, I am going to concentrate on specific events that happen and things that strike me instead of just regurgitating everything I do. There are many topics I want to talk about so you can get a better understanding of how I have been acclimating not only to a new culture, but as a PCV.<br /><br />My “firsts” this past week:<br /><br />-Rode on a motoconcho <br />-Beach trip to Sasoa in the north (Did I mention I live in paradise)<br />-Travelled into the mountains (very rural, could only get there using a motoconcho)<br />-saw a tarantula<br />-Danced meringue and bachata <br />-Gave my first charla (presentation) to a group of local Dominican artisans on conflict resolution<br />-ate street food, a bola of yucca (ball of yucca), really good<br />-Baked my first pumpkin pie from scratch for my host family<br />- ate Dominican sushi (they put a spin on it with platanos, really good)<br />-Shoved 11 people into a 5 seater car (funny thing was, it was the volunteers who suggested we take one car. Dominicans are rubbing off on us)<br /><br />What I am looking forward to within the Peace Corps Family:<br /><br />-Bola (Hitchhiking) Race- just imagine Amazing Race, PC style, yes I am serious<br />-Thanksgiving with my fellow volunteers<br />-Writing for the Peace Corps newsletter<br />-Helping plan a regional conference<br />-Running my first half marathon <br />-(Possibly) getting SCUBA certified<br />-Learning to play the guitar (they are pretty cheap here)<br />- Having all my friends and family come visit<br />-Volunteer PotlucksGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-53210176491279543432010-09-08T10:53:00.000-07:002010-09-08T10:59:43.578-07:00Piropos en la calle<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link 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mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: courier new;" class="MsoNormal">Growing up in southern California, I am somewhat “desensitized” to the cat calls in the streets.<span style=""> </span>In the DR I run into persistent cat callers on the streets who shout out piropos. If you were to look up piropo in the English Spanish dictionary, its literal conjugation is ‘compliment’.<span style=""> </span>However, the typical foreign woman would call it harassment.<span style=""> </span>Most Dominican woman would agree-or so they say.<span style=""> </span>Being so accustomed to these piropos-which usually include hissing, singing songs, shouting certain phrases or nicknames- if a Dominican woman did not hear any piropos on her walk in the streets, she would go home and immediately check a mirror to make sure she was looking okay.<span style=""> </span>It would almost be abnormal l and cause a woman to think that something was wrong with her appearance if she didn’t receive piropos.<span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-family: courier new;" class="MsoNormal">Everyday I run the same route in the morning with my friend Alyson.<span style=""> </span>We pass the same people and every day we get the same piropos.<span style=""> </span>I usually laugh them off or answer with a smile “Buenos dias.”<span style=""> </span>Sometimes, if I answer them, they get very surprised and even embarrassed.<span style=""> </span>They can’t possibly think that they can pick up a woman by screaming “rubia preciosa” “te quiero” “I love you baby,” etc.<span style=""> </span>To joke with the men I pass daily is actually a good way to get them to stop and actually gain some respect for you (even Peace Corps say so).<span style=""> </span>However, random people throughout the day, are simply ignored. </p> <p style="font-family: courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>It’s funny how accustomed I have become to this by living in a more latino community for my whole life. (NOT saying that all latinos partake in this behavior)<span style=""> </span>I actually don’t understand how someone can actually take them seriously and allow their machismo piggish behavior bother them. I am lucky enough to have arrived just as a popular song called “Pa Manga Mi Visa” came out and is the #1 song in the nation. Basically, the lyrics say “I want an American so I can get my Visa, I want an American to teach me English, I want an American to take me away from here, I will marry you to go to New York.”<span style=""> </span>Needless to say, males from as young as 5 years old sing the lyrics to me in the street.<span style=""> </span>The lyrics are great and I always have something to respond with.<span style=""> </span>“No soy el consol” (I am not the consulate) usually gives them a laugh.</p> Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-90882809373351886132010-09-01T18:57:00.000-07:002010-09-01T19:03:55.996-07:00Don’t Worry Mom, I didn’t buy a motoconcho<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikETqoSm35iM_c-j5kM_cXaXUM87TBuXkC5MOZ-7iHHsPYAuhgzeDKiiiBnIdX0O-Z3rE4jfdJbMuo0MXsfxjoDhHbhpmTxLkrpFy2Wgyceu0wFe_7ik6Ie8ezEI07S5dYikCK8o4cTpw/s1600/P9020076.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikETqoSm35iM_c-j5kM_cXaXUM87TBuXkC5MOZ-7iHHsPYAuhgzeDKiiiBnIdX0O-Z3rE4jfdJbMuo0MXsfxjoDhHbhpmTxLkrpFy2Wgyceu0wFe_7ik6Ie8ezEI07S5dYikCK8o4cTpw/s320/P9020076.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512130225733019426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">(sorry it's blurry, the only one I have thus far)</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Yesterday we received our awesome motorcycle helmets and learned how to ride on the back of a motoconcho. Although training lasted about 2 minutes, it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. My training days this week have been very long, full of lots of information, more vaccinations, but a little draining. I am learning more about Dominican culture, geography, history and more medical “know how” as I like to call it(I am a professional re-hydration maker now). Current volunteers have come to visit to explain to us what they have been doing, how they are living, etc. It is interesting to hear all their different stories. This week volunteers visited that all lived in different possible living situations- la ciudad (the city), el pueblo (the villages closer to the outskirts of cities, el cambo (more rural and smaller villages) and bateys (Haitian-Dominican communities that grew out of temporary housing situations from the sugar cane factories). This was supposed to give us a better idea of where we would like to serve for our two years. Although some of you might be thinking that the city has the most amenities and is the best, you are wrong. They all have their pros and cons but I found it very interesting how twisted some of the living conditions are. If I didn’t mention this already, electricity and water here is on and off all the time. The most common frase is “se fue la luz,” the lights are out. And let me tell you, they are out more often than not in most places. Even though one volunteer lived in the second capital in the country, he had no running water and only a few hours of electricity depending on the day. Yet, the volunteer who lived in a rural campo had electricity 24/7. A close by river uses a hydro electricity system that brings his area electricity. Electricity and water. Two basic amenities, some might even call these essentials. Why is there no better system to maintain both? Not a lot of people know. There aren’t enough plants to supply the electricity, people using a lot of what there is only very little of, and there is not a set system of people paying for these amenities.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Back to the site locations. All the volunteers had a unique experience depending on where they were located. I like the idea of being in a small enough place that people know who I am, but not too small to where I feel isolated from the rest of the PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers). Speaking of acronyms, Peace Corps has an acronym for just about everything. I am a PCT who will be going to CBT at the end of next week for CED training where I will meet with my APCD about our work. In English please…. I am a Peace Corps Trainee who will go to Community Based Training at the end of next week for Community Economic Development training where I will meet with my Associate Peace Corps Director about our work. That’s just a handful of them. And then the nurse comes and talks to us about STIs, HIV, MMR and I am lost.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Good news, I am leaving this Thursday for my weekend volunteer visit to a place called Higuerito in Moca (about 2 ½ hours north of Santo Domingo). I am traveling alone for the first time so fingers crossed that I won’t get lost. I am ready to get out of the city for a little bit-I think the fumes are starting to rattle my brain. It feels like I have been here in the DR for a while now although it has only been 2 weeks or so. The mosquitoes are biting me less, so I am probably starting to smell like a Dominican ( I am eating a lot of platanos). Learning more about how Dominicans live is also making me feel more integrated into their culture. Since I am in advanced Spanish class, we spend a lot of time talking about just typical Dominican life. I have learned some very interesting things about Dominicans this way.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Did you know:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">-25% of the Dominican population is undernourished, 42% live below the poverty line-this has increased from 25% just since 2000.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">- There are many interesting Dominican superstitions. Just to name a few: A woman should never put her purse on the floor or else she will lose money. If a pregnant woman rolls over her husband in bed, her husband will feel the pains of pregnancy.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />-Many people use animal nicknames to describe personality traits. For example, if you are a player, you are a ‘tigre’. If you are an ugly woman you are called a ‘grillo’ (fire fly). ‘Jamona’ is a woman who is old and not married. ‘Caballo’ (horse) is someone who has great physical ability.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Just some things about the DR that have struck me in one way or another. If I don’t get lost in the country this weekend, I will update you when I return. </span> </span>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-3994687971698186142010-08-23T12:58:00.000-07:002010-08-23T13:28:20.366-07:00Bienvenidos a la Republica Dominicana<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CGABRIE%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CGABRIE%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CGABRIE%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> 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.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Hello from Santo Domingo. Well everyone, I am here. Training has begun and everything finally seems very real. As our Country Director told us, “we are not in Kansas anymore.” Since I left the states, things have been pretty crazy and fast paced. Staging in the states was short with a lot of information. My PC training group is wonderful. There are 59 of us and we have quite the group profile. There are many remarkable people here who are a lot like myself. At Staging it was great being surrounded by people who really understood how I felt. We were all nervous, excited, anxious-the whole 9 yards. We all survived the grueling application process and wanted to just jump in head first. On Thursday we all headed from D.C. to Santo Domingo together at 2 am. As if trying to adapt to a new country is hard enough, we came with no sleep. I arrived here in the DR in the afternoon where we were taken to a like 12 hour retreat. The staff began telling us about training, rules and regulation, safety, etc. etc. Needless to say, it was so overwhelming that by the time the evening was over I was pondering whether or not I made the right decision coming here. However, Friday after some good sleep we left for the training center and again we discussed logistics all afternoon. I felt much better after everything was slowed down and we had more in depth meetings. Did I mention the training center is in paradise? The property has gorgeous tropical gardens and our little classrooms are little open air spaces with tin roofs. (Picture to come soon.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Since I have arrived everything has been logistics. There are so many rules, I forget it is a federal agency so they do have to cover their butts. The training is very intense and we really learn how to be Dominicans. People pay the big bucks to get the training that we will receive. Not only do we learn the language, but we learn about the culture (dance, cook, transportation, dominos, etc.), medical know how (how to clean lettuce with non-purified water, how to rehydrate yourself, how to ride as a passenger of a motorcycle, etc.), technical training (I am a CED -community economic development- Advisor, so we have classes in microfinance, accounting, ecotourism, etc.), fieldtrips… The list goes on. Our training usually goes from 8 am to 5 pm with a lunch break, so there is a lot that we will be learning.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Just a little information about my schedule for the next ten weeks. I will be here in Santo Domingo for three weeks, then I will be traveling to the North end of the island for our technical training as a Community Economic Development Advisor for five weeks. I will return to Santo Domingo for a few days where I will learn about my assignment. I will be given a Project Partner from that community and will go visit the community for five days where I will be doing my next two years of service. I will return to Santo Domingo, if all goes well, swear in as a volunteer and leave the capital to my place of service.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>So how do I feel? A little nervous, excited and happy. The people here are amazing. My host family treats me like I am part of the family. I am living with my mom or “dona” her two daughters, granddaughter, nephew, two chihuahuas and three parakeets. Neighbors and extended family are always going in and out of the house. It is a great little barrio with windy roads that look like they go on for days. Our street is very crowded. The Country Director told us that the DR is the loudest country in the world and I believe it. The music doesn’t ever stop! We live in front of a few convenient stores, a salon and a men’s gym. The PC is definitely easing us into everything very slowly-I have toilets, showers, electricity (even though the lights and water go out frequently) and the family even has a computer with internet. I have been walking around to get to know the barrio. The only thing is during the day it is VERY humid. Yes, I am sweating buckets. Dominicans shower like four times a day and hygiene and proper dress is very important to them. I am very thankful that I can wear skirts-great airflow!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Our first week of real training began today. Figuring out public transportation is one of the goals for this week. I am very excited to learn all about the country and the people. I know this post is a little disorganized, there is just so much that has happened in the last few days.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I have found interesting thus far:</span><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-How open the PC staff is (we talk about everything-literally)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-Dominicans are very particular about dressing professional and looking “put together”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>- In the past five years, 59 PC volunteers have gotten married to other Dominicans. (Not for me)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-You will be sent home to the States if you don’t wear your motorcycle helmet</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-Meeting people for coffee in their homes-networking- is considered working once you are in your community site for service</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-Our Group Profile is very interesting amongst the 59 of us we have: travelled to over 60 countries, speak 14 languages, have worked for over 176 organizations and come from more than 25 or so U.S. states. Truly amazing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-If you are in a room with another person and the door is closed, you are having sex (this is what Dominicans think at least)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>- 7 people can fit in a small taxi and 7 people can also apparently fit on a motorcycle (have yet to see this)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-The DR is the only country in the PC where you can ride on the back of a motorcycle</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-My volunteer neighbor has a bisabuelita (great grandmother) who is 105 years old and looks great</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-We can buy a horse. Some parts of the country it is your only means of transportation</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>What I need to get used to:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-sweating buckets</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-my legs burning from 25% deet bug spray day in and day out</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-cold showers. I think I have figured this one out. I am going to do a morning run before my shower so that the cold won’t bother me. Even with this humidity I am still a baby and don’t like to bathe in cold water</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>-hissing in the streets</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>- Carrying a heavier object or water bottle when I run to avoid an attacking stray dog (“just in case” said my friends host dad)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-cleaning my undergarments when I bathe</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">- the Dominican dialect. Como tu ta? That means, como estas. They chop a lot of their words.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-fresh fruit juice everyday. Hard life, I know.</p> Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130312801413081461.post-59093134721987839932010-08-17T08:05:00.000-07:002010-08-17T08:25:54.912-07:00FarwellSo today is the day. I leave in about two hours for the airport. Hoping I remembered to pack everything I need.<br /><br />Last few things I did before I leave for two years:<br /><br />-Went on a long beautiful morning walk with my dog<br />-Took the longest shower known to mankind (If you ever volunteered in a third world country you appreciate water pressure just as much as your best friend)<br />-Ate numerous cold foods (who knows if I will have refrigeration there)<br /><br />So this is it. Going to "live the dream" as many have been saying. There is one thing I do have to say. So many people-family, friends, strangers have told me lately"Wow you are so lucky, I <span style="font-style: italic;">wish</span> I could -fill in the blank- (go travel, help people, experience a new culture, live somewhere different).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The truth is, you can. Ask yourself this:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >What is really stopping you?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This journey might not be for everyone, but this is the path I chose, something I have dreamed of doing. Keep in mind today as you go on with your daily routine that no one is stopping you from living your dreams other than yourself. Live <span style="font-style: italic;">through </span>yourself and for yourself because if you don't, next thing you know you will be 60 years old with 10 cats living in the same place you hated for too many years never leaving your little cubicle at work where they still can't pronounce your last name right after 20 years. So get out there, choose your path and whatever you do, let it be sweet.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="text_exposed_show">"You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone outta be"<br />-Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat. Pray. Love.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Looks like the next time I will update you will be from the Dominican Republic.<br /><br />Until then,<br /><br />Think of something that inspires you, and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">do it</span><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360394883699806915noreply@blogger.com2