3.29.2008

Photos

Should be some new ones uploaded today!

3.25.2008

Dominican onions are tasty!

Oh my gosh I can’t believe I said that. And I meant it! Wow, what’s happening to me? It’s true though, especially if you sauté them until their kind of brown and crispy—they’re just delicious. Oh, I know Michele, I’m abandoning you in our carte blanche distaste for onions, but I can’t help it. Please forgive me. Who knows if this palatial evolution is permanent, American onions might very well still offend me. Only time will tell.

In other news, we are in Semana Santa now (Holy Week) and although this doesn’t affect me, it is ironic that the beaches on the north coast are closed this week, one of the peak vacation times in the Dominican Republic. Bummer for the tourist industry, and major bummer for the tourists who paid top-dollar to come here and won’t be able to visit the beach.

Holidays here are interesting and seriously over-hyped. Now having been here for Christmas, New Year and Semana Santa, the reality does not live up to the hype. Unintuitively, this has not been especially disappointing for me, but just interesting to observe. The only thing that really happens to scale is the influx of people who come back to the campo from the city to visit their families. Generally not being a fan of large family gatherings for extended periods of time, this is the aspect of holidays in the DR that makes me cringe. Suddenly there are lots of new people, everywhere, for several days. Some seem not to notice my presence, most seem not to particularly care. Regardless, I feel obliged to meet them and compelled to retreat and find a safe place. Only, there’s nowhere to go. Extended family is everywhere. I guess I’m getting used to the constant presence of the people in my community who are constantly present, but all these new people make it like starting over.

However, in the spirit of community integration and cultural exploration, I went to the Thursday-before-Easter Catholic church services yesterday in the chapel in my community. In fact, not only did I go to the service, I got tapped to read one of the scriptures. Aside from the fact that the whole Bible, apparently uses future and vosotros verb forms (which are practically never used in spoken Spanish here, and thus still foreign to my tongue), I’d say it went well. I have a sneaking suspicion I’m getting llevar-ed to the Evangelical service in the loma today on a mule with my “host grandpa,” who is the minister or something.

***

The latest issue of the Gringo Grita came out last week, and in it were the Close-of-Service surveys for the group of volunteers that will be leaving in May. Reading these caused me to reflect on what my COS survey might look like when the time comes; reading them caused me to consider the ways I think I might change, the things I might learn.

A few hypotheses…

- I think I will learn how to truly embrace and accept my introverted side.

- I think I will be more comfortable being uncomfortable (both physically and emotionally).

- I will be even more willing to take a risk if I think the possible outcome is worth the trouble.

- I will make significant progress through my “Mid-Twenties Renaissance,” an experience coined by my friend Claudette.

- I will have had a meaningful opportunity to explore my values and beliefs and think about who I want to be and how I want to live my life.

- I will be more comfortable knowing what I want to do or what will make me happy and doing it without concern for how others perceive it; if they have a problem, they don’t accept me anyways.

- I will be more understanding and accepting of my family.

- I will be more used to and comfortable with kids.

Also, a strange observation on the activities of my mind when allowed to wander: Although I am generally happy and content here I find that I spend a surprising amount of time calculating what remains of my 27-month service and imagining what my life might look like and what directions I might go upon its completion. Is my inability to live exclusively in the present, without looking ahead to what may or may not happen in the future, an intrinsic flaw? I must work on this. I hereby commit (to try) to not plan the next official stage of my life until I am physically in the United States. (However, I permit myself to make plans for a transition period between arriving and beginning the next “official” stage.)

***

Housing update: Still waiting to move into Dan’s house in mid-late May. Feeling eager. Feeling anxious. Hanging in there. Told him he was prohibited from extending again. Was reassured this will not be a problem. Accepted said reassurance with warning that if it should change, he will be forced to co-habitate with me because I’m moving in May. J

***

Wishlist update:

- I’m trying to take up yoga/pilates. If anyone has instructional DVDs laying around that aren’t getting used, I’d love to take them off your hands. (Don’t go buying stuff, though).

- What’s new in the music world? Burned CDs I can import into iTunes on my computer would rock my world.

- Movies (DVDs), magazines (Health and Self are my favorites)

- Chocolate! Luna/Pria/Mojo Bars!

- Off Deep Woods spray mosquito repellent with DEET (a couple people sent me this before and it works great… it’s in a green bottle).

- Soft & Dri deodorant (DermaStripe or PowerStripe).

- Printed pictures of whatever you all have been up to!

***

Activity update:

I’m in the beginning or planning stages of: income generation project (making/selling floor disinfectant) with the youth group; English classes; a campaign to get kids declared who don’t have birth certificates (and thus are not recognized as existing by the government and all the implications and limitations “not existing” entails). Camino de Luz is meeting regularly. We had been out of production for a while because of a materials/cash flow problem, but we finally got the paraffin and are back in production, thank goodness. Planning for Camp GLOW is coming along nicely, as part of the fundraising committee, I have been working on writing a grant to get funding and creating an ideas sheet for community-based fundraising (each community that sends girls has to make a financial contribution).

I’ve made it my goal in the next few months to spend my transportation budget more on traveling than on trips to the Capital (actually this will be a sacrifice because it means less access to good internet and mail), but I really want to make sure I see the country while I’m here and make a point to visit other volunteers. So, next weekend I’m going to visit Ben and Claudette in Jarabacoa (I’ve already been there once, but it was a really quick visit). In mid-April I’m going to visit Robyn in Sabana de la Mar. In May I have to go to the Capital for a GLOW meeting but I have to go for a doctor appointment anyways so I should be able to get reimbursed. Also in late May or early June is the next production cycle of Gringo Grita, of which I will be participating, which is about a week in the Capital. In June I’m planning to go to Bahia de las Aguilas near Pedernales for two nights of camping on what is, from what I understand, one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the country. Also in June I have to go to the Capital for my 6-month language workshop and a sector meeting. In July is Camp GLOW, in August is Celebrando Cibao and a camping trip with the youth group at Fundelosa. The spring and summer are shaping up to be busy and full of interesting excursions.

Okay, so that seems like a pretty thorough rundown on what’s new with me. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next installment. Miss you, love you, talk to you later!!!!

Kira

PS. New pictures should be online!

3.05.2008

Just an update

Hi everyone who reads my blog. Thanks for visiting again!

So since the last time I posted, which was right after my IST in La Vega, not a lot has happened, and yet plenty of stuff has happened. Funny how things go like that, right? Well, between the end of my IST and this past Sunday I was having a pretty hard time. Nothing happened, but I was feeling stressed out, overwhelmed and generally anxious. About lots of things. Of course work and projects (or lack there of at this point) is difficult, but through the patience of a few great folks here I think I've decided that the main source of difficulty is that I'm still living with my host family (and all the privacy/personal space/control of environment issues that entails). Now, I want to be very clear that my host family is pretty top-notch--they respect me, my space, my American oddities. They are nice to me, they are nice to each other. They love their kids. Stuff like that. But for me, the very nature of host family life makes me bristle. So, don't think bad thoughts about the host family.

Anyway, yesterday I presented my community diagnostic (this is the thing I also presented for Peace Corps at IST) to my community. It went pretty well but it was lucky that we scheduled it during the weekly meeting of the women's group at Fundelosa (the women who will be working in the cacao processing facility when it opens) because even though I invited 16 community groups/organizations/the school directors, etc. maybe 3 of those groups sent 1-4 people (closer to 1). So there were a total of about 40 people but 30+ of them were already there from their other meeting. Oh well, I actually was happy with how it went (although they were kind of bored) and it was an opportunity for me to be in front of the "community" and show them what I've been doing. I've been trying to find things I can say "yes" to and build up some momentum and confidence. I'm also holding an informational meeting about a short, basic English course on Monday, so we'll see how that goes. I wouldn't be starting classes until April though because the world stops in the DR the week before Easter (Semana Santa).

I also got an opportunity to have a couple good talks with my counterpart to plan some focused activities to help me get directly oriented to the office activities, rather than kindof being there and trying to learn by osmosis. We also got to talk about how we will try to work together and our system for that which was very helpful. We are going to start by meeting weekly away from the confusion and hubub of the office to make sure I know what activities are going on and what we want to accomplish. So I feel good about that for now too.

A couple of fun activities are coming up. Tomorrow I'm meeting with Dan to begin the process of doing a birth certificate campaign (this is work but I'm really excited about it); Friday I'm going to a gardening workshop and on a hike with the youth group; Sunday Dan and I are having a pot luck at "our" house for the volunteers in our area. These will all be fun. I hope!

Anyways, I'll be in touch soon!
Thanks for visiting!
Kira