Ok so here is my ¨tentative¨ site placement...well the region anyway because I can´t say the exact site for security reasons, but it looks like I´ll be in the northwest of the country, which is closer to the Haitan border. They showed us our placments on the map before we were assigned a site...and there was one site that we called the ¨dot¨ because it was pretty far away from other volunteers...and it´s me! I´ll be in a small campo and I´m pretty excited that I will be be closer to Haiti. I´m hoping to have a donkey, but we´ll see.
For ALL of you (and I´m hoping ALL of you) who visit, the nearest airport is Santiago.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Update
So I safely arrived, it´s been a month, and I´ve already:
-had gripe (Dominican word for the flu/cold)
-met some cool people
-watched The Office and Will and Grace in English (Emily´s casa is the best!)
-sweated more than I ever had in my whole life (great, I can cross that off my list of things to do)
-taken numerous bucket-baths by candlelight (very romantic all by myself)
-packed myself into the back of a pick-up truck with chickens - where I was hit on the head by a bag of Cheetos (or the Dominican equivalent) then one of the chickens decided to lay an egg right by my feet
-have seen traffic stop for cows and goats
-been accidentally fed salami
-used/using a latrina, which is quite treacherous at 4 in the morning, I have a war with the cockroaches and giant spiders in there every night...so far me and my flashlight have won
-been to the beach!
-drank a jumbo presidente...yup no more cocktails for me, apparently at the local colmado (decorated with the latest and greatest plastic chairs) they do not serve appletini´s
-lived/living with 2 really great host families, my host family now has family in Boston whom I´ve talked on the phone with
-learned bachata and merengue
-have done some really impressive work with my mosquito net (patched wholes with elastic and have hung it from some really strange places)
-had chickens in my house..just chilling
-had a 40 minute motoconcho ride through mountains, sheep, goats, horses, cows and pigs, it was actually pretty awesome
I´m working on:
-not looking like I have leprosy from my numerous mosquito bites
-not looking like an idiot when I speak spanish, which I feel may be awhile
-planning a trip to climb Pico Duarte
-loving rice and beans every day
That´s about it, I have to attend a meeting tonight..and the next night and the night, because my Doña tells me I have to (....and I want to of course)
I miss everyone, I´m already looking forward to my hot shower in March when I see Jessica´s baby, although I kind of prefer bucket baths now, they are quite efficient.
xoxoxox
Yennifer (apparently my new name)
-had gripe (Dominican word for the flu/cold)
-met some cool people
-watched The Office and Will and Grace in English (Emily´s casa is the best!)
-sweated more than I ever had in my whole life (great, I can cross that off my list of things to do)
-taken numerous bucket-baths by candlelight (very romantic all by myself)
-packed myself into the back of a pick-up truck with chickens - where I was hit on the head by a bag of Cheetos (or the Dominican equivalent) then one of the chickens decided to lay an egg right by my feet
-have seen traffic stop for cows and goats
-been accidentally fed salami
-used/using a latrina, which is quite treacherous at 4 in the morning, I have a war with the cockroaches and giant spiders in there every night...so far me and my flashlight have won
-been to the beach!
-drank a jumbo presidente...yup no more cocktails for me, apparently at the local colmado (decorated with the latest and greatest plastic chairs) they do not serve appletini´s
-lived/living with 2 really great host families, my host family now has family in Boston whom I´ve talked on the phone with
-learned bachata and merengue
-have done some really impressive work with my mosquito net (patched wholes with elastic and have hung it from some really strange places)
-had chickens in my house..just chilling
-had a 40 minute motoconcho ride through mountains, sheep, goats, horses, cows and pigs, it was actually pretty awesome
I´m working on:
-not looking like I have leprosy from my numerous mosquito bites
-not looking like an idiot when I speak spanish, which I feel may be awhile
-planning a trip to climb Pico Duarte
-loving rice and beans every day
That´s about it, I have to attend a meeting tonight..and the next night and the night, because my Doña tells me I have to (....and I want to of course)
I miss everyone, I´m already looking forward to my hot shower in March when I see Jessica´s baby, although I kind of prefer bucket baths now, they are quite efficient.
xoxoxox
Yennifer (apparently my new name)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Quick note
Hey everyone!
Just a quick note...I made it. I can´t believe it´s been a month!! Things are going really well. My spanish is improving...slowly, but improving non-the-less. I miss everyone a ton! I´m near the south for four more weeks, learning spanish and having technical training then back to the capitol and on to my site for 2 years. Every day of the week is really busy, like today...so next time I promise to give a more descript update.
x x x x
Just a quick note...I made it. I can´t believe it´s been a month!! Things are going really well. My spanish is improving...slowly, but improving non-the-less. I miss everyone a ton! I´m near the south for four more weeks, learning spanish and having technical training then back to the capitol and on to my site for 2 years. Every day of the week is really busy, like today...so next time I promise to give a more descript update.
x x x x
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