Here is the goodbye song my ladies sung at the library inauguration/despedida.

Adios Adios Adios, hermana SarahAdios que le valla bienNo pierdo las esperanzasde que alguin dia la volvemos a ver

Siempre recuerdo aquel díaCuando tu llegaste a este lugarTodo alegres y felices te dimos un hogar

Dejaste a tu padre y también a tu madrePor venir aquí, a realizar tantas obrasen nuestro país

Ya con estas me despido con el corazónpara pedirle a mi Diosque le eche la bendición

El Firme, CastilloCantado y escrito por el grupo de las Amas de Casa del Firme12 de Abril del 2011

And this is the way we wash our clothes, wash our clothes, wash our clothes

Sorry - it's in Spanish and I didn't have time to put subtitles so...

This is Rosa, one of my best friends in life now, is explaining that this is her little washing machine and the process we go through to get clean clothes. First you seperate the colors, then you put them each color at a time in the machine with soap. Then you rinse them using a series of buckets (Poncheras) with water in them. Then you put it in the suavetel bucket - this eats the soap up and makes it smell so niceee. Then you put it in the spin dryer which spins it super fast as long as there is electricity. Then you hang it up to dry in the sun!

Oh and where do we get the water from? It's rain water which we carry in that little bucket. The tinaco, or rain collection cistern is located on the other site of the house and let me tell you - washing takes a lot of water. I carry that bucket 15-20 times to wash just my clothes. Rosa washes 2-3 times a week for 4 men and 2 kids.

Moral of the story - I am very grateful for American Washing machines (although I still like clothes dried better in the sun - more environmentally friendly and just so lovely).

I'll post another update real soon with how the inauguration of my small library and the 'Despedida' = my send off, with how it all went.

Cuidense mucho y nos vemos en menos que 10 dias!!!

Sarah

So the bird camp all in all went well! Technical difficulties with la luz aside, the kids and volunteers really seemed to have fun and be learning from the presentations. We had about 20 participants in total (5 volunteers from around the region and kids from their communities along with some invited speakers from different organizations and host community members). The entire event was sponsored by Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) and a huge thank you to Charles Kershner and Chris Rimmer for their help.

Jared's kids were presenting a charla on birds the last time I talked to him and it gave me the idea to make a little website with the info from the camp accessible.

Check this out if you are interested in doing a bird conservation workshop/event in the Dominican Republic/Haiti

Birds are awesome

I'm heading back to the states late August. We've got the librarian training and then library inauguration with a possible chess club tournament thrown in there (the chess club is doing very well, thanks to Orlando and Ramires). Then to the capital to square things up with COS (Close of Service) process of which I am doing the medical tests right now and then back home to be with my family. I'm currently looking at a few seasonal jobs right now with the National Park Service around the states -- but we'll see what turns up. Peace Corps does give you non-competitive eligibility for a year when applying to federal jobs so hopefully that will help me. Keep me in your thoughts if you can think to do so. I am really excited to see my family and I am now feeling ready to move on to the next great adventure.

Be well.

Sooner,

Sarah

P.S. No more mail because I'll miss it!

Carlos, Orlando, Chuma, Sarah, and Luigi at Aves de Hispaniola Summer Camp.

Bien cargados with their sweet certificados.

This post is for my dear friends Katherine Apone and Alanna Savage. This tropical island misses you and the other 0901ers.

Hope you guys are doing well and will give update soon on library project and getting ready to leave.

Caribbean Amphibian

By Mark Saltzman

I know a tropical island

With a mango moon and banana sunshine

And on this tropical island

There lives a cousin of mine.

Sometimes he lives in the water.

Sometimes he lives on the land.

Sometimes he likes to go sun himself

On soft Caribbean sand.

Chorus:

He's a Caribbean amphibian.

He likes to hop in the tropical sea.

Caribbean amphibian,

a frog in a coconut tree.

Mom plays the harmonica on her visit to my site. Rio belts it out.

Make sure the volume on the video is turned down, it's loud. Also scroll down the page and turn off the music player if you need.

Here are some of my newest photos of awesome bugs that caught my eye in and around my house. If you know what any of them are let me know. This post is specifically for Maddie and Costa Rica kids.

Also - Newest musical recommendation of the moment:

The Tallest Man on Earth - Gardener

Hope all is well,

Sarah

This is a glowing click beetle. The two spots glow in the dark.

This is a Giant Leopard Moth or Eyed Tiger Moth, Hypercompe scribonia.

I think that it looks like a little Ninja.

It's time to say goodbye to all the people that came into Peace Corps at the same time I did. It's my groups official close of service date this friday.

It's a real - FRANTICALLY TIE UP LOOSE ENDS, stress, stess, stress, excitedness new beginnings bring, start saying your goodbyes, oh man how do I deal with or put into words the feelings the culmination of the last two years have produced, swarming beehives, I need a presidente, lets have a last few great days together and sing alot.

COS 0901 - You are some of the most wonderful individuals I have ever met and you've changed my life. This has been amazing and I thank you for being part of it.

Mural time.

Orphanage painting with the lovely IT gang and the final picture for the World Map Mural in El Firme! The kids were actually showing me they knew some of the countries. High 5.

Soon,

Sarah

Again it has been too long. It is going to be odd to have internet access every few moments when I am back in the states because I am so used to being rushed to check my email and look up stuff for grants-programs in the 30 minutes I am at internet centers. I can say that at least I will appreciate it, momentarily. It seems as if old habits do die hard in many cases. I have this very unrealistic idea that I will not go back home and be addicted to facebu and not watch TV and not take warm showers. I do think that I will want to sit and talk with people though and resist getting the iphone/ipad/ipickle I keep hearing about. You know what was really nice? Just getting to visit my Nana this Christmas and feeling like she had the time to talk with me. I hope I go home and things will not speed up to the pace they were before I left. At least I hope I never feel like that, even though I would like a job and more school and a family eventually and my American mind has taught me that those words are oftentimes synonamous with stress. My Dominican mind has taught me that having any job is lucky, school is a priviledge and family is everything. You should really make time to sit and visit with people that are important to you. You should also sit in a hamaca and have a cup of coffee while the sun rises. It is restorative. Haha, at least for me it is. What Ive been up to in brief summary: -Medical Mission in March with the ILAC center! Translating for Americans Doctors and Dominicans receiving eye surgery. -Marine Interest Group Conference (Environmental Conference for kids, Orlando and Bee came with me) -Woman camp (Dona Rosa, Maria, and Ydalia came with me!) -Finishing up latrines and water filters. The last ones are going very slowly due to the simple fact the source of motivated beneficiaries has run dry. -Helping out with a Composting Latrine Manual -Helping out with Brigada Verde National Conference (Environmental Education for teens) -Scuba diving and getting Rio dog fixed and vaccinated with free clinic in Sosua. Yes, I have temporarily adopted a little terrier dog and she is adorable and will be staying on the island with a new volunteer. - I turned 25! It was an epic birthday, filled with snorkeling and fun friends. Plans for summer (That is right, I am staying until August because I wanted to) -Planning Avian Conservation Conference. Funding from the University of Vermont and program called Optics for the Tropics. Event is to educate/motivate youth to stop killing endemic songbirds with slingshots. -Small library construction in El Firme and teacher training -Planning Rescue Diver Course in Sosua North Coast -Climb Pico Duarte -Mom visit in May! -Figuring out life back in US. I am hoping to get a seasonal job with the National Park Service using the Non competitve eligibility Peace Corps gives me after I get back and a few good hugs from my family. I am also hoping to have more internet to search my options with Grad Schools for next year and I am thinking about Plant Ecology if I get a good vibe that there are jobs available if you have that degree. A lot of questions. A lot of decisions. I am probably missing something. No worries. Now I would love to hear what you have been up to!? Thank you so much to the friends who have been calling and writing still, it still means the world to me. Also new music recommendation here - The Civil Wars A very Happy Birthday to my Uncle Dave! Be well. Sooner, Sarah

Blue Lagos, Rios, and Dominos - that's just how it goes when Michelle comes out to visit for a lovely tour of the northeast DR. Thanks again for your company Geoffrey and to the lovely Katie Apone's culinary delights and site visit in Pimentel.

Photos

Geoffrey and Michelle at Los 3 Ojos

Hilee, Geli and Michelle playing dominos in Loma Vieja

Tico, Michelle, and Ornelia and also a horse.

The lovely Katie Apone and Michelle in a rio.

And friends of Ms. Kizner need to watch this video because it makes perfect sence. Especially June. (Note, about 100 people have asked me when my dancer friend is coming back)Another great time for the books. Thanks again Michelle :)Another post very soon with updates. Cuidate.

Merry Christmas!

Here is a little video for those of you that would like to see what it looks like around my house and site. It is a shorter version of a video I made for my Nana for Christmas. That being said it is still quite long and hopefully not boring.

Amanda, Jean, Sarah and Claire performing at Thanksgiving 2010

Click here for Music Video

Thanks Amanda for video and lyrics and writing the song.

I'm currently stateside visiting with my Nana for Christmas time! Outside is snow and I'm being treated like a fairy princess. Hope friends in DR are doing well and wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, (Especially them ladies and doggies in Imbert).

Love,

Sarah

A collection of what I said I am thankful for at Peace Corps Thanksgiving

A different response to every person that asked me

Migratory Song Birds

The peace early morning brings

The opportunities I now see I have

The friends and family that continually support me

Phone calls and letters from home

The sun

Life

Hope

Also Turkey

I will post pics of the desserts our teams made soon. Be well!

Buenas, Ok so here we are yet again where I am way behind updating the blog. In recent news my good friend and former co-worker Jessica Wall came out to visit me for a few lovely days that started out with a Cholera prevention training and ended with a hurricane scare. In between were many a peaceful pina colada. She amazingly managed to avoid getting eaten alive by bugs – very impressive J. Here is the requisite waterfall shot. She posted some great ones on her facebook, check it out if you like.

Volunteers were pulled into the capital to do a cholera training due to its presence in neighboring Haiti. My main concern at the moment is my community being that I am already working on sanitation and water projects – I don’t want to see my friends getting this. My AIDS course is finishing up and I’m thinking that my students will start giving Cholera prevention charlas or educational talks to the Mother’s clubs and also the church congregation. We have a little Clinic in our site built by former volunteers, but it unfortunately like the country is not prepared to deal with an epidemic. In relative terms, from what I've heard, Haiti is much less equipped and seems to get hit harder with everything. TS Tomas, Cholera, and still recovering from the Earthquake....a friend of mine working in Haiti right now put it well - 'It's a mess'. On this note - as a current PCV I have no affiliation with this link dealing with Haiti's political elections and was simply shown this by a group of Returned volunteers that are passing this info along (http://bit.ly/haitielection).

The tropical storm barely hit the DR, although I do have to say that it was pretty exciting in my house thinking my tin roof would blow off with mild winds (It didn't and I'm totally fine). You go through a lot of different feelings in a two year time span in another culture - but the storm made actually made me feel a bit fake and torn. You can go from feeling part of the community, a vecina, intergrated - and within a second you can receive a text message that turns you into a fragile Americana saying you need to go to a delux hotel while the storm passes. It's like survivorman really - like I have this emergency escape button that I really don't have the mental struggle...if it gets real bad they pull me out. I understand, they have to. Yet I have my Dominican friends in my site that I just leave there saying, be back after the hard part, 'cuidense mucho, oiste?!' 'What's that Judas? Oh yes, we'll take great care - bring us something back Sarah.' I understand there is nothing I can do about it logically but nonetheless - yes it sucks. That being said I was almost consolidated in the Capital but managed to make it back to my site after dropping J off (which was in the standfast region since we weren't in too much of a danger zone) and hung out with Bija and Rosa for a windy few days. Most of the volunteers were consolidated but nothing really happened. Furthermore, I do not want a hurricane and think it is pretty demented that some volunteers do merely to be consolidated in fancy hotels without any regard to the well being of their Dominican counterparts. That my friend is selfish. Yes I said it.

Ok there is the rant of the day. Here are some photos of the Brigada Verde Conference East that I took my two kids (Orlando and Robercy) to check out. They are great kids and although we don't have a formal BV environmental group we are playing with the idea. They are part of my Aids course (Escojo). The conference was in Sabana de la Mar and it was BEAUTIFUL. We went to Parque los Haitises and it was generally epic. I took them specifically to try and get them pumped about avian conservation being that my site is located between two reserves and we get a lot of migratory songbirds that unfortunately the kids kill for fun. Orlando and Robercy, being guys and older, can help with this problem.

Lastly, my latest invento: a bamboo barstool with a Bija model. Hope all is very well and thanks for reading!

Love,Sarah

Me, Alanna, Leeann, and Mark - PCVs

Orlando on his first boat ride.

Jovenes at the BV youth conference - caving.

A beautiful Mr. Bija modeling his new bar stool.

El Firme’s big news for the last 9 days has been the unexpected death of my Landlord. I had written a negative blog about him but all said and done the finality that death brings is an odd feeling. He was in his late 40’s and drank too much and didn’t take care of himself. He had a few trips to the hospital and then I’m in the middle of building a latrine and find out that he had died. It was really fast and unexpected. Another great reason to live life to the fullest every day.

I have gone to many funerals here but this was the first person I really knew and interacted with that has passed away. The funeral process last nine days, called the novena, with the first and last being the most important to attend. People wear black and white or specific other colors to demonstrate their relationship to the deceased. Dominican kids are taught that you should cry and moan to show your sadness and it will help you get through it I was recently told. I have been asked many times if I cry and I tell them I try not to in public, and they wonder why that is. I hear myself trying to explain why that is but even I think it’s overall sort of ridiculous of me. I think that 4 year olds are emotionally evolved. When they are mad, they are mad. When they are sad, they are sad. Life is that simple. Somewhere along the line maybe we worry about appearance or impression and get emotionally constipated and can’t figure out what or why we feel things.

Juan’s wife Mica has been a good friend to me since I arrived in my site. She has participated in many of my events and is a main component in the success of the reusable bag competition. She also dealt with her husband hitting on countless women who came through the colmado as the culture here unfortunately generally permits with no second thought. At the funeral, Mica was mourning as she was expected to do. She will be the only one that will really ever know what she thinks about the whole matter.

The whole community depends on their store for their main daily purchases and without Juan in the community it has affected a lot of people’s daily routines. Finding a reliable source of a few veggies is now even harder. I disliked Juan but had learned how to deal with him simply because I had to but his death leaves the whole community with a strange feeling of finality and a lot of questions.

Great news: I have electricity again. The transformer in my neighborhood blew up 6 months ago and after doing everything I could think of and losing faith that I’d ever drink cold water at my house again, miraculously I hear the sweet hum of my mini fridge.

Living here tests me in ways I never would have imagined and an experience allowing me to live without electricity for this amount of time has produced a few unexpected outcomes. Without being able to refrigerate my food, I ate at my friend Rosa’s house much more often and consequently during lunch time formed my closest friendship with a very young 74 year old Dona. My Spanish is better after spending this time with her and venturing into conversations about the meaning of life, food, and local gossip. I found myself looking forward to these meetings to discuss my projects and voice frustrations/seek advice. Along with eliminating any possible distraction my computer and cell phone could provide, this attributed to feeling more productive in my site. I planned events and meetings to keep me busy. I visited people more while charging my cell phone at their houses. I read books I’ve always wanted to read but never had time to. I played music and sang, loudly. I got really good at eating everything I cooked the same day. I feel asleep at 9 and woke up at 6, a schedule I much prefer after the insanity of college hours.

Then there is the negative. I have lost trust in people. I am skeptical. I am angry. I see corruption. I see good people who aren’t being helped, who have just come to accept that is life – Jean told me the other day, Sarah you are being so Dominican about this….the fatalism I had developed regarding the situation. I did everything I could and I just wouldn’t have electricity again. The plethora of lies. A light company that strings its clientele along and breaks their end of the contract over and over again. Jose, the not much better than a con artist who took our money and appeared to be on the run for a month then tried to hike up the price when he finally brought us the promised transformer a month later. Jerkface. Wasted phone cards with more lies. The frustration dealing with uneducated neighbors and the impossibility to get them to care and unite to take care about a very basic issue, let alone my projects. The hope that would grow repeatedly into a strong rooted weed to only be pulled up and composted after every rain of lies beat down on us. Hah.

It was rough.

Now I am here, 11:30 at night typing on my laptop after just having an hour long phone call, both light bulbs turned on and yes I am listening to that sweet hum of my fridge. Yet, a bittersweet hum. I don’t like that I am connected to this grid and all that it really means to me now. I wish more than anything I could have gotten enough solar panels without thinking how expensive they are and how they would be instantly stolen to run my lightbulb and little fridge so Bija’s wet food wouldn’t be an issue. Still, I’ve learned that I can be happy and feel productive without any luz. Granted I recognize its need for development but also the addiction and absolute panic most feel without it once accustomed to it. Before coming here, a light out was sort of a big deal. Where else could I ever have gone without electricity for so long, (realistically although I respect his ideas, I’m never going to be the guy from into the wild)? I couldn’t more strongly agree now after this experience that what really is needed is a developed independence to be able to take care of your own basic needs and realize you can get used to most anything and still be ok. The definition of basic would greatly differ between a Dominican Dona and an American housewife. Will it still differ for me once I wake up from the campo? Don’t get me wrong, I love having this little fridge back again and not having to walk to the colmado fridge where I was storing Gatorade bottles of filtered water – but there is definitely something in the nights illuminated solely by fireflies and candle lights that provoke the wonder.

Mr. Toby Hammer came for a lovely visit before he goes out to Panama to research leaf cutter ants. Here are some pics.

PCV Alanna and Toby helping me with the World Map Mural. THANKS!

Toby teaching kids how to use condoms with my Escojo group. Escojo mi Vida is an HIV awareness and family planning course. That is a platano. No shame, fighting AIDS.

PCV Eva also made a special visit up to my site with her Escojo group to teach the Reproductive System.

Beetles and Japanese Cukes.

Ominous rainclouds.

For Kiri and Jaron and all other interested parties.

How to build a Composting Latrine in Photos

Check out that Belly

Standing proud

Will have more photos soon.

The Beginning of the World Map Mural. More to come soon!

Visit

http://claro.com.do/sms/

Then put in the number 809-723-9938

Then put in your message!

Thanks again for writing me :)

Here are some fotos. I'll do an update hopefully really soon on the progress of the latrines. We just had the Latrine Training/Poo party and it was a success! We ended the poo party at a place, appropriately named, Dudu.

Me and Eva at Dudu

Alanna and Marcos. Mark does have a third nipple. No joke.

Dudu cave.

Eva nails it.

Puppet Theater for Rincon Hondo.

Hiya!

I've gotten a lot of people asking how they can help out. What wonderful folks I know. Currently, besides being more than welcome to visit and help carry blocks....

Click HERE or the little latrine if you'd like to make a donation to our Community Latrines project.

A BIG THANKS to the community of St. Thomas Aquinas for their donations which have enabled me to start the project. We are planning another training workshop for all interested masons and carpenters in surrounding communities to learn a new, more sustainable design for the end of August. We then will be conducting a health/sanitation and maintenance course for beneficiaries in collaboration with the Dr. in our community. Then the construction.

Here is a photo of one of the water filters I've been installing in El Firme. They are BIG huh?! This family (Maria, Jose, and Uva - yes we call the little girl grape) is my favorite success story currently. They are great people and friends.

On an unrelated note - I am related to these two funny face makers. I got to visit my cousins Maddie and Henrique on a quick trip back home to Cali. Life is good.

Thanks for reading!

Love - Sarah

Photos Stolen from Arya and Sara. Thanks.

I had a FABULOUS 4th.

Photos from El Limon Waterfall, Playa Fronton, Las Galleras music festival.

Singing "Bought me a ticket caught me a plane to Spain went to a party down a red dirt road, there were a lot of pretty people there, read'n Rolling Stone read'n Vouge. Ask me how long can I hang around, I said a week maybe two just until my skin turns brown then I'm coming home to you....California."

See you tomorrow :)

Love,

Sarah

Photo Reel! Update Below

El Factor Compostable Latrine workshop with my carpinteros Chiche y Papolo.

Base of Compostable Latrine. Volunteer Mark and his mason will hopefully make it up to my site to host another workshop.

Dra. Alfa helping teach Hygiene and water seminar to El Firme

Filter Maintenance course

Reading club going at the cancha's unruly grass. Project still in progress...

Before and after photo of fallen my fallen greenhouse... And there wasn't even a hurricane! The power of termites. Good news is that this is where we'll have the Compostable latrine workshop to teach surrounding communities how to build them because the termites also have really gotten my latrine and the family that lives there after me will be able to use the compostable one.

AND I got my landlord to build me the Enramada pictured above. I built the little benches to the right which we are now using for reading club. It's a better option to have it outside now with unfortunate theft problems and the blazing summer heat. I love it.

My new little cacao sack hamaca :)

Made with 2 Cacao sacks, rice sacks stuffed inside for extra cushion and butt mosquito protection, two bien fuerte sticks with holes manually drilled (it was hard), lasso string, and a rick sack stuffed with other rice sacks for a little pillow. Milagro helped me sew it because I've somewhat forgotten how to gracefully use the sewing machine I used to make the volleyball net.

And here is a picture of my friend Carlos excited for his birthday cake.

OKaaay! Hiya.

Sorry for the really long delay between updates. Thanks again for reading :)

Ok so lets start with the bad:

16 houses in my community, including mine, lost electricity in May due to a reportedly blown up transformer. To put it lightly, once accustomed to having electricity, well yes it bummed me out. I had to walk to the nearest Colmado to charge my phone and computer and most importantly my fridge is out of commision. I really like cooking so that is actually the hardest part, not being able to store food. We since have hooked up a wire to the next nearest transformer and I am getting Luz Flojo (sort of like brown out electricity)....meaning that only certain things at my house can get charged. The Luz flojo burned out my camera charger and one of my lightbulbs but luckily it seems to charge my phone and my computer. I have a surge protector on my computer and it appears to be fine. My fridge still doesn't work. Good news is that without being able to easily cook for myself I'm going to Rosa's house and talking with her a lot everyday and feeling better and better about my spanish and also the fact that I get a lot of community gossip from her. I like that she trusts me.

My backyard greenhouse fell over. One night around 3 am, Bija and I awoke to the sound of tearing sheet metal. I thought, hmm....that's a new sound - god this country is noisy, and then fell back asleep. The next morning I find the above picture. I stood at my back door laughing. The power of termites is intense. My landlord knew about it and did nothing and then once the greenhouse was on the ground they left it there for about 3 weeks. I didn't want any visitors during that time because my house looked like it was hit by a hurricane in the back but then amazingly one day Clide came by and helped clean it all up. Then even more amazingly was how I told my landlord I'd like an enramada so I can teach my reading club outside and then within the week it was up. All of my plants inside the greenhouse survived and I got an even sweeter hang out spot....I'm glad the greenhouse fell now. We are going to use the space to put in a compostable latrine since my latrine is now deemed dangerous to use. I'm also going to take advantage and use this as a Latrine Workshop for all interested masons in surrounding areas to learn a new design. In the meantime I'm visiting Rosa's house and my little bedpan. Don't knock it til you've tried it.

Good News:

Filters - Although a little frustrating, finally they are here and I'm installing them little by little. The transportation was an issue because the filters way 250 lbs each and I think in total we had over 7500 lbs trying to climb the hills to reach my community....not possible in the smallish truck we had. We took half, the driver left me stuck with the other half in another community and then it took 2 weeks to convince the drivers in my community to help me transport the other half to individual's houses. I also am having issues now with 10 families coming to claim their filter (10 are located in a colmado that I used to store them). I have gotten to the point of being rather short with the laziness. Other Donas are mad at me for not gifting them a filter. Other community members are proclaiming that I'm selling the filters....Ay dios. On the other hand, it's been wonderful going to the different houses and installing them because I really like hands on projects. I get the whole family together after I've installed the filter to review with them how to use the filter and then I check back to tell them the filter is ok to use and see if they appear to be taking care of it. All in all - it's looking like the project is going to be successful but I highly doubt I will do another cement filter project. I wouldn't mind bringing in plastic ones though. I also would like to note that the only person who really helped me with any transport issues was Clide...who at the time had serious kidney stones and was helping to lift the filters into the bed of his truck. We need more Clides in the world.

Latrines -

I took Chiche and Papolo down to El Factor to learn the first steps and design of the compostable latrine with fellow PCV Mark who is in the middle of his latrine project right now. They learned a little but I'm thinking it'd be a great idea to pay for Mark and his mason to come up and host a workshop at my house. I'm also thinking of inviting several other interested volunteers and surrounding communities to have a big latrine party :)

I just submitted my grant that will allow me to receive money for the project. My church back home raised $1881 for the project with a pancake breakfast and individual donations and this is AMAZING. Thank you so much for those that helped and I'll be posting more soon regarding this once the website it up. The grant coordinator isn't known for his efficiency so it may take a while.

Cancha-

Stillllll working on resurfacing. It's really hard to motivate the kids to help me clean the grass and break up the ground. I did have a friend, Manolo, help me one entire afternoon doing this and we covered 1/4 of the court with a new level of cement.

Eva and her girl group came up yesterday and at church I had invited all the kids in my community to come play volleyball and although the net isn't quite what it used to be...we managed to have a mini volleyball game between the two communities after I tried teaching everyone the basics again. I always lose my voice whenever we do a cancha activity and therefore I am trying to solicit an adult in my community to help me do activities like this with the kids especially now that summer has started.

Otherwise I am doing really good! I am feeling and all realms of my life seem to be back in order. I am really excited for this weekend also because Jean and her friend Sarah are coming to visit today at my site and then we are going hiking to El Limon's waterfall, Playa Fronton, and then doing the volunteer thing again in Las Galleras for 4th of July. I'm a'bringin my guitar and a'sing'n my heart out.

Also am planning on taking the Reef Check instructor course so I can help teach the class to the new volunteers. I'll post photos from my last dive in Catalina...Mark has some. Here is a picture of where we were in Catalina.

Thanks so much for the continued correspondence - especially the lovely long letters. The packages have been really slow but I'll email you when I get them.

Hope all is well!

Pronto,

Sarah

Hiya,

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO MY MOM! I LOVE AND MISS YOU!

Here are some photos of Earth Day in El Firme!

We did talks on the Sodis water purification project which Jas told me about and I’m trying to implement in my site before we get any filters. I don’t always have purified water on hand and I can’t say no to kids who ask me for water. I also won’t let them take it straight from the cistern….but now I always have some purified on hand outside on my roof so it’s been quite a handy little project for my own purposes plus it’s another way to recycle. I’m trying to focus as much as I can on the reduction of trash, specifically plastic in my site so picking up finding uses for plastic bottles is always a win.

We also did talks on composting and showed them my compost pile, the difference between organic and inorganic material and why you shouldn’t burn either (instead compost organic and try to reduce production of inorganic through reusable materials), and I had our reusable bag competition winners talk about the dangers of plastic bags and how easy it is participate in the competition. We did a drama, earth day song, and I got an applause for my Brindis (Snack) which made me very proud because that’s a big deal for me to get that respect from the Donas. We also transplanted sunflowers with the kids incorporating the compost and then everyone got a sunflower and we sang and danced a bit. By the way Ryan, you got serious dancing props after shaking your thing. I haven’t stopped hearing about it since you left.

I overall thought the day went really well and wouldn’t mind doing it again next year. I had planned on trying to make organic soap (yes I know it’s caustic and I’d be super careful) and taking kids to the waterfall to do a treasure hunt while simultaneously teaching about the water cycle….so that’s an idea for next year. We might do a test run before earth day just because it sounds fun and Eva and I love going to that waterfall since it’s starting to get way hotter.

The water filter course is going to run May 4-6 and I am still figuring out all the logistics. I was just talking to Jas about how everything just takes so long to get done here that it’s better to put in the solicitude now since we’ll probably be waiting for a few months to actually get the filters. I hope only a few months. I’m excited about the course though for sure. The Dr I’m working with is way different than a campesino which throws me off a bit. I’ve got to set up my talks for the last day and also arrange the snack. The Doctor told me the participants will be expecting snacks and I was like, well hmph…I’ll be expecting them all to learn and not talk. Then they’ll get tang and crackers. Dios mio.

I am trying to make it down to El Factor where Mark lives to spend a day watching him build the compost latrine. Here’s the story: 20 families in a site above my site are without any sort of bathroom facility. Therefore, it’s a big problem up there. I want to help them out and have gotten my community on board after talking about how the water cycle works (they are situated upstream from us and we just got that aqueduct remember?) and also using God and helping out your neighbor since everyone in El Firme already has a latrine, mine winning a prize for the worst. Just kidding. Not really. I thought initially I’d apply for the grants and do pit latrines. Then the main funding got cut. Therefore I am looking for funding now for the project under rocks and in crevices. I’m thinking about setting up a PCPP which is an account that friends and family back home can donate to so that we can get all 20 families a latrine. I am also now looking at the composting latrine because I think that with Mark’s help I’ll be able to sell it to the Dominicans without them being freaked out by the idea. It’s a much more environmentally friendly and sustainable option. Anyhow, it’s a project with immediate need and nobody can argue with the importance of sanitation for 5 communities. I’ll try to make a little website soon to explain more about the project and then explain where one can donate.

Hmm…in other news I have now completely switched to washing my laundry by hand instead of paying a dona that was ripping me off. I have to say that I actually kind of like doing it. It’s amazing how much water you need for just a few clothes. You should try it sometime to realize how much water your machine is probably using. I then just stick em up on a line I’ve set out and let the sun dry them. I have also been making homemade tortillas, falafels, and scones to vary it up in the kitchen. I really do wish I had some dark greens though – I’ve got to try and grow some spinach because that’d help my really colorful bruises. I’m heading out to Eva’s tomorrow to send emails and catch up with her. I also plan on sewing a hammock because she’s gone sweet sewing machines in her site. Plus internet now which is like….no way.

It was great to have my friend Ryan visit – we went diving in Sosua which was cool and notably filled with Lionfish, then jumped back over into my site where he met my friends, ate authentic Dominican food, made chocolate, built a sweet trashcan for the cancha, danced during earthday, watched me knock over my wine glasses, played lots of music, and then visited the little waterfall. He is currently the eco director on a camp on Catalina Island who just recently set up a WWOOF program there and is doing all sorts of wonderful green things including recently getting his LEED AP. Don’t I have the coolest friends? If u are reading this then you should agree.

Here are some photos from the visit also. Bija says hello! So do I! Hope all is well

Love,

Sarah

Heya!

Ok ok, so I’ve definitely been floja when it comes to keeping up the blog for the past few months. It’s hard! Especially when Bija bit thru my computer chord and I couldn’t write the blogs in advance of getting to the internet center. Ya tu sabes.

I don’t think I even updated with like the biggest site news – we got our aqueduct funded by the government and suddenly we have water. I’m still sort of in shock at how this came about…but just goes to show you that during election time, politicians can make some pretty big changes. It was done under Salud Publico with the intention that kids would be able to wash their hands at the school and when they couldn't tap into ground water at the school, they just funded the aqueduct that my community already had in progress from what I gather. It really was amazing to see the happiness written on my community’s faces as house by house families were receiving water lines and keys.

Thankfully, Jennifer Phillips and Ms. Patricia Sanders came to visit and they so kindly brought me my new chord. I lived for about a month and a half with no computer in the campo. That means I played a lot of guitar in the dark. I wrote a new song too! Maybe it was better that I didn’t have technology for a little while, because I sure do appreciate it now. It’s amazing how much more work I can get done. Speaking of which here is little update for anyone interested.

Biosand Water Filters!

I went to Santiago to a mini course that Proyecto de Las Americas with Rotary International was offering to learn how to install these Biosand water filters (hydraid.org). They’ll be donating filters to my site and I’ll be installing them and teaching the Donas how to use them. The visiting Dominican Dr. and nurse in my site will be helping me with a course called ‘El Agua Sana y su Bienestar’ = Healthy water and your wellbeing. I’ve felt busy and productive again with this project which is a great feeling. I initially wanted to do ceramic pot filters because there are definitely issues with the biosand filters in terms of their maintenance and the fact that you can’t move them once installed (what I deem almost impossible for most Dominican housewives who like to clean everything thoroughly). That being said, I’m hoping it works out well – the course we’re offering is obligatory and we’re really trying to emphasize the education beforehand. I’m still thinking that ceramic filters might be something for the future in Loma Vieja, the campo that is situated right above us which in my opinion has greater need for these types of projects. That being said…

Sanitarios en La Loma Vieja

I’m working on a grant to try and get 20 wood/cement latrines to be installed in Loma Vieja. I have spoken with the animador/priest-like figure who told me that 20 families have no access to any sort of facility at the current moment. That being said, I’m working it into the water course we’re offering to get my community members on board in this way: We’re going to learn about the water cycle. Being that Loma Vieja is situated upstream from us and that we are now receiving water from the aqueduct that is pulling up river water….it is in our best interest to help Loma Vieja with a human waste problem. That being said, I am looking into designs that aren’t expensive and yet are better quality than my latrine which is made entirely of wood. I want the latrines to last a good chunk of time. The problem is that the funding for latrine projects was just cut, USAID for some reason thought it wasn’t necessary? I don’t really know why. Anyhow, I’m looking around for funding and if anyone back home knows of secret niches for sanitation projects feel free to shoot me a line.

Kids 2 Kids Cancha

Clide and I just went to San Francisco and bought the cement and paint to redo the court surface. I’m going to get a basketball when the court is done. I’ve talked with people in my site to say that I need help with the loads of kids and fact I lose my voice almost every time we get together. I’m thinking that with my PCV neighbor Eva, maybe we can do some sort of girl’s summer volleyball camp somehow. If not that, at least my reading club kids like playing on it so set up some sort of schedule with them.

Earth Day 2010

Ryan will be visiting! My reading club will be presenting to the Women groups – How to purify your water using Solar Power (http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN), how to make compost, how to replant seedlings (everyone gets a sunflower), and we also have a drama to emphasize the importance of reusing materials and a Earth day song! Haha...well it's something right? I’m really excited for this and I really hope that I get reasonable attendance. We went all over my site with formal invitations and I think I exhausted my kids. I’m going to build a little trashcan with wood and rabbit wire to demonstrate during Earthday that will end up at the Cancha and I’m hoping to arrange with one of my truck drivers to do like a little pickup to take to Castillo where they say there is a more legit dump. With no easy solution in sight, yes trash is a dirty problem. I told all the Donas that we won’t be producing any during earth day so bring your own cup!

Reusable Bag Competition

I am really happy with this project. We’ve saved over 1000 bags and over 20 Donas have participated. I expanded it into 2 other Colmados and am thinking that I’ll write a grant to help me cover the expenses for the prizes.

In other news…..I’m doing well! I really like feeling busy. Mom just sent me a GRE book and that is also good to have a night to change modes and think about the future. Bija kitty says hello and is doing quite well. We had a serious issue with him playing with little chickens. We’re figuring it out together. The best and really only way to build healthy relationships.

My friend Ryan from UCSD is coming today actually and I’m going to pick him up in the airport in an hour. Especially after backpacking with him thru Big Basin, I’m really looking forward to the visit because he’s just a great travel companion. We’re going diving in the north and then to my site. Not a long visit but I got some fun plans.

I’m thinking about building a hammock. It’s going to get so hot that it will be a necessity soon. Take in the breeze that comes up my little hill. I’m also planning the new garden layout. Reed’s Japanese cuke seeds are up are almost ready to transplant. I’m doing real cilantro, spicy bush basil, and am going to try onion and eggplant. I’m also installing little plant holders on my windows to have more space to protect the seedlings and make the house look super cozy. Nana taught me to do that, fill a space with books and plants. She knows what she’s talking about.

Thank you so much for the birthday packages. I’ll be sending out emails to confirm I got your loving.

Here are some photos of Jen and Patty’s visit! These are all Jen's pics taken from her FB account which has a bunch more.

Just for you Lea - Pa' movilizacion hacer una visita con Toby.

Patty jumping that last Charco

Patty and Sarah at Guyacanes Beach

Patty, Jenny, and Sarah at el Sarto

Patty jumping!

Patty with Ali and Jenny with Estephany

Jenny and Sarah telling Lea to come visit. Cuidate mucho! Oiste!?Love,

Sarah

Pics of Jenny and Patty's visit to be posted soon....I need to be sent them, especially the sweet Charco jumping shots.

Thank you again for the birthday wishes and mail box loving!

Love,

Sarah

Bluegrass night at Mica's. Patty and Jenny visita!!! I totally didn't pull my camera out enough Jenny and Patty - please send me some of your fotos.

Sweet Jams

Eva's new spice rack! This was my women's day workshop combined with little photo frames. This is seriously easy to make and is great if you like organizing your campo kitchen.

Eva's girls playing the parts of famous Dominican women.

Bija looking friendly. Or not.

Redix, Estephanie, and Brenda.

Vale's birthday with cake and entertainment from my kids. Ali 1 is the one in the front with big ears and missing teeth.

Un tomate, I had a pretty good tomato harvest. Fresh tomato salsa is good.

Trying to figure out if this is a vanilla orchid. The pods looked like it but I now have my doubts. It sure is pretty though.

Bobo - Hispanolan Lizard Cuckoo I think it's called in English. My kids and I have been drawing birds to learn about their parts, their songs, the reason why they are important, and start developing the love for them. Then we practice with the Binoculars to spot real birds and also hide our drawing in the cacao to develop birder instincts hopefully to replace slingshot ones. These guys are actually fairly large and really cool.

Here's my neighbor Eva! This is a beeswax candle we made. We have a list of things to do before she leaves and this was a checkmark. We are thinking about starting a small business....or maybe just save a bit of money on all the candles we use :)

Hope all is well!

Love,

Sarah

Hey All!

Not enough time to really update at the moment but here are some pics I stole from Ben. Here is an actual whale we saw. Just to clarify I didn´t take that previous picture....but I did see that breachin´action happening!

Just finished up yesterday with a WONDERFUL WEEKEND of visits and International Women´s Day Celebration that Eva and I planned for our surrounding communities that was hosted in Rincon Hondo. I think it turned out really well and am really happy I could be a part of it!

Eva did a wonderful job of preparing her charlas and also decorating the club and being incargada (Big boss lady). She did talks on AIDS and women´s history of the DR with her girls doing little skits. Tamara came up and talked about domestic violence and equality in the household so super big thanks to her. She also caught me up on the office and Pam and Jim´s wedding which was pretty much amazing haha. Ben came up and helped me prep for my carpentry workshop which although might have seemed chaotic to most people ... I personally thought turned out quite well. I showed them how to make a spice rack with wood that the ferreteria was throwing away and then had teams of people build little photo frames. Eva is an artist and was going to have a little lesson on how to paint them but we ran out of time because with Dominican time...everything always starts at least an hour late. I also wrote a little song that went well trying to incorporate self esteem into my talk. It´s cute and cheesy ie Dominicans dig it. You´ll have to visit me to hear it! (I am so excited for Jenny and Patty!!!)

Yo soy Mujer

Yo soy el aire y la tierra

Yo soy la sangre y el corazon

Yo soy la fuerza y la belleza

Yo soy mujer, yo soy mujer

Yo soy la mente y el coraje

Tengo la gracia en mis pasos

Yo soy hermosa y poderosa

Yo soy mujer yo soy mujer

Coro:

Yo puedo hacer cualquiere cosa

Solo necesito tener la fe en mi misma

Yo soy las aves Yo soy las flores

Yo soy la luna Yo soy el sol

Yo soy la madre Yo soy la hija

Y tu amiga. Yo soy Mujer!

Coro

I tried to get my reading group to come up and help me sing and do the little motions with the song but there were quite a few people and I was even feeling a little timida at one point.

I don´t have my chord to plug in my camera at the moment but will post pics soon of the event. A huge thank you to the volunteers that helped out. If Gango, Eva´s carpentry guy, had internet and read my blog I´d send him the biggest thanks. I hugged him instead because he helped me so much hand cutting the picture frame pieces. We set them at 45 degree angles so they actually look cool.

Other than that all is well on my end. We had a fabulous weekend of cooking - Lemon Pesto Chicken on Penne, Lentil Soup, Oatmeal bread, Mozerrella CHEESE which is so cool by the way, peanut butter brownies, and pizza with everything from scratch topped with tomato and basil from the garden. I told Ben how long I´ve been wanting to do that and basically realized it was my whole life. It was a wonderful feeling. It was a wonderful weekend :)

Hope all is well!

Love,

Sarah

Here is an island boy in his native habitat gathering for his family haha. Ben made me think about how dangerous coconuts can actually be.

Hey there!

Sorry it has been a while since a little update. There is actually not too much new going on actually. It is very odd to think that I've been in country 1 year coming up early March. In certain respects it feels like a year. In others it seems like a blink.

I managed to make it out to see the Humpback whales in Samana thanks so much to Ben's family! He has the real pics but it looked a little something like this. I have always wanted to see whales breaching and with this trip I did! Thank you to Jeanie and Kathy again!

At the year mark I'm feeling much more of the urge to do some physical project to keep me busy with my community. I've made phone calls to find contacts with some organization to help me out with water filter installations. It's sort of a restless feeling waiting and not hearing back or having something on the horizon to make me feel busy. I was just telling someone that the most frustrating part of the job for me is not feeling productive every day. I like having things to look forward to and the lack of reliable communication to make plans is making it difficult. Waking up with a sense of purpose is key in one's mental sanity and happiness I feel.

My main focus at the moment are the literacy groups. I have about 5-10 dedicated kids that come to my house about 4 times a week and we read a different story out loud, ask comprehension questions, and for the kids that really are struggling we do little excercising with pronunciation. I've also converted this into a little nature appreciation club (the start of brigada verde possibly). I've been painting some of the local birds with the lovely art set my Nana gave me. The kids draw the bird of the day and then we go outside with the Binoculars that mom gave me and they hide their drawings around and have each other find them. Then we do a little talk about how important it is not to kill the birds with gomas (slingshots). I'm hopefully going to have a guy from the University of Vermot come out and do something in my site with respect to the migratory song birds because my site is an ecological corridor between two scientific reserves and there is a potential carbon credit/bird habitat conservation project to be talked about with him. I just hope that it is more than an idea.

My friend Eva and I have also talked a little about doing something for international women's day. She lives right down the road from me so we can collaborate. I'm thinking about doing a carpentry workshop as an activity for the women in our communities - teach them something like how to make photo frames (Eva is going to do an art workshop so that could go hand in hand) while also showing them a bigger project (like a stool or bench). I am teaching several of the adolescent boys in my site how to make benches and spice racks - but it'd be wonderful to get some girls involved so that is my hope. The same idea with guitar lessons - the only people that want to learn to play guitar are the men and it'd be great if some of my girls wanted to join in on the lessons.

I've been cooking a lot! I'm much better at making bread now and my garden just produced it's first ripe tomatos. I have so much basil I don't know what to do with it, although gifting pesto to other volunteer friends is a very fun passtime. It is very nice to make another volunteer smile - the volunteers express appreciation much more than my Donas and it's just nice to see it written on someones face accompanied with words (en vez de - Da me algo Sarah). Dominicans show it in different ways....just harder to see a veces.

Otherwise to fill my time - I just came down to the capital this weekend to get my ReefCheck Dive certification (reefcheck.org). It was basically a fish/invert ID class where you learn what you are actually seeing down during the dives and enables you to participate in these surveys that monitor reef health. We did our first survey this weekend and it was really great to get to go on another dive and get a change of scene from the campo. I am thinking about doing the advanced Dive class when the next one happens (which includes a night dive and a 100 ft dive) because it'd be awesome to have that on my resume (for possible marine research gigs) and also because it's really fun. By the way - this is a flamingo tongue. We learned this in the ReefCheck course. It is awesome

I am SUPER DOOPER excited for Jenny and Patty to come visit me during my birthday week and the trip is starting to sound ridiculously fun. Ryan is coming out at the end of April and he also is dive certified so we are going to aprovecharlo (take advantage!). YES!

Here is a pic of some of my volunteer friends during the Superbowl. My computer is out of service for the moment and I can't upload some other pics I want.

Hope you are doing very well and update me your adventures soon! A special thank you to those that are writing me! SPECIAL LOVE for June and Michelle for their video they sent. Also Jess Wall for the special cameos. I watch it when I'm missing you guys.

How you can help with Haiti?

(Send by my friend Orville!)

Donors may send checks to the local chapter, designating Haiti Relief to: American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties, 3950 Calle Fortunada, San Diego, CA 92123, by visiting the website at www.sdarc.org, or by calling 858-309-1200.

Donors may also text "HAITI" to 90999 and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts; the charge will appear on the next cell phone bill. If you would like to volunteer for the American Red Cross for future events, please contact the local chapter at 858-309-1200 to begin your training.

Hope all is well!

Love,

Sarah

Just a quick blog post to tell everyone that I am fine. A quick refresher - Haiti does border the Dominican Republic and it is a fairly small island. There were a few volunteers I've talked to that felt the earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday but I wasn't one of them. I'm in the capital right now to get my greencard and a group of us came back from dinner to find on the hostel's television the news.

Right now I'm feeling frustrated. I came into this program, into this country, to work - to help people. It sure would make sense if Peace Corps would let us go to Haiti (which we are prohibited to) for a relief effort since the people there really need the help now.

That being said, I am totally fine. Thanks for thinking of me. Photo: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/01/13/world/20100113-HAITI_2.html

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It's been a rollercoaster for the past few weeks. I've been super excited about my parents coming, super busy building the outdoor bathroom and tying up ends, and also unfortunately trying to come to terms with the fact that I won't get the chance to tell Gramps thank you again for the massive loads of chocolate he kept sending me and the advice on resources to tap into for the aqueduct project. He passed away last week unexpectedly and it has been the most difficult thing I've dealt with at my site. I want everyone to know what an incredible guy he was, which you can't accurately put into a little blog post. He was a major influence and inspiration for my doing Peace Corps. I am so lucky to have had him as a grandfather and know that he is proud of me. I'll miss you alot Grandpa.

Here is a quick photo reel of the family up in the campo. We went to a cock fight on Christmas day itself which I wasn't expecting but ended up being quite an event (Roosters don't die and it wasn't as bad as I thought. The most entertaining thing is watching my Dominican guy friends going INSANE.)

Wish I had pics of this too - Mom tried really hard to communicate and got a lesson in Bachata. I love my mom, she's such a gem. We weren't able to make it out to dance but did literally everything else possible in two days. The community LOVED them and I assuredly will come back and be asked for the rest of always 'When is your family coming back Sarah!?' They loved Dad who was handing out cigars as if he'd just had quintuplets.

In the living room with the bearded brother being festive

Carina! Infront of our 'Usa su propia bulto' 'Don't use plastic bags' poster.

Bija, Jim, and Dad. That is me talking on the phone in the corner haha.

Mom, Dad, and Bija infront of the 'Greenhouse'

Church music on Christmas morning

Me and Jimmers!

First SQUASH! SCORE!

Basil - kicking ass. Tomatos in the background.

My view with Christmas morning fog

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AUNT JENNA!

Hope you all are doing well and Happy New Year 2010!

Sooner,

Sarah

This is a Lionfish. He is an exotic species and can sting you.

Today I was a fish. I am taking a scuba diving class to get my certification! I went to a sunken ship wreck at around 60 ft and we saw a bunch of stuff and it was GREAT! I saw the lion fish and shrimp and damselfish and butterfly fishes. I highly recommend getting certified because you have an entirely different experience from snorkeling when you can really get down there with the fishies. They give a discount to PC Volunteers which is great (only 230 bucks for open water dive to 60 ft), and then we will eventually be able to help out with Reef Check – an organization that has locations all over the country that need help with things like fish counts, buoy cleanings, and coral reef checks. I thought this was an awesome opportunity and therefore am aprovecharing (taking advantage). It is really important to take a class – there are basic things you need to know that are easy but don’t come naturally. The dive instructor told me that I appear very comfortable underwater. I liked that alot :)

My parents are coming really soon now! My whole community is really excited to meet them and I’m really excited to show them stuff. I feel like a 4 year old a little bit. I’m also excited to go to Cabarete to vacation. I’m going to read and sleep and eat good food and dance. I also hope I might be able to go diving. We'll see.Here is an update of the garden! I've 90% finished it beside the fence around. The tomatos are doing great as are the squash. Basil are taking their time. One carrot bed is up and kicking while the other isn't which was confusing. I couldn't get zuchs or lavender or some of my marigolds to germinate which was weird. My mint also isn't doing great. Yet it is still a lot of fun. This week we learned that you can apply a little wood ashes to tomato plant leaves if you have a problem with flea beetles which I definitely did. The kids went and got the ashes from a neighboring Dona's fogon (Wood cook stove), then we sprayed on my garlic spray and gently applied ashes. They seem to be retaining the info from the gardening classes easily which is cool. They know alot already. The literacy club is also going well. I have abotu 5 really dedicated kids, one of which who can't read at all (9 year old) and they really like the books and participating. I really like the club now too because the kids are sweethearts and it is just really fun playing with them. I did get in an argument with a straggler student who came in and was really...well just not very pleasant to work with - and we argued over the existence of witches. Ben tells me, well Sarah, they might have that here. Ben was not helping that day.

I've got to study for my test! I love you all and hope you have a very Very Merry Holiday. I'll post more pics soon of me scuba diving or making faces. Love,Sarah

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Here are some pictures of my garden. It is basically my most favorite thing. I've been showing kids the plants and people walking by ask about the raised beds and I talk to them about the organic pesticides we can use to deal with local pests. Therefore it is a little project in itself. Dominicans though have told me that they (ie their neighbors) are too lazy to do their own hortilizas like mine. I'm hoping at least the organic pesticides could catch on a little. People don't spray so much in my community because it is Organic Cacao but I've still seen some of these backpack pesticide cases and the masks. It's a dirty business. I overheard some other volunteers near Pico Duarte talking about how they lost a community member to spraying chemicals without using shoes or a mask and having direct contact.

I've also built some Bird houses recently and I'm hoping to get a bird appreciation aspect going in my site. They kill the birds with sling shots and I think it is actually due to a lack of other things to hunt (no real game besides gallos). There was a meeting given around Nagua regarding Carbon credits, paying Dominicans, and protecting natural habitat for migratory birds. I hope a project can develop from that. I'm in the office right now and am looking for a bird call CD.

I went with the other volunteers to the Thanksgiving celebration which was hosted in a country club in Santo Domingo. It was actually really nice. I got to swim and play soccer and see lots of people. It was sort of bittersweet though because being around Americans always sort of makes me miss my friends and my family. Other volunteers say it makes them less homesick but I've got pretty cool friends and family so it's hard to compete :)

Check out this centipede. Bija is my little hunter. Speaking of which I miss him like a ridiculous cat person. I am thinking of spending the night again in the Capital so I can play music with Mica and Claire (i got to play piano for the first time in country yesterday and it was so nice).

This is a cabbage looper. He sucks. I think he is the one eating all my sunflowers and basil leaves.

I made an organic pesticide using a recipe PC gave us. Garlic, Vinegar, and Jabon de cuava diluted in a bunch of water. It seems to be working but I am still finding a few and hand picking them.

Any suggestions?

Pics of my hortiliza next time! I am sore from digging raised beds but it's a good sore. The garden is in the shape of a rectangle which I've staked off with the help of some of my kids. The town drunk actually took it upon himself to pick up the earth which is fully of huge rocks, clay and historical relics from the previous Dominican tenants otherwise known as basura. I don't know why, but I like pulling the rocks out. It's hard and a great sense of accomplishment when you get a big one out. Maybe Dentists understand? Haha, I hope not. Half of the rectangle has tomato, basil, carrots, lavender with random pockets of marigolds just in case nematodes make their way in. The other half will be dedicated to zucs, squash, onions, garlic, and I'm thinking pepinos (cukes). Pepino is a cute name for a cat. Everyone gives me crap because I named Bija - Bija - and he's a boy. People are actually asking me daily how Bija is doing. I always tell them fine - and when I'm feeling up to it I say, he's still pissed at me from the whole castration ordeal and the nibbling has improved but it's still an issue.

I really love looking outside my window to the garden - it's a beautiful start to the mornings.

Also - a treat for my parents. In my last cooking class, Nana (Arianny) taught us how to make Orange Wine. I has hesitant being that it is in my nature but once I tried the final product I decided to make some! Home brewin!? Moonshine anyone? Dominicans love it - they buy the stuff like crazy for Christmas.

Here's the recipe (pa' que sepa):

VINO de NARANJA - Orange wine

10-12 Naranjas de Jugo (They have 3 names for oranges and I can't tell the difference from outter appearance for the life of me. These ones those are specifically good for Juice and sweet. Just not tart tart apparently.)

Equal amount of water to juice

2 Tablespoons of levadura (Yeast)

5 cucharons de azucar (equivalent to about 1/2 pound of sugar. Dominicans have no fear of Diabetes. Ie do less sugar....I'd say around 5-8 tbs but just until it's like sweet to you.)

Mix all together. Pour into container and top with cheese cloth and rubber band. Let sit for 15 days and then strain if desired. Then let sit for a month and it's ready to serve.

I put it in 2 wine bottles. Lets see what Mom thinks of it. I think she'll like it emborrachar de una vez. Joking.

Hope all is well

Love,

Sarah

A HUGE THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL BOOKS AND CARE PACKAGES. I immediately started the Story of Sushi Nana and it's great. THANK U MOMMY. Rechargable batteries are incredible. Like incredible. I should start some sort of project with the PC volunteers to get them rechargable batteries and Diva cups - both incredibly environmentally friendly products. The pants are wonderful Jenna! The underwear fit Lea! THANK U!

Happy November!

(This turkey is from last Thanksgivers at Jen and Dave's. Turkeys can just work the converse.)

I made it into the capital this week for a Spanish language training course and also to get Bija his 2nd series of vacs/flea champu! I am back at Dona Roma’s house for a week which is really nice because she is definitely my favorite homestay Dona and they are also letting me keep Bija here while I go to class every day. At the same time it is a very weird feeling being back here and also realizing I have been in country nearly 8 month. A group of us were actually giving advice to the newest group of sworn in volunteers and that was really odd. I am still grateful for the internet time and being able to Skype with the parents.

It’s good seeing the other volunteers as always. I feel like I have met some really good people here and made some great friends. You can get a wonderful sense of validation (that even u didn’t know that you were secretly seeking) along with a bunch of colorful ideas and stories. I love seeing the other projects that people are working on. It is almost always in a non-competitive manner with my group – much more of a check out the basic design and see if you can replicate in your site idea swap.

We are doing language training right now – I am ranked higher on the spectrum and had to request to be in the class and yet I definitely have a cloudy understanding of a lot of things. I don’t see this week clarifying much honestly but I think it will motivate me into self study. I do feel like I can understand my Dona much better than when I arrived though – she was telling me great stories about her childhood and how she was a ‘Maria Macho’ (tom-boy) who liked to run and play baseball right in there with the big boys and also was an accomplished ranch hand who knew her way around a lasso. Seriously, don’t mess with Donas. You never know where they’ve been.

I had a fun Halloween this year. I dressed up as a Pulpo (Octopus). I made 4 tentacles out of some extra foam I had bought with my sofa foam, a cut up black shirt, Petal sewing machines in Eva’s site, bottle caps to look like suction cups so people wouldn’t think I was a spider and a belt I found. I totally copied this idea from my little cousin Maddie I think. Just had the belt with four tentacles – then put on a black long sleeve shirt and pants and therefore had 4 more tentacles –and math doesn’t lie, that’s 8. Kiri braided my hair in a billion little braids too. The volunteers just hung out at a hotel and I skipped ‘de club’ because I’ve realized I really am fourty. Nana says I always have been. I tend to agree.

Just got to my mailbox and THANK YOU AGAIN for the package/letter love. It is so nice. Thank you especially to Lea and Mateo, Nana and Grandpa, and Mom. Lea bought me underwear. She misses me. I miss her too but don’t tell her.

My Dona just told me that you can put Amonium Hydroxide on your Magi bites and it will remove it in a second. I don’t know how I feel about that yet. I have to look up how much damage that is doing to my body. She knows her stuff though generally.

Right now I am working on a few grants to help my community get cement bags and painting materials to fix the condition of the cancha court as well as to do a mural project with my kids. I wanted the mural to correspond to the installation of painted trashcans in my community but I’m working on it….the neighboring town Mayor would be the one to donate them generally so I want to see if that option is open to me before I spend any grant money on trashcans which might not be used (as is the case of many other volunteers).

I have been currently thinking – the things I thought would be the most difficult in the country aren’t really turning out to be any problem at all. You just adjust. Your body can do it after enough time just as long as you aren’t a total burro and refuse to take a bucketbath. What is difficult then? Cultural differences. A lack in validation for your work and an excess of personal opinion on your physical appearance. A lack of personal boundaries and an excess of self doubt. A lack of light and an excess of guineo? Hah. I did have an amazing moment after advertising the cancha to some of my new neighbors and the woman told me ‘Wow, Thank you’ which at this point made the whole struggle worth it because it made me that happy that someone said that. Fellow volunteers help a lot too when it comes to making you feel good. So do friends and family.

I AM SO EXCITED to have my family come out and check out life here. That is going to rock. I’m trying to build a better place for everyone to shower until then. I hope the garden is looking cool too. Speaking of which let me put this for Nana and anyone else interested. It’s a little drawing of my house layout so the pictures make a little more sense. Or you could just come visit me and see…it’s better. (Click on the picture to see it better)

Mark, Ben and Tamara came up to visit (which was ridiculously great) and they were my first visitors. Bija loved having uncles around and it was just so nice to have company. It was also really awesome that Mark described my house to Leeann as ‘Tricked out’. I don’t understand his language sometimes, being the guttural northern California it is – but she explained to me that it means pretty freaking cool. Score! I think it is too – I had a great time making it. Almost done with the bamboo doors for the cabinets and I’m spending any extra energy I have on my garden and reading up about gardening. I’m making humming bird feeders, bird houses, and was considering Toad homes to help serve as Organic Pesticides. I also was reading about how Basil can serve as a natural Mosquito repellent. It has got to be the best plant ever I swear. Repellent and pesto in one night...I mean COME ON! Nobel Plant prize right there.

We’re heading into the capital today for a little fun – to the modern art museum and then to a movie. I am very excited. I’m also excited to go to the Peace Corp office again and mail off a bunch of letters I have written and was storing at my site. Thanks again for reading! Hope all is going splendifically!

Love,

Sarah

Greetings!

It's been a long time and I've got a chunk to update but don't have much time at the moment so hopefully pictures will tell some stories. I am in El Factor visiting Mark, Ben, Leeann and Bekah at the moment and we're heading into Nagua today to have some American time and visit the beach for approximately the 3rd time since I've been to this country haha. I'm having Mark, Tamara, Ben, and Eva come up to see my finished house afterwards too which I'm horribly excited about! I finally finished everything and am very proud of how the house looks now. Just need to get the bathroom situation in order and then it'll be ready for American guests haha - volunteers don't count because they are used to using latrines.

Here is a picture of Bija. He is a little toasted marshmellow that likes to run around my house and has a slight biting problem...but is full of love and very fun. Que chamakito!

Also a pic of the cancha! The volleyball net is now up and running and we fundraised money for a volleyball using my cooking course and selling the cookies after church. So far the donas have learned Sugar cookies with passionfruit jam, Banana cookies, and coconut bars. Here is also a pic of my Donas with some treats. Next week they are going to teach me arroz con dulce.

I also have a reading club with some struggling students in my community. It's going really well and the kids are loving it - we are also utilizing the library that the previous volunteer had worked hard to get donations for but nobody was really taking advantage of.

Ok that's about all for now. Just so everyone knows - MY ADDRESS IS THE SAME! No fears. It is still lovely to get letters, won't ever not be. Also Nag champa incense which helps repel the mosquitos. I did have Dengue and am totally fine because it wasn't a bad case...just don't want to repeat it. I am totally fine - no worries. It was actually an awesome trip into the capital - no hospital, just a sweet hotel room!

Love you all and hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Sarah

http://www.ingridmichaelson.com/

Ingrid Michaelson

New Album 'Everybody' is very good! Open up music player and check it out.

Thanks to Bay for the recommendation!

Bookshelf! Painted and made out of free wood Manolito was throwing away!

Armario! Dresser made out of cheap ferreteria wood (wood they were throwing away!)

My counter and cabinets - Made out of a combination of thrown away wood for the legs, cheap hardware wood and then also I paid for the surface wood. Then I varnished it with two coats and painted the legs and I think it looks nice now. I need to make barstools for the bar (which you can partially see on the right) for when my Donas come in....but I might not want to risk it and just buy stools, I don't want any injuries. Also you can see my little mini fridge and a corner of my horno that I painted black and looks much better now. I also plan on putting bamboo doors on the cabinets. I put a little drawer under the counter that rolls on soda bottle caps to put flatware and oddball utensils in that is working out pretty well right now.

Love you all!

Sarah

All for now!

Ok so I spent the last week moving into my new house and making it mine! The house was completely empty inside and therefore I spent most of my time being ‘chica curiosa’ making a big kitchen counter, book case, cabinets, and basically shelves of a dresser. I had a lot of fun making everything and it was actually wonderful to have the alone time and just be able to do things without running commentary. I still need to buy and cover the other half of the sofa, make a dining table, and I’m thinking I need another sort of craft shelf for the yoga/work room. Yet I wake up in the morning and am very happy when I look outside my room to my pretty kitchen.

I also have unfortunately woken up to the landlord in the backyard tending to all the cacao…realizing now that I’m living on his conuco (his farm plot) and that basically the rules of privacy just don’t apply here. I told him that I need privacy and that I’m going to reinforce the fence around the house but I don’t think he realized that I was referring directly to him. Dominicans have no sense of personal boundaries – like I’ll have my gate closed and door closed – normally a fairly uninviting sight and yet I am constantly being met at my back window with people going under the gate to look into my house. I am hoping it is because I just moved in and people and not something that will go on for the next 2 years. There is also a neighbor, a married 16 year old that seems to have a little something weird with her, who likes to watch me work for like 2 hr chunks and I’ve finally told her that I need personal space. They also take all my fruit! Needless to say I am a little burned about this and I don’t really have a problem with reinforcing the gate. Yes I realized a huge part of Dominican culture is sharing but….I was raised American and between the hours of 6 pm and 9 am I would like privacy and nobody should ever be in my backyard.

I made guava syrup which I plan to put on pancakes when I get back to my site! I need to go to the supermarket and get the stuff. I made sugar cookies to thank Mata and they turned out ok! I love my horno, it is amazing.

I was fairly frustrated this week and am now glad to be in the Capital. My Junto de Vecinos leader, Jose, was being how do I say…a jerk. He actually said in front of all the meeting after I had given them a little update on what I had been up to, plans, and what I need help with – well he told them that I need to be a little bit more aggressive with what I’m doing in the community because apparently he’s not seeing the results. I was obviously caught off guard by this and responded by saying – well what is it exactly that you are looking for from a single person? He apparently thinks I am supposed to change the attitude of the kids in the community to be respectful and hardworking and driven (which might be a problem because I dunno the adults in community aren’t really leading by example). I then went over to Jose’s house to try to get him to answer a few questions for a grant I am working on for our aqueduct project and after getting to the bottom line I calculated that in actuality they need over a million pesos (closer to 50 grand US) and are in a serious amount of debt with the hardware stores. He also explained to me during my recap of costs that they had been paying Haitian workers much less and I asked him if he thought that was fair and basically he told me that’s just the way things work with a little smile. That is just crap by the way. Dominicans really don’t like Haitians and that’s all I’m going to say about that for right now.

I’m frustrated because the aqueduct project is much less feasible to finish now. My project plans are slipping slowly thru the cracks. It will get better I hope. I am planning to do a few cooking workshops in my house – trying to emphasize the importance of not using plastic bags to help cook your rice and boiling water – while simultaneously playing with jams and cookies to see if we can fundraise for a volleyball for the cancha (they told me they’d really put up the poles for it today so let’s see when I get back...). I’m also going to print out some map mural grids to see if the kids are interested in that project for the library.

And for a little cheese with this whine.

I just got a stellar care package from Reedly and I am eating peanut butter pretzels. Life is good. I am also wearing my new threadless t-shirt from Nana and I love it! Thank you so much!

I am in the Capital this weekend for committee weekend but I haven’t found anything I want to join quite yet. I am just enjoying seeing people here and the running water. I might go to the marine interest group to see about getting scuba certified with a real trainer for cheap but I sort of have a fear of scuba diving! I don't like idea of having to acclimate to the pressure!

Will post pics soon!

Love,

Sarah

Mata's Kitchen! Where we hang out most of the time

Mata checking out the rice and corn on our front porch

View from my new house!

Front view of my new house! I'll add better pics when i have more time!

Love,

Sarah

Greetings!

I think I now have a bit to update. I’m moving at the end of this month into the little casita I had been hoping for! That is the good news. The last few weeks I haven’t had too much to do besides get the house in order and by that I mean dealing with the landlord (I’ll explain that in a second) and making furniture for the house since they are leaving it completely barren. When I say completely barren I mean it – like they were even thinking about taking the electrical wiring, sockets, and outlets - because apparently it is the current tenant’s personal property. We worked it out where I’ll reimburse them to keep it but yea? Yeah!

I personally think the house is great and that I got really lucky! The pros– it has a tamarindo, guayaba, limon, platano, coco, café, cacao, peppers, beans, and even a little pineapple (called Ahnana in Kreole by the way) already there! I am stoked about that. There is also enough room for a larger garden and a side herb garden. There is a great view from the backside of the house you can walk 20 feet to get to. There is also cell phone signal from the top of one of the windows so that is amazing. The two closest neighbors are Donas Fuertes so if anyone messes with me I just yell out to them - and one of the even has an oven. There is also a good rainwater collection system and the house is hooked up to the electrical grid so when there is light I can aprovechar (take advantage of it). I think that I will be able to make the house very comfortable and I have an extra bedroom for visitors so I am really happy!

The cons – the only real con besides a small leak in the roof and rustic bathroom is that the landlord, Juan, is one of my least favorite dudes in the community. He is comparable to a small Dominican snake – real shifty like. I quickly fell into bad terms with him during the first week I was here with him tirando piropos (flirting) infront on his wife who is very nice– her name is Meeka and she’s a jolly large woman. I am feeling slightly more comfortable with my ability to communicate effectively and last week I was a bit fuerte with him finally. I went into his colmado and explained to him that if he was going to be my landlord he needs to stop talking to me like that because I am a professional that is trying to help his community and it is completely inappropriate. Also, I said strongly that I have absolutely no interest in him - none. I told him that I only have interest in my novio (the fake Dominican one I made up to ease tigueres) – and that I don’t think it’s appropriate to have interest in more than one person. I made sure to say this infront of his wife and there were also a lot of people in the colmado and IT WAS GREAT – the people were like, oooohhhh….burn Juan. I’m so glad the burn is a universal thing. Then Juan covered his heart like he was shot – pretending to be playing around – but I never laughed and I am fairly sure he got the message I won’t take anymore of his BS.

That being said, David, my PC emergency coordinator came by to talk to him today and he was really in top snake form arguing with David that it is my responsibility to fix the leak in the roof and mentioning that he should raise the rent. That worried me and David left telling me that I’ve got a dirtbag on my hands which I already knew but there really isn’t any other housing options in the community. If all falls apart Mata told me that I could live with them for 2 years and it is always nice to know I won’t be put out. Tomorrow I’m going to go talk to Clide, our town animador/priest, to explain to him the situation with the basic house repairs and see if he can convince Juan to stop being a bastardo and help out the voluntaria in the community so she can try to help the community. If that doesn’t work –ie he doesn’t fix the small leak in the roof – over time I’ll have to save money for my plan to build a side hut for a nicer place to bathe along with a counter and other small house improvements - and then show it to Juan after two years when I am going to leave and then tear it down and sell the materials to other people in the community. Sounds a little spiteful I know. Yet why in the world would I want to improve the house of a guy like Juan – especially when other community members seem to want to help me. So I think it is justified. The thing that sucks is that if Juan doesn’t help me, the Peace Corps won’t help me with house improvements really either so it is all from my monthly allowance – ie definitely not giving any freebies to una culebra como el.

I did have a big blow this last Sunday – my little kitty Mauricio died. It was really quite sad how it happened too. I went to Milagro’s house to finish up sewing this rug I’m working on after saying goodbye to the kitty in the morning. Then I came back to Mata’s for lunch and the cat and I always eat meals together – he sat at my side and I would put some of the excessive quantity of food that Mata serves me in the little food bowl I made him. I had finally gotten people in the community to stop saying that if I eat a cat hair I will die or won’t be able to become pregnant…believe me it got really annoying. Anyways, I walked back home and start calling Miso, Miso (kitty kitty) and the cat didn’t appear so I sat down and started eating. I couldn’t find the cat dish either which was weird but I thought I’d just ask Mata after we talked about renting a stove from another neighbor and in the meantime I was putting Mauricio’s food on one of the extra plates I had. Mata and I talked about the stove and I called the cat again with no response. Then Mata sat down and looked at me and said, “Sarah, I need to tell you something” and then didn’t say anything for 10 seconds while her eyes welled up with tears and she told me Mauricio died. After bawling for about 10 minutes she finally told me that he ate some of the bountiful rat poison that they put all over the house. I sat and consoled her, which she probably thought was odd because I think she was really crying for me although the family did start to treat the cat much better when they realized I loved him and that he wasn’t going to kill anyone. Then I went into my room and didn’t let anyone see me because I really dislike crying in front of people. Mauricio was a wonderful, loving little kitty cat who was basically my best friend in the community due to his similar lack of Spanish skills and cuddleable nature. I told my community that I was in Luto (mourning) for him and while they were joking about that, I didn’t let them see that I was completely serious. I will really miss him.

In other news, there hasn’t been much going on in my community. I made the volleyball net and just finally got them to get two poles to put in the ground, but they still haven’t done it. It is really frustrating when you have to, for everything, take them by the hand. I haven’t started up the next English class because I want to get the housing stuff in order so I told all the kids it’ll be about a month. I am looking forward to the advanced class of serious kids and that is about it because having all those kids running around was definitely not easy. It makes me hesitant to start the Environmental Ed classes, especially talking about technical things in Spanish. With the water project – I am currently working on a grant to get my community out of debt for the materials they already have. This totals to over $7,000 and I am constantly amazed as to how this could have happened. There must have been no budget whatsoever and people must have backed out from every corner paying their shares. The grant, if I got it, would maximum only give me $5000 and it’s a slim chance. I was optimistic about this at first because the person I initially talked to about the sum forgot to put in a zero and I thought it was only 700 dollars. Funny how those zeros work. The jam project is at a standstill right now because I need to find sealable jars in order for the jam to store and not get anyone sick. The mango jam is delicious but unfortunately it is quite an acidic fruit I think and goes bad really fast. The chinola stores for more time, but I’m still looking into better jars. I also emailed my contacts with project DIG to see if we can start community hortalizas in El Firme and also contacted a few people about Fair Trade but nothing has come yet. Therefore there has been a lot of waiting and in the meantime I’ve been making stuff!

I am actually getting pretty good with my carpentry skills, along with bowstaff skills, clearly. I therefore am confident given the materials I could make the side bathroom I’ve designed without needing to pay for someone to help. Hurricane proof? We’ll see haha. Most recently I’ve finished a sofa minus the cushions, little boxes, coasters, a quilted rug which I might embroider with a mountain scene, and also I’m proud of my estante (book shelf) which I’m going to paint and think it will be a nice addition to the house. Plus a place to put all the wonderful books my Nana has sent me. Speaking of which:

I HAVE THE BEST NANA IN THE WHOLE WORLD. SHE IS AMAZING. I LOVE HER VERY MUCH.

My Nana is making the other volunteers question the awesomeness of their grandmothers in the quality and quantity of carepackages she sends me. Thank you so much Nana!

Mark took off to the states. He told me he’d bring me back seeds and turkey jerky from Trader Joes. I highly anticipate our next meeting haha. I’m really glad he made it out ok because there was supposed to be a tropical storm on the day of his flight which quite luckily dissipated. This country seems to be working out pretty well for him. I am also a fan of his mom who likes my blog!

My other volunteer friends Ben and Kiri have moved into their houses already! Leeann and I are in about the same stage with our houses and have been talking a lot about latrines, colmado noise, and housing issues. Her current host family sounds noisy and sort of mean, while mine is really funny and warm but noisy. Therefore we are all excited to have our own space for the first time in 5 months. For me---first time ever besides sophomore year of college when I had my own room. My brother Jim’s idiosyncrasies at times can be comparable to blasting bachatta at 7am. Needless to say I’ve waited for this move for a while.

I watched Across the Universe last night on my laptop and I thought it was interesting and a couple of the pieces really struck me. My favorite song was how they redid Let it Be. There is something about Gospel music that just utterly rocks. In another life I hope I can be a large black woman that can belt it. Clearly Patty Griffin was. I also really liked the football players running slowmo as Prudence sung I want to hold your hand. You should watch it if you have a chance.

I’m going to try and post some pics of the new casita, but you should just come out and visit. This especially means you Costa Rica kids because you would love it here. Shoot me a line anytime and I’ll answer when I have internet!

Miss you all and hope everything is going well 

Also thanks to all of you who are sending me texts! It is GREAT! I am getting them and do a little dance with each one. A little bachatta here, a little merengue there.

All my lovin,

Sarah

P.S. I just remembered a really funny story that you shouldn’t read if you are easily freaked out ie Aunt Jenna. Hahah. Mata was trying to point out this ENORMOUS cockroach to me that was near the water bucket and I freaked out and jumped on the chair because I thought she said cacata (tarantula) but while she was saying it her false teeth dropped out of her mouth and she chased after them, I’m still on the chair wondering what’s going on and where the tarantula is, and the cockroach runs away and disappears. Se fue la sana! We had a good chuckle with that.

We also were sitting one night and there hadn’t been any electricity for like the whole day – and we were talking when suddenly Mata shushes us all and listens intently to the fridge that had just switched on. Then he jumps up and does a fist pump elatedly saying ‘POR FIN! LLEGO LA LUZ!’ (At last! The electricity/light is here). That is actually how the light situation can be summed up here and I am in for a nasty surprise when I get to the new house without an inversor (large rechargeable battery). Anyways I laughed really hard about that too. Mata is really fun, you’ve got to meet her.

Here are a few photos.

We are at IST in Santiago hanging out and I've had internet for the last few days, let me repeat again...amazing. My presentation went well I think and I taught my group how to make Chinola Jam and am sending out the designs for the volleyball net out of reusable materials. We also learned how to build a nursery, worm composting, and a few other little knick knacks so overall it's been a great week. I brought Orlando with me, one of my favorite and most serio english students, instead of my project partners since they no sirven (they don't really help me with anything). He did wonderfully doing the presentation and I'm really proud of him.

Anyways - not too much to tell - English class finished up well. Did my graduation ceremony with my 18 students (13 passed so I still felt like it was a success). I'll be doing advanced classes at my house after I'm settled in, probably September. Here are some photos of the graduation (kids with their certificates and a pic of me and Orlando - he spoke a little English during our Community Diagnostic Presentation!)

Also finished my little table so take a peek! I lined the sides with sea glass I found to give it an artsy look and continue with the reuse material theme. The table in total cost me 50 pesos to make (Less than 2 bucks). You'll have to come visit me for me to show you how I rearrange a few pieces to get the top part all level. It is the first piece of furniture for my house!

The last pic is of our training group at IST (In service training) building the nursery...but just of our faces with our older volunteer friend Danielle.

Hope you are all doing well! I'll put up pics of my homestay house and community next post.

Love,

Sarah

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072800390.html

Credit to Bailey Maria Bonura.

Did the open mic last night...there are some volunteers who are stellar guitarists. The Hub is wonderful. I recommend it to check out whenever it's available. Way nicer than the Pen. I have IST tomorrow. Wish me luck with my presentation and also transportation.

Love,

Sarah

Hey guys!

A quick reminder that you need to put your name in the text if you want me to know who is texting me. I have been able to figure out most, with the exception of the person quien sabe Espanol and is in Eugene Orgegon riding their bike around and enjoying life - who was that? :)

Also a quick movie showing that pump I was talking about.

Haha - in Spanish I am trying to say ' This is the pump and it's a project that will make the life a Dona a little easier. It can also be used to wet the little muchachos in your community.'

Well look at this handy dandy little tool I just found. If you would like to send me a text message for free, go to this website and scroll to the bottom of the page until you see a phone. Put in the number 809-723-9938 and write your message and then hit Enviar and type in the pin that pops up and I'll be able to receive a free text! Make sure you write your name otherwise I won't know who it is from. I also won't be able to text you back, but it's still a pretty cool thing.

www.claro.com.do

I am heading back to my site in a bit, currently in the capital and got my packages!!!

Thank you Sanders, Bailey, Nana, Mom, Jwall, Jenny, Matt, and Po. It is just so great. I walked into the volunteer lounge with all my packages and people were like - well somebody is loved. And that is exactly how it makes me feel!!! THANK YOU!

Went to San Fran de Macoris the other night for a regional get-together. I will definitely be going there more based on that visit - it's convenient and much nicer than Nagua from what I saw. I went out in the capital last night with some other volunteers. Mica and her Tennessee friends, Mark, Leeann and Ben and it was one of my favorite nights so far in the country. We went to Rinconcito to watch live Salsa music and then somehow ended up from there into a Merengue festival that was just ridiculously fun. I love dancing. Apparently it is every Sunday and I will take you if you come visit. Then we went back to the Penn where we played a little music. They asked me to go to this beach town with them (since they were visiting from the states) which I would have loved to do since these are all Tennessee folk with southan drawls and good tunes -- but there is this thing called Campo guilt in our training group -- when you leave your site a little too much and feel like you are having too much fun. Hopefully there are other opportunities. I think I want to visit Tennessee now because there is something in the water there that makes the people great.

Ok - off to Castillo to pick up some wood, finish the diagnostic, and then to Santiago next week. I was invited to play an open mic night the day before and I really hope I can get that in there too! They are doing Indian food, that is far beyond incentive.

Love you!

Ok yeah so I've been having way too much fun playing 'Dominicana Bob the builder'. I also probably appear like a crazy homeless woman because I'm always scavenging for parts (the other day I found a singular shoe while with my homestay family walking and they for sure thought I was batty until I showed them what it was for - the rubber for the pump)

I want to show you guys though, especially the other volunteers reading this because if you like something you see on my blog I can show you how to make it and it might come in handy for your house (ie those of us without showers, sinks, tables) Compartir :)

The pump works! The design is simple (can be found on google) but making/collecting materials takes a bit of time depending on your circumstances.

I'm stoked. The only part I'm looking for now is a spring to cut the work load in half. With ever 36 inch stroke the pump can basically discharge .3 liters of water (36pie(.4)sq=18cub inches or ~30ml) which is pretty cool! I put a soda cap with a nail hole on the outgoing end and turned it into a mini water gun that can shoot water across my street which is bad news for the kids going by on their motos when it's raining (so as not to waste the water). They get a nice blast (although they are already soaked). Haha - it's probably not the most intelligent idea to do this to motorists and I will probably be the first PCV to kill a small Dominican child but I'd say it is worth it. Sometimes I have a crowd to watch me get a passerby. My favorites are the older men who freak out.

More importantly - the pump will be used in the community to help alleviate some serious back straining of carrying water up small hills (and also transporting it around the house in less than 40 trips). It is a prototype as of the moment - but I'm going to teach them how I made it out of materials (carved wooden dowel, goma or shoe rubber, screw, PVC cement and 3/4, nail, teflon, hose found in the community (sans the check valves which are at the hardware store in the nearest city for approx 8 bucks each). The whole thing (including the hose) took me about 20-25 bucks to make.

The next project is a foot pump using the same method for sinks. To have the semblance of running water mainly.

Here is a pic of my shower head. I took a normal plastic soda bottle and cut the top 3rd off. Then I took a sink strainer and nailed even larger holes in it. I wrapped the circle in teflon a few times and stuck it into the bottle. I then took a candle and melted the plastic to secure it in and it works fairly well as of the moment when attached the the pump.

I was in Nagua the other day for my last blog entry and while on my 45 minute walk through the crazy city to the university I can across a fallen broken sign with prime wood and I was on that like a pregnant women craving peanut butter. I ripped off the boards with Dominicans watching and applauding. They are now the frame to this little coffee mesita!

I'm so pleased with it. On the side there you can see I started glueing sea glass that I collected during our Brigada Verde beach trip -- really silly to put it on before you finish hammering by the way. But I was testing out the look and if the superglue held. It is currently lacking the top (superficie) because of an unpleasant incident with one of my gua-gua drivers who I asked to pick my up 12 ft of 3inch wide cedro o caoba wood and long story short is that basically he is not the smartest guy in the world and came back with a huge crate that I totally couldn't use for the table and charged me 150 pesos +50 for his services which I wanted to tell him...you made me wait 8 hours for something i didn't even ask for and that is your service?

Yesterday was actually just a really bad day because of the gua-gua driver not understanding anything, then I had a few English students who are very frustrating and refuse to study but expect their certificates, a student who was cheating during my final English test, and finally and most importantly Mata telling me the Marta was not going to move out of the house I am looking to move into (the one I really have my hopes up for). It was a little much with all that yesterday and I felt like I was starting to get a little short with the kids at my house and so I decided to shut myself in my room and try to get my heart out of the blender. Then Bailey called and it was beautiful. Everyone needs a Bailey.

Then driving out of my site to San Fran de Macoris this morning I stopped by the house and asked Marta when she was moving out (pretending I hadn't heard the Chisme) and she told me the beginning of August so now I'm just really confused and still sorta upset...mainly because she didn't give me an exact date and hadn't started packing anything (Dominicans do this thing where they don't mean what they say sometimes and I'm new at figuring it out). Wish me luck though, I'd really like this house. There is a tamarindo tree for goodness sakes!

That reminds me for some reason. I'm thinking about doing a JAM project for my Donas as an income generation project. The mango and chinola jam were a hit - super easy to teach how to do (Mata and Taga already made a batch of Mango) - and a way to reuse mayonnaise glass bottles. The other volunteers seem to like them so maybe...more to come on that later.

Miss you all. Hoping to get your mail tomorrow in the Capital. Dear me I hope I get it and the Dominicans stop stealing it. Otherwise - hope to catch you online and talk! Take care.

Love,

Sarah

I realized I had 500 pesos left and a trip to the ATM was badly needed. The ATM is located in Nagua – a good 1.5 hr trip and it takes about 250 pesos roundtrip so I don’t want to cut it any closer. I also thought it would take advantage of the free wireless they have at the university and sit uninterrupted and remember how amazing it is to have internet access. Do you realize how valuable of tool the internet is? It is AMAZING. Like I can look up guava jam recipes, how to make a bar stool, the names of common Dominican flowers, get world news, and find out what is going on with my family and friends. Plus I hope I get to skype with Bailey or my parents and maybe they can show me Chester on the videocam. That is just flipping amazing. Hahah. I finished the volleyball net! Check out pics below! Above is Milagro sewing

It was a great project. I hung out with a Dona named Milagro who taught me how to use her old fashioned Singer Sewing Machine (Yup with a pedal) and I had a great time with that. It was like learning stickshift all over again – but I got it eventually. Milagro sewed the large stretches and I sewed the sides because she is faster than lightning and also very nice. Ok let me tell you the design – I went to visit Meeka at the Colmado in El Firme and asked her for rice sacks and a tarp which she donated for free – although the tarp was sorta torn and dirty. I cut the tarp into 21 ft strips since that was its length – shorter than official net standards but it’ll serve. We cleaned the tarp in the rain with laundry suds and brooms – Milagro was super nice about this, she has what seems like varicose veins but it’s really painful to walk around and yet she was still helping me out a lot. Then I had my muchachos help me collect 100 beer bottle caps. I took them home and nailed a hole thru them all and hammered them flat so they had no sharp edges. Then I went and bought canamo (rice string sac) for 70 pesos which besides labor was the only cost. I took all the stuff to Milagro’s house where we sewed the tarp (A line above for the tension and the caps 6 inches apart – also basically hemmed the bottom part) for all four sides which took 3 days. I sewed all the sides together in a rectangle and then strung the canamo thru all the caps after I took a hot nail to poke thru the plastic. I then proceeded to weave the 6x6 inch squares and got the net as tight as I could and although it’s not perfect – it’s pretty cool! I was also glad to see the community was taking an interest and helping me and I look forward to getting the poles up and playing with the kids. I need to remember the rules. It has been a long time since 8th grade De Anza Volleyball. (That’s where I met Bailey! The first time I hung out with Bailey was after a vball practice at her beach apt. Her mom had the little dog Sammy and we drove in the brown BMW thru Burger king’s drive thru and got cheeseburgers and these frosted coke drinks. Do u remember that Bay?) Speaking of everyone helping me, it’s actually sort of hard to not get help. Sometimes you just want to do stuff for yourself. I’ve been trying to figure out what I need to do to show my community I am actually a very capable, mildly educated woman, albeit I am still figuring out Spanish. Most of the time though I think even if I spoke Spanish like a Dominican they still would be amazed that I know how to use a hammer. It’s fairly demeaning when the men do this. Yesterday I found a few pieces of wood that I cut into smaller blocks and started to make Mauricio a little table/feeding dish. I knew exactly how I wanted to make it and then my homestay Dad, Chiche, found out what I was doing and basically took over right when it was the fun part and he just nailed all the pieces together! Then he told me, ‘You can tell them back in your country that I taught you how to do this’ and I was in a really great mood yesterday but otherwise that would have pissed me off pretty good. The worst thing is that you can’t really do anything but be submissive for right now. I think that is a huge part of the problem for women here. Today for example, I went up to a different community to visit a sick lady with Mata and a few neighbors and during the short trip I was hissed at by every group we passed. They usually say ‘Rubia!’ and some other stupid novia comment that there is no way they can think makes me feel flattered in reality. There was a gua-gua driver who I find to be a creep who stopped his car in front of our house and hissed at me to come over to him for like a minute straight. They don’t accept no for an answer and that is just like a pet peeve to me now. So I sat there on my porch and said – My name is Sarah, not Rubia, and I’m gonna sit right here and you can tell me what you need. He still insisted on telling me to come over and thinking he had something to give to Mata I finally got up hoping he could tell how much I disliked him – and all he had to say to me was that he heard I played guitar well and he wanted lessons. That was just ridiculous and I envision bailey dropkicking him. I am sick of the way the men here have this completely distorted mindset they have the god given right to treat women, a foreign woman especially, like this. I am also pretty disappointed when I see why they think this – it’s the women who perpetuate it by the way the dress and call for the attention and never do anything when someone is being harassed. To me educating women is the first step. Educating women to respect themselves and have higher aspirations than solely marrying the first guy that hisses at you and then reproduce like rabbits – well it’s a cultural difference but I have a hard time seeing it as anything else but a problem for the women. Anyways – sorry I was just hissed at little too much today. I also have more bug bites than I can count although I wear pants in the blazing sun so you might find this note to be a little less sugar laced (as many of you have been asking me for haha). Speaking of today – I was actually ordered to go down a steep hill and carry two gallons of river water up to the sick woman I was visiting. I was really surprised by this but excited that they would let me help – like the naïve little goat I can sometimes be. Then I realized how unnatural it was that they (actually only Carmen) asked me to do this and wondered if I had done something wrong. So yeah, I’m still a little confused as to what it really was. I also can’t help but feel a little annoyed in the aftermath at Carmen because not only did I have to go visit a sick person (which I do unfortunately quite often and it is horrible because you sit there and don’t have anything to do or say except look at the person) that was really far away, but then she just orders me to go down a crazy steep hill and lug up water. It was one of the only times I’ve thought that someone in the community might be taking advantage of me being a ‘volunteer’. Needless to say, I’m glad I have other options of landlords instead of just Carmen. I felt like a strong donkey after my trip though. Carry water sucks by the way – have I told you how amazing aqueducts and water systems are? AMAZING! Hahah Almost done with my pump. Just got the tephlon today (which will hopefully help with air /h20 leaks) and then a wood screw which I wasn’t been able to find in my site. Crossing fingers it works!

Also wanted to say that I heard that my ‘super volunteer’ friend Jared had to be med evac-ed to the States and I’m really hoping you are doing ok and that we’ll see you at IST. He is one of the healthiest creatures I’ve ever met and that news was really baffling. Sending you good thoughts Jared. Take care Sooner, Sarah

Pumping it up

Mauricio with his new food dish!

Ramon, Manuel y Leo ayudando. Aranas tejiendo.

La Maya! Turned out pretty good!

This little guy fell on top of me while I was doing Yoga.

Take Care!!

Hi!

This morning in my room I was moving my yoga mat from the corner and saw the figure of a giant tarantula. I specifically learned the word for tarantula in Spanish for when this day came and I was prepared and went to Mata and calmly said, ‘Cacata en mi habitacion’ and she calmly picked up a machete and took my flashlight and promptly killed it. It was huge – like the size of my palm. I was a little scared of it and I’m definitely glad Mata got it so that I’m not thinking about it in my room hiding. Otherwise it was a beautiful spider and I’m sorry things had to end that way.

It has been a while and that is due to the combination of inconvenience/cost of leaving my site and being busy with the community diagnostic where I interview community members. I’ve been finding myself really wanting to check my email lately though. Trying to keep up with the news is pretty difficult. Michael Jackson’s death randomly popped up on the TV in between telenovelas and that was really weird. Speaking of which I’d just like to say that Michael Jackson will always be one of my favorite artists, and although he had his share of problems that any pressured child star with a messed up Dad seems bound to encounter, I think a lot of people tended to focus on media warped stories instead of how much he did to try to help children across the world. Therefore – I personally have no problem saying I will always be a huge fan of Michael Jackson because I think underneath it all he was a good guy and an amazing musician. The caliber of talent doesn’t exist in today’s market. My site only knows vaguely who MJ was and therefore it feel sorta surreal that he’s passed away.

Speaking of passing away – I’ve decided that Dominicans die all the time because I’ve been to way too many funerals in the last month. A man told me that there is a fundamental difference between Americans and Dominicans and that is their value of life. Dominicans don’t value their lives as much and therefore don’t protect themselves against accidents or harm. There are points to disagree and agree – but I found this to be an interesting viewpoint. By the way Dominican funerals are horrible if I haven’t said that yet. They have several women who just seem to sit and moan, actually more like scream, the whole time. It is like a specific job maybe. The whole funeral event is very different and much more complex than in the US.

So I’ll be getting my own house I hope in about a month and a half now. One of the Donas in the Mafia group offered me her mom’s house which was the only option for a while (my rent would go towards paying for an expensive heart med for the mom but the exchange was the guilt I’d feel for kicking an older lady out of her house of 30 years plus it was not that nice of house and right next to the billard/bar hang out). Then just this week during an interview visit with one of the wealthier community members, her daughter in law Marta told me – ‘Oh Sarah so I’m moving and I live right here and you should rent it’…which was really weird because it was one of the only houses in the community that I thought, well that one would be really nice because it’s private and new (with the downfall that it’s close to a gallera – where legal cockfights happen). I talked to the landlord who isn’t my favorite guy in the community but I told him my price and he agreed so if all works out I’ll have that house in mid august. The price by the way is 800 pesos or just around $30 a month for the whole house. I was paying nearly $500 month to rent half a room in a fairly crappy apt in La Jolla. Yeah. Ha. This yard isn’t giant but it has cacao trees, café plants, a giant wonderful tamarindo tree, guayaba trees, bean trees, a view, and importantly space for my future herb and veggie garden. The house It is basically a square divided in half with one of the halves partitioned into two rooms. Therefore anytime someone wants to visit, I should be able to offer a living room and a guestroom to sleep at least. I like drawing my ideas for what I want to build and how the house will look in my spare time. Ben and I are very similar in this aspect – we were talking about sofa designs recently and it makes me really excited to compare notes. We like making stuff.

A lot of the volunteers went to Samana for the Fourth of July. Speaking of making stuff – I took the Chinola Jam I made and put it in a little Malta India bottle and made a cork using a machete and it turned out fairly cute. The jam is a little too thick for the shape of the bottle but it still worked. I also brought my chocolate for the other volunteers to try. Ben brought his peanut butter and we were both saying how we need to join super powers to defeat the enemy of reeses craving. His peanut butter was delicious.

Otherwise, Samana was ok but I started to feel a little sad there. The beaches were beautiful but something was just off. I didn’t get to say happy birthday to Jimmy and I love being at home for the fourth especially with my friends and family. We were surrounded by some older volunteers who really like to get their party on and I caught myself feeling very disconnected. It doesn’t help having the freshmen feeling of ‘new volunteer’ whenever you are around older volunteers. I have to say that I have felt much more awkward around American volunteers than around the Dominicans. I got to play music with Mica again this weekend which I was really looking forward to but I felt like I came off too eager and then just felt like that awk new person again haha. I have good reason to be eager though because it is just absolutely wonderful to play music with anyone que sabe, let alone someone who likes the same type of music, plus Mica is just cool and I feel like I’m playing with Patty Griffin. It took me coming to DR to find that so I have a hard time hiding being stoked. I also was a little sad because Jean and I didn’t get to talk much which sucked. In summary, although it was a pretty place, I felt a bit jipped after Samana in a few ways. I left unfortunately a bit sunburned (I did put on the block), my wallet felt a lot lighter, and generally I was really sleepy and wanting to return to my site! Your site is like a safe haven because it’s what you know and it’s nice to have that. I am looking forward to going to Samana with my family though because now I know the area and I have a friend who lives next to the giant waterfall in El Limon that I want to check out.

My English class is going well – the average on the test was 86% before about 6 kids who avoided the test like the plague came in 4-5 days late and brought that down to something I haven’t calculated yet. The majority know their colors and numbers and basic greetings which I’m jumping for joy about considering how difficult they are to settle down. I’m going to end the beginner class at the end of July and the print their certificates in the capital and have a little graduation ceremony with just the kids in August. I’m thinking about making cookies for them too with the chocolate and jam since that worked out dandy. In terms of the basketball court – I got permission from the owner to use the chunk of land for the court and am currently working out sewing the net (With an old fashioned petal Singer Machine mom!) out of rice sack string and a giant tarp and bottle caps. Otherwise it’s going to be a longer process getting the money for a real court. I told the junto de vecinos club to put up temporary backboards so the community isn’t restless. The kids just have absolutely nothing to do in the summer so I don’t see why we shouldn’t put up temporary hoop right away while I search for funding over the next 6 months. My agenda is basically finish up the useless community interviews (which are all giving me no new information really at this point) and my English class, go to 3 month In Service Training and present diagnostic, settle into house and furnish it while starting gardens, and then start up second English class while looking for grant money for court and aqueduct money. It hasn’t really rained here for over a week and it’s bad. The people have to walk a long way to these spread out wells to carry buckets of water back to their house. Therefore if I can help them get money for any project I’d say the aqueduct is the highest need and the community tends to agree.

There are two sweet little waterfalls near my site. I’d say less than an hour walk. Mark visited and I went with some of my kid friends and it was great. One has a giant tree trunk ladder you jump off of and the other is a ravine you walk through for a bit which is gorgeous and you come upon a small waterfall and swimming hole. It has been so ridiculously hot here that I was thinking about doing it again soon. If you come visit I’ll show you the Indian caves and the little waterfalls!

Ok – so I’m off to Castillo manana to buy a new cell phone charger (somebody took mine! What a jerk thing to take!), to check my email, to buy PVC ¾’’ pipe for my nearly completed shower hand pump, and also to check pricing for planks of wood in the hardware stores and see how much they want to rip me off.

Happy Birthday to Lea! Sorry I wasn’t able to say it sooner.

Miss you!

Love,

Sarah

Hi again!

Before I forget – please send me your address if you have moved or just graduated. A special congrats to my GC girls on Michelle, Erika, June and Jess!! Woot!

I have to get down to Castillo for the nearest internet so my posts are becoming few and far between but I’m still kicking. I do love the internet though. I’ve wanted to look up recipes and how to make a volleyball net correctly and other random plant info and Patty Griffin song lyrics for a long while it seems. Also checking my email when it’s not filled with junk is a simple pleasure in life. Even moreso is getting my physical mail and sending letters I’ve realized. Alberto, my program director, came up to visit me today and brought my packages and I got one from Nana, Mom, Jess Wall, and a lovely letter from Erika and the GC girls. Thank you very very very much.

I just ran out of peanut butter and I thought it was an appropriate time to get into Nagua again and stock up. I actually talked to my homestay mom about going into Nagua and buying some of my own food and cooking it – telling her I don’t want to engordar anymore which is actually very true but also because I want to start cooking more for myself and getting a better balanced/varied diet. Almost every day I have hot chocolate, coffee, and a big old chunk of bread for breakfast – fried chicken, rice, beans, fried platanos, often spaghetti and sometimes cucumbers/tomatoes for lunch, and for dinner it’s two slices of cheese and viveres (boiled tiny bananas). The food is really good – it’s just taking its toll. I want to see if the grocery stores in the Pueblos can help.

I’m also going to try and find prices and buy 2 check valves, 15 ft of hose, a rubber cork, and a T-piece to play around with a hand pump for the shower. Also I want to buy some plywood to finish my sea glass table. ALSO I’m trying to weave a volleyball net out of rice sacks and rice sack string which I need 360 ft of I calculated.

There is nothing too much new going on – just been spending time in the community. I’m going to start interviewing individual houses fairly soon. I’m teaching 35 students English on Saturdays in 3 sessions, I play churchy songs on Sundays and the Donas just dig that, and I’ve been hiking around with the kids in my classes getting to know the area better. Here are some pics of the Indian caves we visited. Matt – there is a special bat picture for you and when you, Toby and Lea come visit I’m taking you here for some mistnetting and there is also a waterhole around the bend. You guys would like it I think.

I made a presentation to the women’s club in my community about the need for a playground and court for the kids. I’m making the same presentation to the owner of the land I’m looking at in a few days. He is a very nice older man who apparently already wants to donate a bit of land towards a community project, but his son is making him illusive as was proven today, again, when I was ready to give Por (the owner) the presentation I had made after his son told me I could meet with him on Saturday which turned to Tues where nobody showed up which turned to me chasing down their car on Weds to hand Por a handwritten letter asking him if we could meet to show him my ideas. I’m starting to wonder if the son wants to use the land for something else but he’s irritating me and he also really doesn’t help with my Spanish-esteem. I’m going to think of it as miscommunication until something else comes up though. Make that Dominication because besides Spanish – this culture speaks a whole other language most of the time including respecting appointment dates and times. I was also told today by Luis, one of my least favorite finqueros, that drinking cold water makes you fat. Yet, you learn to start recognizing Americation also though – like not sitting down to finish your cup of coffee and say hello to your neighbors in the morning. Dominicans take the time to greet every single person in a room when they enter usually. We tend to rush past the important parts.

“I have seen that community and a close relationship with the land can enrich human life beyond all comparison with material wealth or technological sophistication” – Norberg-Hodge

Otherwise I’ve been reading which has been really nice. It’s like a little escape into English. I liked ‘In the Time of Butterflies’ and definitely recommend ‘3 cups of Tea’. I am also almost done with ‘Drown’ by Dominican Author Junot Diaz and really want to get a hold of his other novel “The Brief Wonderous life of Oscar Wao” which other Volunteers have recommended. Thanks again Nana!

The cacao harvest is almost over so I think I might be done with making chocolate for now which is a bummer…but coffee is coming up. I just made friends with a woman who has a café grove in her backyard and Mata told me that we can go picking together so that is something to look forward to.

The lightning was intense last night. Not like Penas Blancas in Costa Rica – but closer to that extreme.

I am excited about getting my own house. I showed Alberto the only option I have and he said – yes, with a few repairs that would be a fine house. He said the Peace Corps would cover building a fence and fixing the holes in the zinc walls –although I want to try and ask if I can get the zinc walls completely removed and replaced with a window or wood to cool the place down. It has been really hot and it will get worse I’m told. I dislike zinc roofs (they make it very hot and also SUPER loud during a downpour) but currently I only have this one option in the community.

We also are making plans to head to Samana for 4th of July to celebrate my favorite holiday! It should be really fun and I’m looking forward to seeing the other volunteers and comparing the few notes we’ve started accumulating.

That’s all!

Cuidense!

Love,

Sarah

List of simple pleasures

1. Peanut Butter

2. Getting my mail and putting stamps on outgoing letters

3. Looking at pictures of Maddie, Henry, family and friends in my room

4. Good books

5. Fireflies

6. Hearing Mata sing ‘Hay un chico’ (her favorite part is Hay problema)

7. Sunsets

8. Cold bucket bath in middle of sweaty day

9. Yerba Mate with honey

10. Chinola juice

11. Playing my guitar alone

12. Killing Mosquitoes I find under my mosquitero