After 27 months in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic, my service finally came to an end on November 20th, 2009. It was by far the most incredible experience of my life. Getting to know another culture on such an intimate level has helped me realize so much more about my life, and about life in general.

Sorry for not updating more often, but after a year or so in country, many things just didn't seem blogworthy anymore.

One thing that I don't know how I forgot to post about, but just realized now, was the inauguration of the rural community water supply system. We inaugurated on July 11th, 2009. The aqueduct serves 60 families who now have potable, running water in their homes. In total, the system cost $15,000 US. You can check out some pictures at picasaweb.google.com/kebmodee

Thanks to my family and friends for supporting me throughout this adventure. I could not have done it without you.

To follow me during my current trip in South America I have started a new blog:

Kevin's South American Adventures

I'll update as often as I can.

Peace.

Disclaimer: Lisa, do not read this until after your visit.

I don’t know what it is lately, but the ants around here have been completely out of control. One day, I went to put on my pants, which were hanging on a hook on the wall (and by hook I mean a nail), and they were completely covered in ants. Luckily, I had another clean pair to wear, so I just had to shake the ants out of the dirty ones and give them to Doña to make sure any remaining ants would be dead before I wore them again. Needless to say, I didn’t want ants in my pants.

If there’s one thing I hate more than ants in my pants, it’s when ants (and other creepy crawlers) go to the one place where they know they should not. You may have already guessed where this place is, since it’s the only place that is covered with a protective barrier, warning impending doom to whatever passes through. So yes, ants were in my bed. Now these weren’t just any ants, but ants that bite. Their sting isn’t too bad, a little worse than mosquitoes, but not as long lasting. I would have preferred that a big spider were in my bed rather than ants because spiders are more easily removed. Also, there is no other choice but to kill the ants.

This all occurred when I went down to my room to go to bed. I walked in to my room, and noticed a large, brown, moving mass on my mosquito net. I walked over and saw a ton of ants not only on the mosquito net, but also on the sheets, traipsing along as if it were their territory that I was trespassing on. It seems as though ants are just the right size to fit through the holes in the netting. I would have taken a picture, but this was a serious situation that required immediate attention. There was no time to fiddle around with a camera. To begin the removal, I needed to think of a way that wouldn’t involve killing the ants one by one with the tip of my finger. Immediately I thought of mosquito repellant. I figured that if mosquito repellant repels mosquitoes, it might also deter ants. At once, I began spraying the ants. They slowed down but they didn’t seem as bothered by the repellant as mosquitoes. Time to think of a new solution.

I had seen a friend do this before, not to kill ants though. This solution would also require mosquito repellant, in addition to a flame. It just so happens that mosquito repellant is highly flammable. These ants had no idea what they were in for by invading my sleeping quarters.

It just so happened that the ants were entering my mosquito net and bed through a light fixture that is closely placed to my bed. There is a small gap between the ceiling and the fixture through which they were passing. I had to deal with this area first, to reduce the amount of ants that were coming in. While using my makeshift torch on this light fixture, I had to be careful not to come to close to the netting, as it is very flammable. In sequence, I would do a torching, then a sweeping. In this process, some of the ants would just be knocked out for a little bit, and in the sweeping stage I would be bitten. After getting rid of the ants on the light fixture, I covered the gap with duct tape (use number 142 I have found for duct tape here). Ant problem solved.

However, there were still some ants on the mosquito net and bed. Not as many as before, but still plenty. This would require the one by one smashing with my finger. After the situation was all clear, I went to sleep, only being bitten by 4 or 5 rogue ants throughout the night. So even though most of you guys think I’m living the life here, I still have to deal with some pretty nasty shit.

This was before the race:

And significantly sweatier/dirtier after:

I even got a medal!

Yesterday I did a 10k, without having practiced or anything. I cannot use the verb "run," because there was little of that going on. Just to prove to everyone that I actually did it, here is the results page:

http://www.allsportcentral.com/results/results.cfm?EventID=21821

If you scroll down way to the bottom, I'm number 1546...yay!!!

Also, I'll be back in Chicago for 3 weeks on June 3rd...only 16 days left!

This past week has been quite an experience. It was jam-packed, and one of the best weeks I've had in a really long time.

It all started with Semana Santa, or Holy Week. I ate at least a gallon of habichuelas con dulce. Unfortunately I had to leave my community during the heart of the celebrations, in order to help my friend with a Builders Beyond Borders group who was coming to his site to work. On the bright side, my Dona filled my nalgene up with habichuelas so I got a bunch to go. I stayed at my friend's site helping out from Friday till Monday and we had a lot of fun.

On Monday morning my friend and I got a bola down to my site. I had to change out some things from my backpack in order to prepare for a water conference in the capital. After spending about 1 hour unpacking and packing (and another glass of habichuelas), I was off to the capital.

When I got to the capital we finished editing our presentation that we would be giving the following day. The conference was headed by an NGO called Water for People. They are looking to start work in this country, and they wanted to have a little conference with all the other organizations that work in similar fields in order to get an idea of work that is going on this country. The best thing about this conference: we got a free, 2-night stay at the Hilton. We checked in at about 4, and already took advantage of the pool and hot showers by like 5. Oh yeah, and it wasn't some room on a lower level looking over the parking lot, it was on the 11th floor overlooking the ocean. The room itself was pretty small, but they were some of the nicest accomodations I have ever been in. The evening we checked in there was a meet and greet with all the people who would be attending. Cocktails and appetizers were served. And not just any appetizers...there were fried coconut shrimp, caviar, shishkebobs, and lots of other great things.

The next day was spent listening to presentations by other organizations, talking about their work being done in this country. It was a great experience overall...especially the hot showers. And the group of us 4 Peace Corps Volunteers won US$2000 for our projects. Since two of us there had all our funding, the remaining two volunteers are going to split those funds.

Unfortunately, at 12 on Thursday our time at the Hilton had to come to an end. It was really sad to leave, but we definitely took advantage of everything it had to offer.

On Thursday, I was planning on going back to my community, but when I got to the office, they were taking down names for people who wanted to go to a meet and greet with Hillary Clinton at the United States Embassy. As I'm sure you guessed, I decided I would stay in the capital one more night. The Secretary of State kept us waiting for quite awhile, but it was worth the wait. I was probably about 15 feet away from her while she was giving her speech. She gave a little shout out to the Peace Corps, and then walked around and shook hands. And yes, I got to shake her hand and say nice to meet you. It was very surreal. I think that is the only famous person I have ever had an encounter with.

And as usual, all good things must come to an end. Today I'm heading back up to Santiago, where I will be for the weekend for a little get together with some friends I haven't seen in awhile.

As far as the project goes, we're just doing some final touches, and then we should be done. Projected inauguration date: May 23rd.

Peace and Hugs!

It´s been about 2 months since I last posted an update...sorry about that. The reason is that we´ve been working really hard and we´re almost finished with everything. We did a test in one part of the community the other day and water is successfully arriving. Since we had to turn it off, so as not to be favoring one part of the community over the other, people were filling all their buckets and tanks in order to have water until the next time we could turn it on.

Within a few weeks we should be done, and we should be inaugurating in the middle of May. Everyone is welcome to come. There should be enough beds for everyone. I´ll give more information as it comes to me.

In the meantime, check out some of my construction pictures.

picasaweb.google.com/kebmodee

The presidential inauguration has brought me to Santiago once again. A group of about 20 volunteers came to watch it. I was debating whether or not to come because it is a work day, bit since tomorrow is a holiday, I decided I'd leave work early and let my community do their thing without me. Hopefully they don't screw things up.

Once again I'm going to keep things short because my computer is still being repaired and I'm writing this on my iPod touch. I hope everyone enjoyed and took to heart the inauguration speech.

Peace.

Just wanted to give a quick update since it has been so long since I last posted.

Work is going really well and we are moving along a lot faster than I ever expected. We hope to be finished in a few months.

I have to keep this short because I'm writing this on my iPod touch because my computer is currently out of commission. I'm in the city now to hopefully get it fixed if it doesn't cost too much.

Until it is fixed I probably will not be able to post pictures or blog updates as often.

I hope everyone is enjoying the cold weather while I'm here in my shorts and flip flops.

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year. I know it's not actually the new year yet, but it's close enough. Below is a picture of our view from the balcony where we are at. Notice there is no snow and it's not cold. It's the perfect place to ring in the new year.

I'm not going to do a whole blog post on Christmas, because it was pretty much the same as last year. If you didn't read my post from last Christmas, go and read it now and you'll know.

On the 23rd we roasted all the pigs that we would be eating on the 24th, La Noche Buena. There were about 17 in total. I couldn't keep track because there were just way too many.

Check out pics from the pig roast here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kebmodee/PigRoastDec232008#

On Christmas day, the 25th, a few friends and I went to Santiago to celebrate. We decided on meatloaf since it's affordable. There was also some Carlo Rossi wine. Nothing but high class for us on Christmas. The food tasted a lot better than it actually looks in the pictures. Even in person it didn't look too appetizing. It kind of looks like food you would get in prison, or in those hot lunches in the foil containers from grade school. But it was way tastier. We even had leftovers on the 26th. We also made a gingerbread house, of which there are way too many pictures. I must have had one too many glasses of wine by that point.

Check out pics from Christmas day here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kebmodee/HubChristmas2008#

My last post that I was going to do has changed from “First Week of Work” to “First Weeks of Work.” Unfortunately I became extremely busy after Thanksgiving and didn’t have time to update about only my first week of work, so I’ll just do a summary of my first three weeks of work.

A typical day goes like this:

6:30-7:00 - Wake up

7:00 – Eat Breakfast which usually consists of oatmeal because it’s easily and quickly prepared.

7:30 – Load the truck up with materials and go to the worksite

8:00 – After rounding up the troops and getting everything ready we’re usually off to work. Depending on where the worksite it at, we sometimes have a half hour hike, which involves crossing a river.

8:30-11:30 – Dig trenches. Fortunately, I don’t have to get involved with this physical labor. I could if I really wanted to, but honestly it’s probably better that I didn’t. There are plenty more capable men than I, and they do a way better job with physical labor than I ever could. If I were needed to do this I certainly would, but the fact is, is that it’s just not necessary. My American family has given me a lot of s*@t for that, but oh well. My role here is really as a technical resource, as an engineer, not as a laborer. Don’t get me wrong, when we’re doing our 30 minute hike, I help out in carrying materials and tools, but as far as the digging goes, I’ll leave that to the experts.

11:30-12:00 – Lunch. Usually a lo crio (rice cooked with meat, usually ham or salami) or moro (rice cooked with beans). We get a big plate piled with the stuff, and usually spaghetti or a salad, and since it is avocado season, a slice of avocado or two.

12:00-2:30 – More trench digging and gluing pipes. After the trenches are dug to an acceptable depth, we begin to glue the pipes. This is the part I am more involved in since it’s more technical, but the Dominicans have begun to take charge of this also, under my supervision. After the pipes are laid in the trench, the trenches are then filled back up with the dirt that was taken out. 2:30-3:00 – Finish up everything. Gather all the tools and extra materials. Hike back down.

I then have another 10 minute walk back to my house where I usually arrive exhausted. A nice, cold glass of juice is usually awaiting me, and if I’m hungry, there are always leftovers.

We work Monday thru Thursday. Each day there are brigades of between 16-18 men. If it is raining a lot one day, we’ll make up the day on Friday. The next numbers are estimates since I have taken an official count yet, but I would guess we have installed around 200 pipes thus far. We are halfway done with the main delivery line to the tank. The only work items left are two river crossings, the tank, and the distribution line. I estimate it will probably take 2-3 more months to complete the project. This is provided that the money promised by the local mayor arrives on time and the motivation of the people continues. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Usually once a week I also make a trip to the hardware store in order to purchase materials for the coming week, and to fix stuff up that was missing in the previous week. So the next couple months I’ll be a little busy and probably will not be able to update often, but I’m not going to forget about you guys.

Also, I’m not sure if I mentioned in a previous post, and since I’m not writing this when I’m on the internet I can’t check, but the grant that was online has filled up. I have the money in the bank and it’s just waiting there for my next materials purchase. Thanks to everyone who donated!

Check out some pics from the first day here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kebmodee/FirstDayOfWork02#

Last Wednesday (which by now it wasn’t actually last Wednesday, but Wednesday, November 12th…man how time flies) I went to the hardware store to get our first round of materials for the project. It was a rather stressful experience, but everything worked out.

First, I went to the bank to pick up my debit card so I could do the transaction without cash. Unfortunately, the debit card was not ready. There was some miscommunication between the bank and one of my friends who also went there to open up a bank account. Since we are starting work on Monday, I couldn’t wait for the debit card, and had to decide that I would do the transaction in cash. First, I would go to the hardware store to know the amount of money I would have to withdraw.

So, from there I went to the hardware store, without cash, to purchase materials. After finding everything I needed and getting a quote, I went back to the bank to withdraw the money that I needed. Since I was going to have such a large sum of money, I decided to travel from the bank in a taxi; I wasn’t risking public transit.

I then successfully purchased the first bunch of materials, for around RD$107,000, or US$3,060 to get the project going. It would be next day delivery, for about US$25.

Without a flaw, the goods arrived the next day. After a little bit of arguing, we decided where we would store all the materials. I preferred the locked warehouse in a separate part of the community, closer to where we would be working. Other people preferred putting materials out in the open next to a house, where they would be better watched, since stuff had been robbed in the past from the warehouse. Also, a close friend offered the use of his truck for free to transport tubes and materials closer to the worksite every morning. This would come to be a minor problem. I try to let them make most of the decisions themselves, so out in the open next to the house was were we put the materials. Since there are pretty much always people around, and the location next to the house was actually pretty hidden behind shrubs and stuff, I decided it would be ok.

So far, pretty much everything is well and nothing has gotten stolen. We have however decided to begin using the warehouse. This is because the second day of work, the owner of the truck told me that there was no gas, and wanted to know who was going to pay for it. I told him he was because that was what I thought the deal was. I told him I didn’t put money in the budget for it and I couldn’t be using project money for stuff that wasn’t in the budget. I ended up giving a little money, since not only is he transporting pipes, but also helping with some technical masonry and concrete work. I told him in the future I will not pay, and that we would be storing everything the warehouse. Other community members seem to be in agreement with me now. We’ll see what happens. The other day we got a shipment of pipes and it was raining. If the truck went down into the lower part of the community where the warehouse is, it wouldn’t have been able to get back up, so guess where we put them…yep, outside next to someone’s house. Let’s see how long it takes them to get into the warehouse, if ever.

So right now I'm staying at the house of a USAID employee for Thanksgiving. They are a lovely couple and are very welcoming and nice, for letting 6 volunteers stay in their home for the better part of a week.

The reason for this is because I'm part of the Thanksgiving committee. I will be baking desserts with some friends for our Peace Corps Thanksgiving celebration for about 200 or so people. My group is in charge of making 25 pecan pies and countless chocolate chocolate chip cookies. The cookies that I eat as we go along are countless as well.

So, just a small list of the luxurious things I love:

Hot Water - Not only is there hot water in the shower, but also in every sink and faucet in the house. My most frequent encounters with hot water in this country are attachments to the shower head which heaten up the water really quickly as it comes out. Not very efficient, and not very hot. I'm pretty sure I took off a layer of skin in my shower tonight.Air Conditioning - This is on my list, but I actually haven't used it yet. Temperatures are pretty comfortable right now, but just knowing that it is there in case it gets hot is very comforting.A kitchen with two sinks - When you're cooking 25 pies and a lot of cookies, two sinks come in handy...even when you have a dishwasher (the machine, not a person) as well.Reliable electricity - The power never goes out...or at least it hasn't yet.Good food - Our dinner the first night were these amazing bean-filled taquito things with salsa...I ate 6. The second night: homemade chicken pot pie. I'm not sure if I have ever actually eaten one of these in my life, but it was amazing. I had three slices. Tomorrow is spaghetti and meatballs. I can't wait.Wifi - Last but certainly not least. Wifi is one of my favorite things in the world.Security guards - Ok, I must admit I don't think I've ever had this luxury before, and don't know how necessary it really is, but it's nice knowing that if a burglar comes to rob my house and my security system malfunctions, I have a guy with a big gun there to protect me.

Also I would like to inform everyone that I now have less than one year left of my Peace Corps service. November 21st of next year is my tentative last day. I hope that I always think of the above items as luxuries, and not just ordinary, as these things will be making their way back into my regular life. I dare you to just go one day without internet, or hot water, or even a shower. You will appreciate it so much more the next day.

Check out a new post below about the elections. It didn't show up at the top and I don't want you guys to miss it.

Also, I think my fundraising grant that I had up the link for finally filled up. I went to check how much money I still had to raise the other night and it didn't show up online. This usually means that it has been filled. I haven't confirmed it with PC staff yet so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks to everyone who made it possible. Your thank you cards will be arriving later, not sooner. I'm going to wait until someone visits me or until I make another visit home since I can't really trust the mail system here. Thanks again and sorry for all the begging!

Hopefully in between my pie baking tomorrow I can get a quick post up about my first week of work.

Sorry for all the grammar mistakes again...I feel like I should proofread this stuff more, but I'm writing it on the fly. It's almost 2 in the morning here and I was shopping for thanksgiving stuff and baking all day.

Peace.

Oh wait...one last thing. I bought myself an early Christmas gift. For our Thanksgiving shopping, we went to this place called Price Mart. Basically like a Sam's Club or Costco. You'll never guess what they had there. Big boxes of goldfish crackers. I bought three. That was the only time I have seen them in this country and I had to take advantage of it. They were US$8.30 a piece, and were worth every peso. Being in the Christmas spirit of giving, I shared one of my boxes with about 10 other volunteers on our way back from the store in the back of the big Jeep. It made me happy knowing that other people were enjoying them just as much as I was. Ok, well probably not as much as I was, but close.

Sorry...I've been really busy since I received my first chunk of money.

I start construction on the aqueduct on Monday the 17th. Wish me luck.

I will have a more detailed post in about a week or so. Also I will be in the capital for a week during Thanksgiving, so I'll have regular internet access then.

Bye.

This post is long overdue. I wrote some of it the night of the elections, saved it, and then promptly forgot about it. I finished some stuff up immediately before posting it.

So I think for the first time in my life I can say that I'm proud to be an American. I just watched Barack's speech, and needless to say, it was so inspirational, for all Americans. He is the change we need. For the past eight years the United States has been, well I don't think I need to go into specifics since all of you have lived through it, but it wasn't that good.

From now, and into the future, I think the world will have a different attitude toward the US. I can pinpoint the exact moment where I was losing confidence in our nation, back in 2002-03 or so, but this is a huge change that was necessary, and will not only change the American people's view of America, but also the world's view of America.

I must admit I was a little sad watching Obama's speech in Chicago, from far away in the DR, even though if I had been there, I probably wouldn't have been in Grant Park. It would have just been a little different feel. Although, I must say that being in a foreign country, the whole feeling is completely different.

It's amazing to already feel a different attitude of Dominicans toward me. On plenty of occasions I will have random people come up to me and tell me congratulations. We'll then have a small discussion on who I voted for. I tell them Obama (I'm not gonna lie...I didn't really vote, but for all intensive purposes, my vote went to Obama. I'm from Chicago. My vote wouldn't have counted. Barack was going to win. Please don't scold me) and in somewhat disbelief, they are surprised that a white guy in the states would vote for this black dude to run their country.

So anyways. Yeah, I like Barack. But I must say, in no way whatsoever is the Peace Corps associated with this opinion. This is my opinion, and my opinion only.

Si, se puede.

Just wanted to post a little update on how things have been going for the past month that I haven’t posted.

I’ve gotten used to life here again after my little respite in the US. I’ve been comfortably enjoying the undeveloped world with bucket baths and no AC.

On the project front, there is still no physical evidence of work being done, as I’m still in the search/wait for resources. I know I’ve said this before, but I really am on the cusp of getting money. RD$150,000 has been promised from a foundation with which my boss has really close ties. This money should be arriving any day now. With this amount of money I will be able to buy tools, tubes, and other materials to get the project started. Finally, we will be able to start the more physically demanding work that the project entails. In the meantime, I will continue following up on leads for more money. The local government, after going back and forth for a few months, has finally promised money starting in January. Through the grapevine I’ve heard I will be getting a total of RD$300,000 in installments starting then. Also, when my online grant fills up, which I know all you reading this have so graciously donated to, I will receive that US$5,000, or RD$165,000 to buy more project materials.

I know I have been begging for a while now, but please, if you know of anyone that might even be slightly interested, even with $5 or $10, any amount will help. Please send the link out to all of your friends and relatives. If all of you just cooked dinner at home one day instead of going out to eat and donated that difference, this grant would fill up quickly.

Hopefully before the year ends we will be able to get a few weeks of work in. I will be spending almost a week in the capital for Thanksgiving, and another few days in the beginning of December in a conference for 1 year in service training. We will also be taking several weeks off for Christmas and New Year’s as that’s what people who live in the campo here do. But from January onward we will be working hard to complete what I came here to do, which is bring running water to the community.

Beyond my water project, I am also starting a few smaller side projects to help the community out.

I will be starting a youth group to educate those in their early teens to mid-twenties to make healthy decisions. The group is called “Escojo Mi Vida” or “I Choose My Life.” It’s a Peace Corps wide program which aims to educate the youth about HIV/AIDS and other related themes which rarely, if ever, are discussed in school here.

Also, I will be starting to give English classes. This I’m not really looking forward too. All other volunteers have told me that this is one of the least rewarding things that you can do here. I decided against my better judgment after I received more than a few requests for me to do it. Hopefully it will be a little more rewarding for me since a lot of people in my community work in the tourism industry, and even if they know a little English, they will have better opportunities.

Last but not lease I will be working with my local woman’s group in educating them about business and health. I am scheduled to work with them on the 16th of November, together with my friend, to teach them how to make Mistolin, a floor cleaning product, which they can then sell and make a profit. There will be more activities like that in the future.

That’s it for now. I will have my eyes glued to the television tomorrow tonight watching history be made.

UPDATE:

I called my boss yesterday, the day I wrote the above post, and he said he was on his way to my community to give me the check. This morning I went with my project partner to deposit the RD$150,000 from La Fundacion ADEMI. This Saturday we have a community-wide meeting to inform them about everything that is going on with the project: food, work brigades, what's expected from them, etc. Our tentative start date is November 16th. Wish me luck. After a year of work, I finally get to get down and dirty and really do some work.

This however does not mean that you should stop looking and begging all your friends and relatives for money for me. I just found out recently that a matching gift from the company my brother works for was denied due to some tax reasons. This means that I now have US$1790 left to raise instead of US$490.www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-263

Peace.

After two weeks in the States, I made it back to the DR last night. My flight go in at 7:05, I was through customs and everything by 8, and at the Hub by 8:30.

Some observations about the DR after having been gone for a little while:

The hassle of everything. I didn't have my residency card because I went to get it too soon before I left. Instead I got a letter authorized by the Peace Corps saying to waive the reentry fee of $10. I had to go back and forth between these two lines about 5 times and in the end I had to end up paying it. Peace Corps better reimburse me.

People trying to rip you off if you are perceived to be a tourist. I called a reputable cab company as soon as I got out of customs and they told me the fare was RD$400, and the cab was on the way. In the meantime I figured I'd ask some of the airport taxis how much the fare was. They told me RD$600. After seeing that they weren't getting any fares from anyone he told me he would drive me for RD$500. I said a cab was already on it's way for me and I was paying RD$400. He then told me he would take me for RD$400. Why not just tell me the right price in the first place. Sure there is the lure of making more money, but this guy didn't end up making any money, so it was his loss. My cab arrived after about 15 minutes and I was on my merry way, with 200 extra pesos in my pocket.

The dirtiness. I think I had just gotten used to the uncleanliness before I left and didn't even realize it was here. One of my first observations in the States was just how clean everything was. Here it is just dirty. Not intolerably dirty, but dirtier than the US.

People drive crazily. I actually like this aspect of it here most of the time though. Traffic would be so much better in the States if people just grew a pair and didn't leave 3 car lengths between themselves and the car in front of them.They put ketchup on sandwiches. I had my first sandwich today since being back, and there was ketchup on it. It adds for a lovely flavor. I'm pretty sure though that if you went to Subway in the States and asked for ketchup they would just give you a weird look.Last, but definitely not least, its so freakin' HOTTT! Luckily my cab had air conditioning. But the Hub does not. I was soaked from head to toe in about 10 minutes. I showered because I was nasty and smelly after a day of carrying bags through airports and whatnot. After about 10 minutes more, I was all full of sweat once again. And this was nighttime. So far today I have been in the AC the whole time. I'm going to try and keep it that way for as long as I can. With that said, I still prefer the heat and humidity to the cold.All this is just part of life here. A different life from the US, but enjoyable nonetheless. So those are my first few observations after getting back in the country. I'll keep you updated if there is anything else interesting I notice.

The past two weeks I was in the US for a little respite from the DR. I used some of my annual vacation leave in order to go home and see friends and family, and just to enjoy all the loveliness the States have to offer.

I was picked up at O'Hare airport after a little while thanks to my sister Lisa, even after a little bit of waiting due to some miscommunication, and my lack of a cell phone. For my first meal I chose Portillo's. But instead of getting a beef or hot dog, I opted for the chopped salad. I just really had a taste for it.

Some other highlights of the two weeks included seeing my sister, brother-in-law and their two kids after not seeing them for a year; a little reunion of friends and family the first Sunday I was home; hanging out at my friend Denise's new condo (thanks to her I'm able to be writing this post right now!); a Beck concert at the Aragon (the show itself wasn't that great, but hanging out was); visiting all my old coworkers at CBBEL and finally just enjoying all the great food and hot water that is available (also drinking water that comes out of the faucet).

I should have made a little scorecard for how many times I ate a hot dog, pizza or tacos. Those were pretty much my three main food groups for the trip. I just can't get a good hot dog in the DR like I can in the States, so I had to take advantage.

Things I'm going to miss about being home:

- Family and Friends

- Food

- Cleanliness and being clean

- Hot water

- Constant availability (and reliability) of internet (already during typing this post my internet connection has failed multiple times)

- Personal space

With all that said, I was sad to leave home, but I'm also happy to be back in the DR.

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far to my project. Even a little bit goes a long way. I'm getting closer and closer to securing more funds so that I will be able to finally start the aqueduct. Once work has started I will be sure to update and have picture on how all the work is going. Without a computer updates might be more infrequent, but I will try my best.

So right now we're coming into what is the most active part of hurricane season, and man is it really showing. We already had Fay and Gustav pass by us. Where I live it wasn't that bad, just some rain and wind. As I mentioned in the last post, Hanna is throwing some rain and wind our way right now, and I'm stuck in the capital for it. She's supposed to be moving out of our way pretty soon, but man is she huge, her outer bands stretch out super far. If you look at the satellite photos she's like twice the size of Gustav.

After that Ike and Josephine may be coming my way. Wish me luck!

So a lot has happened in the past month that I have not blogged.

And the reason I have not blogged is....duh duh duh...I was robbed and my computer was stolen.

So now I am not able to pre-write my blog posts and post them when I'm online, and I feel like anytime I'm online I'm really rushed and I never have time to actually sit and write anything. So if you thought my grammar was bad before, just wait for what's ahead, because I'm writing all this on the fly.

I basically hit a low point after the robbery. I'm fine, I didn't get beat up or hurt in any way, but my computer was stolen. I also lost a cell phone a few pesos in the ordeal, but I have realized that my life is more important than the computer.

Ok...so I have to leave. This post will be continued...

Everything is fine now though and life is sweet, so don't be worried about me in the meantime.

So I'm back. I've gotten "standfasted" in the capital because of all the storms that are here and coming this way. It's kind of ironic because I'm never in the capital, but I was asked to come to give a presentation to the new training group who came in, and now I'm stuck here for a few days. Standfasted basically means I can't travel. So, this means I have to stay in the capital until Peace Corps says we can leave, even though I only brought enough clothes for one day. I really dislike the capital, but I guess I have to make myself enjoy it.

Anyways, back to the robbery. Basically I got in a car to go to the city, and after I was in it for a few seconds they started grabbing at my bags telling me it was to make me more comfortable. I demanded that they let me out, so they stopped the car on the highway where no one was at, and grabbed my computer bag from around my neck and I tried to get it back, but they threatened me with a gun so I let them just take it. I didn't actually see a gun and I really don't think they had one, otherwise they would have gotten everything else on me, but when I had to make that split second decision it wasn't worth risking it. So in the few minutes I was in the car they managed to get my glasses (which were in the front pouch of my backpack), my cell phone, 250 pesos (which is only like $7), and worst of all, my computer. Luckily they didn't manage to steal my other backpack which had my wallet with credit cards and stuff, $100 US cash, and my USB drive will all my stuff backed up, like my design for the aqueduct and everything. So all in all it was good that I didn't get hurt or anything, and now my load is just a little lighter when I travel around.

So yeah, I'm all safe now, but if anyone one wants to donate an old laptop to me I probably wouldn't refuse.

So I feel like I'm starting every blog entry with a sorry for not having blogged in so long. This one is no different. My days are just all pretty much the same and there's nothing really that exciting to blog about. So, sorry. I'm still looking for funding for the aqueduct (come on you guys...I'm counting on you!)

I actually do have one thing to blog about, and I'm not sure why exactly I haven't until now. I guess in the post-visitor depression I just didn't feel that motivated to write anything. The post-visitor depression wasn't too bad though because I'm coming back to the states pretty soon for a visit, so I knew that I would be seeing them all again fairly soon. 51 days from now to be exact. So now to the story about our nice, week-long gringo vacation.

My mom, dad, my sister Lisa and her boyfriend, my brother, my cousin cheryl, my friend Julie and family friends Cathy and Ed all came to the Dominican Republic to visit me for my 24th birthday. We decided it would be best to stay at an all-inclusive resort since there were so many people coming.

First and foremost, I had to decide whether I would go straight to the hotel where we would be staying or to the airport. I decided on the airport, because that way I would be able to spend an extra hour or so with everyone. I didn't know exactly how I was going to get to the airport (or to Punta Cana for that matter) and my family was a little worried. I told them not to be as I often go to places that I don't know how to get to, yet on the majority of occasions I end up where I need to be, and on time as well. My luck didn't run out that day either, and I arrived there an hour early, and sat like a bum with all my bags waiting for them to arrive. I looked like a bum because the grand majority of the people flying into the Punta Cana airport are all-inclusive travelers, who immediately after landing go right to the air-conditioned bus and get swept away to the hotel. After many emotional hugs and greetings, we went to our bus and were on our way to the hotel.

On the way to the hotel I shared some mandarin oranges (freshly picked the day before) with my family and the tour guide lady. She told us it was the first time that she had ever eaten on a bus bringing people from the airport.

We arrived at the hotel, began check-in, ate lunch, and at 3 pm our rooms were finally ready. I had shared a mandarin orange with our check-in lady, and I'm pretty sure she took that into account when assigning our rooms. It turned out that my brother and I were given a suite with a living room and everything, and my sister and her boyfriend even got a suite with a hot tub and ocean view. Unfortunately, before going to our rooms we did not know anything about the suites, and David and I gave our room to Cheryl and Julie so they could be closer to Lisa and Pat. So now, Cheryl and Julie had the suite and Dave and I were stuck in a regular room. Oh well...'tis life. I'm sure Julie and Cheryl enjoyed the room more than Dave and I would have. The suite also only had 1 king size bed, and I've shared a bed with my brother before, and I would really rather not do that again. Ok...enough of that. Oh yeah...my parents and their friends got stuck in some rooms super far away from us on the top floor. The rooms were more recently constructed though so they were a little nicer.

Now on to some funny things that happened during the week. I probably only can remember a few now since they're the ones that stick out the most, but if you guys remember anything else, please let me know and I'll post it here, or you can post it in the comments yourself.

1. My sister getting pooped on by a bird. We were sitting out in the wide open, not even under any trees or anything. Had that bird decided to poop a few milliseconds later, instead of the poop landing on her chest, it would have landed on her face or head...now that would have been funny.

2. My brother and cousin getting pooped on by a peacock. We were sitting at lunch, and little did we know that there was a peacock up above us in the rafters. All of a sudden we heard a big splash, and the poop splashed up and landed on my brother and cousin. Haha.

3. Bowel issues. I won't mention any names, but I'm pretty sure that our of the 10 people there, only 2 or 3 did not have any loose stools. This made for some funny moments throughout the week, including but not limited to sharts and frantic runs to the bathroom. For one of us, the sharts were the souvenir that kept on giving and followed them back to the states.

4. Again, not mentioning any names, but one of us negotiated a Dominican hooker for a French tourist. It doesn't sound funny right now, but if you knew the whole story you'd definitely be laughing.

5. Zip-lining, and Julie getting stuck in the middle on the first one. Also, the Dominican guide who said, "Don't open your legs or you'll be on our face." Sadly, the entire group started laughing and the Dominican did not understand why. I have unfortunately been on the receiving end of those laughs way to many times as a result of not knowing the language intricacies.

6. Getting beach chairs in *&%^#-City. You can imagine what word is blurred out if you just know that a lot of the tourists at the resort are European, and what the sunbathing and swimming habits are of those Europeans.

I know there were a lot more funny things as we spent the whole week laughing, but I just can't think of them right now. I'll update if I think of more.

Also, many thanks to my friends and family who went out of their way to come visit me for my birthday, and also to those who spent all their money on supporting the poor Peace Corps Volunteer for the week. Thanks, you know who you are!!!

That's it for now...see you all in 50 days.

Hey everyone. Now is the time that I humbly ask everyone for whatever help they can give in order to bring to realization my aqueduct. I need to raise US$5000 from all my friends and family back home. I'm finding another US$20,000 or so from other sources. Please donate whatever you feel comfortable with. Even the smallest amount will help. Also please let other family and friends know

I do not receive any of the money until the complete amount is raised, then the Peace Corps cuts me the check, so it will. I'm still waiting on other funding sources, so I can't start until I have at least a little money to start buying tools and tubes.

This may be the only time in your life that you will directly see results of money you are contributing somewhere. I promise to keep updating my blog with progress and pictures of all the work that is done. Also, the invitation is also open to have visitors if you want to see the project firsthand.

If anyone you know would like to contribute in larger amounts than $5,000, please pass them along my contact information, because once my $5,000 is reached, the project closes and you can no longer donate online.

Thanks in advance for all your help, and I promise to keep updating until the aqueduct is finished.

Here is the funding link:

Donate to Kevin's Project or https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-263

So as usual when staying over in Santiago, you only plan on staying one night, but somehow the Hub is a black hole, and it usually sucks you in for at least one more night that you hadn't planned for. In keeping with this tradition, four of us from the previous night decided to stay an extra night, plus Rob (the guy with the cast on his foot) was coming to stay at the Hub since his friend from the States had a flight home early in the morning, so we'd get to celebrate his birthday then too.

We had planned on making fajitas, but we had to run a few errands. Thanks to the owner of the Hub, he gladly drove us around in his cool jeep. He told us about a jazz concert that they have every Monday night at the Gran Teatro del Cibao, and told us if he wanted to go he would take us. We said yes. Time flew by when we were running errands, and it got pretty late and so we did not have the time to make fajitas. We ordered Dominoes pizza instead and ended up paying RD $250, which I thought was not cool since we had a feast the night before for that price. Dominoes was still good and I made guacamole too, so that made it even better.

After dinner it was off to the jazz concert. The place was really good and it was in the little jazzy lounge. The Hub owner all bought a glass of wine. Much thanks goes out to him for his kindness and hospitality to all Peace Corps Volunteers. The jazz was amazing. I forgot how much I love going to little places and listening to live music. They did a few numbers that weren't really jazzy persay, including some Alicia Keys, Vanessa Carlton, Coldplay, and an awesome cover of a Santana song. They also did a really cool jazz version of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. They also had some pretty awesome jam sessions. I'm glad I stayed an extra night at the Hub, otherwise I would have missed out on all this radness.

Only 5 more days until my family and friends come for our week in Punta Cana...Yay gringo vacation!

Peace.

Last Sunday we celebrated my birthday, along with my friend Maryam's birthday, at the Hub in Santiago, the hostel where I stay at when I come to Santiago. We were also supposed to be celebrating our friend Rob's birthday too, but unfortunately he tore a ligament or something in his ankle and had to stay an extra day in the capital to get it casted.

Even though my birthday isn't until the 15th and Maryam's the 16th, we (well really, I) decided we should celebrate early since I would be in Punta Cana on my birthday with some family and friends, and having our celebrations before that would pass a few of the days until then a better than having to spend them at my site.

On the menu for dinner was chili, made by me. For RD $250 we all got chili, unlimited beer and cake. It was well worth it.

An awesome time was had by all, and we even played flip cup, with the standard, red, college style solo cups. We may have broke our bank accounts to buy the "official" cups, but it was well worth it. My team's name was called "barrigas afuera" which means bellies outside, or something to that effect. In keeping up with the team name, I had my barriga afuera, and the score was kept on my belly. Pictures should be surfacing shortly. The other team name had a pretty lame name, called the Darkies because they had been to the beach and were tan. Halfway through the game they changed their name because they realized how lame it was. Their new name escapes me right now, but I'm pretty sure it was something just as lame. Oh, and my team won the competition.

After that it was more drinking games. It was one of the most fun nights I have ever had at the Hub, which doesn't surprise me because anytime flip cup is played, it's a guaranteed fun night. Thanks to Maryam for coming up with the idea to play.

For 4th of July there was a group of about 70 volunteers going to this deserted beach in the south of the country. For some reason I just wasn't feeling it, and I decided that I wasn't going to go. I really wish I felt like it, because I knew it was going to be a ton of fun. A few people got very close to convincing me on several occasions, but when it came down to it, I ended up not going. When I think deserted beach, I think peace and relaxation, not 70 peace corps volunteers.

Instead of going there, I hung out with a good friend Kira who I have not hung out with awhile. First I accompanied her in running errands around the province because she is doing a birth certificate campaign and she needed to run around to a few different government offices. We also went grocery shopping so we could buy ingredients for our 4th of July "BBQ". What was on the menu you asked? Hamburgers, corn on the cob, and a pico de gallo salsa. All good 4th of July foodstuffs. While I was making the salsa, Kira prepared and cooked the burgers in a frying pan on the stove because unfortunately we did not have a grill. Everything about the 4th was nice and tranquilo for me and I'm glad I decided to not go to the beach. We even saw a really big shooting star which was like our fireworks. Also, the people who went down to the beach didn't get to camp out because it was turtle mating season. They all had fun anyways, and I know I would have had fun if I had went, but I guess I'll have to wait for next year.

So it's been a long time since I had a real, serious update. I should have updated during my week and a half when I had regular access to internet, but instead I only updated on my Thizz face, which is doing pretty well in the rankings by the way. Now's the time when I'm going to give you another peak at a day in my life...

The other day I went with the treasurer of the water committee collecting the monthly quota of RD $30. This money is used for necessary expenditures of the committee, and so in the future, when something goes wrong with the aqueduct, there is a fund to buy materials to make repairs. The RD$30 is very minimal and is a fairly easy sum of money to acquire, even for the poorer families. It's equivalent to less than US $1. I would have never imagined that getting this monthly money paid would be such a hassle, but apparently it is, and that's why the treasurer wanted my help, because having my presence there would motivate the people to give the money since they are more unless intimidated by having the "ingeniero" (engineer) there. I'm pretty sure it's the only time in my life that I'll ever be intimidating. For that reason, it's not usually advisable that the volunteer helps in collecting the quota, because when the project's over and I leave, I won't be there to intimidate the people, and the people will stop paying the quota. For sustainability purposes, that is a big no no.

Against my better judgment (and my laziness) I said yes for this one time, as it would give me the opportunity to see people I haven't seen in a while and be able to explain to everyone individually what is going on with the project, and that we are on the verge of receiving funding. I already explained to my Doña though that this would probably be the only time that I would do it, and she understood why.

The treasurer and I agreed on a time and date at the water committee meeting earlier in the week, that I would meet him at his house on Saturday the 23rd at 2PM. I'm still learning the difference between American time and Dominican time, and for what occasions which time applies, as it is usually not specified. I tend to always stick to American time, unless I'm feeling especially lazy or tired. So I arrived at the guy's house at 2, and surprisingly he was pretty much ready, although he told me that he wasn't expecting me until 3, since he had just got done with his work in the field and wanted to rest, but that we would go do it anyways. I guess I still have a lot more learning to do about this time difference.

The next few tidbits are going to be random bits of conversations that were had. Two of the major themes that were pretty much discussed at every house were how hot it is and how fat I am.

Dominicans never get tired of talking about the weather. Whether it is cloudy, sunny, cold, drizzling or whatever, Dominicans can go on for a while just talking about the meteorological state of things. Luckily for us it's summer, and even though Dominicans know they live on a Caribbean island where it's hot all year round, summer is especially hot and they love to mention it to everyone they pass by on the street or whoever it is they're talking to. I liken it to us in Chicago talking about how cold it is in the winter, even though we know every winter it gets really cold. Although, in Chicago it makes more sense to me to talk about it because there are actual seasons. Unlike here where it is only hot and hotter. (Save for some nights when I wear my hoodie). Needless to say, one of the first things mentioned at each house we went to was how hot it was.

Then, the second topic of conversation was usually about how fat I got. Let's just say that I'm glad I'm not a girl and don't really care about my figure, and damn it, I'm gonna enjoy my two years here. I'll worry about my figure later. I'll make the Dominicans happy and let them revel in how fat they made me. We'll leave it at that. Wait...no...I have a story to tell. The other day I was in Santiago and I went to this one story, which I would liken to an outlet store like TJ Maxx or Marshall's, but about 50 times messier. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it looked like a herd of cows ran through the store. Anyways, my friend was there to get a pair of flip flops for someone in her community, so I figured I would just look around as well. I miraculously found a really cool pair of jeans I liked, and they were only RD $400 (US$12). I went and got what I though was my size (34) and tried them on. Man was I busting out of these bad boys. Fortunately, I was able to find a size 36 and they fit perfectly. Now I'm just telling myself that I didn't gain two inches on my waist, but that these jeans are in this store because they weren't made correctly since this is the outlet store where all the reject clothes go from the factories here. I'll keep telling myself that for now. Now, we'll leave it at that.

At the first house I went to the people started talking about a guy who was sick in the community. What I got from the conversation was that he had amoebas and he was feeling rather shitty. They were talking amongst themselves, and what they suggested as a remedy was a juice made of garlic and carrots, warm, and preferably with milk too. Now, I'm all about the remedies, but I'm pretty sure that that isn't going to do anything for amoebas. Later on I did find out however that he did go to the doctor, which was good, and they did give him some pills, but they were still fighting on whether or not he should take them because they didn't know if they were the right kind.

Another thing that happened at almost everyone's house is that the people paying wanted to look at the book where it says who has paid, and how many months have been paid by that person. It was funny how everyone would always comment on this one guy who has only paid one month so far. They would also sit and comment about like every person, being like, "oh yeah, he's a good guy, I knew he'd pay a lot...or...he's not good for anything, figures he only paid up till January." Hopefully this will be used for public shaming later so that the people who are behind on their payments will get up to date.

The last funny thing that happened was at one of the last houses that I went to. They were asking how my "girlfriend," was doing, the one I keep around so that they don't hassle me into finding one in the community for me. I got to saying that she was doing pretty well, but that she was in the states right now on vacation. They then asked me what I was going to do in the meantime, and if I had a backup one for this time when she was gone. I told them that she was only gone for two weeks, and that no I did not have another one for while she was gone. They found this unacceptable. I'll now have to remember to never tell people that my "girlfriend" is away.

All in all, it was a good day. I came home with a pineapple, these really cool oranges that were green and yellow striped (don't ask how they got that way), and some mangos. Also, I received several cups of coffee and juice. Sometimes it gets annoying to me how the culture here is relaxed and slow-moving, although be it rarely, but today it was a nice afternoon, spending "un ratico" (a little bit) sitting and talking with the people at each house we visited.

So I've been with some of my friends for a few days in Santiago, and we've been using the internet way too much. This leads to us doing really random things and just finding the most random sites.

Anyways, one of my friends asked me if I knew what a thizz face was. She proceeded to explain to me and showed me pictures. No it's not dirty, here is what urbandictionary.com says:

"thizz face is when you make a face like you smell some piss"

So we were bored and my friend Stacey and I made a thizz face. We also posted it on www.ratemythizzface.com

If you're bored and care to rate our thizz face, click here http://www.ratemythizzface.com/rate/687 link and vote.

I also encourage everyone to put their own thizz faces online so I could laugh at you.

We'll be together then. You know we'll have a good time then.

So I just booked my flight home for my two week whirlwind visit to the states. I'm coming home on September 23rd and will be leaving on October 7th. Mark your calendars.

My reason for coming home then is because it will be over a year since I've seen some of my family and friends. Also, it still won't be freezing cold (although since 60˚F is now cold to me, I'm sure when you see me I will be wearing my gloves, scarf and winter coat.)

Things I'm going to do when I'm home:

1. Take multiple hot showers every day. At least two, but if I'm at home enough, that number could increase to 3 or 4.

2. Go to Potbelly's for a wreck and a cookie. I had a dream about this the other week and I've been craving it ever since.

3. Eat a good steak.

4. Watch high-definition television with surround sound while surfing the internet...in my underwear.

5. Take public transportation and not drive. I figured I made it for a year in a developing country without driving, I for sure could make it in the developed world for two weeks without driving. Not even to mention the cost of gas. Although I wouldn't mind if someone wanted to volunteer to be my personal chofer.

6. Go to Parisi's Drive In and get one of everything on the menu. Well, maybe not everything, but at least a meatball sandwich, an Italian steak, an Italian beef, and a Chicago hot dog.

That's it that I can think of on my list for now...it's kind of trivial, but yeah...that's life.

So no, I didn't die after the last post once I was out of the hospital. I've been completely healthy ever since. The reality is that my life for the past few weeks hasn't really been that exciting and there really hasn't been anything to blog about...until now.

We got turned down for our latest grant proposal. We waited for about a month on what seemed like a done deal. The lady at the foundation we met with seemed pretty encouraging and confident that we would get the money we needed, but it didn't turn out that way. She called and basically said we don't fit in their budget for this year, but that we could try again next year.

Now I'm in Santiago working on another grant. And guess where the money comes from? Yep, that's right, all my lovely blog readers and friends and family back in the states. I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this as my friends and family already do so much for me and I didn't want to have to beg for money. But, it will probably be one of the only times in your life that you could donate money and actually see the physical results. All of those who donate will be treated to regular updates on my blog about how construction is going (including pictures).

I just finished the grant and I'm submitting it today, so it should take a few weeks until the project is open for donations. When it is I will post the link and feel free to give whatever amount you can.

In total for this grant I need to raise $5000. I won't see any of that money until the complete $5000 is raised. Also, if you know of any rich people or have connections to any foundations or anything that like to support development projects, let me know of contact information that I can send a formal proposal too. In total the project's cost is around US$25,000.

I also filled out another grant to get around US$6,000 through some fund which supports development projects. Next Wednesday I'm going with my boss and some other volunteers to solicit money from the public water works company which has been supportive in the past. Then the week after that I have a meeting with people in charge of the European Funds, which have been given half of project budgets in the past.

So even though I haven't started the actual construction of the aqueduct, I'm still working, which many people in my community don't seem to understand. I constantly get asked when we are going to start, and I can't really give them a firm answer because I have no idea when we are going to get funding. My project partner totally understands the whole process, but he told me that many people were under the impression that I was going to come in and start construction fairly rapidly, which was never the case. But whatever. Peace Corps has completed I think around 50 aqueducts in this country, and this is a pretty normal schedule for the way things are going.

Since Tuesday afternoon I've been checked into the Clinica Abreu, one of the good hospitals down here. I never told my family, so we'll see how long it takes for me to get a phone call after they read this.

The day after I posted last, when I was feeling fine, I woke up with a fever of 102. I had to go to the lab for some blood tests, and when I got back to the hostel I basically just slept most of the day so that it would go away. It never did, and around 1 pm I called the doctor and she told me she would come visit me. When she came and visited she told me that she had arranged a room at the hospital and that a driver would be coming to get me soon. I was thrilled!

So just to ease all you worries, the doctor even told me, that what I had isn't something that they would probably ever hospitalize me for in the U.S., it's just that it's easier and more comfortable on my part for me to be there (they have cable tv, air, hot water showers, and free wifi!). Also, I wouldn't have to be taking taxis back and forth from the hostel and the lab. So they were doing hemograms every day, sometimes twice a day, and I was hooked up to an IV with fluids to keep me hydrated.

After completing a multitude of tests, all of them came back negative, so no cool tropical sounding disease like malaria or dengue (or thanks to Natania...the dandy fever...I knew I wasn't feeling that dandy). I just had some other weird unnamed tropical disease.

Now I don't want to jinx it like I did last time, but I'm feeling completely fine, and they told me all of my blood levels are really good, and it's been two days since I've felt fine. To celebrate, I'm planning on going to the only Wendy's here in the DR with some friends. Hopefully it doesn't land me back in here with a myocardial infarction or something, because man, after all this hospital food, you know I'm getting a feast.

Apparently though I need to spend a few more days in the capital which I'm not happy about...I'm really ready to get out of here. I had planned a night at the Hub in Santiago with some friends to cook a big dinner this Saturday, but it looks like I probably won't be making it. Sad day. To add to all this, I need to be back in the capital a month from now for another week of language training, which we need since we're at the 6 month volunteer mark. Whatever...the life of a PCV. Well at least I have a good story about being in a hospital in a 3rd world country that I can tell the kids I'm never having someday.

So it's official...I'm leaving the hospital right now!

Things I've done while in the hospital:

1. Become efficient at surfing the internet again. I am not back up to my pre DR efficiency, but it was getting up there.

2. Become acquainted with all the bad reality shows I hate to love, including but not limited to: Next, Made and the Girls Next Door.

3. Watch reruns of old TV shows, including but not limited to: Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond.

4. Watch the Chicago WGN channel 9 news at 9 for the past 3 nights

5. Eaten really crappy food, except for one morning when I got frosted flakes

So after feeling like sunshine yesterday, today I unfortunately woke up with 102 fever. I had to go get my blood drawn, so a driver came and brought me to the lab. I really felt like dump today. After I got my blood drawn I went back to the hostel and just slept the rest of the day. Still no word on the Dengue, but the doctor is pretty certain that's what it is.

Right now I'm feeling pretty much back to normal again though. No fever nor aches or pains. I'll let you know if it's Dengue as soon as I do.

So I'll preface this post by saying that I feel pretty good now, so don't start worrying when you're reading the rest of the post.

It all started Wednesday night, into Thursday. I felt really warm in bed, like I had a fever, then I would keep getting the chills, and then the sweats, and body aches and stuff. I woke up on Thursday and took my temperature and it was 101˚F. So I popped some motrin, ate some breakfast and went back to bed. I pretty much slept the whole day, save for lunch and dinner, and about an hour or two after dinner. During the night again on Thursday it was more of the chills and sweats and the fever continued. Friday was pretty much a repeat of Thursday with sleeping the whole day and feeling like poop. Saturday I felt a little better, but still not up to par, and my community was getting a little worried about me, so I told them I'd call my doctor. I called her and she told me the symptoms sounded to her like it could be dengue and that I should come into the capital on Sunday to get some blood tests.

So Sunday morning I woke up nice and early after not getting too much sleep, make my way down to the capital, got my blood tests and checked into my private room at the hostel, complete with air conditioning and cable tv, all paid for by the Peace Corps, or more correctly, you guys, the taxpayers. I wish I had brought my camera so I can show you guys a picture of the room I'm in, not to show you how nice it is, but to show you how cheesy it is. It seriously looks it came from the set of a 70's porn film, not that I've actually seen any 70's porn movies, but this is what I'd imagine them to look like. Or it could be some cheesy motel room. Or maybe a 70's porn that was filmed inside a cheesy motel room...yeah that's it. But the real sad thing is how nice this place actually seems to me. My, how standards have dropped. But it is nice that there are no cocks crowing right outside my window or dogs barking. I've pretty much gotten used to all the animal noises at my site, but when you're sick, they're amplified by about 100 and you want to go out there with a machete and kill them all.

So here I am, it's Monday, I'm feeling a lot better. To celebrate feeling better I walked to McDonalds and got a Big Mac Super Value Meal...supersized. The doctor called me and told me that the results of the Dengue test were not in yet, but that my platelet count was low and that that is usually a sign that it could be Dengue. Tomorrow she wants me to go to the lab again to get my blood drawn to see how my platelets are doing, and also the Dengue results should be in tomorrow as well. I'll keep you all updated on how I'm feeling and if I have some weird tropical disease.