Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

What is faster than a speeding bullet, more curious than a cat, more charged than the Energizer Bunny? 50 muchachos at Superman Summer Camp, ages 9-14, that’s who!

Wow, talk about one tiring and rewarding experience. This week I brought 3 young boys, whom have probably never left more than an hour from home, to camp in the great outdoors of the mountain community called Los Bueys. This is where we held a Peace Corps camp called Camp Superman, which is a young boys camp to give them a fun experience where they can also learn the values to be the best “Superman” they can be.

What did we do in Camp Superman? Fly? Well almost. We made a relay race ending in a large slip-in-slide finish. We also played Survivor, a take on Laser tag, where we used Alka Seltzer tabs tied on necklaces, and the teams were equipped with water bags to try to spray and dissolve the other teams tabs. Once the tab melts and falls off the necklace, you are thus out of the game, but can still help your team by filling up water and cheering or yelling intimidating battle cries. We also did the classic relay race while first spinning around a bat, and then they had to run to their respective team volunteer and then run back. This resulted in every child immediately running sideways and collapsing on the ground. One very small child whom could hardly see, because he always wore his purple plastic glasses only around his neck, ran straight into my surprising arms. Myself not being his volunteer, quickly tried to redirect this poor blind dizzy child to his repective volunteer. Aw it was so cute. There was also the always emotional tug-of-war, team building activities, trust falls, a nature hike, wilderness survival by Dominican Boys Scouts, science projects, instrument making and drum line, paint your own superman plaque, obviously a bonfire and s'mores, and lots and lots of river time. There were no showers so the river also became our bath.

To qualify for our grant funding for the camp, we had a group come to teach about HIV/AIDS through soccer drills and games. I also had the pleasure of trying to teach about gender roles to pre-adolescent boys. I am not sure how much they actually absorbed, but at least they’ve been introduced to the topic, right? We did do improvisation skits, which they did at least like, and repeated through out the camp by saying PAUSA (Pause, in case you couldn’t get that translation), and make their friends freeze, Saved By the Bell style.

The boys got to set up their own tents with the help of volunteers, and I actually slept underneath the stars for lack of tents. One really hilarious coincidence, was one of the 3 dominican made movies, happened to take place in the area that we camped. Just our luck this movie was in the horror genre and it was called Andrea (the same as one of the volunteers at the camp). Think… having a small boys camp in the middle of the Blair Witch Forest. Whoops. The muchachos were thus freaking out and saying Andrea was bothering them all night long. Our first response was, hmm I don’t think Andrea would be doing that (referring to the volunteer not the haunting, killing, spirit). We then later learned about the movie, and I have since bought it for mine and your viewing pleasure once I return.

Scary spirits aside, the boys had a very rewarding experience, leaving their communites, meeting boys from all over the country, camping, and learning to be little gettleman.

We had rewards for a Superman for every day, whom exemplified the values of Superman, hence helping others, justice, strength, and politeness. The last day we gave the boys certificates, t-shirts, and comic books and then rewarded one extra special boy the title of Superman of the Camp! Guess whose kid won??? Yours truly, Superman Alex Rodriguez from Higuerito, Moca! I felt like a proud mother! He won a few different gifts, the best being a brand new baseball glove, which we broke in this weekend playing catch.

Okay get ready with some tissues…

When it started pouring and we finished playing catch, Alex, was asking me how proud I was of him in the camp. He was also asking how we decided on choosing the different Superman’s of the day and camp, and whom else I had nominated for the awards and why. I told him, how we had chosen the most helpful, caring, and polite campers for the awards because they exemplified the values of Superman. I told Alex that besides him, I was extremely impressed by the first day winner, a young boy named Carlin. I asked him, if he had known that Carlin lives on the street half of the time, and the other half in a youth center in Santiago (a nearby city) where a fellow volunteer works. He was silent and shook his head no. I told him how impressed I was by Carlin’s selflessness, always wanting to help others and how gracious he was for everything during the camp. For a child growing up in such harsh conditions, I told him its impressive for Carlin to be growing into such a positive and loving man.

Alex, turns to me and says, “I guess there are a lot of homeless Haitians living here, whom lost their homes in the earthquake.” I tell him yes that is true. With tears in his eyes, he tells me, “If I could, I would build a hotel with 1 million rooms to house 1 million Haitians, so no one would have to be without a home.” It was maybe one of the sweetest things I have heard in this country. I told him yes maybe one day he could. I also told him I would look into visiting the center where Caralin sometimes stays, if he wanted to. He just shook his head yes.

In a country where racial tensions are quite high, I was quite touched by Alex’s compassion. It goes to show, that change is possible especially through the still forming minds of children.


This year, I have the pleasure of being in charge of a regional diversity camp for youth ages, 13-20 mas o menos. The Camp is called Celebrando Cibao (Celebrating the Cibao, which is the name for the north region of the Dominican Republic).

During the three-day conference, participants have a safe environment in which to examine their own culture, be introduced to other cultures, and gain the tools to combat discrimination in their communities. The conference will give my youth the opportunity to share and learn with 80 other young Dominicans throughout the northern region of the country.

The conference will be financed by a grant through donations from each participating community, and from volunteers’ family and friends.

The grant is through a program called Peace Corps Partnership, which allows family, friends, and the general public to donate to sustainable Peace Corps projects in a tax-deductible safe manner.

Donate! Tax-deductible donations can be made at this link.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-389


I hope everyone’s summer is doing great! Miss you all and good food so much!

El viaje con estilo

As I last wrote, I decided to spend casi todo (almost all) of my remaining vacation days on a Central American Adventure… below if you dare to read further, is what went down, swam around, and got cooked up.

-Dominican Republic, 4 PM EST, 27 de Abril. Rachele (fellow Peace Corps volunteer from Kansas) and I start the trip off right, by being bumped up to Business Class, probably due to our classy attire and blonde hair. We take full advantage our first class position, sipping at our complementary alcoholic drinks, and eating our delicious complementary sandwich, later finding out that this was not only to be enjoyed by business class. No matter your class nor if the flight is 45 minutes long, Copa Airlines gives you at least 1 alcoholic drink, coffee, normal beverage, sandwich and or snack on every flight. (We had 3 flights to get to Honduras… FLY COPA!)

After our revelery on our 3 flights, Rachele and I arrive in San Pedro Sula, Honduras weary and happy. We are picked up by our delightful hostal owner, and our instantly slapped in the face by a wet blanket tat 11:30 pm at night as we leave the airport. Well this is to signify that it was almost unimaginably humid and hot in Honduras in the middle of the night, which is something to say for someone who has been living on a Caribbean island for 2 years and thinks 75 F is frigid.

We met up with Rachele’s college friend and husband, Amy and Adam, whom are quite possibly the coolest married couple I have ever met (outside of Samantha and Mark of course… they baby puts them over the edge). Their wedding was themed with Beatles music, and the reception was at a fancy club, where you can also bowl, and their invitation was a fake tattoo you had to wear to enter. But back to Honduras.

The first half of the trip we spent up in the Mountains in small towns call Victoria and Yorito, that were about 5 to 6 hours from the two big cities Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula to visit my friend Janet whom was the Peace Corps volunteer in my site and house before me and extended a year and a half in Honduras with Peace Corps. We also visited Rachele’s other college friend Sarah whom is Janet’s closest volunteer by chance! They lived out in the Sticks, which kind of reminded me of the Wild Wild West. Think: lots of men riding horses with Cowboy hats, and saloon like looking places. I even rode a horse while I was there… although I rode one here last week too. Too top it all off, Sarah told us about a shoot out they had a few months ago where the whole town basically chased and killed a group of bandits that were robbing a general store called a pulperia. As the mayor said later after no one was convicted of the murders “Victoria takes care of its people.” I tell you what; I bet the crime has been down, I would definitely think twice before messing with a bully like Victoria. I would instead choose to pick on a wussy town such as Sally.

Sarah’s soon to be Honduran husband happens to be a chef! This worked out wonderfully, although I felt a little bad that they kept feeding us… but not that bad. He made a wonderful mocacinno cake which was moist, chocolately, and delicious. They also made us a pizza that we brought to Janet’s site for and English game night. I might have been a little competitive with the Hondurans during monopoly. I was negotiating up a storm!

The next day we helped Janet with her English class, and then headed on public transportation (aka old US school buses that have been pimped out with flat screens, and crazy seat covers… if you are lucky) all the way to the North Coast, to Tela. Tela was not much too look at.. kind of crowded and dirty, but we took a short taxi ride to a nearby village called Torneo Bay where a small sub-culture of Honduras the Garifuna, live.

“With their own language, customs, dances, and music the Garifuna have maintained a distinctive lifestyle in the midst of the Honduran north coast society. . . . two completely different cultures, one from Africa and the other from the rainforests of South America, meeting by chance on an island in the middle of the Caribbean. Not only did they get along, but they mixed their blood, their cultures borrowing from each to develop a new language and new customs. . . .Unlike other minority groups in Honduras, they show no signs of losing their culture. The Garifuna have a built-in resilience immediately apparent on the proud, strong faces and direct gazes that greet visitors to any Garifuna community.”

Here there was one of the most beautiful beaches in Honduras! Seemingly endless white sand beaches, with little thatched roof houses and restaurants sparsely tucked away on the edges. We saw an impromptu soccer game by locals and had a delicious fish meal at one of the local family owned establishments. The children were absolutely adorable, flocking to our cameras, pouring over all our photos of our travels and of my work in the DR.

The next day we said our goodbyes to Janet and headed off to the Bay Islands, which boast the third biggest coral reef in the world! There are three main islands: Roatan, Guanaja, and Utila. We chose to go to Utila because it was known as the backpacker’s island and was assumingly the cheapest. These islands represent another sub-culture of Honduras. Most of the inhabitants are of European descent dating back to Pirate times, where they used these islands as their base. I kept referring to the inhabitants as descendants of the pirates, but no to their faces… I didn’t know if they would take this too kindly. Anyhoo, English is the main language spoken on the islands, and Spanish just started being taught there 30 years ago! The island is a backpacker hippie paradise. The island was absolutely beautiful with white white sand, turquoise water, with almost no waves. We went snorkeling around a ship wreck and at another reef spot, and we saw an innumerable amount of brightly colored fish. We even saw an eel, yikes! I started my scuba diving certification in the DR but I hadn’t finished it, so sadly I did not go scuba diving. Rachele plans on moving back to the Bay Islands, so I figure I will just scuba dive when I come back and visit her. Besides the natural beauty, there was a culinary beauty of a huge variety of types of food, which is unimaginable after the monotony of Honduran and Dominican cuisine. I had falafel! The bar scene was also an experience. Many of the bars were located on docks, where you could hang out and drink over the Caribbean Sea. There was one amazing hotel/bar called the Jade Sea Horse, which was owned by an artisan. He created a sort of Alice in Wonderland effect. He has done mosaics over stone walls, tunnels, and overhangs. The buildings are tilted or overlapping each other, completely bewildering your eyes, until you don’t know if you are believing what your are seeing.

We stayed on this magical island for about 3 days, and then headed back to San Pedro Sula to sleep in the airport for our 6:00 flight. We convinced a lovely Dutch youth to share a taxi and stay at the airport with us. The next day we flew with sandwiches and drink in hand to Costa Rica, where we had a 7 hour layover and I was able to visit Hannah at her apartment, swim at the pool, and eat lunch. We also had an adventure in Panama in our overnight layover, but that story will be for another day.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST… I must plug my Artisan Store project for donations. Please, Please, Please visit this link and donate and send it to all your friends! I have raised 100 so far, but I have about $2,400 y pico to go! Thanks you all so much in advance.

Link to Donate:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-380

Money Money Money

Receiving, and applying for $$$$ dolla dolla bills for small sustainable development projects. That’s what I have been up to these last 2 weeks. There is nothing like cold hard cash to get you out of a slump. I had been feeling a little lethargic the last month or so, until I found out on the same day that I just received 2 grants (one after 9 months of waiting). The long awaited grant is to help fund activities for my sex-ed/HIV course for pre-teen and teenagers. I started the class with out the funds and am not about to graduate my second course… I had almost given up hope when I found a large lump sum in my bank account. I quickly made a new account for the new funds, as to not by accidentally spend them on empanadas.

My second grant is for a kid’s art class for the summer. Since children here do not get many formal outlets for creativity, I figured this would be a fun activity that I could join with our new community library, to promote education in the summer. Furthermore, I got news that a package of educational toys from my mom’s employer Discovery Toys, are now on their way! These kids should have a great time this summer in the library! My scheme is to try to just jam pack the library with kids to pump up interest before I leave, so the project continues forward!

One exciting step towards sustainability for the library is a new literacy program started by one of my former students, Emmanuel. Emmanuel is a stellar 14 year old in my community. He came to me with the idea, to start a reading club to help teach small children to read in the morning. The library is usually only open in the afternoons, when the younger grades are in school, so this gives them an opportunity to enjoy the library. I said it sounded great to me, just come to the library meeting and present it to the committee. With the go ahead of the committee, I passed him a copy of the library key, and his face lit up like a flood lamp. His class now meets 3 mornings a week, and he has about 13-20 kids per class. I obviously, had to check this class out… see pictures above!

Continuing, on my pathway of fundraising, I applied for two new grants this week. One is to hold an awareness event against violence against women. This idea came up after I gave a presentation on the subject to the 2 women’s groups, and the women loved the idea but wanted to take the message farther. They brought up the idea to have all the community groups involved, giving dramas, and doing a march. I saw an opportunity for a women’s empowerment grant called Mothers to Mothers, and decided to try to see if I can get some money for the event. Either way, we hope to have the event in the summer.

Lastly, I just turned in an application for a small grant for my artisan association called the Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP). This grant will be funding the creation of a small office for the artisans to better organize their business and finances, improvements on the artisan building to create a central store, and funds to create promotional materials for the association. If approved you will be hearing more about this project later… because this grant is funded by my family and friends back at home! The artisans will be covering 40% of project costs, but I will need to raise US $2,600 as fast as possible. The faster I raise the money means the faster we can implement the project, and the faster I can go home. Meaning… if you want me to return, when the time comes, please help out my cause with donations and/or passing on the link to everyone you can. I have a feeling, the project won’t be approved for a month, but just a heads up!

In other news, I just started getting involved with a new movement of volunteers to share and talk about world and political issues and how they relate to development work. We spent the other weekend at my friend’s cabin, where we had debates, presentations, and watched a few documentaries. It was a really fun time to get together with volunteers but also educate each other about world issues, which we can sometimes forget about in our villages, where we our cut off from world news. The group just started a small publication (not sponsored by Peace Corps), if anyone is interested in reading. The first edition in PDF can still be found at this link https://drop.io/progressivecircle/login (password: firstamendment). You will not find anything from me here, but hopefully I will put something together for the second issue.

Last but not least…. I just need to say, I PLACED 3^RD, in the hitch hiking race last weekend (also not Peace Corps sponsored)! Just think the amazing race with costumes. This is a pretty big honor- which was recognized by a sweet DR hat, I received from the organizers.

That’s it for now. But a look ahead…. I will be leaving for Honduras Tuesday the 27^th for 11 days! Be ready for some Latin American adventure tales for sure!

Holidays!!!

So I realized I may have broke my every 2-week blog entry new years goal. But, who really keeps their new years resolutions? Have you kept yours?

Accepting my defeat and moving forward let me tell you about 2 of the biggest holidays/ elongated vacations in the Dominican Republic. Carnaval and Semana Santa.

Carnaval is a pagan celebration that results in huge parades and parties every Sunday in February. It culminates in the biggest, most badass party on the Dominican Republic’s Independence Day, February 27^th. Many of the large cities hold their own distinct parade, but the biggest is known to be in La Vega (just down the highway from my site!). The parades could be compared to a Mardi Gras like setting with elaborate costumes, lots of food, drink, and music. The parades consist of Diablos (Devils that look like Dragons), in many different beautiful costumes. The Diablos carry around pig bladders covered in colored latex, and they will hit innocent passerbies if they stumble into the street (sidewalks are safe), accept on Independence Day when anywhere is fair game! You can also by these big bladders from street vendors, for the price of US$1. I have one covered in pink flowers. But putting these pig bladders in the common persons hand is a dangerous game. Some people think its fun to fill theie pig bladder with rocks instead of air, which makes for a quite a painful hit! (Kids think this is extra especially funny… little brats!)

I visited Carnaval 3 times this year. Twice in La Vega (one of them being Independence Day), and I went to go see Carnaval in Santiago. I was able to make it out of the festivities pretty unharmed. This was partially due to a friend, whom after a few drinks, liked to willingly go into the street and take most of the brunt of the golpes (hits) by pig bladder. (Picture above). That night there was a great concert from and Puerto Rican band (a little ironic on the Dominican Independence Day but o well). The night got even more interesting as a man with a very large snake came through, and we decided to have a photo shoot with it.

All I can say is the Dominicans sure know how to celebrate their Independence!

This last week was another huge Dominican holiday, Semana Santa (Holy Week). Almost everyone takes the full week off and visits family, goes to the beach, and to church. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are the days with the most church activities. I would even say that Good Friday was a bigger deal than Easter Sunday. On Good Friday, none of the colmados (convenient stores) can play music. The town was very pleasantly peaceful. Almost everything is shut down. Villa Cruz, the living cross, is a very popular ritual. Usually the church youth group puts on a play of the crucifixion of Jesus that processes through the community. I was able to go last year, but when I went this year, I ended up just with just a normal mass. At the end of mass we did do a once around circle in the community, but no play. You can’t win them all.

For most of Semana Santa, I helped out my friend in the next community over build a basketball court with a group of Americans who came to help out. We laid the cement, and then once it dried, the last day we taught the kids in the community basketball and volleyball technique. It was a blast, and my friend did an amazing job coordinating it all!

Although I did not make it to a beach, I did make it to a water park. A water park? Yes, there is a water park here just about 15 minutes from my house. They had a really good lineup of concerts going on there last Saturday. A few friends and I went and danced in our bathing suits, it was a pretty good time. I went down 2 slides (there was only about 5, and 2 you needed to rent a tube, but they had run out). They had some other pools, and a decent stage, so I was pretty impressed. I had come with real low expectations aka I was expecting a glorified plastic kiddie pool.

I also had a small Easter Party to lure my kids to my sex-ed class during the week. We painted eggs with juice packets, and I made some really funny faces. I also made a cake with jelly beans (thanks mom). I tried to explain the neo-paganism significance of the hare and egg as signs of the fertility of Mother Earth and the bountifulness of spring, but I think that flew right over their heads. But they had their eggs and sugar, hopefully learned something, and had a good time, so it went pretty well.

Semana Santa was a great week, but now its back to work! Well hopefully, no one showed up to our artisan meeting Monday, the Dominicans like easing back into things. I am trying to catch on.

O before I forget… a recipe for a Dominican favorite for Semana Santa

Habichuelas con Dulce (Beans with sugar)

Puree in a blender cooked red beans, ½ pound of sugar, vanilla, sweet potato, short bread cookies, milk, and coconut milk.

Add a few whole beans for effect, and chill.

It is actually really delicious, but be careful to not eat this whole serving. You may go into diabetic shock!

Food and Fun

Happy Belated Valentines Day everyone! Also, happy Independence Day for the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Korea!

For Valentines Day, I happened to be with my parents in Puerto Rico! (Do not tell my brothers)! I was there with an incentive trip my mom had earned with her company Discovery Toys, because she is an awesome sales lady. The whole time we had gourmet Caribbean food.. all the Caribbean flavors, I had been tasting but prepared in a way I have never experienced!

But Valentines Day took the win for most amazing meal of the year! The night was a recognition dinner for the employees whom had earned the trip. You were able to bring dates according to your performance this year. My mom had earned just one extra spot, for my dad, and after sob stories to the coordinators, we couldn't buy an extra spot for me... since it was all based on recognition. (My dad's response: Kelly will give recognition, she is a great clapper).

So anyways, I had a feeling I would be spending my Valentines Day alone in the hotel room watching the olympics, while everyone would be at this swanky dinner. I even have a boyfriend, but I will be feeling sorry for myself in my pajamas eating chocolates...

But as luck would have it, or malsuerte (bad luck for another), my mom's best friend sadly came down with food poisoning from local sea food the night before. She was one of my parents good friends from the trips, and she said I could go with her husband as his date to the Valentines Dinner!

So my parents and I got all dressed up, after a day of sitting by the pool, and we took a bunch of prom photos, and made a lot of jokes of me and my sugar-daddy, and then proceeded to the dinner.

As luck would have it again, we had assigned seats, and I was seated next to the new owner of the company! But, first let me tell you about the food!

Okay, well this was Top Chef level food. We started off with a Caribbean salad, with fresh greens and very finely cut fruit, with a fruity balsamic dressing. Then for the main course we had a tender steak topped with a layer of smashed and lightly friend yuca (a sweet root vegetable), and then in cased by a croissant cage. This was served in a savory sauce with mashed potatoes and medley of incredibly fine cut veggies.

Then for the dessert, there was a tower of 3 different type of chocolate mouse, that were inside a white chocolate cage, with an opening in the top, like a double shot. There were berries inside, and 3 different caribbean fruit sauces, with a dolop of whip cream at the end and a strawberry! Wow!

I wish I had pictures but here are some some ideas! But these pictures would definitely lose very quickly in a duel with this dessert.

At the end of the night, there was an amazing band that played many oldies but goodies! The lead singer looked about 10 but was belting Tina Turner and Diana Ross. I first thought it was a CD... it was amazing. I think my date, my parents, and I sat out 1.5 songs! It was such a fun night!

O and how did conversation with the owner of my mom's employer go??? AMAZING! I wrote up a proposal for an educational toy lending system, and an educational toy club, and he is donating all these amazing toys to the community library I have been working on!

I also just applied this week for a grant, to teach a summer children's art camp.

This week, I am suppose to be hosting about 12 students in my community, to help set up our lending system in the library, and do some painting! Hopefully everything will go well, but I have a lot to coordinate, such as finding places for these kids to sleep! I am also trying to coordinate my artisans to give a tour... so vamos a ver! Other plans are a big dominican style cook out, and smores!

Next blog... I will let you know how this all went.

Also coming soon... I will write about this weekend and CARNAVAL! It was a a crazy cultural experience!

I hope everyone is doing well and staying interesting!

Miss you!

P.S. I have a new artisan site about my project. It is really simple, but check it out! http://artisansofhiguerito.yolasite.com/

Medical Missions and More

One of the Americans holding real chocolate. Thats what the fruit looks like when its picked off the tree.
Mercedes and her recycles rice bag purses.
A soap stone carver, making an elephant.
Ladies making chocolate bars mmm....
Trying to play a drum made out of a recycled gas tank. It sounds kind of like steel drums, but one side is just in one key.

So when I last left you I was about to leave for a medical mission up in the mountains. I left with a bunch of my close friends from the economic development sector to go help a fellow volunteer with translating for a medical mission in her town where she started a hospital, and her mom and fellow doctors were coming to train the doctors and nurses on the new equipment they were donating.... Sustainability! Great! But wow was this ride cozy. In Dominican Fashion they squished more people in the guagua (a run down van) then you would ever think is humanly possible. (A rather large dominican lady insisted sitting in the front seat with Justin and I and the chofer, and then continuously complained that she was uncomfortable, no duh lady!) So I was basically squished for a good hour and half up the mountain, but I made the most of it and sung the entire way up.

But the ride was worth it! My friend has done an awesome job getting this once vacant hospital up in running, which is really essential since its a hub town on top of this mountain for all the other smaller towns where it would take about 2 hours to reach a place to receive medical attention. In emergency situations, that is just not acceptable. So I helped set up logistically the hospital for the mission, and then I translated for my friends mom as they were giving general care. There was also a convoy of doctors and translators that would go to a different remote town every day to give care. The doctors had brought a Sonogram and EKG machine, and a bunch more equipment that they worked training the doctors and nurses on and also dualing helping patients by giving them these tests. I was only able to stay a day and a half because I had to get back for my library hours and artisan meeting, but it was a very neat experience especially to see one of my friends projects taking off!

Medical Missions are a big part of the volunteer life here in the Dominican Republic. There is a committee just to help organize getting volunteers to help translate. Sometimes volunteers can even bring in patients! Thats what I was able to do yesterday. On Saturday I brought down a young woman and her four your old son, whom had a hot water burn all down is body. The year before, he had gotten surgery on his foot at the same medical mission, and this year they were hoping to get surgery on his arm so he could fully move it. So on Saturday we went down and stayed at a small hotel in the capital. I tried to do what I could to make the boy feel comfortable, we went and got sandwiches and cookies. I forgot to bring any spanish movies, so we watched 3 episodes of Modern Family, a new sitcom, and he loved it! Then bright and early yesterday we made our way down to the Hospital where there were lines of people. Because the family was with me, we got to jump the line, and he was second to be seen, and he got his surgery scheduled! He should be getting surgery right now as I write this!

Last but not least. Since I have written, there were a group of Americans in my town helping out with the ceramic water filter production that my host dominican dad is involved with. They were planning on helping getting filters over to Haiti, but when it came down to it, it would of been them on the planes or more filters and rice, so they opted to stay here, since there were actually plenty of people to bring the food and filters over.

One couple both were potters, and the wife owned an art gallery but is interested in collecting Latin American Art and maybe from small artisan groups, kind of like Fair Trade. So they rented a car for 24 hours and we went exploring for small artisan projects. (After I gave them a full tour of our artisan workshops, obviously). The first man we visited makes musical instruments from recycled materials... he invited us but at first hesitantly to the opening of his friend's store, where he would be playing a concert that night. Although he was first hesitant he said we could be his special guests, so we took him up on it. We then later visited, my friends small chocolate factory. Then some stone carvers, and later a lady whom lives on the top of the mountain and makes bags from old rice sacks, with pockets and everything. To find her, we followed an old lady up on a motorcycle, and where she got off we asked for help to finds Mercedes house, and low and behold that was it. They was a group of the cutest old ladies having some singing mass. We overheard them saying they should invite us to listen the the World of the Lord, but we were able to buy our purses and make a quick escape. The next day we went exploring and found a group of basket weavers, whom had been practicing this heart for about 80 years! There bags and hats were beautiful, and were only US$5! Then we found the Amber mine and visited some mom and pop amber stores, I got some earings! We also stumbled upon the memorial of the Sisters Mirables. (For those of you whom haven't read the time of the butterflies, 3 high class woman were killed during the time of Trujillo, the evil dictator, because of their involvement with an uprising group. They were killed on the side of the mountain where I was, on the way back from visiting their husbands in jail). It was a fun and exciting time, and the woman I was with is now inspired to start an affordable artisan tour, that I will try to help her coordinate, where people can see the real Dominican Republic, and the different artisan mediums that they practice here. Neat huh?

But what about that party? Wow was it swanky. I went with my host parents, the visiting American couple, and another volunteer. We were served cosmopolitans and kabobs in martini glasses. Everything was pink, and the music, (world music genre), was amazing! The store from the outside appeared to be a victoria secret store, and it was placed as one of the first stores when you enter the new all glass mall in the center of Santiago. Then we were given giftbags and brochures, and realized it was not Victoria Secret... it was a swanky sex shop. We walked in and the hand held vibrators, and fallic images gave it away. Now, we understood our friends pause in inviting us! Either way it was a fun and free time, and we to listen to great music and free glow in the dark condom give-aways! Just another way, things appear similiar but our o-so different here.

Well with that I hope everyone is doing well! Send me an email or a card sometime, I have been getting a little lonely! And once again, only 9 more months for scheduling your trips on this beautiful Caribbean island!