A Perfect Match

We finally started classes – a small taste of the real world. We have Spanish class for a little more than an hour, Monday-Thursday, at different times according to our level. For 2 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays we have our EDP 361 class = everything about the DR. So far we’re discussing the Haiti-DR conflict and the island itself. There is a lot of information there, but I am keeping up ok. It is incredibly interesting, and enlightening. There is also a huge reading load, but so far it’s been tolerable because everything is very relevant to what we’re doing and where we are.

We have also been getting our fair share of church! Last Sunday we had our welcome mass at the ILAC church. It was a high-light, by far. The people were so alive and excited to have us there. The music gave me chills. Every song was beautiful, if not because of the voices, because of the passion. After the mass they made a tunnel with their arms, and we ran underneath as they touched our heads, blessed us, and welcomed us into their family. It was hard to hold back the tears.

The weekend before classes began we had our final test of orientation; a scavenger hunt in Santiago! (Not that it was a race, but my group won.) It was such a good experience for us to test our knowledge, and a little language out on the streets of our new home. I must say; it did the trick. Since then I have successfully ventured into the city a couple times. My favorite part of the city (so far) is the monument. It stands in the center of the city as a celebration of the restoration. If you climb up it you get amazing views of the entire valley.

My favorite part of the DR = the people. Their way of life is right up my alley. Here, it’s all about being with people. No need for the hustle and bustle, just simply sitting with someone in a rocking chair is the perfect passing of an afternoon. It’s very calming and relaxed. I never thought I’d say it, but I love not being stressed and racing around to get things done!

We started work at our service sites this week. I chose to volunteer at a school in a neighborhood called, Cien Fuegos, on the other side of the city. There were no classes due to the rain (the entire country shuts down when there’s rain) so everyone was celebrating Juan Pablo Duarte’s birthday. (JPD freed the capital, Santo Domingo, from Haitian rule in 1843.) They sang songs, performed skits, read poems and even got us gringos singing some NSYNC! The assistant principal took us around to some of the older kids’ classrooms where we did small introductions and Q&A sessions. This will be my service site for the whole semester and I’ll spend about 4 hours there every week. This service site is a perfect match for me. After spending only an hour there, I can already see myself working there – for good!

What’s interesting about this school, and what makes it deserving of our service is easily seen in the status of the neighborhood. Cien Fuegos gets its name from a historical fire that completely burned the entire town, many years ago. When the town was rebuilt, it became one known for gangs, violence and prostitution. It wasn’t until about 20 years ago that a deacon named Pedro cleaned it up. Though I would hardly say “cleaned,” for it is still a dump. Literally. The town is centered around an enormous dump that collects the trash of the entire city of Santiago. The people live off of the dump; digging for food, “valuable” materials, supplies for their houses/shacks and any clothes they might be lucky enough to find. As you can imagine, the dump is incredibly dangerous for the people’s health and safety. It is difficult to put the vivid pictures into words, especially because I am still having trouble comprehending what I saw.

We have been seeing a lot, on both ends of the spectrum. Devastating sights like those in Cien Fuegos, and beautiful ones like today from Jarabacoa. We visited a monastery in a beautiful town up in the mountains. We went on a 2 hours hike up a couple different waterfalls. We were filthy and soaking wet, but I think that was the best natural high I have ever been on. I surprised myself as I scaled a rock to get to the top of a small waterfall. It was breathtaking and so adventurous! I’ll try to attach some pictures with this blog, so look for those.

With love, hugs, and a lot of Dominican rain –
A

PS- in case you’re wondering where exactly I am; I’m in a sort of suburb of Santiago, called Licey Al Medio. Santiago is surrounded by mountains and in the heart of the Cibao valley.