Dominican Life.... So Far

The view from my bedroom window this morning

Clinic hallway - after hours

The "Dryer"

Our ambulance:
a gift from Spain - unusable since the repair parts are unavailable here

Today marks my tenth day in the DR! In honor of this milestone, I'd like to take this post to describe day-to-day life here as I experience it, and save clinic work for another time.

I'll begin by answering a FAQ: Why is it so loud at night?
I live close to the Malacon (sp?), which is the popular seaside boulevard with ice cream shops, cafes, bars, music, etc. This certainly accounts for some of the noise, since it is a popular place to go any night of the week. However, I think most of the noise I experience is caused by the following chain reaction: Many, many cars and trucks have several huge (maybe 3ft. tall) speakers installed in the trunk or on top of the vehicle. They blast music up and down the streets, creating both incredible sound and tangible vibrations in the ground. This, in turn, sets off every very loud car alarm in the surrounding area. And this sets off another alarm: a very excitable and friendly chocolate-colored dog who lives in the yard next door. Between this speaker-alarm-dog chain, the Malacon, and the passing motorcycles (the major mode of transport here), it can be pretty loud. I like the dog; he fights fire with fire!

Another FAQ: What is my host family like?
My host family is lovely. Father Guelmy is outgoing and talkative. Every night at dinner, he starts speaking loudly and slowly (that's how I know he's talking to me - and it's helpful!) and asks me to describe what I did today and what I will do tomorrow. He knows that I'm really trying to practice my verb tenses. AND he's already fixed my computer twice!
Father Guelmy's wife, Reina, is much quieter but equally kind. She's a fabulous cook and is always singing around the house. Reina is pregnant, due in early November. Yesterday she had the ultrasound that told us that the baby is a boy! We jokingly started thinking about names last night. I think I like "Oscar"....
Fr. Guelmy and Reina's daughter, Yaisa (sp?), is fourteen and speaks a little English. She has a good sense of humor and is not afraid to correct my Spanish or help me translate, which I appreciate. The family gets along really well, though I'm pretty sure that Yaisa's pretty sure that she's right all the time - Some things about being fourteen are the same everywhere!
Reina's sister, Claribel, is also staying with us. She's nineteen and will begin the equivalent of college in January. She's planning to study either tourism or French/English. I think the tentative plan is for her to stay here to help Reina in her last trimester and with the new baby.

The last FAQ for the day: Say more about the food!
The food is delicious, more sweet and savory than hot and spicy. In the DR, the big meal of the day is at noon, and we always have rice and beans, some meat, fruit/veggies, and lots of juice (since the tap water is not drinkable). It's great, but pretty hot for such a big meal! I like breakfasts and suppers, especially this sweet cream-of-wheat-type dish and these cheese-stuffed fried dough things. We eat avocado with vinegar at nearly every meal - wahoo! Occasionally, there's some food I recognize from home, but always with a surprising twist. For example, the other day we had hamburgers, which were tiny pads of meat wrapped in a bun three times as big. Or, when we made meatballs a couple days ago, Reina taught me to add garlic, onions, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, oregano...and then the juice of two limes! Mmmm. I can't identify the majority of fruits and vegetables we eat, but when it tastes this great - who cares?!

In other news, I have a mailing address! It's the equivalent of a PO Box, so it can take mail about four weeks to arrive from the States - not good for time sensitive stuff. It's also not such a good idea to send anything fragile or valuable, since things get tossed around and/or opened. Life is surprisingly different without homework, and I have already torn through all the books in English that I brought. If you are interested in sending any second-hand books that you're finished with, I'll take them! Once read, I will donate them to the new Books-in-English collection we're starting at the conference center. My mailing address (green box), along with a list of books I already have here (tan box), can be found in the right-hand column of this webpage. Also, be sure to check out the listed websites of other YASC'ers in their time abroad! Love and thanks to everyone - I will write again soon!

P.S. More pictures (of people!) to come soon, once I get a feel for it.