1. Patience - there is a lot of waiting around here and a lot of things run late, but I've learned that a lot can be enjoyed while waiting - like the sun on your face, a cool breeze, watching children play (you get the idea.) I've also had some of my best conversations with people while waiting for something.
2. That pencil sharpeners are a luxury item that only some kids can afford. Those that can buy them end up sharing them with all of the other kids who can't and they get dull or broken very quickly.
3. A red light doesn't mean stop, but proceed with caution and yield to those with a green light if you feel like it and other such traffic "laws."
4. Beans can be a dessert - Habichuelas con dulce
5. Painting your finger nails is ill advised if you are sick or on your period. Apparently, the cold temperature of the polish is bad for your health.
6. A plastic grocery bag has MANY uses! They are perfect shower caps if you get caught in the rain, they can be used for storing items dust free, they make wonderful kites, and if you get a whole bunch of them, you can make cushions and pillows out of them.
7. 5 people can ride together on a motorcycle.
8. 22 people can ride together in a 9 person van.
9. Boiled unripe bananas are delicious.
10. Old shoes that are shined up and well cared for can look new for 10 plus years.
11. I love avocado smoothies.
12. Cockroaches make a very loud crunch noise when you squash them. Bonus: they also grow to be HUGE in the DR.
13. My hair does not do well with humidity and tight pony tails with headbands to hold back the fly always and lots of hairspray is the only style that will stick for more than an hour.
14. How to prepare and wash food and dishes so that I don't get sick from food or water contamination. Bleach and boiling are my friends!
15. I take running water, clean water, electricity, school buses, public Special Education, my car, and many, many other things for granted.
16. Public bathrooms do not have toilet paper or hand soap, so bring your own, even in the Public Health headquarters building and hospitals where they promote hand washing and sanitary bathroom usage as the best ways to avoid cholera.
17. Lizards sometimes crawl into my house, but they are friendly and only stay for a bit.
18. How to buy and bargain for groceries in the open air market. Yes, I'm a white, blond, American, but that doesn't mean I don't know your trying to charge me more!
19. How to wash clothes by hand when necessary.
20. That drying clothes outside on a line (or railing, or window sill, or tree, or whatever will hold them) is actually a great idea and leaves clothes soft, fresh, and in better condition than a rough tumbling dryer cycle.
21. How to get just about anywhere in San Pedro de Macoris.
22. How to get around some parts of Santo Domingo and how to get to and from the city by bus.
23. The Gua-gua (bus) routes of San Pedro and how to use them.
24. That woman don't give blood because they are told it is bad for their health and will effect their period cycles and that men are afraid to give blood, so often people need to pay donors off the street to get the blood they need for surgeries.
25. How to carry large loads on a motorcycle. A shopping cart full of groceries, 2X4 planks, 10 ft iron rods, gas tanks, stand up fans, etc.
26. That it snows in Dominican Republic - "black snow" is what they call the ash that floats around in the air when the sugar cane factories are burning cane. It makes a horrible mess of dust everywhere and you have to be careful not to get caught wearing white when it falls cause it will smudge your clothes.
27. How to paint and add designs on to my nails like a professional.
28. How to brush my teeth without using tap water.
29. How to cure a cold with a tea made from chinola, herbs, and halls cough drops.
30. How to find, pick, prepare, and eat mangos, guanabanas, chinola, guaba, nispero, bananas and plantains fresh from the tree.
31. How to to find the shade while walking down the street to avoid the hot sun.
32. How to make pie crust from scratch.
33. That Dominican News programs show very graphic images.
34. That woman wail uncontrollably at funerals.
35. That white is a funeral color along with black.
36. That woman don't play sports here other than volleyball.
37. How to cook eggplant.
38. How to cook beans.
39. How to cook rice from scratch including white rice, yellow rice, fried rice, rice with vegetables, rice with kalbasa, rice with chicken, and rice and beans.
40. That lasagna is considered and American food, and being American, I am expected to cook it for parties and events.
41. The many varying skin tones and names for dark skin.
42. The difference between Salsa, Meringue, and Bachata music.
43. How to dance all 3 - but I'm only good at Bachata.
44. Many Spanish swears, especially thanks to my neighbor who gets very vocal when he's drunk.
45. Full meals like spaghetti, fried chicken, and rice and beans are what should be eaten at the beach or on a picnic, not sandwiches.
46. That thousands of Dominican children don't have birth certificates because there parents haven't gotten around to it yet. They usually do it before they reach 8th grade and they need documentation to continue on in school.
47. How to mop old-school. Swiffer is missing out on a HUGE market by not being sold here.
48. How to teach without technology, printers, copiers, textbooks, or other materials I take for granted in the US.
49. That a faithful and loving church community can really make a difference in people's lives, especially for poor and struggling families.
50. How to speak Spanish (and with a Dominican accent).
Saturday, May 14, 2011
My Favorite Photos
I have 1 month left in my 10 month trip here, so I think it is time to start to reflect on my trip. Here are my 50 favorite photos (okay, so there are 57) from this year. Some I've shared before here or on facebook and some are new. I hope you enjoy!
Dios les bendiga,
Tina
Dios les bendiga,
Tina
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| Lissandra painting and decorating my nails |
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| Juan John Harry, Bienvenida, Isabel, and Evani after church at Centro Buen Pastor |
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| The street view of Centro Buen Pastor |
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| Miguel and I on his bike - how I get around everywhere |
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| Bienvenida playing in the mud with my rain boots |
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| Yaneidy playing Chinese jumprope to learn directions in my classroom |
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| My English classroom |
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| Trying Rice Krispie Treats at our English class Halloween Party |
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| The crayon box for 2nd grade before I added to it |
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| My Thanksgiving Turkey |
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| 4th grade Christmas Caroling |
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| A second grader showing off his 3D Snowman |
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| Sister Priscilla with some of the kids of CBP |
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| Jairo learning to make friendship bracelets |
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| Madeline making her first chocolate cake |
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| The open air market |
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| Wilson and his Valentine's Day card |
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| Jairo eating cookies he made |
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| Making a Mardi Gras mask on Celestino |
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| A food sale to raise money for the youth group at San Esteban Church |
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| My 4th graders |
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| Some of my adult English class students |
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| The Estrellas |
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| The 4th grade classroom |
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| Julio and Ivanessa |
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| Celestino using the new basketball court |
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| Drying our nails |
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| Evani, Isabel, and Bienvenida |
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| Bienvenida while playing with my hair |
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| Juan Francisco playing Uno |
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| Jairo pointing out the DR |
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| Teresa and her son Angelito at the beach |
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| Madeline's grandmother's funeral |
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| Kendi reading to Peter before my English class |
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| Visiting with some of our friends who visited Boxford 10 years ago when my family visited me in Novemeber |
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| My Thanksgiving |
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| Preparing Christmas gift bags for all the students of CBP |
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| Evani and Bienvenida showing off the fun Christmas gear my aunt Carol sent me |
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| My high school English class |
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| Juan John Harry in his front yard |
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| Laundry day in my apartment building |
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| The CBP Independence Day Parade through Barrio de las Flores |
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| Maryland working hard in 2nd grade English class |
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| Adrian and Yulaidy showing off their Easter baskets in my Middle School English class |
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| The San Esteban Palm Sunday Parade through Miramar |
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| The campo |
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| Making crosses out of Palms on Palm Sunday |
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| Easter Saturday service at CBP |
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| Juan John Harry being pushed by Deni at the park |
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| Juan John Harry, Angelito, and Deni |
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| Watching a big oil tanker coming into the harbor |
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| My 2nd graders playing Duck-Duck-Goose with visiting volunteer Tyler |
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| Tyler and 2nd grade |
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| 4th grade running in Gym class |
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| Miguel and Tyler in La Romana |
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| Dancing with Tyler's friends on the beach |
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| Miguel and I on his bike in the campo |
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