Kacie, Gabby, whatever

Hmmm where to start. Throughout the day I make so many mental notes of things to write down and share with you all that by the time I´m actually writing I can barely remember any. Here goes trying to recall them all...

You know you were 10 years old and you did everything with your family because that´s all you really knew? If mom goes to the grocery store, so do you. If dad runs out to Paul B. Zimmermans, so do you. If the family goes to church, so do you. No questions asked. Well that´s my life right now and, well, that´s the life of nearly every son or daughter that still lives at home in the DR whether your 5 or 35. Children live at home until they are married and do exactly what their parents order (this doesn´t necessarily end at marriage either). This applies especially to the girls. Mom says jump, daughter says how high (bad example, there isn´t a whole lot of moving going on, but you get my point). I try not to be too critical because I realize that it is a deeply-rooted cultural difference, but it is difficult sometimes when I´ve had so much freedom from high school and even middle school on up--more than my 34-year-old host sister has now. This freedom that I have experienced has been such a blessing and has stimulated infinite personal growth. Now I´m having a lot of difficulty discerning the boundaries between respecting my host family and their lifestyle and living my life as a young, free, and bold college student should (shhh I´m still in denial). I feel as though I´m missing out on a lot of cultural happenings and socializing. Then again, maybe I am living the real cultural happenings. I have yet to figure this out.


One cultural difference is obviously their food. Have you ever eaten a hotdog, cheese, and peanut butter sandwich? I have. Two nights in a row. And then tonight I had the sandwich with TUNA instead of a hotdog. It´s not the worst thing in the world, but I would not recommend it. So my question to you all is whether I tell my mom that I prefer not to have that sandwich or just continue to swollow my pride? I´m open to suggestions. I think she thinks I love it because I told her that peanut butter is my favorite food. I´m a little scared about what she might put it on next. Another interesting meal I´ve had here was cow intestines. That´s exactly what it looked like too. Let´s just say I didn´t make it past my second bite. Apparently chicken feet have flavor because they just throw the entire leg into soups. Luckily my mom has been considerate enough not to serve me the foot so far. I´m just waiting for the day. At one of the community meetings I observed a little girl, probably about 3-years-old, chewing on the chicken foot like it was a teething ring. Just thought I´d throw that out there. Looks scrumptious doesn´t it?


I have found a few of the everyday norms to be pleasant while some are just straight up odd. I love how everyone greets one another with a `buen día´ o `saludos´everytime somebody enters the room. I´m convinced that they would still say it even on the worst of días. Confession: sometimes I´m just too focused that I neglect to respond...I really hope they don´t resent me for that. I think they´ve already given up on me understanding their Spanish. Like I said before, it is REALLY hard to understand! I think they have trouble understanding me sometimes because I talk too slow. But Dominicans do this really funny thing when they don´t understand what I (or anyone else is saying). They scrunch up their nose two times really fast. I really don´t know how else to describe it other than maybe a snobbish rabbit. *I know you just tried doing it...caught you* Another interesting facial expression they have is to point with their lips. It really appears as though they´re doing a disformed kissy face. Until I was semi-used to it, I wondered why my married coworker was making such a face to a single `gringa´ like myself. It turns out that was his way of pointing to our loca dancing coworker. Everyone in the office is so nice and some particularly quirky. It isn´t a normal day without Audilín busting out some worship song or Ruth dancing to the rhythms in her head. Both of them can never remember my name. I now answer to Kacie and Gabby in addition to Lindsey. I never realized my name was that difficult.

Just as they are learning my name, I am learning to be more patient. Most times I don´t have a choice. On various occasions I have found myself in the middle of a Kiva entry when the electricity goes out (there is no saving kiva entries). I am officially a chronic saver whenever possible. Not a night goes by where I don´t find myself just laying on my bed in the candle light. Sometimes it´s for 2 minutes while other times it´s for 2 hours. The streets become pitch black except for the candle light on everyone´s porch and the occasional motorbike that passes. Everything seems to stop for that time. No loud tv or music coming from the neighbor´s house and certainly no blogging. It´s kinda nice to have to relax.

Another daily activity that has become quite tedious is bathing. Having to give myself a sponge bath from a bucket has made me realize how much I take showers for granted. We have had water about half the time I´ve been here, but even when we do have water the pressure gives me approximately 3 droplets from the showerhead. Believe me, the wash cloth and bucket is a quicker option. My dilemma come bath time is whether or not I feel like sacrificing my bare body to the starving mosquitos that enter the open window above the shower. Washing myself free of the repellent leaves me completely and utterly vulnerable to these heartless creatures. Is it possible to lose too much blood from excessive mosquito bites? As soon as I am done this laborious task, I layer on the repellent once again. It really is a vicious cycle that makes me wonder sometimes whether it´s even worth bathing at all. Just kidding...kind of :)

FYI- I posted links to Julie and Travis´ blogs (the other two interns in DR) on the side bar. I recommend reading some of their entries if you have time. It´s always interesting to hear their stories and perspectives! (Good idea Julie)