We're Home!

Adios Republica Dominicana! 

Maria and I flew into Miami International Airport at around 11:30pm Saturday. We arrived at Maria's house in Immokalee at 2am. Spending Sunday with Maria and her family really helped me with any culture shock that I might have experienced. Maria is a first generation Mexican-American. She lives in a bilingual household, so hearing Spanish made me feel like I was back in the DR. Although I loved Dominican food, I realized that picante (spicy) isn't a flavor found in a lot of the dishes. Maria and I are both lovers of picante, so we were super excited when her mom made delicious and spicy empanadas for us. Throughout the day, I also tried Mexican candies and drinks. I came to realize that Mexican food is totally misrepresented in the United States. Mexican food is full of contrasting flavors; many dishes contain sweet, salty, and spicy all in the same bite! To give you an idea, I had a drink of cherry ice and mango puree topped with pickles and chili powder! As someone who likes to travel by following my taste buds, Mexico is definitely a country I would like to experience. Maria and I even discussed the possibility of making it our next adventure together! I really loved learning about her Mexican culutre and I thank her family for sharing it with me.

Maria and I

And now, I want to share one last thing with everyone. Music and dancing is everywhere in the DR. One of the songs that is really popular in the Dominican Republic right now is Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony which means Live My Life.  I heard it everywhere; in conchos (taxis), tiendas (stores), and discotheques (nightclubs). It reminds me of the DR, the good friends I made, and how the trip and all its experiences changed me. I encourage all to listen and consider this as a way vivir tu vida (to live your life).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMNPv_HXffQ

English Translation

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna dance

[I'm gonna] live my life, la, la, la, la

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna enjoy

live my life, la, la, la, la

Sometimes rain comes

to clean wounds

Sometimes just a drop

can overcome the drought

And why cry, for what?
And why cry, for what?

If it hurts bad, forget it

And why suffer, for what?

If life is like this, you must live it

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna dance

live my life, la, la, la, la

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna enjoy

live my life, la, la, la, la

I'm gonna live in the moment

to understand the fate

I'm gonna listen in silence

to find the way

If it hurts bad, forget it

And why suffer, for what?

If it hurts bad, forget it

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna dance

live my life, la, la, la, la

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna enjoy

live my life, la, la, la, la

My people!

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna dance

Why mourn? Why suffer?

Start dreaming, laughing

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna dance

Feel and dance and enjoy,

you only live once

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna dance

Live, always keep moving forward

Don't look back

My people, you only live once
I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna dance
live my life, la, la, la, la
I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna enjoy
live my life, la, la, la, la

Momentos Locos

Katie (my host mom)

Joan, Maria and I

Pao and Dionny

Katie

Me and a friend

Maria, Joan and I

Dulce and Sonya

ChiChi, Eduardo, and Candy

Eduardo

Hasta Un Dia: Until One Day

Yesterday (7/19) was my last full day in the Dominican Republic. I spent the morning at Accion Callejera’s (AC) Juvenile Center.  What I like about volunteering here is that not every day is the same; sometimes they have school work, sometimes they are free to play on the cancha (court), and sometimes they have special events. Yesterday, los Joe’s (two AC volunteers both named Joe) led an English lesson for some of the boys. Los Joe’s teach at other AC centers and while the Juvenile Center does have a classroom, English isn't one of the lessons. The English lesson los Joe's were teaching was open to any of the boys at the center who wanted to learn. If enough of the boys were interested, they were thinking about making it a weekly lesson. At first only about four boys were there, but by the end of the lesson there were at least twelve. They learned some basic greeting questions and responses such as 'How are you?', 'I am fine', 'What is your name?'. I was surprised by how quickly the kids picked up everything. It probably helps to have a lot of English-speaking volunteers walk through the doors of AC. 

This whole week, many of the boys asked when I was leaving and it was definitely hard to say this Saturday. Saying goodbye to the kids is always the hardest. However, with the possibility of coming back with my university in March, I didn’t feel like it was goodbye. I have enjoyed this week playing, laughing, and learning from the children at Centro Juvenil. I am truly at my happiest when I am working with these children. Over the past two years, I have seen many of them grow up and in turn, they have seen me grow up. I went from a girl who had dreams of traveling the world to a girl who was making those dreams a reality. While being in the Dominican Republic, I didn't know what was going to happen, the friendship that would be created, the places I would go, and the new goals I would set for myself. However, I took a chance and stayed for a month. What a great month it has been!

Elena and I

Coming back to the centro communitario, the goodbyes didn't stop. Elena--one of the sweetest AC workers--invited Maria, Joan, Ariel (AC volunteer), and I over to her house the day before. We had juice from sour oranges (all the sugar that was added helped mask the sourness) and a delicious cake that tasted similar to pumpkin pie (although no pumpkins were used in the making of this cake). Although Elena is taking her vacation time, she stopped by the centro yesterday to wish us a safe trip back home. We promised each other to keep in touch and I know we will. It is amazing how quickly we can make meaningful connections with people. And at times, you can't predict who those connections will be with. One of the other workers who (at first) I thought didn't like me and was quite intimidating to speak Spanish with--by the end of the trip--was one of the people I became the closest with. Of the many experiences I have had while being here in the Dominican Republic, my experiences at this community center definitely hold a special place in my heart.  

At lunch time (almuerzo), I came back to the centro communitario for what was my ‘last supper’ meal. The meal consisted of rice, habichuela (beans), chicken, and aguacate (avocado); the same delicious dishes we had about every day, but this time it tasted…different. It was just Maria, Pao, Dionny, Joan, and I. Five out of the usual twelve that we share the table with. It seemed quiet and slightly empty without everyone there. *While writing these emotional parts, it doesn't help (or does it?) that “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” just started playing from my iTunes Library. 

After leaving the quiteness of the centro, I was excited for Maria and I's ‘hasta luego fiesta’. We invited some of the friends we had made during this trip over for karaoke, dancing, and tacos! Having my favorite people around me was just how I wanted to spend my last night. I am so thankful to have crossed paths with them. It's hard to think about never seeing them again. Therefore, instead of saying goodbye, I am saying 'nos vemos' (we'll see each other). 

Today, Maria and I went to the centro communitario for the last time. Walking through la Yaguita along the same path I had taken for the last month, it felt different. This place has been a great home for me. I am forever grateful to Joan and Katie (our host parents) for a roof over my head, their love, friendship, and support. Gracias por todos (thank you for everything). However, I feel like I am in this limbo state because although I do not want to leave, I think I am ready to come home. I have a lot to look forward to back in the States...plus I'm sort of down to my last pesos.

"Este no es adiós, estoy diciendo 'hasta un día' porque yo se que nos vemos."

Mis Amigos!

Maria and I

Christopher, Me, Frank Jr, Los Joe's and Maria

Joe and I

Alberto, Titilola and Robinson

Titilola and Maria

Ariel

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned how baseball is the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic. While that is still true, I have come to realize that Dominicans can get into about almost any sport. After volunteering at Centro Juvenil, my friend Joe (another Accion volunteer) invited me to one of his soccer practices. A couple of the kids from the center were also on his team so we rode over to the fields together.  The team was made up of both Haitians and Dominicans--some of the boys I even recognized from the center. At first, I was just watching them practice as the rest of the team was arriving. However, soccer is in my blood and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play. As the only girl on a team of 14 guys, it can be intimidating. However, ask any of the guys on that field and they will tell you that I held my own. I managed to assist in a goal and had a couple good shot attempts myself.

Wednesday night (7/17) Maria and I were invited out to a Santiago Metros basketball game. Of course I said yes to the opportunity. Not only was it awesome to see a basketball game, but it was inexpensive too. It took two concho (taxi) rides to get over to the arena (and two to get back) which in total is about 80 pesos or $2. However, the concho rides cost more than the ticket which was only 50 pesos ($1.25). The Metros were playing another team from the Dominican Republic: Caneros de la Romana. At first, the score wasn't close with the Metros leading by 15+ for the first three quarters. However, it got pretty intense at the end with a close Metros win of only four points! The ending score was 90-86. Interestingly enough, during the basketball game, they kept playing baseball cheers! (The influence is strong). Afterwards we stayed to meet the players. Two of the boys from Accion Callejera Centro Juvenil also came with us to watch the game; they were so excited to meet their favorite players! It was interesting to find out that of the starting five players for the Metros, three of them were American: Michael Glover, Julien Mills, and Maurice Carter. Maurice (below) was really nice and stayed to talk with Maria and I. We found out he is from Indianapolis!

I wanted to post this for my brother who (for only 16 years old) is already an amazing basketball player. Love you bro! 

Some Timely Advice

This week marks my last week in the Dominican Republic. While planning this trip, I wasn't sure about the time length of one month. What if after 2 weeks I wanted to come back? Or worse, what if after a month, I wasn't ready to leave? This has been on my mind a lot lately. Honestly, I thought about extending my stay an extra week. I even reached out my mom who looked up the travel fees to change flights; it ended up being that the extra financial costs were too expensive to stay for an extra week. However, what really convinced me to rethink my reasons for staying was the advice I got from my mom. She told me that although I am having a wonderful experience, all good things do come to an end; I must enjoy the time that I have and not waste a single minute thinking about staying because all those efforts are taking away from the present. This was exactly what I needed to hear (thanks mom!). And that's why as I get closer to my departure date, my heart has become full with more happiness than sadness. I look forward to everything I am about to experience this week. 

On Monday (7/11), Maria and I helped the community center organize a bunch of school supplies that were given to them. They had tons of backpacks (mochilas), pencils (lapices), and notebooks (cuadernos). School supplies are expensive in the Dominican Republic (DR), so a few of the Accion Callejera centers were selling what they had to those in the community at reasonable prices. The money goes back to the main juvenile center to allocate. This was not only my last Monday in the DR, but also the last day that all the teachers, workers, and volunteers would all be together. Since the school year and most of the camps are over, some of the teachers are going on vacation. When you are a volunteer at a place that sees a lot of volunteers come and go, it is hard to know whether you will be missed. However, at the end of the day, I knew the answer was yes. I am so grateful for all the staff at the community center. At the end of my month here, I can honestly say I feel a part of this crazy family. Some gave me advice, some made me laugh, some challenged me, and some were like mothers to me. Gracias por todos! 

The next day (7/16), I completely lived in the moment (something I learned from my mom) and decided to spend the morning at one of my favorite places: the Accion Callejera Juvenile Center. It was just me as I took a concho from La Yaguita to the city. When I arrived at 8:30am, there were only a few boys sitting around. I didn't recognize any of them, so I broke the ice with my secret weapon: playing cards. As soon as I sat down next to one of the boys, 3 more came over to play. That's what I love about this place; it is so easy and natural to connect with the boys here. Meanwhile more boys started showing up to check in and get their breakfast ticket. This is when I started recognizing faces: Corlins, Eddy, Frank Jr, Alejandro, Peterson, and more! I had seen some of them 2 weeks ago at the community center's pool, but others I hadn't seen for over a year. The reactions to my arrival varied; some acted calm and composed, others laughed and gave me a big hug, but the best were the ones who were completely surprised. One of the boys--Jason--stepped back with his hand slightly over his mouth when he first saw me. They were a little confused why I was on my own; they were used to seeing me in a group with 14 other students from my university. I explained that the university group comes every March, but that I wanted to come back to volunteer over the summer as well. 

This was such a great day to come to the Juvenile center because there were a lot of activities to do with the children. We got into groups of about five and had four challenges to complete together. My group's first challenge was with one of those circular rainbow parachutes. We had to all hold a portion of the parachute and work together to get a ball to make 10 rotations without falling through the hole in the middle. It took a couple minutes till we got the hang of it, but when we did, it was smooth sailing from there. However, there was a second part of the challenge. We now had to get 2 balls to make 5 rotations. We got this on the first try! We quickly ran to the next station which was located outside. For good reason because it had the potential to get messy real quick. Each person on the team had to go bobbing for candy. However, the candy wasn't in a big bowl of water, it was in a big bowl of flour! All the kids just went for it and stuck their whole heads into bowl. I on the other hand was trying to avoid getting flour all over myself. 

The following station began with a riddle that we had to solve. Once we figured it out, it led us to the second floor of the center where we had to search for a word written on construction paper. We did not leave any stone unturned. We looked under chairs, keyboards, books, plants, everything! We still couldn't find it! I began to question if it was even here. I went to go pick up this wooden basket, peeked underneath, and read COMPARTIR (to share). I showed the word to my teammates and we all began jumping up and down "sharing" in this moment of victory. Not much time passed until we were off to the next and final challenge. This one involved team work, participation, and a whole lot of balance. We had to balance wooden shapes on a board game that was balancing on ball which was balancing on a small wooden totem. Hence the need for patience, team work, and a whole lot of balance. After the challenges, everyone went to the cancha (court) for some pelota (literally 'ball' but in this context translates to 'baseball'). However, since they didn't have an actual field, there were some rule changed; there were only 3 bases, we pitched to ourselves, and used our hands as the bat. As for my performance, let's just say I did better than I would have if I had played actual baseball. Luckily, my team was good enough to win the first game! Although, we got crushed in the second game, it was still fun!  

I found out that the children at the center will be participating in a talent show at the end of this week. It reminded me of my first year coming to the Dominican Republic with my university group; we helped the kids prepare for a talent show as well. I began to reflect on that time while helping paint a banner for the event. It read, "Yo Tengo Talento" (I Have Talent). However, while I was reflecting, I accidentally knocked over a tray of paint and got blue all over my shoes and the floor. I wiped some up with my hands and went to the bathroom  to wash it off. However, the more I tried to wash it off, the more the blue paint spread all over my hands. I quickly realized this was no ordinary paint. My fellow painters failed to mention that it was oil-based and if I know anything about science, it's that oil and water don't mix. Although my hands might have been blue the rest of the day, I certainly wasn't. I had a great time with those kids and am excited to come back again tomorrow. 

*Photos courtesy of Joseph Jerome

Somos Accion Days 3-5

Today's (7/10) campamento (camp) began as any other. All 75 children were outside on the cancha (court); standing in lines as they sang the national anthem and rose the flag. Afterwards, was a series of short--but very fun--activities. One of those activities was led by Maria, Sonya, and I...the Macarena! We had just spent that morning trying to teach the dance to Sonya. For a dedicated church-going woman, she's got moves! However, when it came time to teach the kids, they seemed to enjoy watching us dance a little more than participating in the dance, but it was still fun!

Since it was Wednesday, my group was in the sports area called Campeones de Diversion (Champions of Fun). The kids got into two teams and participated in a relay race that included the egg and spoon race, three-legged race, sac race, and some other race than involved standing on buckets (not really sure how to explain that further). It was so funny seeing the kids attempt all the races; some of them clearly take it more seriously than others. Four of the neighborhood boys (14, 14, 17, and 22 yrs old) that regularly volunteer at the community center helped facilitate the games. Time flew by fast, but luckily, we were able to squeeze in a little dance practice before the campamento ended for the day.

What made today so different from the rest was the camp in the afternoon. Today was the start of the mother's camp which is Wednesday through Friday of this week from 2:30-4:30pm. This brand new camp offered to the women in the community had about 15 mothers ranging from the ages of 23 to 60 years. The campamento started off with some of the same games and activities we did with the children that day which made it even more silly and fun. However, soon after we got to the serious stuff.  The same neighborhood  volunteers from the children's camp were also here for the mother's camp. They led a short lecture followed by an open discussion on HIV/AIDS statistics and prevention. The women shared what they knew on the topic which was a welcomed perspective that complimented the hard facts. Then, we were all handed condoms and told the do's and do not's on how to use them properly. At this point, it was hard not to laugh when one of the mothers attempted to put the condom on a wooden penis. The women were a combination of wisdom, sass, and inappropriate jokes. For the community center's first day of their first ever mother's campamento, I would say it was a huge success. It will be fun to participate in the other activities the center has planned for this week.

The next day (Thursday 7/11), my group for the children's campamento was in the creativity area called Soy Capaz de Crear (I Am Able to Create). The kids were making muñecas (dolls), mariposas (butterflies), and abejas (bees) out of toilet paper rolls. I love the center's use of everyday items for the kids to create crafts with. It is both creative and environmentally friendly! After the children's campamento ended at 12, we had a couple hours before the mother's camp at 2:30pm. The activity for the day was a lot less serious than the day before, but none the less useful. We were learning how to sew a bow to clip in hair. The mother's picked out their ribbon materials and Belkis--one of the center's workers--led the workshop. For a girl who always chose playing outside with a soccer ball over playing inside with dolls, I was totally out of my element. My bow came out horrendous. However, one of the center's workers--Carmen--saw my struggles and made me a new one! Que chulo!

Friday was the last day of summer camp for both the children and mothers. Today both campamentos had a special surprise: the pool! At the children's campamento, all three of the groups presented their song and dance. I was excited to see the Zumba routine that my kids had been preparing for all week.

Afterwards, all 75 kids went for a quiet, tranquil dip in the pool. Sike! It was madness! There were kids all over the place; jumping into the pool; splashing all about. It looked like so much fun that I just had to join them!

Each year, the children receive a memento that encompasses their experience at the camp. Unfortunately, this year the community center was not allocated enough funds to cover the cost. However, Maria, Joan, and I weren't going to let this year be any different. After calculating pesos into dollars, we realized that 1500 pesos could be split between the three of us pretty reasonably. I was so happy we did because when we handed the memento to the kids, they just lit up trying to find themselves. You might have guessed it already because this year's memento was a picture of each camp group with the teachers and volunteers. A picture (of my picture) is soon to come! They were so fun to work with.

In the afternoon, all the mothers came for their special pool day. I had changed into my dry clothes after swimming with the kids, so I had already decided that I wasn't going to swim again in the afternoon. Luckily for me, I didn't have a choice. The neighborhood volunteers along with Joan picked me up and threw me into the pool (will my clothes still on!). The music was blaring, the mothers were dancing, and the water felt so cool in the hot sun. I was secretly glad I got thrown in. However, my incident began a long line of similar attempts. One of the volunteers chased a worker onto the roof, another worker attempted to lock herself in a room, and a third--Pao--surrendered and walked herself over to the pool after realizing that fighting back wasn't worth the effort. Honestly, I had so much more fun than I was expecting to have this day. It has also made me appreciate some of the things I take for granted. For instance, in Florida, I have access to pools and beaches whenever I feel like it. Even so, I don't go that often. However, seeing how excited the mothers were, I realized that this wasn't something they got to do very often. This really was a special treat for them and I was glad to be a part of it.

*Photos courtesy of Joseph Jerome