Sunday, February 3, 2008

Holy Helmet


As I mentioned, I recently discovered the whereabouts of a few great new locations in Puerto Plata. What I realized is that andaring around in this city really requires motorcycles, motorcycles, and more motorcycles. I, for one, LOVE riding motoconchos. I know that they are beyond unsafe, but they are so quick, cheap, and convenient! Why, then, the reservations to motor all around town?? Note Exhibit A: my casco. Peace Corps requires that we wear helmets EVERY time we ride on a motor. In my community, however, helmets are a true rarity. There are hundreds and hundreds of motors, and maybe 2 or 3 guys who wear helmets. Plus, they are about one THIRD of the size of my monstruosity, and they definitely do not say "tough" right across the top. I am constantly questioned about my helmet...most of the kids think that since I have a helmet, I must OWN a motor. I brought my helmet out at a party and there was not one dominican who didn't laugh hysterically. When I rode home to my house the other day, I literally had a group of kids start cracking up when I rode by with my super-cool head gear. But, you just wait. I think I will be starting a trend. Soon the whole TOWN will want to be "tough" just like yours truly!

Gringos are Great



The last two weeks in my site have been SWEET. There is a group of gringas from Vermont who came to do a program called "Healthy Schools, Healthy Children" (or something of the like). I got the chance to work with them in a few of the classrooms, and was really impressed with the help they provided to our fourth and fifth grade teachers. They also had an intern named Grace who came to live in Puerto Plata for three weeks. Even though she was here for a short time, she met TONS of people and learned her way around Puerto Plata much better than I do! She taught me about a really sweet grocery store (it even has a deli-I can now buy cheese OTHER than "squeaky colmado cheese"!!) and she met a lot of really eclectic friends who drove us around town. We even ended up in a discoteca in Playa Dorada that featured a man dressed as Jim Carey from the Mask, a machine that poured bubbles from the ceiling, and a man dressed as Spiderman (who later FLEW across the ceiling!!). All in all, it was really nice to have some americans to run around town with. The best part is that Grace is working on getting a group of 8-10 more students to come down and help me with work in my community in February of next year. I'm definitely ready for round two!

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Home Improvment

Guess who got a toilet seat!!! I am TRULY in the 21st century now!! Jealous? Well, if you would also like one, all you have to do is move into an apartment in the DR, ask your dueno every month for about 5 months if he can put that seat on your toilet that he keeps promising you and, then, he will randomly show up at your place one afternoon with the seat that he mysteriously found lying god knows where. All in all, my apartamentcito is truly coming together. I also made myself the highly sophisticated shelf seen below. It is not exactly aesthetically pleasing but it is SO functional! I wish I had made it sooner. And, equally as exciting, I have a table AND two chairs that my host family loaned me. I went MONTHS with nothing but ample floor space and, as SOON as I mentioned that I was having some gringos in town, my host family practically ran over with my new furniture. Point is: now all of you americanos really have no excuse...you have to come see me. You can sit down to eat AND to hacer caca!