Snakes and Such

Monday November 15, 2010

Day 73

I worked at the office today and did the usual office day things.  I worked on translating a letter in to English which is harder than it sounds.  Using Google Translate can be helpful but half of the things come out incorrectly.  What I usually do is read it first in Spanish, then put it into Google Translate and then edit the translated copy, using the original Spanish copy.

When we were coming home after picking up the kids from school, panic erupted in Residencial José Contreras.  The kids had gone through the front door and Teresa and I were walking to the back door when Teresa spotted a snake.  The snake was skinny and probably about 18 inches long.  Teresa was so scared and wanted me to kill it.  I am not afraid of snakes but I also didn’t want to kill it.  I moved it out of the pathway with a stick but Teresa still wouldn’t walk by it.  The neighbors heard Teresa yelling at me to kill it so one guy came out to help her.  I was laughing because it was the most harmless looking thing ever.  I was more worried about keeping my lunch out of the food safety “danger zone” so I left the neighbor to deal with the snake.  In the end the neighbor killed it and Teresa thinks I am some kind of weird person for not being scared.

Tuesday November 16, 2010

Day 74

I was supposed to go to the clinic today but worked in the office instead.  I worked on translating something and then had a statistics lesson with Teresa.  Teresa gave me some things to practice and I really missed my TI-83 calculator. 

Later in the day we went to the Dominican Fiesta Hotel to meet someone that Teresa knows from Americares.  The young woman was just here for the day and will go to Haiti tomorrow.  Teresa worked with her after the earthquake and wanted me to meet her.  She was very nice and seems to have a really interesting and exciting job.  She is from the US and speaks English so that was fun too.

Good news: we finally got to go to the grocery store.  I was getting nervous about my yogurt and cereal situation.  At Bravo I was so excited to see all of the Thanksgiving-themed things they had.  They had turkeys, cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin, stuffing and a bunch of other things.  I guess I didn’t need my brother to bring me my pumpkin and cranberry sauce after all (thanks though)!  I didn’t get any Thanksgiving food because I didn’t plan the menu yet and didn’t have a list of ingredients.  I will probably go back next week.

Fun Facts:

1.       Turkey is popular here on Christmas.

2.       The public taxis are always full of people and today I saw one with 7 adults in it, including the driver.  (The record before today was 6 adults.). FYI these are old, small cars.

3.       People at the grocery store like “sampling” everything.  For example, today I saw one lady opening up a face cream and using it on her face and then putting it back on the shelf.  I also saw a guy “sampling” nuts from a big barrel. I think they need the free sample stations like the have at Costco.

Peace,

Jaclyn

Thursday November 11, 2010

Day 69

Going back to work is never fun after a nice vacation.  I think it is the waking up part that is the hardest.  I actually got to sleep in a little later today because I was getting a ride to the clinic and didn’t have to take the kids to school.  (Teresa is still in Mexico.)  Today I observed in the laboratory at the clinic.  This area is much different than any other area I have been in before.  First of all, there are a lot more rules and procedures.  One rule is that you need proper lab attire.  I didn’t have a white lab coat so I borrowed Cynthia’s lab coat she uses for her science class.  Wearing a lab coat just makes you look important. Another thing that was different about the lab is that there is constantly something going on.  They had a lot of “emergencies” which means they need to get the results out quicker than normal.  They are working without a secretary so everyone is very busy.  I unfortunately couldn’t help much because the system is very exact and I would never want to mess anything up.  I learned a lot about how they collect and distribute results and the entire system is very interesting.  The only problem is that the computer is so slow and everything takes way too much time.

A special Veterans Day announcement: Thank you for all that you have done!

Friday November 12, 2010

Day 70

Today was my second day in the lab and it was a bit different than yesterday.  Today was a little slower and less stressful for the people working.  I also found some things to keep me busy.  I cut and folded gauze from a huge roll to use for cleaning the equipment.  I can do mindless tasks like this for hours but unfortunately I had to stop when I ran out of room in the boxes.  One thing that is difficult about working in the lab is that patients come to the window asking questions and I always have to tell them “one minute” or some form of that in Spanish so I can find someone to help them because I don’t want to answer their question incorrectly.  I think a lot of the patients think I am ignoring them or being rude, but obviously I am not.

Saturday November 13, 2010

Day 71

Another weekend in Santo Domingo and you know what that means: relaxing.  Silly Jaclyn went to do laundry but I was quickly reminded by Nanita that there isn’t water on Saturdays.  I have so much laundry to do since I was away and now I am getting stressed about it.  My mom taught me that the longer you wait to do laundry, the harder it is to do. This is definitely true when you are washing most things by hand and also when you have limited room for hang- drying things. 

Cynthia and I made a cake for Teresa’s welcome home festivities.  We used a different gluten free cake mix and it turned out a lot better.  I also figured out what went wrong the last time we made a cake and now I feel a bit foolish.  The last time we made the cake the oven was way too hot because the oven has the temperatures displayed in Celsius and the temperature on the box was in Fahrenheit and so I just put the oven on the max temperature thinking that was 350˚. Ooops. This time I figured it out before and made the conversion and the cake was a lot less dry.

After the successful cake making, I went with the kids and their dad to pick Teresa up from the airport.  It was so nice to see her. She looked so happy to see all of us. She told me I looked different but I am not sure what she meant. I hope it isn’t from eating too much. Hmm.

Sunday November 14, 2010

Day 72

Instead of going to church in the evening we went to church around noon.  It is much more crowded at this time but I like it because they have always have little babies there at that time for christenings and they are just the cutest little things in their white dresses.  Teresa got to see her friend Blac from Haiti and they spent some time chatting after the mass.  I think we are going to visit him this week sometime because she wants to bring him a few things. 

After church we went to the mall because Cynthia had to get a birthday present for the party she was going to tonight.  We had lunch at the food court (I had a salad from Quizno’s) first and that was a bit difficult because it was so crowded.  We literally had to wait for a table. I guess the Jumbo Food Court is the place to be on a Sunday afternoon.  This was a different mall than we normally go to and it is attached to a huge store that reminded me of Target or Walmart.

When I came back from the mall I decided to do my laundry before the sun went down because sun is one of the three necessary things for laundry (power, water and sun).  I was able to do about 70% of my laundry and then the water suddenly stopped.  Apparently, there wasn’t water to start with and I was using all of the remaining water from the tank which I didn’t know.  Needless to say, I used up all of the water that they didn’t have to begin with and I didn’t even finish my laundry. 

At night I went with Teresa to take Cynthia to the birthday party at a fancy mall.  The party was at this place that did all of the traditional girly stuff like hair, makeup, fashion shows, etc.  It was totally pink and totally for tweens!  Teresa and I watched a little and then we sat and had some popcorn and chatted in the food court.  It was nice to hear all about her conference in Mexico and I think she learned a lot while she was there. I don’t know if I learned that much while I was in Puerto Plata with my brother and neighbors.

Fun Facts:

1.       On Friday during lunch at the clinic we had a breakthrough: Two of the people who I could never understand half of what they were saying realized that I could understand them if they spoke slowly. One of the other employees told them this and they all get it now. Woohoo!

2.       All of the new envelopes in the lab are half sealed so I decided to open a bunch of them up to save time for everyone else.  Trickier than you would think!

3.       I ran out of yogurt and cereal and if you know me you would know that this rarely happens.

4.       They asked me at lunch if I would prefer to be called “Americana” or “Jaclyn” and I told them Jaclyn.  They stressed the fact that “Americana” was a loving name and not rude but I still like my name better.

5.       I watched a kid’s show in Spanish on Saturday morning and I loved it.  They spoke slowly and I was able to understand nearly everything. 

6.      I met a bunch of Teresa’s family from Ecuador on Skype and they are all just like Teresa. They are such fun people!

Peace,

Jaclyn

Better Late Than Never

Wednesday November 3, 2010

Day 61

I observed in the pharmacy today and it was very interesting.  I learned quite a few things and the person who was teaching me was very helpful.  One thing I realized is that I can not read most of the prescriptions for three reasons: messy handwriting, words in Spanish that I never saw in writing, and of course, I rarely read things in cursive anymore.  I think I will need to practice all three of these things.

I spent a lot of the day tracking the storm.  My brother is coming Friday and I am worried that he will not make it here because of the bad weather.  Tomas, leave my brother’s trip alone!  At night the entire family, including the dog, went to go pick up Juan Carlos from his school trip.  I wish my family missed me that much when I was gone for only 12 hours.

Thursday November 4, 2010

Day 62

The world came to a near halt today; it was raining.  It was actually raining a lot today and the drainage is terrible here so it makes a little more sense that everything slows down or stops.  I didn’t bring my computer today because I thought I was going to the clinic and I don’t use my computer there.  I was able to go back to the house and get my laptop and I also changed into rainy weather clothes (I copied this outfit from Teresa and others at the office and around town): capris and sandals.  I got a lot done at the office today.  I worked on some stuff for the conference and spoke with a dentist who is coming to do a presentation at the clinic during the conference.

After work we picked up the kids and went to the mall.  Teresa had to get some things before her trip to Mexico tomorrow for a conference.  At the mall we had Taco Bell and Teresa agreed that it was all in preparation for her trip to Mexico. Yes, I ate Taco Bell (hard corn taco with chicken, lettuce and tomato) and loved every bit of it.  See what happens when you are deprived of fast food as a child? Thanks, Mom!   After the mall I started packing for my vacation with my brother. I can’t wait until he gets here.  Stay away, Tomas!

Friday November 5, 2010

Day 63

I woke up early today so I could check on my brother’s flight status.  I also had to be up to take the kids to school with Freddy, our favorite taxi driver.  Teresa didn’t want to send them in the taxi alone so I accompanied them.  When I got back from that I finished packing for my trip with my brother.  Freddy came back and picked me up so we could go get my brother from the airport. 

My brother’s plane landed just in time because within minutes the storm really picked up and he would never have made it here in that weather.  As we were driving back to the hotel the visibility decreased dramatically and the rain was coming down extremely hard.  On the other side of the road we saw palm trees falling and blocking the road. It was crazy.   

Since the weather was really bad we ate lunch in the hotel and decided to stay indoors for a while.  After lunch we went to the gym and then prepared for dinner with the family.  Nanita made us a delicious dinner and Kenny’s favorite part was definitely the tostones (cut plantains that are squished into flat circles and then fried).  After dinner we went back to the hotel because Kenny was obviously exhausted after a long day of traveling.  Tomorrow we will go to Ruben’s and that will be exciting too.

Saturday November 6, 2010

Day 64

Today we woke up and prepared for our trip to Ruben’s.  We had a tasty and filling breakfast at Dominican Fiesta Hotel and then went to my favorite grocery store, Bravo, to get some things for the trip.  Freddy picked us up and we went on our hunt to purchase some more art supplies for the kids of La Lomita.  Unbeknownst to us it was a holiday and everything was closed.  Not a good way to start the day but it happens.

Freddy drove us most of the way but Ruben met us outside of his town because the roads by him would be impossible to pass in a taxi because they aren’t really roads.  The “roads” ended up being deep, muddy pathways that were only passable with Ruben’s pickup truck.  Thank goodness for trucks! When we got to Ruben’s house we had lunch and then he gave us a tour of his property.  The whole time he was handing us more fruit than we could possibly consume. 

After the property tour Ruben, his daughters, Kenny and I went to visit La Lomita.  When we got to La Lomita, Ruben wanted to give a few people he knew some powdered infant formula that he received as a donation.  He only wanted to give it to a few people but he ended up getting mobbed by everyone who heard he had something to give.  My brother and I were standing five feet away, in utter amazement at what was happening.  They were literally begging for a can of powdered milk.  When he couldn’t give everyone milk everyone was very upset.   We continued with our tour of La Lomita (the milk locked safely in the truck) and I think my brother enjoyed seeing what Grace Cares has done so far in this community. 

When we were leaving La Lomita some little kids hopped on the back of the truck and were being very rude.  One of the kids, probably about 6 years old, was literally pretending to throw his knife at us.  Yes, he was only 6 years old but the blade was about 9 inches long and he was doing that in front of Ruben’s little daughters and I as we sat in the back of the truck, unprotected of course.  Who knows if he was going to accidently let go of the knife and hit us.  We were yelling at them to get off and eventually Ruben got them off the truck.  As they were running away from the truck they were throwing rocks.  Two weeks ago when I was there, all of the children were so cute and sweet.  I don’t know who these little rascals were but Ruben promised to straighten them out the next time he saw them. 

At night we had a nice dinner and a relaxing evening.  My mom sent a game with Kenny to give to the girls so that is what we played.  It was a giant carpet game board that had one side for checkers and one side for tic tac toe.  Kenny and I successfully taught the girls how to play and we played a little too.

Sunday November 7, 2010

Day 65

We woke up to the sounds of rain, chickens and ducks.  It is a surprisingly nice thing to wake up to.  Kenny and I went to church with Ruben and his family.  This church was different than the one we went to last time and it was much bigger.  The people who sang at the church had great voices and could definitely start a singing group if they wanted to.

After church, Ruben took us to a lake a few miles away.  He wanted to show us a dam where he was thinking of doing a project.  It was really nice by the lake and I was so mad that I didn’t have my camera with me at that moment.  We stopped by a restaurant for a drink and then Kenny and I decided that we should have brunch while we were there.  We picked out some fish and they fried it (without breading/batter, finally!) and served it with tostones.  The fish was so good and Kenny even said it was some of the best fish he ever had. 

After brunch we went back to the house and Kenny and Ruben discussed some Grace business.  I listened in but the two of them had all of the good ideas.   Ruben gave Kenny plenty of stuff to work on and I just sat there thinking, "let’s just do it all!" When there are so many people to help it is hard to choose WHO to help. 

After the meeting we packed up our stuff and Ruben and one of his workers/friends, Santiago, drove us to Puerto Plata.  Our neighbors from Toms River were arriving today so we wanted to get there around the same time as them and we were successful in that plan.  When we arrived, Ken and I had a bit of culture shock.  We just came from a place where people were begging for powdered milk and now we were walking into an opulent, all inclusive beach resort with 24 hour food and drinks.  It was also kind of funny to see our neighbors, Danny and David (twins that Kenny and I have both known since we were born) at the hotel when we got there.  It just seemed so odd that they were here, in the Dominican Republic. Strange.

November 8, 9, 10 2010

Days 66, 67, 68

I will now summarize the next few days.  It included way too much food and golf cart riding.  Monday was nice and we were able to go to the beach during the day.  At night there was a huge party on the beach for all of the guests and there were musical performances and fireworks.  On Tuesday it was raining but we went to Ocean World for a little while before it got too bad.  Ocean World is like a mini Sea World and it is right next to the hotel where we were staying.  We saw a show about sharks and then I went snorkeling in a fish tank with the twins.  It started pouring again so we went back to the hotel.

The hotel, which isn’t really a hotel but more of a huge vacation campus, was great.  They had every amenity possible and the beach there was beautiful.  The best part about Puerto Plata is that you can see mountains all around you.  Beach + mountains= beautiful. 

I had a lot of fun with my brother and the twins (I should probably stop calling them that now that they are 29 years old but it is a habit) and was sad that I had to leave on Wednesday.  I took the bus back to Santo Domingo (four hours) and made my mom nervous the whole time.  My mom had been worrying about this bus trip ever since she heard that was part of my plan.  Everyone kept telling me it was safe and in the end, everyone was right. 

Fun Facts:

1.       Apparently in this country, twins are just about the coolest thing possible.  Everytime someone noticed that they were twins they would get all excited and say “gemelos? Mira, ellos son gemelos!” or “twins? Look, they are twins!”

2.       Most of the guests at the resort were from the US so when I spoke Spanish to people at the hotel they got all excited.  It was fun.

3.       I can barely make a phone call in Spanish.  I try to avoid them at all costs.

4.       When I was boarding the bus in Puerto Plata I learned that they have a different procedure for this.  There was some form of a line but then, as soon as they opened the doors everyone started pushing and shoving to get on the bus.  I was literally pushed out of the line. It was scary. FYI, these were mostly older women doing this.

5.       On the bus, a lady in the row next to me played really loud music on her cellphone and then decided to put on her headphones after a few people started giving her dirty looks. After she put her headphones on she decided to sing even louder than the music was before. 

6.       This lady who worked at the resort told me to sit in front of the bus but wouldn’t tell me why.  She insisted that I just listen to her but wouldn’t offer a reason.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a seat in front but nothing bad happened to me in the middle/back.  I am still confused about this.

7.       Our first golf cart was horrible and kept backfiring every few yards.  Luckily, we got a new one and it was much quieter.  I want a golf cart now.

Peace,

Jaclyn

Puerto Plata is BEAUTIFUL!

The crew at dinner (my last night)

Slacking

I will update this blog soon. My brother is visiting and we have been quite busy. More coming soon!

Just Hanging Out with the Nuncio

Monday November 1, 2010

Day 59

I worked on my two month summary today and finally finished it.  It was originally four pages but I cut it down to two pages.  I had so much to say but I figured no one would want to read something that long.  I also worked on translating an article about last week’s visit.  Project HOPE made the news of course!  We stayed at the office until almost 8:30pm and then went to my favorite grocery store to get some things for tomorrow.  Tomorrow they are having a special mass at the clinic and the Nuncio is coming.

Tuesday November 2, 2010

Day 60

Today was a very busy morning. Teresa and I went to the grocery store to get more things for the mass and the little snack after.  Teresa had something else to do so I was in charge of preparing the food.  We wanted to provide some refreshments to eat after the mass for the caballeros and damas (knights and ladies) of the Order of Malta and of course for the Nuncio too.  I cut about 5 pounds of cheese and made it look lovely of course. (Thanks mom for teaching me about food presentation.) I helped prepare the room and set the table as well.

The mass was really nice.  There were probably about 60 people who came, many of which were employees from the clinic.  Earlier in the day, a few people transformed the clinic into a beautiful little chapel. It is amazing what a few white sheets and flowers can do.  The Nuncio is like the ambassador for the Dominican Republic to the Pope.  In other words, he is really important! He is actually from Poland and was the Nuncio for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan before his time here.  They move around like other ambassadors and I think he is getting a good deal serving in the Dominican Republic.

After the mass we went to the conference room for the refreshments (only the important people like the Order of Malta people and of course, Jaclyn).  One of the caballeros introduced me to the Nuncio and that was special. He is really down to earth and speaks English too!  The secretary to the Nuncio (a priest) overheard and started speaking in English too and asked me what school I graduated from and when I told him of course he replied “Oh, IU, the Hoosiers!” I found out after that he was from Nebraska (Cornhuskers).  I could obviously tell when they were both speaking during the mass that they weren’t native Spanish speakers but for some reason I didn’t think the priest from Nebraska was from the US.  Oh those Americans can be so sneaky with their accents!

In the afternoon I observed in the administration department.  I learned a few things but ended up leaving early because it had been raining a lot all day and Matteo was afraid it was going to get worse.  Remember that thing I wrote a few weeks ago about people being afraid of the rain in this city?  Still true.

Fun Facts:

1.       Tomas is making me nervous. I have an important visitor coming Friday and fun plans with friends on Sunday.  I am also worried about the people in Haiti and I am hoping it turns away from Haiti.

2.       The Nuncio and Secretary had a little traveling mass kit, complete with all of the things they needed for the mass and it was packed neatly in a suitcase.

3.       I was eating my soup on Tuesday and encountered a big piece of meat. I thought it was fat on the bone so I didn’t eat it. Teresa asked me why I wasn’t eating it and I told her it was because it was all fat. She said that it wasn’t fat and that it was cartilage.  I still was unsure and then she told me it was pig feet. After that I politely declined to eat it.  This is where not knowing about meat really can be dangerous. 

4.       People wash bananas here.

Peace,

Jaclyn

Halloween Weekend?

Saturday October 30, 2010

Day 57

Today was another relaxing weekend day in Santo Domingo.  We were planning to go to play basketball and use the gym at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel but at almost the exact same time in the afternoon, both of the kids got sick. It was so strange but definitely could have been a case study in epidemiology.  As quick as the kids got sick, they got better too.  When they were better we went to the movies.  We saw “Eat, Pray, Love” in English (Spanish subtitles) which was pretty good.  I read the book the first week I was here so I was glad we got to see the movie.  The last time we were at the movies there were only a few other people in the theater so I wasn’t able to get the real experience.  Well the real experience here is quite interesting.  People laugh at the most inappropriate times and people chat during the whole movie.   No one yells at anyone or tells them to be quiet.

Sunday October 31, 2010

Day 58

I kept forgetting today was Halloween.  I love Halloween but without the candy, costumes and trick or treaters it can easily fly by as just another day.  The only reminders during the day were the constant Facebook picture uploads that kept popping up on my screen.  Everyone needs to show off their costume pictures of course.  Actually when we were at the mall to see the movie on Saturday I saw a few people dressed up in costume and the theater was decorated with orange and black balloons.

In the afternoon, we all helped Teresa make ceviche for lunch.  Her ceviche is a lot different than any other ceviche that I have tried.  This type is made with tomatoes and when it is finished looks more like gazpacho.  She also cooks her fish before she makes it which isn’t how it is traditionally prepared.  The finished product was delicious!

After lunch the kids and I watched Coraline.  I am not really a fan of animated movies but this one wasn’t too bad.  I also enjoyed it because it was a little scary (well I mean for kids it would probably be scarier) so it was fitting for Halloween.

Fun Facts:

1.       They have an “As Seen on TV” store in the mall.

2.       You can buy beer at the movie theater.

3.       The security guards in the mall parking lots have a whole scheme set up to make money off “good parking spots”. They put a cone or something in the spot and when they see you, they move it away and let you park in it.  They know you’ll appreciate their kindness and give them a tip when you leave. So smart yet so wrong. 

4.       You can get just about anything delivered to your door here.  The other day I saw someone get cereal delivered.  Now that is a dream come true for me!

Peace,

Jaclyn

Ending the Week, Starting the Weekend

Thursday October 28, 2010

Day 55

Today was our last day with the visitors from the US.  We all had a nice breakfast at the Dominican Fiesta and then went to the clinic for a tour and a little meeting.  I prepared a lot for the tour but Teresa actually did most of it.  She has so much passion for that clinic so it is hard to keep her from sharing it.  It was still nice to show everyone around the place that I have grown to like so much.  I had a sense of ownership that I didn’t think I would have for a place I have only been at for less than two months.  After the tour we had a little meeting with two of the Cabelleros or Knights of Malta.  They both spoke English so that made everything even easier.  After the clinic we headed to the Santo Domingo Country Club for lunch.  I went with one of the cabaelleros and his driver because there wasn’t enough room for me.  I think this whole “not having enough room for Jaclyn” thing is becoming a theme. (Happened twice that day and a few times this week already)  Either way, we got there and I was so surprised to see a country club less than a mile from Teresa’s house.  How did I miss that these last 54 days? The lunch was nice and the conversation was good.  It was nice having the visitors but their presence has increased my calorie intake tenfold and for that reason it is OK that they are leaving today. 

Friday October 29, 2010

Day 56

We went back to our regular schedule today.  I went back to my research and other assignments and Teresa went back to, I am not sure but probably just saving the world as usual. I am being serious and not sarcastic at all.  I have been following the cholera epidemic in Haiti very closely and have noticed how some newspapers and websites report on the same story and give totally different facts.  The health officials in the Dominican Republic are doing a ton of health education and prevention and praying that it doesn’t cross the border.  If it does, I think they’ll be more than ready. 

We left a little early today to do some errands and get the kids from school.  I was happy to see all of the kids at Cynthia’s school dressed in orange and black for Halloween.  When I got there they were disassembling a huge structure that Cynthia later told me was a haunted house that was actually dark and scary.  I spent the rest of the day and night relaxing and I am glad that this tiring but great week is over.

Fun Facts:

1.       My brother is coming in 7 days! (See previous post)

2.       The sweet dessert I bought last week is supposed to be served with cheese and that is why I found it too sweet.

3.       People in the street market next to the office have TV’s set up to watch.

4.       The Dominican Republic is preparing their health information about cholera in Spanish and in Creole.   I plan to learn French in the next coming years but Creole just seems impossible!

5.       See photo below.

Peace,

Jaclyn

A helmet with room for a ponytail? Great idea!