No English Allowed

So, I have been here two weeks officially at 11 PM tomorrow night. It really feels like two months already. The language has been a difficult hurdle, yet I jump over it every day with greater ease. The first day, to be honest, was terrible. I have never been so isolated before. I realized then that it was solely my responsibility to communicate with most everyone I spent my days and nights with. I prayed for a very long time that night for God to grant me peace and energy to learn more every day. He reminded me that my life is His not anyone else’s, including myself, so I don’t need another person to communicate with other than my Lord. He knows English too!!

In two weeks I able to communicate fairly well for daily conversations yet continue to need a translator when working. I believe by the end of this first month, I will do just fine on my own… hopefully. English is allowed only when I am teaching others… and there are many! The children at the Desayuno program swarm me when they see I have pulled out “mi libro muy importante, mi diccionario” (translation: “my very important book, my Spanish-english dictionary.” Some kids soak it up and ask me to translate words representing the world around them and others get frustrated with me and say “no Ingles! Dicho espanol!”

I honestly can’t say how this opportunity has been an answer to prayers; mine and the staff of the Luke Society at El Cacique! They have wanted to help the community but had no idea how to do it (even though the already were without knowing it). One very important and disturbing fact is that there is NO social welfare system in this country. For example, there are no laws or policies protecting human rights issues as they relate to poverty, mental illness, physical disabilities, substance abuse, and child protection. Well, there are laws against human trafficking, prostitution (adult and child), and severe child abuse yet these are rarely enforced, specifically in the slums. We all know that poverty is one of the biggest barriers to opportunity since resources are limited. It seems that once you become used to struggling to have you and your family’s basic needs met (and often fail) you eventually succumb to despair. In this country, where there are no examples of groups of people rising out of poverty in a healthy manner, the people have nothing to look to and strive toward other than their own personal gain. We, meaning Sociedad Lucas and I, are hoping that with the work we will do in the next months El Cacique can be THE example of a grass roots effort of healthy community development!

We begin the survey/census on Monday and with 4 groups going out we are hoping to have all houses covered in the week. Another exciting development is the Public Health Department got word of our efforts in this community and have promised to provide support for efforts to improve the general public health. This community is a public health issue, among other things, as it sits adjacent to the region’s dump. This is far greater than any city dump I know of in the states. I have never seen such a site as this dump and can’t believe people can live so close without getting really sick. I suppose they have some sort of immunity against illness from it. It does serve the people as a tienda (store) of sorts, as people equip their homes, clothe their families, and even find food with items found here.

I am still at the resort and enjoying myself quite well. Except for the very loud fact that my room is two floors directly above the discoteque. The music is not to my liking but fills my room non-the-less. It went on until 3:30 both mornings! I have fashioned some homemade ear plugs, MacGyver style, and will wore them last night! The weather at the beach was lovely last evening; still very warm but with a cool breeze. And I am happy to report the mosquitoes have taken a break from my skin and the count has halted at 52 bites! I have stopped speaking Spanish (yeah for English!) since arriving and am wondering if I have lost all that I have learned. But I’ll be back in the grind tomorrow afternoon.

The roads are crazy needing much repair as the ones I remember in Costa Rica…oh my! And I have discovered there are no reglas (rules) for driving here! Everyone jokes with me that I will have to start driving myself around soon….i say ah, no grasias I don’t think so! If you have ever driven into TJ Mexico at the border where the lanes suddenly end becoming one massive lane of mayhem, you would know what it is like to drive anywhere in the DR! I have had three near heart attacks while trying to cross the highway. Oh my muy peligroso!! My friends also tell me I have to take the motocochos (motorcycle taxis). This is nothing I really have the desire to do considering the aforementioned driving conditions!

My favorite new Spanish word is Traquila… take it easy, chill, simmer down. My little sister here, Carla is told this many times a day by her brothers and her mom! I think of my dear lovely Maybelline now every time I hear it! J So thankful for my parents for taking good care of my Maybell and Marley.

My favorite Dominican foods thus far are: 1. Arroz Blanca con Habichuelas, 2. Sancocho, and 3. mofongo con plantenos, as well as 4. jugo papaya con leche. En Ingles: 1. Steamed rice with a white bean sauce 2. A pea-like soup with roots, huge chunks of yucca or yam (not sure), plantains, chicken (with the bones too), white rice and avacate (avocados) 3. A wonderful dish made with plantains or potatoes, cheese, onions, and either chicken, shrimp, or beef baked to perfection! I love yellow plantains and green tomatoes here. The pineapple, papaya, cantaloupe, bananas and mandarin oranges are delicioso! I can’t complain about the café con leche either! They also like sandwiches and pizza here as do i. Sad to say, they also like Burger King, KFC, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut. It is apparent they don’t LOVE fast food as we American’s do… hardly any overweight people here. I have only encountered one obese person. Sad to think how one day doesn’t go by when you don’t see overweight people back home. Well, we are the culture of over-indulgence, I suppose.

Okay, i hope this post makes sence, it is a mixture of stuff i wrote a week ago, last night, and this morning. Chaos it probably is. Enjoy! Will post pics of the dump and of a much prettier place...the beach next!
Vaya con Dios,
Mi amor~
Mjoy