poco a poco

la ciudad de Santiago: view from the monument

Crazy things happen in this country. On Sunday I went to mass with my host family, and so my host mother Daisy drove us there (which can be scary). When we got to the church, Daisy parked on the SIDEWALK. Just hopped right on up there like it was nothing. She didn’t even look to see if the parking lot was full! And THEN when we crossed the street I saw that she wasn’t the only one! Apparently it is acceptable to park on the SIDEWALK here! Hahahahaha. That is the first thing that has honestly surprised me about the DR. No, I take that back. The first thing that surprised me is that you are not supposed to flush your toilet paper! Apparently the plumbing is less than stellar.


So here are mis palabras nuevas, my new words: deshidratarse – to become dehydrated, como “Hoy mi sobrina se deshidrató” (like “Today my niece became dehydrated”). Por lo menos, pienso es corecto. At least, I think that’s right. El cajero – ATM. Salvación – salvation. Salvar – to save or rescue, como “Jesús te salva”. (Like “Jesus saves you”.) Y por ultimo (and finally), salvaje – wild, savage or cruel, como “Amor Salvaje”, una telenovela yo vi últimamente (Like “Wild Love, a soap opera I saw recently). La acera – the sidewalk. (Yes, I am still laughing about that.) 


Conchos – public cars that drive the same routes around the city. They are generally old sedans with five seats, but it’s not at all unusual to cram seven people in there. Dominican drivers conducen como personas locas. They drive like crazy people! It’s not necessary to wear a seat belt, stay in one lane, or stop at stop signs. Instead of stopping at an intersection, it’s common to just honk as you approach so other cars know you’re coming!


Another common occurrence while on the street is los piropos or “compliments” from men as I walk by. Sometimes they hiss and other times they say things like “Me gustan rubias mucha” which roughly means “I really like blondes/light-skinned women”. As a woman, you’re not supposed to acknowledge them or give them any attention. But this morning I couldn’t help but laugh. I was walking by El Fogón, a hangout for university students near my apartment, when a man said to me, “Esscuse me! Esscuse me! I need a visa! I needa go to New York!” Hahahaha. Dime. Sorry brother, you’re gonna have to apply for that visa all by yourself.


Oddly, I have never been so excited to start classes, which I will on Thursday. Today I went to PUCMM (my university here) to register for classes. I'm taking Spanish grammar, History of the Dominican Republic, Introduction to Latin American Literature, and Latin American Culture and Society. But my favorite as of now is Community Service Practicum. Every Thursday I will go for a few hours to a school to teach English to children in poverty, and I am so excited about this opportunity.


Sometimes life is really hard here, but sometimes beautiful things happen that make me think this is going to be worth it. Like seeing a panoramic view of the city of Santiago from atop a huge hill in the middle of the city. Or like having an hour and a half conversation with my host mother about Dominican/Haitian relations and the injustices of the immigration system in the United States. (No, I’m not fluent yet; estoy lejos de dominar el español. But dear Daisy speaks very slowly and clearly with me now, gracias a Dios.) So I am indeed learning, poco a poco. Bit by bit.