Clarion Santo Domingo Hotel

... USM (University of Southern Maine) to help 14 different communities. I had never translated in a work setting before so in the beginning it was a little difficult but I got the hang of it towards the end. Dominicans complain a lot of dolor de cabeza (headaches), dolor de estomago (stomach pain) but some of the complaints that I was not ready for were those about the feminine region. It ended up being the running joke because for some reason I always ...

... and give me a call. I accept all types of support. While I'm talking about Christmas and non-profits and while I have you as a captive audience, I have a request to make for this holiday season. If you find yourself stumped for what to buy a friend or a family member for a gift this year, please consider making a donation to a non-profit in that person's name. This year more than ever non-profits need financial help. With our lovely recession, the usual donors ...

... the crowd to go away, that there were no more sales because it was unsafe! The people were NOT happy at all, but I got out of there...only to find that the line had dissolved after the announcement, and my people were gone! So I went to a refreshment stand and sent a text message saying where I was. I got one back, telling me to come inside the gate, and that Victoria was somewhere on the right hand side. So I went in, only to kind more chaos ...

I arrived home last night around 10 p.m .I brought a Dominican Flag to bring back to the states with me & a sarde carna dish from this local restaurant , with it the steak it had rice & beans .... Total 53 pesos. (I think im on the right track!!!!) Since I have a big day today , I ordered room service for breakfast which cost me 30 pesos . But it was worth it. A ...

So.. our first day in the Dominican Republic! We have breakfast in the hotel (Mercure Hotel - Santo Domingo) (awesome buffet.. many fresh fruits, toast, bread, cornflakes, meat,...) and then Juan comes and pick us up with the car of the company. We drive to the project El Piño. It's in the slums of Santo Domingo. First we meet the project manager José and he explaines us (in spanish... but one employee translate it to German and Juan to English) what they're ...

... long weekend in September for Sarah's wedding, then Mom and Dad are down here for a visit in October, so I have lots more things to look forward to. Back here things are going well. My water filters got delivered a few days after I got to my site and we have been busy distributing and installing them. Each one weighs a couple hundred pounds, and also comes with a huge sack of sand, so they are pretty difficult to move, especially given that almost no ...

... want to work with me and care about me! Not like the other community where I got no visitors and nobody even wanted to stop by to talk to me!I finally feel like I am needed and wanted....which actually motivates me to want to work and be a peace corps volunteer. Also, in this past week my work has doubled. I basically went from doing NOTHING to doing EVERYTHING! I got 2 youth groups and 1 womens group started. One of my youth groups is ...

... someday when I have more time. We only have two more weeks here in Sabana, which doesn't even seem possible. Next weeks, it's Semana Santa, which is Holy Week, and is a really big deal here. Everyone comes to this town, too, because of the beaches and access to Samana, as well. There is a lot of family, eating, drinking, and of course, dancing. We have been going out dancing every weekend, and every time I feel like I'm getting better, I realize that I'm still ...

... will still remain poor! So I have learned that the holidays are very depressing, especially when the christmas spirit doesn´t exist!! Besides these sad holidays, nothing new has been going on really. I have been reading lots of novels, and listening a lot to my music. Here is on thing that really bugs me about my town. That they blast the same 5 bachata music over and over again....all day long, everyday...for the past month!! Which is why my cd player has become my ...

... the fourth day that I could leave the hospital the next day and I was jumping for joy....until the next day I woke up with a fever again and feeling horrible. They found out that while Dengue had left me, a nasty lung infeccion had moved in and taken up residence. There would be no escape for me, unfortunately. Another day in the hospital passed and I was allowed to leave, but I would have to stay with an Embassy family for four days to get more rest until the ...