Hotel Waterfront Sosua

... three weeks she had organized her first spay/neuter clinic, and now she works with all the local vets. She had been living in SF, but she moved to the DR to decrease costs and allow her to work for Animal Balance full-time - a brilliant move. She's really a force. So we enjoyed a cold glass of water while catching up in her peaceful, tropical garden.

Emma also had some great recommendations for places to go, so after we left her house we ...

... define that, because the whole north coast is stunning. The beach is indeed gorgeous, with trees buffering the road from the soft sandy beach and a long peninsula of palm trees shielding one side of the bay. Shen was hoping to surf, but the guy with the surfboards wasn't there, and also there wasn't there any surf. Supposedly it gets very good in the winter, but this time of year it's hard to predict. He ...

... gives me the fortitude to be a good mother and role model for my
daughter.  Someday I'll share stories about these people, and I hope that
by doing so, my daughter will grow up to be sensitive and caring, and
hopefully, will have the same opportunity to offer her time and expertise to
those less fortunate than her.
I'm certain that I will be staying home for a while.  Only two semesters left
until graduation, so I have a long haul ...

... imagine what it smells like, and what a health risk it is to live there.
I saw a little boy today.  He is 4 years old.  He lives with his parents and 4 siblings in a one-room "house" built out of rusted tin and tires.  Upon meeting him, I could tell that this child was gravely ill.  He contracted Dengue Fever over a week ago, was hospitalized, but released home.  I'm not sure ...

... aren't spoiled by anybody,
Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
Who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for children who want to be carried,
And for those who must,
For those we never give up on
And for those who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother,
And for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.
 -----by Marian Wright Edelman 

... community (men go for seasonal work).  The women recently learned how to make candles and bracelets, which they are allowed to go outside the Batey to sell, but have to "pay off" the checkpoint guards when they enter and exit the compound.  There are so many moral and ethical issues surrounding the Bateys, too numerous to mention.  The children came running to meet us, some naked, some ...

... they can inside, and there really is no concept of "a seat." They pack people so tightly inside that sometimes people are half-sitting on top of each other. And since everyone can be crammed in so tight with no aisle in the van, if someone way in the back needs to get off, usually a few people near the door need to physically get out of the van to let that person out, and that person is still usually stepping between and ...

... 70, but it gets a lot cheaper (half price and less) with 4 people or more. (Later on I asked around if anyone wanted to go scuba diving with me and about 5 of us want to do it so we'll see!) He'll give you a free 15 minute lesson in the pool as well to see if you want to do the whole scuba lesson + diving, so I'll probably do that just to make sure. I wanted to look into getting a pedicure (which I badly needed), so Leanna and I ventured past the pool and further ...

... pendant that I liked. I asked him how much it was and he told me to put all the items I wanted in one pile and then he would quote me a price for all of them. So I was obligated to look some more. I found a pretty blue stoned ring that I liked, and then also a beautiful silver dolphin bracelet that I really liked. I asked him how much for all three and he said $90US! There was no way I was going to pay that much and I told him it was "trop" (too much ...

... Yesterday, myself and 4 other people walked to Ascension village instead of joining the rest of the group at Nazaret. We walked to Ascension in order to get a little understanding of what it's like to walk to work in the hot DR sunshine.. It took about an hour and a half. It was a very nice walk- pleasant company as well. However, my legs were killing me because I have a couple nice shiners that have become evident since the 27 ...