Piergiorgio Palace Hotel Sosua

... seen anything like that - and then gave him a round of applause when his head (safely) broke the surface. I was a little indignant that I did not get the same reaction going off of the 6-foot rope swing.

After goodbyes all around, we headed back to town to watch the amazing sunset from our terrace, batido in hand. Batidos are milkshakes made with fresh fruit - in this case, papaya - and they're the perfect antidote to a steamy tropical evening.

... stoop in the evenings. Once the sun sets, it's all about watching people go by. On our walk, many of the homes were lit by kerosene lanterns. Electricity is very unreliable here, so we weren't sure if the power was out in those homes, or if they have some sort of rationing system. Many of the kerosene-lit homes clearly had electricity (fridges and TV's, for example) but were also set up to function without it.

... has
changed me, and has offered me a new perspective on what is really important in
life.  Sometimes I wonder if the past two years of struggling through this
doctoral program has been worth it.  So many sacrifices on the part of my
family.  Time away from Ellie--
I know that when she gets older, I will tell her about the kind, selfless people
who live in a different part of the world.  I hope that, if anything, this
Sosua, Dominican Republic lstockwell

... 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 ...

We pray for children
Who sneak popsicles before supper,
Who erase holes in math workbooks,
Who can never find their shoes.
And we pray for those
Who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
Who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
Who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead.
We pray for those who never go to the circus,
Who live in an X-rated world,
Santiago, Dominican Republic lstockwell

... 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 ...

... nicknamed Casa Goethe). A large number of their students are from Germany or neighboring Austria or Switzerland, so at the breakfast table I could hear many of them chattering in German. Since Frank is also taking his kite-surfing class at a German-run company, we joked that we came to the Dominican Republic to take a "German vacation." I was placed in a class with 3 other girls, one from D.C., a German, and a Hungarian ...

... or braid my hair. Well, we waited and waited for our dad to come get us, as we thought he would, but he didn't. So then Leanna and I finally went to lunch around 12:30pm and then Lynette and our dad came to us at lunch, getting back from "Beyond" - they had gone without us!! Really nice. And they knew we had wanted to go too - my dad took everyone except Leanna and I. That was probably our last chance to go out there - oh well, I guess ...

... for awhile. The weather was starting to get worse and it even rained (lightly sprinkled) for a bit. The water was getting a little rougher and it was getting a bit cold (windy). Then we went back up to our rooms and Leanna and I rested a bit. We weren't going for dinner until 9pm (reservations had been made for the Italian restaurant then). During that time, it got dark and then it started to pour! (I am so glad I thought to bring an umbrella!) I guess this was ...

... tonight. It's interesting how we see our group in that movie a lot- we do have a lot of trust and we are fighting a racially-tense fight here. Today, we were set back by a water and electricity shortage and then a huge downpour. We went to Nazaret and I was on construction again- on a fireline with cinder blocks and then wiring together rebar. Mud was ALL over our shoes. Now we're at Sosua. BIEN. The next time I write to you, I'll be in ...