Quality Hotel Real Aeropuerto Santo Domingo

... out she kept crying and trying to run away from him. He was especially hurt being that he's a Youth volunteer. COMING FROM THE CAPITAL: is always a relief. In the capital, it's almost like being back in the states with a faster pace of life, but I miss being back at my site after a while. It's just so much slower and tranquilo, where I'm not constantly being bombarded with noise, pollution, and big buildings. It is also nice coming back and being well ...

... of these organizations, and had to find them (which of course, hilarity ensued). The journey took us around in circles because, as we learned, Dominicans like to "save face" even when they don't know the answer to a question. For example, if you asked a Dominican for directions, if he/she did not know the answer, the person would just guess and point in an arbitrary direction. BUT VOLUNTEERS DON'T DRESS UP: That is, of ...

... things at restaurants and hotels using a mix of broken Spanish and hand gestures. Although the average Dominican's salary is $300 per month, the typical dress does not differ that much to anything I've seen in the States. The only thing I will comment on is that despite the extreme heat and humidity here, the people all wear suits and jeans during the day with no worries and sweat! This is how you are able to spot many of the tourists ...

... my host family and other community members. So, to explain the title of this blog . . . there is a bachata song that has the line "que bonita es esta vida" or "how beautiful is this life" that I have been hearing a lot lately. It puts a smile on my face because it sums up how crazy and beautiful this experience has been. It has been a roller coaster at times, both professionally and personally, but I am so very glad that I came, I stayed ...

... crowded as you can imagine. lots of hotel/ restaurants too that Sarah and I just walked into and helped ourselves to the buffet lunch only to find out that you had to be staying at the hotel. We had to pay the chef and the security guy under the table. Haha. Bribery! We walked along the beach but couldn´t find too many places free and the music was so loud you could probably hear it several kms away. Many people brought their $40,000 stereo systems to the beach with ...

... but also focus on concepts like self-esteem and civic participation. In other news, I am still training for a half-marathon at the end of June (I will post pictures of the race afterwards). I just bought a stovetop oven. It sort of looks like an elaborate Bundt pan but you can put it on top of a gas stove and use it to bake bread, brownies, etc. I have sorely missed baking here in the DR since I do ...

... and demanded her money and possessions, of which she had none, for all she brought with her was her keys which I carried in my pocket. Then the waif with the weapon approached me, machete high in the air and threatening, and though I had an almost empty 40 oz bottle of beer in my hand as my best defense against his arm of choice, the other two mangy derelicts held Mary´s hands behind her with a knife to her back. I receded towards the ...

... I have wanted to go whale watching ever since I could remember. Also, the good news for this week is that my front patio of my future house is finally complete. I now have a functioning latrine, a fenced in hard and a cemented patio where I will have my future meetings. Now all that is left to do is remove all the junk out of the house, pressure wash it clean, and move in all my stuff. I am estimating that in 2 weeks I will be living on my own! And I ...

... The very next day was Camp GLOW (Girls Leading our world) or "Estrellas de Hoy" (Dominican verstion)the camp to which I would take girls from my community (two from Pimentel, two from Los Limones) to teach them about leadership and fun with about 15 other volunteers and girls from their sites. First, I must give a huge "shout out" to Nancy Hurtado and Leah Withers for their generous donations which made this camp a reality for these girls! These girls wouldn't have had the ...

... and I´ve got a custom made chair on the way. I also want to make a garden so I can have some veggies on hand. Yesterday was my buddy´s birthday so I walked over to his site (about an hour and 45 min) and we celebrated with a few other volunteers who live close by. My friend and I killed and plucked our first chickens and now I can add that to the list of things I can do. We practiced or whip skills, he is far more advanced ...