Casa Marina Beach Sosua

... Juan Dolio. Matilda was meeting the bride for lunch ( I was also supposed to, but Sunday travel is slow, and I wanted to be sure I caught a bus), and then would travel back to the farm for one more night before heading back on Monday morning. I had to get back on Sunday, however, because I was teaching the next day. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the bus ride back to Santo Domingo...it was a direct route back to the capital, and only 3 hours. The ...

... plague most developing-world beach dogs. Since we didn't really have an itinerary ahead of time, I hadn't told her we were coming and I had no idea where she lived except "Cabrera." The town was not the tiny place that we had expected, so we thought we'd have no chance of finding her - but apparently expats can't hide as easily as they may sometimes wish! We had an awesome lunch (where I learned that they only use the term "habichuelas" for beans ...

... can afford. As soon as you walk into the reception area, you get a grand view of the ocean, with tables set on a patio in the open air. The terrace below literally juts out over the water, and the waves (tiny as they are) break against the building. A broad outdoor spiral staircase leads to three levels, all with wide balconies facing the water. The hotel has seen some wear and tear, but it's truly beautiful ...

... 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 ...

... never get dessert,
Who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
Who watch their parents watch them die.
We pray for those who can't find any bread to steal,
Who don't have any rooms to clean up,
Whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
Whose monsters are real,
Whose nightmares come in the daytime.
And we pray for those who will eat anything,
Who have never seen a dentist,
Santiago, Dominican Republic lstockwell

... or Canada for that matter). After that I went back to the room to meet Leanna. She had gotten online here at the resort - the internet room is actually just near the massage place. You have to go first to the hotel front desk to get a login ID and password, after paying $3US for a half hour (or you can have an hour as well) and then you go to the internet room, which is unmanned, and wait for a computer. I will have to go there later in order ...

... than our walk there: I told one guy that I didn't have any money to spend at his store, I think, and he said to me "Just be polite and come to my store for a minute". Another store vendor guy told me I was pretty and shook my hand, AND he had flip flops (which I want to buy!), but I had to catch up with Leanna and my dad then, who I was losing. Further up, my dad took us to a restaurant where they had had live parrots last year and he asked a little boy ...