last post...

Hello and goodbye to all my blog readers-- this post will mark the last of this little adventure! The Dominican Republic was both terrible and wonderful-- it has a lot to offer but has a long way to go as well. The school systems are ineffective and disorganized, but there is a school system... the land is trashed, but the terrain is so lush and tropical it's ripe with potential... I was heavily warned not to walk alone, not to carry more money or goods than I needed, etc, yet I ended up finding money rather than being robbed.

Some of the best DR features tie into the most trying-- the people are so hospitable and would give you their last bowl of rice. This is ingrained in the kids as well- with so little, they share everything--give one a piece of candy and they'll all nibble on it (albeit at times a health issue...). Yet once you start giving, some kids (and adults...) will take and take and take, making setting boundaries an important part of service. It's frustrating donating your time and effort (and money) and having school kids still come up to you to beg a peso or two off of the gringa... or having the principle of the school ask you to paint the rest of the walls until she realizes she would have to supply the paint...

BUT for every taker there are so many kind and generous Dominicans who want a better country for themselves and for their children. I am happy to have had the opportunity to meet and support such people and will have a large Dominican family to return to if I ever make it back.

Thanks for reading!!
~Eulaila Rae

Oh Sosua!

Mmm, my lovely solstice... where the water feels like velvet





that montain in the background of this pic is actually the "hill" behind Puerto Plata (where the teleferico goes to). Sosua's a 45 minute guagua (the local "public" transport-- mini buses packed with people) ride from PP, but even the ride is worth the 30 pesos-- it's nice to escape the city life for some countryside vistas:)

"Queremos un mundo saludable! La basura al zafacon!"

My two student groups finished our mural this week! I tried to stay out of it as much as possible, mainly guiding the process as best I could-- turned out pretty cute! It's located on the end of the main school building below a walkway to the basketball court (and thus above the court)-- which meant I had a few tennis and basketballs contending with the paint... BUT all in all, not too much spilt paint to cry over:)

Monday (working backwards in the week) was a national holiday, although I'm not exactly sure what for, but everyone had at least the day off and some students (for other schools) had the whole week off. I spent the dia de fiesta at the beach and then at "Fun City" (pronounced more like foon city...), basically getting bruised up on the four go-cart racetracks. My favorite might have been the bumper cars (the Spanish term translates to "crashing cars") where the seat belt was literally a loose loop of nylon around your waist (really safe...)

There was a sweet jazz concert this past weekend in Cabarete (a nearby beach/resort town)-- by sweet I mean, I wish I had my camera for the awesome moves of the crowd (by awesome, read: awkward white people dancing) and for the musicians (the flutist--yes, there was a flutist-- hummed into his flute as a crowd raiser--nice!), and then for the awesome moves of dancers at the discotecs afterwards (by awesome, read: people can move like that?!? Wow, to be a Dominican...!) as well as for their outfits (think too small hot pink spandex, top, earrings, shoes, bracelets)!! I even got to try out my new meringue moves a bit once the bump 'n grind changed paces...

Politics are a hot topic these days, and with good reason!! Everyone here (it seems in any case) is pulling for Obama. Edwin gave a nice inspirational pep talk to his students yesterday using Obama as a role model to work hard and aspire for great things for yourself and others (i.e study and do your homework!!).

I myself am glued to the tv-- the lovely mediocre coverage of CNN Español... although it's more or less repeating coverage of the same mini stories...oh news!

Friday was a wash. Once it began raining last night the skies stayed dark and dumped lakes. I got stranded on Friday at a friend´s near the school (as school was cancelled due to rain), we watched the normally dry cañada fill and begin to overflow. The ground opposite us dropped into the river along with all the trash flowing out into the sea. The river expanded by about two meters! I finally bit the bullet and went home in the rain as it didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

I finally did some sight seeing this weekend, going up the teleferico (the only one in the country!) and going to the beach.

Today I went to another school which works with Vermont Institute of the Caribbean and has a Barrios Saludables, Niños Sanos program. The students were headed into the streets to talk with their neighbors about what the community likes and dislikes about their neighborhood and to hand out garbage bags. Both the school and the neighborhood seem to be both better organized and funded/wealthier than the school and neighborhood of Los Dominguez. Perhaps in sync with that, the education at the school seems far more advanced (actual hands on projects, creative thinking, guest speakers, etc.) and the over-all consciousness of the neighborhood in regard to trash and littering is also more advanced.

beach...

Close:

Closer:

Closest:

GO OBAMA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hahahahahahaha

saw this little wonder running the streets...couldn't resist the moment...