I almost miss it

A weekend in (cloudy and rainy) Puerto Rico was a good little stepping stone to returning back to los Estados Unidos...

It is cold in this country! (I can't wait to go to "summer" in Norway and Iceland in a few weeks, where it's barely above freezing.) And everyone speaks English and follows rules, such as traffic laws. Do I miss the DR? For all its issues, at least it feels very alive there - American suburbia is kind of freaking me out.

It took a while to fall asleep last night... it was so quiet! And so dark! I almost had to find a fan to turn on full blast next to a radio on one of the Spanish language stations to lull me to sleep. Plus I didn't have to douse myself in insect repellant or lie in a very specific position to minimize contact with the sheet and avoid rolling into one of the depressions in the high quality mattress.

I did get to eat Chipotle right after getting off the plane, so points for the US. And tonight I am looking forward to salad that doesn't smell faintly of bleach and isn't totally wilted. And it is nice to have reliable electricity and running water (that I can even drink from the tap).

Must go finish that pesky little report... so it was supposed to be done last Friday. Eh, I'm on Dominican time now.

bueeeno...

I am leaving La República Dominicana in less than 24 hours. Having resigned myself to finishing my project report when I get home, because I will apparently be spending the entire day chit chatting and saying goodbye to people, I have decided to reflect on how I have changed as a result of my time here. I've acquired some new habits, and reinforced some old ones. Pa' que sepas, here we go... New habits - - mixing equal parts sugar and coffee - mixing equal parts coffee and water (to avoid heart palpitations from excessive caffeine) - only ever reaching for the cold water tap - showering twice a day - preferring beer so cold it has ice flakes in it - making lots of noise and turning on all the lights before entering the kitchen at night (to shoo away vermin) - being unable to sleep without a lullaby of colmado music, honking, car alarms and random people shouting - playing into the machismo - getting my nails done on a regular basis Back (or amplified) with a vengance - - talking with my hands - speaking in Spanglish - listening to (and singing along badly with) Spanish pop - not bothering to keep my temper in check - collecting large earrings - finding low necklines and tight pants completely appropriate for all occasions

And then when I get home, I will probably develop a keen sense of outrage at the price and quality of fruit. And the lack of Coca Cola Light. And the price of manicures/pedicures.

cold front

Something strange is going on here. Either I have started to adapt to the heat, or the temperature has plummeted to 80 degrees. But for the past two mornings, I have woken up chilly enough to turn off my fan and turn on the hot water heater to take a warmer-than-frigid shower. I will take this change as proof that I am becoming more Dominican. Which means I am going to get my nails done today with some ridiculous design on them. A flower? Some sort of stripes or other pattern? So many options...

when protozoans attack

Really it is no wonder that I spent my last weekend in the Dominican Republic recovering from a fun little bout of giardia. You would think that public health and medical professionals would do things like wash their hands after using the bathroom. This is not so much the case and I can't help making a face every time I witness this practice (or lack thereof). I do not even want to think about what this means for people who handle the food I eat. At least the cooks do not give lectures on the importance of hygiene in your local clinic. Where is my Purell? Oh that's right, it (okay, Manitos Limpias, the local version) fell off my table two weeks ago and the high-quality plastic bottle broke and leaked it all over my floor, making the floor next to my bed by far the cleanest spot in the house. At least I didn't get dengue or malaria. Oh wait, there's still five days left for that!

she get it from her mama

Maybe I have been acting sassier recently or maybe it's because I bought some new large hoop earrings or because I acquired a pair of very snug jeans, but lately my friends and coworkers have been informing me they can see I have sangre latina. (This may also be a reference to the demise of my Spanish skills as I start chopping off syllables and slurring my words together.) When the boricua roots are revealed everyone says "I knew it!" and tells me they can see it in my face or behavior or attitude. Then this weekend it transformed to "you know, you could be Dominican" but maybe if I dyed my hair darker because you know, there are some white Dominicans. But apparently not with brown hair like mine. I would also have to shun the sun and get as pale as possible, because as I was asked yesterday, why do the gringos like the sun so much? And then I was told that we all look alike, in reference to two my fairer skinned, blonde, blue eyed roommates and me. Well, everyone thought Katie and I were sisters when she was here. Maybe I'll dye my hair blonde too and then they really won't be able to tell us apart - or maybe with blonde hair and darker roots I can really pass as one of the white dominicanas.

taxi driver

I was too cranky this morning to deal with public transportation (aka small sketchy cars with 7-8 people crammed inside, but a bargain at 30 cents per ride) so I called a cab. Lucky me, I got one of the cabbies who thinks gringas require two things. One, air conditioning. Fine, just don't try and charge me extra for it when I didn't tell you to put it on in the first place. Two, "classical" music, which is really elevator smooth jazz muzak. Put some Spanish pop on already, perhaps from my favorite radio station, Radio Disney. At least he wasn't one of the evangelicals who tries to save you in the 10-15 minutes you are a captive audience.

Why can't they all be like mi amigo Luis who drove me home last week? Our conversation started slowly but eventually Luis got around to telling me about his pending visa application to go to Italy. Then he flexed his biceps and announced he's working out because when he gets to Italy on his tourist visa, he intends to find work and stay there - did I mention he intends to be a stripper. I cracked up at first - and then realized he was serious. Well at least he didn't mind that I kept laughing. Especially as he continued to tell me about his plans to find a wife - a wife who can be no younger than 72 years old. "I will marry for love!" he kept telling me, and I guess his version of amor is a bank account and a pension, and he was quite convinced he will meet his future missus in an Italian disco. Overall it was the best cab ride I have ever had - his car was nice and appeared to have all its parts in working order, he didn't charge me for AC, he let me underpay him by 10 pesos because I didn't have enough cash, and he provided the highlight of my day. I wonder where I put his card with his cell number on it, I might have to call him to get me this afternoon.

strike!

Yesterday, the Dominicans went on strike to protest all sorts of things, including the water and elecricity supply. However, it has not occurred to many of them to try paying for their utilities and see what happens to the continuity of services. There were some warnings of the strike getting violent, but in the end it just meant serious disruptions in public transporation (thank goodness for my carpool) and lighter traffic on the roads.

This weekend of course had its own transporation adventures for me and the verdadera rubia visiting me. Katie and I managed to have a good weekend down in the southwest of the country despite communication issues and problems with the bus system, but yelling at taxi drivers was kept to a minimum.

Now it's serious crunch time at work, and I have to somehow fabricate a project experience report out of interviews with staff and clients I couldn't understand a good quarter of the time, and they couldn't understand my questions sometimes either. Really, I thought I was going to be in a country where I would understand the language/be understood... I give up. Mi esfuerza está de huelga.

drink the kool-aid already

I have had it with this country's obsession with Pepsi. I don't care if Daddy Yankee tells them to drink it. Everyone knows that Coca Cola makes vastly superior beverages, from the original cola to all the delicious Fanta flavors and more. I wanted a Fanta Naranja this weekend and got some disgusting peach colored bubblegum flavored drink because the establishment served Pepsi products. (Yes, that establishment was KFC but don't judge.) And let's be honest, Coca Cola Light is one of man's greatest inventions, right up there with cheese, guacamole, Reese's, and mojitos. The next time I am informed that Pepsi Light is my only option, I may pitch one of my newly perfected temper tantrums.

i need a nap

The weekend began with my roommates' despedida, which was a good six or so hours of slowly taking over the downstairs bar. Most of the gringos played along well with the theme of the party, which was to come in your best Dominican mami or papi outfit. Eventually pictures will get posted somewhere. However, the night didn't quite finish like a normal serious party should have (with much sleep) because the glorious heat, humidity, and sun woke us up about 3 hours after we made it to bed. Oh well.

The rest of the weekend was spent wandering around the Zona Colonial playing turista. This is an activity that is good for the unpaid intern budget, as it is free to go into churches and the entrance fee for one of the major landmarks in the area is about 30 cents. Really the biggest expense is the constant water and juice one must buy to replace the gallons of sweat.

Saturday night was a throwback to study abroad. We got a "grande" (those are the large 40-ounce-esque beers shared between friends) and went to the drinking park, where everyone sits outside in this square - yes, in front of a church - with their beverages and friends. Excellent people watching. I'm sure it would have gotten better if we had been able to stay awake longer but we could not do another rager until the wee hours.

I'm trying to wean myself off the coffee here, but I think I will start that tomorrow.