A rubia is a rubia is a rubia

Best quote from a student last week:

"But Teacher, why do all the American English teachers look the same?"

Apparently we're all just "blondies" to them :P

Surprise!

So my kids may not know how to say "water" in English, but one of them definitely busted out the word plumber today.

Where in the world did that come from?!

Never cease to be amazed...

So that's discrimination

Last night we went out for one of our usual late nights on the town. For those "usual" nights we start off at some liquor store. Now hold on, before you judge! These stores are a bit classier than the ABC stores in the States. They have tables and chairs set up outside and (naturally, because it's a Latin country) music is blaring all around. Then with your group of friends you buy a bottle of your liquor of choice-vodka, whiskey, rum; they've got it all-and then whatever you want to mix it with. Basically it's just a more formal way of pre-gaming. And the fabulous part about it? If you have guys in your group, they pay! I don't know what it is, some kind of unwritten rule I guess, but the cheap tacana in me loves it. :)

And then once you are sufficiently buzzed to put on your dancing shoes, you head out to some discoteca and get your merengue/reggaeton/salsa on.

This is how we do it here in the DR.

So after drinking our share of cervezas, we headed out to a club to dance the night away. We had plans to meet up with 3 Haitian friends of ours, but while we were inside waiting one of them came inside and said there was a problem. Apparently he was light-skinned enough to get inside, but his other 2 friends were not. The bouncers had blocked their path telling them it was a "private party". A total load of crap. I felt pretty outraged by the whole situation. I've never seen such overt discrimination in my life. The guys were taking it a lot better than me, explaining that it happens all the time and unfortunately there's nothing they can do because it's an underdeveloped, 3rd world country. I knew there was Haitian/Dominican race tensions, but that was the first time I'd seen it with my own eyes.

Living here I've definitely noticed that I am treated a little differently. I've gotten a free taxi ride, been given free spices from a vendor at the outdoor market, and in general been allowed to get by with a lot more things than Dominicans. (Of course it also goes the other way in that I'm blatantly ripped off at so many places!) Even the school where I work has different rules and standards for Dominicans versus Americans.

We decided that was not going to be the club for us, so we left and tried 2 other clubs. Both times we had trouble at the door, and had to repeatedly explain to the bouncer that the guys were with us until they were reluctantly allowed in.

And sadly that's a common attitude around here. How sheltered I've been being white and privileged

Current Dominican hit blowing up the airwaves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbkwE-XgZPI

I'm going to let you figure out on your own what "Pepe" means ;)

this week kicked butt (mine that is)

Well this is going to be a challenge. Turns out that while summer always feels so short, it's long enough to forget everything you know about a language you're learning. At least that's what seemed to happen with my new tiny second graders.

Over the course of 5 days, I heard less than 20 words spoken to me in English. By a collective 30 kids. Something about that math does not look right...I talked in English; they responded in Spanish (when they understood).

We played "Good Morning Mr. Judge". They changed it to "Hola Senor Judge".

I put some kids in the reading area when we did centers and I was told "Pero Teacher, yo no se como leer" (But Teacher, I don't know how to read). Which took me a little aback since I definitely went to their First Grade "Ya se leer/I can read' graduation.

I had kids come up to me and point at their crotch whispering "Pipi! Pipi!"

And then there was the discipline.

I took one kid out in the hall for a stern talking to about their mouth being closed while I am teaching, and he almost made me cry when he told me "Pero Teacher, yo hablo porque la clase esta aburrida" (But Teacher, I talk because this class is boring). I have never put so much energy and time and effort into 5 days of work. I was absolutely exhausted. We read books, we played games, we sang songs, we learned poems, we worked in centers, we did drama, we colored, and we acted silly silly silly. My voice was hoarse from trying to talk over them and my body was dragging from being so enthusiastic for 8 straight hours each day. And my class is boring?! I know you can only take was 7 year olds say with a grain of salt, but that actually really hurt my feelings!

So my lesson planning has 1/2 way flown out the window now that I see just what level I'm going to be working with. And now that I know I have to step it up a notch because all those activities I organized apparently aren't proving to be sufficient "entertainment" for a 45 minute class! Fingers crossed that next week will go a bit smoother...

Oh, and in case you are wondering yes they are cute as a button and I could just eat them right up! ;)

Music to dance out frustration to: Sol Playa y Arena- Tito El Bambino ft. Jadiel

Here it comes...

Another year! New faces, new schedule, new material, new procedures. The school has really made a ton of changes, so even though I'm a veteran I don't feel confident at all with the new system they've got going on. I change classes all the time and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the new system (as far as I can see)!

I start with the younger kids tomorrow, but the 3rd graders I had last year started this past Thursday. I was completely surprised by how emotional I was about that! I've said before and I will say it until I'm blue in the face, those kids last year were my life. I would've left had they not been the most lovable, beautiful kids ever. And while I'm excited to meet the new kiddies for this year, I already miss dearly the ones from last year. Their new teachers were asking me about them, trying to get prepped for that first day, and I actually got choked up thinking about all my ex-students! We had a good thing going, and it's a little sad to think that they're moving on to other cool teachers. I want to be their favorite teacher forever!

But I know without a doubt I will fall just as much in love with this class (and hopefully they with me)!

So ready or not, here the new school year comessss!

Welcome HOMS

So I finally got to check out what the best hospital in the Caribbean is like! It started last weekend when I began to feel super under the weather, and after 2 days of feeling horrendous I decided I couldn't take it anymore. We didn't have Internet so I couldn't WebMD myself, and I discovered that without my parents I'm pretty pathetic when it comes to knowing what to do when sick. (At age 23, isn't that sorry?)

Despite my insistence that it really wasn't necessary, the school director came over immediately and took me to the hospital ER. I was actually quite curious as to how this experience would go, since I have pretty much never seen a Dominican hurry in all my time here. Inside it was really nice and I was immediately put at ease when I saw a hand sanitizing station on the wall-a germ free hospital is a step up from the last hospital experience I had. Not wanting to freak out my parents too much I'll just leave it by saying that someone who is taking your blood should a) be wearing gloves, b) should not be located in a high traffic area and c) should probably look like they've taken blood before...

All high standards that the HOMS hospital met! ;)

There still was a significant lack of "hurry", but in their defense I only ended up having the flu. Which got me a cool face mask souvenir! As if I don't already get enough attention in the street being a gringa... They weren't sure if it was H1N1, and apparently there isn't a way to test for that in the DR; they would've had to send my blood to Atlanta. They decided it was safe enough anyways to send me on my merry way with a list of medicines to pick up from the hospital pharmacy. Which ironically enough turned out to not have any of them, even Vitamin C. Confidence begins slipping...but what can you expect when the $6 a month I pay for insurance completely covers the whole ER experience?

The next day I went back to the hospital to meet with a specialist. For those of you who complain about waiting too long in the doctor's office for your appointments, I envy you. In the DR doctors do not let you make appointments. The only way they will see you is if you come early, put your name on the list, and wait until they call you. Getting there at 10 I was already #8 on the list. And the doctor wasn't even going to be there for another 1 1/2 hours. Let the wait begin...

Confidence slips further when this doctor essentially tells me the ER doctors didn't know what they were talking about. It's very UNreassuring to have a doctor scoff and roll his eyes at what someone who attended you in the ER said. At least he had his New Jersey medical school diploma prominently displayed, so I knew I was in good hands ;)

It's really interesting because none of the hospitals here have any one single waiting room; it's just a big hallway with doctors offices branching off. But this hospital was by far the nicest I have seen down here-there was actually some color coordination! Oh la la!

I was told to stay in the house under lock and key for 10 days, but after 2 days I was feeling fine and in danger of climbing the walls if I obeyed the doctors orders any more.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers though! And from now on no more ER ;)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I AM BACK!

It's weird to think I am down here again and about to start another year of teaching and changing lives! ;)

So much is the same here, and yet so much is different too! I have new roommates, I am teaching new subjects, I am living in a new apartment, and I am working with a lot of new people. But I am super excited to see what the year brings

As soon as I got here the DR didn't waste any time throwing me right back into the routine. A really sweet apartment, but not so much when there are no lights and the water is nothing more than a drip out of the faucet. A broken shower, uninstalled phone line, no mirr

ors to be found anywhere... We've been patiently pushing the school staff to help us get these things taken care of, so fingers crossed I'll soon be able wash up and clean off all this sweat-an uncomfortable effect of the August heat. In other words, welcome back to me! ;)

Another thing I missed? The unpunctuality of everything. Ahhh how I've missed that (only slight sarcasm, since I'm not a very punctual person myself). Last night we went to a reggaeton concert and the tickets said 8:00pm. So of course we get there at 1am. And we still had to wait another hour for the group to come out! And that was just the opener!! The main act came on at 4am. So even though the DR is on the same time zone, it's still a lot of jet lag because it's been a while since my nights have looked like that.

I did manage to get here at just the right time though-MARC ANTHONY IS COMING! The tickets are way out of my price range, but apparently they broadcast all the concerts so I'll still get my fix. I'm holding my breath for a J.Lo surprise appearance... ;)

I was also lucky enough to be able to go to a Michael Jackson video concert the other night at the museum here, but I was completely unimpressed by the Dominicans response to

the King of Pop. Not a single person got out the cell phone to wave it around during the "Will You Be There" Free Willy song. Not a single person even got up to try their hand at the moonwalk!

All in all though, it feels really good being here :) I'm looking forward to another great year. This place is really growing on me, and more and more I'm starting to see it as my home away from home. So I raise up my Presidente and cheers the DR and Santiago and another year full of growth and fun adventures! Salud!