Un poco overview.

Howdy :o) The week is still going well! We started our internships with various organizations around town this past week, so that should be fun. Two other volunteers and I are working with a small computer lab where we observed a class in the facility, and we are teaching an adult IT class tomorrow night. Hopefully that goes well. Also, we are working on 3 different youth projects around the community- a documentary, a newspaper, and a PhotoShop class. I am working with 7 other volunteers on helping a group of high schoolers make a documentary about something that interests them in their town. The topic they chose is the factories in town...a Mabi factory (the town's signature fruity drink) and a dulceria (a sweets shop). I'm really excited to see what the students come up with, as well as to learn a little about actually making a documentary! Once again, I feel like I am learning everything as I go along. It's overwhelming, but it's been a fun process.

So here is an overview of the past week or so...

- I like coffee now! I figured it would happen sooner or later over the next 2 years, but it's official. I'm slowly becoming Dominican.

- I saw a political parade in the streets, and finally figured out to which political party my family belongs. Found this out the hard way when I came home with a poster from the parade and they started hissing and booing at me.

- Got my hair blown out Dominican-style. Lasted for about 10.2 minutes until the humidity hit.

- One of my many language bloopers for the week...told my host mom to have fun at a funeral. That one was a bad one. She kept saying that I didn't understand, so it turned into a game of charades- she would pretend to slit her throat and then act like she was praying. I thought she was saying that she had to go pray or God would kill her. Things got awkward.

- Feliz went back to Korea for 3 weeks :o( I will be gone by the time she returns...it was a sad goodbye.

- I started a small fire in the family's kitchen while trying to make scrambled eggs on that dern gas stove. So much for thinking I wanted to have one when I get my own place. Adios Martha Stewart dream.

- FINALLY SAW A BEACH!!! Our group went to Playa Esmeralda on Sunday, and it was absolutely beautiful. About an hour into the day, though, I stepped on a sea urchin while swimming in the water. Spent the rest of the day soaking my foot and had a random Dominican man try to dig out the spines with a needle. Good times.

- Still had a good day at the beach :o)

- Foot is almost healed.

- Several of the volunteers have been getting sick lately. Everything from dehydration to food poisoning to parasites. Please keep them in your prayers, as well as the overall health of everyone.

- I learned a few more rules to the national game of the DR: dominos. I am far from good; however, I have a lot of time to practice over the next few years.

- I have a new skill: I can cut hair now. Not well by any means, but people have trusted me to do this and I have a few appointments lined up for the next few weeks. It all started as a joke between another volunteer and myself when he agreed to let me try to cut his hair. It was my first real attempt to do a full-on haircut and it didn’t go horribly wrong if I do say so myself; however, he ended up having to fix it after he left my house. That same night, I cut another volunteer’s hair, and it turned out a little better. Then people in the neighborhood started hearing that I was giving free haircuts, and they didn’t seem to care that I had zero experience. It was free, so why not? I gave one of the usual teenagers that hangs out at my house a nice trim, and, if I understood correctly, I am supposed to cut a few more neighborhood guys’ hair in the near future. The volunteers have decided to go a different direction with their styling techniques, so I think I have been replaced by another volunteer. But that is beside the point.

- My family had a massive birthday party for my host sister the other night at our house. Tons of spaghetti and cake. Who doesn't love that combo? Also, somehow I ended up singing "I Believe I Can Fly" with my new best Dominican friend. Not exactly sure how that happened, but maybe someday I will post the video.

- Also, I feel like I am making friends in the neighborhood, so that's nice. They all basically think it's a hoot to help me with my Spanish, so I'm not sure how deep the friendships go. I'll take what I can get.

- My family is still great.

- The food portions are still massive. And I am still struggling with hurting the family's feelings. It's an ongoing battle.

I guess that's all of the updates I have for now. I am going to attempt to upload a million pictures along with this blog...we will see if it works. Hope you're having a great week! Love and miss you all.

Feliz and me in front of our host family's house!
El Seibo...


Discoteca WOW :o)

Me, Feliz, Katie, & Odelia eating dinner- Korean-style.

Katie & friends on the way to the river

My 1st motoconcho ride!

My sketch-looking barber shop.
My first victim, I mean, client.

Some of our students for the documentary.

Me with my wonderful host mom, host sisters, and another KOICA volunteer, Piedad

Me, Carly, Yade, & Chloe outside watching the political parade

Chloe's favorite part of the DR.

My "I Believe I Can Fly" friend & my host brother

Playa Esmeralda!!


Post-incident :o(

Our whole group!