Before I get into any details of things that have happened these past weeks… I have some rather large news to share. Over the past two days, I´ve been learning myself how to approach the subject and have found that really the only way to do it is to come right out and say it, without a preface... My time with NPH will be coming to a close soon. I will be heading home a bit earlier than planned. Although there were always a few doubts in my head, since my first few weeks here – the past two months have provided a lot of clarity for me. My heart is not with this community, this organization, my work here – this I am sure. And as I am sure you can imagine, this is not the type of work one can succeed in half-heartedly. In reality, the reasons are countless, though this is the largest of them all as well as the most important, so I shall not bore you with a long -winded explanation. Though if anyone cares to know more, contact me!
I would also like to express the fact that by no means do I regret my decision to come here. Not only this organization, but all of my experiences in this country have opened my eyes in a way that nothing in the US ever could have. I have met some of the most amazing people, be it in passing or relationships formed over the course of my months here. I´ve listened to people share their personal experiences with the deep social/infrastructure/governmental problems that exist in this country, and I am sure in many other places around the world. I have experienced things that one cannot experience without living in another country and gaining the trust of the people there. So I will be leaving, after a few weeks in the country with my family, at the beginning of January. Who knows where life will bring me next, though currently I am hoping to find a job in Ann Arbor (of anyone knows of anything, please please let me know) – and hope that my future will bring me to other countries and cultures when time and money allows. I think one of the things making this decision has taught me most is that in life it is so important to follow your heart. The dominicans have taught me that many people in the world don´t have the ability many of us do to change our circumstances when we aren´t content with them. They have reminded me that the ability to follow ones heart should be taken advantage of.
And now I suppose for a few annecdotes, as that seems to be the simplest way to go about this.
-Just after posting my last post, I headed to a little pueblo outside of San Pedro where a fellow employee of mine has reently moved. A woman from Germany who spends half her time in this country doing outreach work with the home, and by most is considered to be more dominican than most dominicans, she really embraces the culture. Anyways, she was hosting a house warming party for herself... and what I imagined to be some NPH employess and some of her dominican friends having a few drinks and dancing for the night was so so much more. Sancocho (a traditional dominican stew) was cooking in giant pots over big fires outside when I arrived, her front yard and street filled with the classic plastic chairs and tables of this country, and already (at 4pm) a slew of people filling the house and yard. The night turned into a grand gathering of people of all nationalities, from rich europeans to haitans from the batey of 15 houses next to our home living on almost nothing. There was a folkloric dance group who came and played music and danced for us, a grand feast of sancocho, and bachata merengue and reggetone until late in the night. But the fiesta was not over that night, it continued with a trip to the beach the next day. With about 20 people piled into her very broken pickup truck (Mother, for your sake I will spare the details) – we headed to a nearby beach and planted ourselves in the shade of a grove of coconut trees to rest from a long night of dancing. And then we ate spaghetti. I learned that day that dominicans are very fond of this food as a ´beach food.´ who would have thought, right, that it makes sense to bring a giant pot full of spaghetti to the beach... but to tell you the truth, it was damn good after a long swim!
My memory is not treating me very well currently and I cannot seem to think of any other grand anecdotes to share and my motivation to write has dwindled... so I shall leave it at that. I´ll try to keep up the blog a bit over the next few weeks, continue sharing interesting anecdotes about my life here.
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