This is my life

‘The only thing constant in the world is change. That’s why today I take life as it comes.’

-India.Arie

I was listening to some music the other day and I found this opening line to a song rather inspiring. Change seems to be one of the most common themes present in my life as I am living it right now - just about nothing is the same as it was a month ago. Every day brings new challenges (as well as some challenges that never seem to go away) as well as surprising and exciting new things. My mood is constantly changing, life is like a rollercoaster, always shifting. So to take life as it comes, dealing with each issue and excitement as they arrive seems like some of the best advice I could receive here.

All of that said, I thought I would start with a bit about what my life looks like now that im a little settled into a routine. Of course no day is the same but there is a bit of order. I get up in the morning around 7 and have a breakfast of fruit (we go shopping every Monday and I buy almost nothing but mounds of delicious cheap mangos) and sometimes bread and coffee with the others who live in my house (there are 7 volunteers in this house). We then work from 8am to 12:30pm, which consists of countless numbers of things. Lots of brainstorming and meeting with people to talk about future plans as well as teaching 5 hours a week on a regular schedule (more about that later) and planning for the classes and excursions. From 12:30 to 2pm we break for lunch. I usually go straight to Santa Rosa (the house I eat with) and spend most of the time there playing things such as a hand slapping game similar to ‘down by the banks’. I love the ability of boys between the ages of 6 and 11 to play this game. They would be content to do it all day long. The work day then continues from 2-4, though often we end up working until closer to 5 depending on the day and what we have going on. After work, it is a bit of a free for all usually taking a little bit of time to myself and spending most of the time playing with the kiddies. After dinner at around 7, the kids in my house go straight to bed so I have the rest of the night to hang out with the volunteers and do whatever else needs to be done. It sounds pretty relaxed but I usually end up being pretty hectically busy from 8am to 7:30pm.

As for the classes, Ingrid and I began teaching this week and have taught a lesson in 3 of our 5 classes so far. We go into the school and teach for an hour when the classes would normally be having their science like class. First of all, what the heck are we teaching about? In true Dominican fashion, we’re honestly planning it week by week aside from having selected a number of themes we want to cover. We’ve named our class “Naturalismo y el Medio Ambiente” (naturalism and the environment) and hope to accomplish three main things throughout the year. For the kids to understand the process of food growing from seed to table, for the kids to gain a greater appreciation of the natural world, and for them to understand a bit of the interconnections between the human and natural world. It might be a bit of high hopes, especially for the last goal, but why not aim a little high? Our first week, as with so many things here, has been up and down. We taught the second graders first, and although it was hectic, we felt somewhat accomplished afterwards. Today on the other hand left us feeling rather defeated. We had our second to youngest group, pre-primario, who we’ve realized we can only do really really really basic things with and who had some trouble participating in class. This afternoon we taught the third graders, who we were warned are the worst class in the school… and well – the warnings couldn’t even prepare us for the class. We spent most of the hour trying to get them to sit in their seats and stop yelling and fighting… and despite all of our efforts, there wasn’t a single time when every student was in their seat or when no one was talking over us. We could barely get through one part of our lesson plan and left wondering how we will ever be able to teach them anything. Marijo insists it gets better as they gain respect for us as teachers, but it is still very very disheartening. I don’t think words could really describe the atmosphere, we were both completely amazed when we left.

In other exciting news, we’ve been planning a beach clean up for this Saturday as a part of an international day to clean up the shorelines! I’m pretty excited to bring the kids to do that as it will be sort of a fun excursion, yet also showing them the extent to which littering is polluting their country. Ingrid and I are really hoping to focus on taking the kids off of the terreno and using excursions as a teaching method… although planning requires a lot I think it will be very valuable for them!

I feel like I could write forever, and each time I sit down to write, the things I am lacking are so much greater than the things that I have included. But I don’t want to overbear y’all with too many words. In a perfect world, I would write shorter things a little more frequently… but business doesn’t quite allow for that. We shall see!

Looking Up

Hello All! I havent got much time to write, but I wanted to just mention something really quickly! I know my last post was quite a downer, and have been feeling a lot more content lately. I guess I just wanted you to know that things are looking up! Frustrations still exist, and I know they will all year but I'm learning to believe in myself a bit more and think i will be able to persevere!

I had a busy week, full of lots of exciting planning and preparations. Ingrid and I will be starting classes on Monday with the little ones. I'm going to the beach tomorrow with the boys in my house. all good things! I plan to write in depth something this coming week about all that is actually going on!

peace and love
C

A few frustrations

In preparing to come here, I read a few places about the processes people tend to go through when moving into a foreign culture – especially in relation to doing volunteer type work. I was never sure of how much truth they held… but now I am starting to notice one of the things mentioned in my own experiences. I had read of the ‘honeymoon period’ in which when you first arrive in a new culture/place/etc everything is exciting and new, so you tend to notice only the good parts of your experiences and overlook the things that might be more difficult/frustrating/troubling. Looking back, I can see that period… and now I can see that it has ended! I think I have reached what might be one of the harder points of my experience.

I am settled enough that the place is no longer new and most of the people I have at least a little knowledge of, but not settled enough to feel completely comfortable with my surroundings. I’ve started to notice a lot of trends in the way things work here, many of which are so different from anything I am used to, making day-to-day life at times a little troubling. For example, nothing here is planned until the very last minute or not at all. Something that usually I am pretty comfortable with, I enjoy types of spontaneity. But when it means that a meeting doesn’t have any sort of agenda and they people there don’t know much about why they are there, then the meeting just starts with no explanation and everyone is talking about completely unrelated things for a few hours, moving us backwards instead of forwards… it makes me feel as though nothing will every be accomplished sometimes.

Although I really do like a lot of the boys in my house, they can be little snots quite often as well. I know I mentioned the constant hitting and yelling. This week especially, it seems to have erupted to a whole new level. Kids are fighting to a point that one will get hurt, and from what I can see there isn’t always much consequence from the Tias. To make it worse, whenever they are allowed to watch TV and there is WWF style wrestling on, they are watching it. Some of them are as young as 5 years old, and to be allowed to watch such violent TV… its no wonder they are always fighting! I’m at a loss for what to do, as I don’t feel I am established enough to suggest to the Tias how to take care of their kids and most of the kids don’t listen to white people as a rule – so just laugh when I scold them.


As for my work, it is moving really really slowly. On a day to day basis, I keep myself busy but often it is with little things that don’t necessarily relate to the reasons I came here. Ingrid and I both understood that we were coming for a big reason to work in the garden and teach the kids about gardening, helping to set up a program in which they each have their own space. Well since we were hired, a couple from Spain has come and taken over the farm, doing exactly that with the kids. We’re now left with the little ones who they began working with but said they couldn’t handle because they were too badly behaved. I am very excited for our project with them! We will be teaching during school, partially in the classroom and partially in a new little garden we are just starting to prepare. We both have some great ideas as far as bringing other environmental issues into the class and hopefully it will go somewhat smoothly! We've had a meeting with the teachers we'll be working with and they were all very inviting of our ideas. I think that meeting has been one of the most hopeful experiences I've had as far as work is concerned since getting here!

I hate to sound like such a downer in a lot of this post, but I have definitely hit a point where I know it is going to be sort of rough going for the next month or more. From what all the volunteers who have been here for a while say, everyone goes through this for a while... and no one ever feels content or like they are actually accomplishing something until being here for a few months. Although that is a hard way to look at it, it gives me a lot of hope for the year!

Last of all, thanks so much to those of you who have been emailing and who have sent mail, although sometimes it takes me a bit to get back to you, know that I really appreciate it. As for everyone else, I would love to hear how things are going wherever you might be in life! Emails and letters are greatly appreciated :)

A Few Photos

I´ll be writing again soon, but just thought I would put up a few photos of my new home and the kids who are quickly becoming my own :) Of course this is just a taste, and now that I´ve found a computer capable of uploading my photos, there will surely be more to come!

A few of the kids homes. There are 12 all together for the kids along with 3 more that look the same and are used for the volunteers and visitors, all painted in similar bright colors!

One of the boys in my house, Angel. He acts pretty tough sometimes, but he is a total sweetheart, lives up to his name, and wants to be ¨Papa Dios¨ (God) when he grows up!

Sebastian, one of my absolute favorites. Such Such Such a wonderful kid

Some of the ¨Babies¨although they aren´t really. They love to make this face every time I see them. Adorable.

Another one of the kiddies in the baby house :)

Beginning my work... slowly.

It seems the 'real' life has started here as I began work this week and will soon be much much busier than I was last week when some of my larger worries were which children I would play with. This week i will be assembling a bunch of information for a huge group of volunteers that come from Canada each year. This year they have chosen to focus their efforts here on agriculture, so we've got all sorts of things planned for them. Marijo and i now need to write up all the exact plans with costs etc for all the projects. Seeing as though I've never built/designed anything in my life and have no clue about irrigation it is hilarious to think I am taking all the measurements etc to plan those things. Hopefully I can do it all correctly :)

I'm just setting back in as I had this past weekend off and went to the beach with a few other volunteers for saturday and sunday. It was great to get away although it also made me realize how little money I have to get around the country. This island is way more expensive than I had thought it would be! There is a beach town that is pretty close to San Pedro and an italian woman who runs an indian themed hostel there and gives us a bit of a deal as she things we're doing good work here. It was nice to be reminded if my adventures earlier this summer.

I feel as though I'm getting through to many more of the kids in my house as i get to know them a bit better. There are still a few who stay pretty distant and will never initiate conversation, but time will likely solve those problems. The boys in my house are such a wonderful age as they still want to play silly hand slapping games, hug me, and the younger ones want to be held from time to time. But the older ones are boys that are quickly growing up a bit. My favorite is a little boy named Antony who just arrived a week or so before me. He is absolutely adorable, and that prefect age where he can be both like a toddler as well as acting a bit older at times. That said, he still has his share of problems. My first week, there were only a few days he didnt erupt into tears for an extended period of time after some seemingly meaningless thing happened. I'm curios to know what his life was like before coming to NPH with his little brother and sister (his brother is maybe even cuter than him and just so so sweet, but hes in one of the younger houses). There are also a few boys in my house who have some problems and can only say a few words. They can be a lot of fun as they have their own way of communicating with me, hand gestures and miscellaneous noises. One, Luis Alberto, has become quite fond of me and is always finding ways to try and communicate with me.

In general the children here are just so full of life. The dominican way is to play music so loud conversation cannot be had, and to dance like no other. Sometimes they will bring out the big speakers and play music on the concha (baseball court) and all the children will be dancing. To see pairs of little boys and girls dancing the bachata (a dominican style of music/dance) is just so wonderful. I've learned a little myself at the batey last week and am growing to love it... and the dance is so easy that a few songs in I was pretty comfortable with it. The joy of their only being one simple step!

I'll be off now, sorry for the crazily random update, but I was just writing it as it came to me :) Hope all is well with everyone at home!

My first week at NPH

Well, I've gotten the internet set up in my computer, but for now that really doesn't mean much. I'm using someone else's now that is a bit newer and gets a better signal. I think if I go to the office mine should work better though. we'll see

Ive made it through much of the first week here as I have this weekend off, meaning I also don't have to work on Friday (I think Ill go to the beach for just saturday and sunday)!! It is still going well and I haven't decided I need to go home yet, so that is good! And all said and done, things are really wonderful here. Im really seeing hoe much everyone here is like one big family and am starting to feel much more like a part of that family.

There are 2 other volunteers who got here recently too so we are doing a little orientation thing this week to help us get settled before starting work on Monday. Stangely enough, they are a married couple from Michigan! Imagine that! We typically have a bit of stuff in the morning and a bit in the afternoon with an hour and a half for lunch (as we all get here), but I spend most of that time with 'my kids' - the ones I eat with. Those little boys are winning over my heart pretty quickly! Soon I should be getting some information from the office about their stories before coming to NPH. Though it will be good to know so I can better understand why they act the way they do, it will also be really hard to know some of the horrible things that have happened to them in the past. Some of the storries I have heard already are so sad... but it makes it a lot easier knowing they are here now and have such an amazing, huge family and so many people who love them so much.

The whole orientation is sometimes a bit long/slow but overall great as it is helping me get to know how things work here (answer: slowwwwwly), where to go for help with different things, who does what, etc. Now I just need to learn the names of all 180 or so kids... I'll get back to you on that one in a month or 10!

I've also gotten to learn a bit more about what I'll be doing as my job when I'm not running around with the kids. It involves A LOT of different things including the following:
-running a program called The Growing Connection run by the UN in which the little kids will grow plants in these 'earth boxes' donated by the program and share about their experiences with other classes around the world. It's pretty interesting, look it up online!
-reviving a composting/recycling program that fell apart a few months ago
-teaching the kids/tias all about the program
-builing/arranging the building of a new area for composting (with WORMS) and reproduction of ornamental plants. And working there when its done
-arranging/planning/supervising agriculture based projects for a huge group of canadians that visit for 6 weeks in january/february
-planning fun activities for St Francis of Asissi day and Earth Day
-plenty of other things that will change all the time!

The woman I am working with, Marijo, is just SO wonderful. I think I will learn a lot from her over the year as she is just a wealth of knowledge. We're hoping to go on lots of adventures next week to places including a huge vermiculture project, a farm school, the botanical gardens, and many more I am forgetting. We shall learn all sorts of things and hopefully get some donations as well

Sorry for SUCH a long post, but a lot has happened this week and I've only included the littlest bit of it! Next time, I'll write a bit more about some of the kids :) Though, I must tell you guys, one of them looks EXACTLY like Obama!!! Almost everyone here refers to him as Obamito or El Presidente... I'll post a picture sometime, you'll be blown away!

miss you all much

so many kids!!!!

Right now I am in town (a short drive from the orphanage) and thought I would write really quickly. I haven't had the chance to set up my computer so it works with the internet at our place yet, but when it is all ready I will write more and put up some photos of my new home!

The orphanage, although a little hectic and stressful at times is really wonderful. I don't start work until next week, so I have this week to get settled, do some orientation things, and get to know the kids before they go back to school next week. I'll tell you a little about how things work there, and write more later in the week hopefully : )
At the property, there is quite a bit of space all enclosed with a wall. Outside there are a few small batays (pueblos where hatian refugees usually life) in the area and a training camp for some US baseball team (the rangers maybe?). The kids all live in seperate homes with about 15-20 kids in each along with 3 tias (they act like their mothers), 2 of which are always there. They eat with their homes, though we have a kitchen that cooks all their food. Each vounteer (and some of the employees) all have a house that they eat with. Mine is the new entrance boys. They are between the ages of 6 and 11, and can be quite a handful! Most of them haven't been at NPH for too long and still have their old habits. They aren't used to people caring for them and many have a history of abuse so they all act pretty tough. But they get soft a lot of the time and run to me for hugs :) Aside from eating meals with them, I also spend a lot of my free time there playing with them. We're supposed to spend about 2 hours with the kids every day after work. Despite their fighting sometimes, I am growing to love them all. and they are so darn CUTE!!!

All of us volunteers live in houses that are just like the kids, with a living room area, a kitchen, 2 big bedrooms, and dorm-style bathrooms. But there aren't as many of us in each house. We have 2, with 6ish in each. Though, right now they are building a new place for us to live that should be done in the next few months. We looked around inside and it is going to be like a palace compared to now!!!

Must run as others are waiting, When I get internet set up on my computer I'll write lots more and send some emails. I miss everyone!!