Happy Thanksgiving!

The T-Committee was comprised of 15 volunteers and we essentially spent the entire year planning for the big day. The idea was to have a family style dinner of all the normal fixings and have a full day of fun. Sounds easy right? Now think about adding 200+ people (PCVs, RPCVs, Embassy employees, and PCDR office staff). Also, keep in mind that the committee has the added bonus of figuring out how to fund this one day event. Still sound easy? It wasn't. Instead of boring you with all the pre-day details (there are really too many to write about), I'll just tell you that the PCDR Thanksgiving celebration was fantastic! It was held at a country club where we played volleyball, basketball and dominoes, swam in the pool, ate TONS of food, watched an awesome slide show (thanks Bexx), laughed at the no-so-talented talent show performers, had a merengue and bachata dance contest and danced until we were kicked out of the club. This Thanksgiving was so much better than last year's and I'm happy I was a part of the committee because people can't stop talking about how awesome it was.
**Thanks mom for the package of all the stuffing and brownie mix! Thanks to everyone else in the states who sent stuff down too.....we wouldn't have been able to do it without ya!
Look forward to the Starbucks story...coming up next!

Here are a few pics from Thanksgiving:
me and Dave by the pool

Turkey trot runners ( I worked the finish line)

Trot workers Me, Tod, Judy

cooking veggie lasagna and stuffing at our country director's home

Health Promoters' Conference

These are a few pictures from the Health Promoter's Conference held in San Jose de Ocoa on Nov. 7-8, 2008. The entire conference was centered around a new didactic manual created by another PCV who is finishing her service really soon. The manual is called "We're Healthy. We're Examples. We're Health Promoters." The two women shown next to me are members from my community that are currently completing my nutrition course.

The next big event is a World AIDS Day activity with youth from my region.

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

Present: I, along with a ton of other PCVs, am in Santo Domingo today to watch the election coverage. Apparently, we are all supposed to put up this front and be apolitical during service. Go ahead and laugh at the thought of a Peace Corps Volunteer not expressing political views. Funny, right? Since this is a public site, all I'm going to say is ----- Get out there and vote!!! It is your obligation as an American. I don't care if you are in California, New York or Washington and think your voice doesn't matter; you are wrong. I saw a bit of Palin's appearance in Reno via CNN. Unfortunately, I haven't heard from anyone that went to see Palin or Obama. How was it? I'm so excited for Nevada because it's getting so much attention as a swing state and not just because of Yucca Mountain. Again, GO ROCK THE VOTE!

Past: I recently completed a week at a Medical Mission for ear, nose and throat operations. A medical team from the U.S. (mainly Nebraska) came down and provided operations for children (some adults) of underprivileged families. 6 PCVs worked as translators in screening, pre op, operating rooms, and post op. Though it was so tiring (I'm not used to being on my feet, under flourescent lights all day), it was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a PCV. I saw (IN THE OPERATING ROOM!) and learned a ton during that week; it was incredible. The nurses, techs and doctors we worked with were so amazing, patient, caring and encouraging. I hope to be on their side of things one day.

Future: I'm taking a small group of women (hopefully 5) from my site to a Health Promoter's Conference this weekend. PCVs in the San Jose de Ocoa, Bani and Azua regions are training about 30 women on how to use our new health manual in the communities. This is an integral part of my Peace Corps assignment. Sadly, I'm not too passionate about it. The reason? I don't believe it to be entirely sustainable. There. I spoke my peace and now I'll shrug my shoulders and do as is expected of me like a good little volunteer. :)

News: we got a raise recently. Jealous? you shouldn't be....my raise is roughy 6 dollars. That pays for a one way ticket from the Ocoa pueblo to the Peace Corps office in the capital. I guess I can't complain, afterall, I did CHOOSE this lifestyle.

Well, that's it for now. Have a great November full of pumpkin pie and black friday consumerism.

NUEVA YOL!

OH HOW I MISS NUEVA YOL (all Dominicans call the U.S. "Nueva Yol" or "Nueba Yorb").

You may ask: how can you miss the states when we're going through such an economic crisis?
my response: I hate having gastro-intestinal problems every 3 weeks and not having a nice flush toilet.
Yeah, I'll spare you the details of my current illness. If you are in a really sick mood or just bored at work, email me or my mom and we can tell you all about it.

Update:

I changed sites (it's been a long time since my last post). I now live in a much bigger site in the same province (San Jose de Ocoa). There is still no phone signal, but we have these nifty pay phones on the main street (sometimes they work). I'll take pictures of my new house soon for ya'll. It's pretty nice for my community....living room, bedroom, kitchen, connected bathroom.
Living room is basically the front room that only has 2 plastic chairs and a calendar. My bedroom has a twin bed and plastic storage shelves (i used to put all my clothes in them, but a mouse was living between my tee shirts). The kitchen has a table with a table top stove, gas tank and some plastic bins to wash dishes. The bathroom sounds cooler than it is...I still take bucket baths and have to bucket flush the toilet. There's no sink. Oh, there's a hornet's nest in the shower (which just means that I get visitors during shower time and needless to really mention, I am a speedy bucket bather----I can wash my hair, body and face before 3 of colbie calliat's songs are over). I have electricity in my house!!!! There's only one lightbulb and outlet, but I'm not complaining.....it's awesome!

I have a youth group that I work with every Tuesday. We talk about self-esteem, personal values, reproductive health and STI/HIV/AIDS. After graduation (yes, we will have a small celebration after my 9 week course), some members will become promotores and help me pass along the information to other youth in the surrounding communities. I'm also hoping they'll participate in various projects like painting murals in the community center and organized marches.

Well, I hope everyone in Nueba Yorb is having an awesome summer. Remember: ride a bike, walk or take public transportation to save your wallet! Thanks to those who have maintained contact via email, snail mail, facebook and my space....I am eternally grateful.

Do me a favor and go eat a Reese's peanut butter cup and smile....that's what i would do if I was in Nueva Yol.

2 posts in one day......DIACHE!!

This is my nine year old best friend. She keeps me sane.

Kids doing handstands on the sidewalk in Ocoa. They were taking a break from their shoe-shining jobs.

These are a little old, but I stole them from somebody. The first one is of all of the PCVs that came with me in September. I believe this was taken a few hours before swearing in. We've lost two since then. The second is of us swearing in. It was pouring. You can see a bit of my forehead on the left.

Home.....i guess

Ok, here are pictures of my current site. From the top: This is my host familia's casita. The small window on the right is for my tiny room. ; My backyard. My host dad had recently planted habichuelas (beans).; This is my latrine. I always had to pass this pig on the way to do my business. I started calling him Easter and sadly, he was killed early Thursday (3/20) for Easter weekend. ; The kitchen. Yes, it's a separate from the house. That's a lechoza (papaya) tree on the left (great for digestion); This is the only faucet we have for the house. Almost every house in the community has one of these outside (the ones who do not have to use a neighbor's or go to the river). The water "comes" for a few hours a day and we have to fill up big trash cans around the house.

Estoy viva!

I'm sorry. It has been over two months since since my last confession er....blog. Sadly, I have nothing interesting to write. I completed interviewing the women of my community and reported the results of my diagnostic at the health and water 3 month in service training. Everyone in my sector presented and thus I was able to compare my site with others. You know how people say ignorance is bliss? That's how I feel about PC sometimes. It's hard to explain, but the 3 month IST just made me depressed about my community. Oh well, I'm talking to my director on Monday. I'll let you all know what conclusions we come up with.

As far as other stuff goes....
I have a lot of mice in my house. They decide to have fiesta time between the hours of 1am-5am and it drives me nuts. Not only that, it grosses me out so much. My don puts out poison in my room, but I swear the mice are just getting fatter. The small mice seem to die easiest. Sometimes, I'll walk into my room in the middle of the day and step on a carcass. Thankfully I always wear shoes in the house. I plan to buy a cat once I move out on my own.

My best friend in my site is 9 years old. We have whistle wars. She comes over wearing some kind of hot pink or electric green conjunto and a 1950s Chrismas caroler hat (it's furry with a feather on the side) and we whistle. It's funny because neither of us can whistle so we're essentially just making funny faces and spitting on each other. She likes to look at the magazines people send me from home. I happen to have an American Cheerleader mag that I thought she would love because there's pictures of girls her age doing cool cheer tricks. I have to admit that she was not impressed. It's cool, I still took pictures of her looking through it. I'll post those some other time.

My mom is coming to visit in about 7 weeks! WAHOO! So, which one of you is next? Yes, I will pressure you into visiting. I mean, I live in the Caribbean. That trumps the whole mice issue, right?

Well, I think this is it for now. I'll post some pictures next time and I promise it'll be soon.