We just finished our third week of CBT and have two more weeks to go. This week we built a garden, cooked with green leaves, visited a nutrition center, and learned about training Health Promoters. Since I am the only advanced speaker in our health group, my Spanish classes are very flexible and all my assignments are applied work in the community. I have been working with a Doctor in the area on a small study on youth in the campo. For this I am conducting focus groups and interviews with teens in our little town. So far it has been really fun and interesting. I have also been working with the same doctor to get more books for the library here, which I believe we have accomplished.

While there have been many cultural adaptation lessons since I have arrived, one in particular stands out. Everday someone here tells me, Kati, estás gorda! Literally, Katie, wow, you are really fat! It is usually someone in my family, my Dona or one of her daughters or grandchildren, but last weekend the neighbor said it too! No one is saying this to be mean nor are they meaning that I am actually fat. What they mean is that since I have been with them I have become healthier or more filled out. They say that when I first arrived that I was just a skinny little thing with sunken in cheeks and now I am prettier and healthier. In fact the fat comment is usually followed by them saying that I am also far prettier than when I first arrived to their campo. Needless to say, despite their good intentions and my understanding that Latinos call people by their physical characteristics, coming from my American culture, this statement just does not sit well with me. Not only was it difficult to find that looking fat is a desirable thing but I also found it a little impossible considering my continued GI adjustment process. After being annoyed and frustrated for a few days I decided that it was time to just laugh about the situation and realize that this is a great example of cultural collision. I really thought that southern mamas liked to fatten people up, but I had no idea. The joy that Dominican Donas get from plumping someone up, or at least telling themselves that they are, is far greater than any southern mama has experienced.

These two pics are from the volunteer visit last weekend. This little beach was only a fifteen minute walk from the volunteer’s house. Though the beach was rocky and the water not as clear as others it was still a nice addition to her site. I love the food here, but I must say I was beyond pleased by our first non-Dominican meal. Peanut butter and bananas, yogurt, and a coca cola zero.

My Dona´s grandbabies and me

My Dona and her gandbabies

One of the potential projects we can undertake during our service is chickens. I never realized how complicated it is to care for and keep chickens producing yummy, nutritious eggs. These pictures are of us building a chicken coop for the local chicken man. It was more of a team building exercise than anything, but hopefully the hens will get to use it a bit. Outside of the gallos (roosters/cocks) that have good fighting potential, most chickens here roam free.

Cock fighting is extremely popular in the DR. Cocks that have good fighting potential are often the only ones kept in coops and are just let out for training. Cocks fight naturally. There can only be one rooster in a a little herd of chickens (I realize I am not using the correct chicken word here) or they will fight till one dies or is seriously injured. Above is a picture of two cocks from different houses. They put them down and they just went after one another.

Last weekend we were able to make up the volunteer visit that the rains and hurricanes canceled the week before last. Another volunteer and I went to Nizoa, about an hour and a half from where I am currently located. As much as I have enjoyed my Doña´s cooking, it was really nice to give my tummy a break from Dominican food. It was also helpful to see how a volunteer lives and know that at somepoint I will be able to chose and prepare my own food and create my own little home.

Last week in training we were learning about the community diagnostic. The first three months of service are devoted to conducting a community diagnostic. This entails going house to house, drinking lots of coffee, sitting on porches, and compartiendo with your vecinos in order to gather information (a baseline) of your community through informal interviews. Also this week for my Spanish classes I did a little mini investigation of home remedies. Some were somewhat boring (teas, aloe vera, etc), but there were plenty that did not fail to disappoint and proved to be quite......creative! It was a fun project. This week were are going through the nutrition curriculum and learning how to start community gardens and build chiken coops.

A few of my favorites or highlights from the week.........

Realizing that when my Doña says the milk is leche de la vaca, that she doesn´t just mean it is cow´s milk, but that it is milk straight from the cow next door! It´s actually not too bad.

Going for a walk and having little kids accompany me along the way. Returning to my house drenched from the rain storm that caught me and my Doña reprimanding me for forgetting my umbrella. Then eating warm arapa with fresh cow´s milk with the rain still beating on the roof.

Going running at 6 am before the bachata gets going and there is quiet in the campo.

Pausing on my runs and walks to climb up to the sanctuario (Pictured in the last entry) to get a good eyeful of the sunrise over the mountains.

Sitting with my host family and them getting a thrill out of teaching me to talk like a Dominicana.

Helping the kids in my house with their homework and seeing their eagerness to learn.

All the lechosa (papaya) that my Doña gives me!

The joy of getting to the internet.

Dancing on the porch to the bachata and merengue that is faithfully playing from the colmados with the kids


Sorry for the lack of fotos. I forgot to save them to my disk at home. Next time!

There is a little sanctuary in our little pueblo. It took roughly 20 years to build and is all of stone. It sits on top of a little hill and has a beautiful view of the mountains and ocean. The little sanctuary in itself is pretty remarkable particularly considering it is in the middle of no where.

Beach trip last Sunday

El Campo

am really enjoying the campo. Thus far it has been such a breath of fresh air.My family here is more than wonderful with me and the living conditions are higher than I expected. I have a toilet that flushes and sometimes a shower that flows!

My Dona has 2 adult daughters who live in little and unfinished houses behind hers. Between the two of them there are 3 kids, who for one reason or another seem to love me. It’s nice to be loved. I constantly hear “kati, Kati”. Though its nice to be loved, I sometimes wish it came with a bit more personal time.

The water situation is much different here, for whatever reason. I am not sure if it is the time of year or if we are just here at a good time and were in SD at a bad time, but unlike Santo Domingo, we have water every day. It seems to be abundant and its amazing what a difference it makes in all areas of life. Every thing from taking as many baths as you want, flushing the toilet, cooking, and drinking water

Our group has lost three people. We have gone from 11 to 8 volunteers. Each left for different reasons. The eight ofus are in good spirits though. We are all encouraged by the warmth and beauty of the campo. Our little visit to the beach on Sunday was also uplifting!