My New Digs

It's day 2 in Nagua, my new home for the next 5 weeks. I'll be going through the second phase of training here, which has been dupped "community based training" by the Peace Corps. I'm relieved to get out of the rat race of the capital and the grouling training schedule we had there. Anyway, in an attempt to maximize my 20 pesos for this hour long computer session I share what I wrote in my journal yesterday.

3/10

I've been here 24 hrs and I've already seen some interesting things. I was sitting in tech training and our trainer calmly tells a group of three of us who are sitting along the wall to stand up and take three steps forward. He then throws his foot into the back of a chair, kicking it against the wall. I guess he missed what he was going for because I seen the biggest spider run across the wall. Possibly a tranchula.

On the way home I pass a guys getting a cast put on that goes from his foot to the mid thigh, with a bed at the knee. Not something you expect to see outside on the corner. I would never go to the guy nextdoor with a broken leg and let him set it in plaster to heal in whichever way he sees fit. But then it may be better to have it set wrong then live without it being set at all. I don't know. A decision I would never have to make in the US.

I was told yesterday that I had "pelo malo" or bad hair by an eight year old. It was because my hair is curly. This is really a sad fact about Dominican culture. While Dominicans are a mix of Spanish colonists and African slaves they refuse to acknowledge their African heritage. They call themselves indo-mezclado and any african traits are seen as wrong or bad. This is where the phrase pelo malo comes from. This also gets into racism against Haitians. I don't know enough yet so I will stop here.

I shaved today without a mirror for the first time every! No mirror or running water in my new house. I was quiet impressed with the results.

arlight my 20 pesos has been stretched to the limit. take care whoever is reading this.

paz y amor