Just Sitting Back Thinking

It´s amazing how much new chairs will change your frame of mind. I never really would have thought it but I´m totally sold on it now as I just looked at that profile picture I have on here of me sitting in that black and white checkered rocking chair back in GR. I remember how I felt almost more intelligent. My mind was more receptive and understanding of the black on white words of those thick psyc textbooks. And then I would sit there, one leg crossed over the other, and contemplate. Well at least I thought I was doing all this and even if not I fooled myself into feeling it was really happening.

Anyway, it´s kind of like that again here but not with those thick academic textbooks or that black and white checkered rocking chair. Rather the amazing new chairs I speak of are simply plastic. But they are sloped back and really one of a kind. They were given to me by a PCV friend who moved to the capital. My muchachos even comment on their mind frame changing and relaxingness saying something like, ay Mateo estas sillas si son comodas! I´m suprised that they are not more common around these parts as I don´t think they would cost much more and in my opionion are worth the extra pesos. It´s like sitting in a lazy-boy now.

I really am convinced it´s changed my mood and cooled me down after sometime of frusteration and being a somewhat different person. I was really not enjoying Dominicans and they were more bothersome then I had the patience for. I would sit home at night and close my front door and have the urge to pick up my phone (which doesn´t get service in my town) and call another volunteer. But I´m more relaxed now, not forcing things, and able to hacer chercha with my friends again. Finding Dominicans funny rather then horribly irritating. And I´m even excited about being here and my upcomming year. And another thing I realized I was neglecting over this past month or so was my walking around visiting time. Not really much of a social butterfly to begin with, I developed the habit here of just walking around making a point of sitting and talking with people even if they were really old and boring at first. And I realized now it made me feel more connected and happy and without it I was alone, thinking and worring about what I was doing and if it was enough. Now I´m kind of rejuvenated, especially when I sit in my new sloped back plastic chairs.

I´m really enjoying the soccer that is going here. I get that warm happy feeling seeing our field filled with kids kicking and enjoying soccer. It´s really so great to see! I think it has stuck and have high hopes that it will continue and just get bigger over this next year and after I go. The only thing needed is balls as soccer is that simple and so I´m looking into expanding the number of balls we have to play with. I´m also exciting about this reading group we have going in the new library here at our tech center. They are currently learning about Dominican authors and reading some short stories and then we talk about it a bit. A great thing for these kids, improving their reading skills and opening up a whole new world to them at the same time. And I´m looking forward to using some of these older kids to take some kids books we have here into the school and read to the pre schoolers. I´m sure they have never heard the kids stories we get read by our parents growing up in the states. Then I have more hopes for strengthing this youth group that we have going and getting them to do more presentations throughout the community. Our next little project is for WORLD AIDS DAY Dec 1 if we can get the monetary support from our mayor to do it.

So that´s a little bit of news here. Wish all the best there. And Happy Thanksgiving if I don´t get on here before!

Mateo