The Silent Dominican and Other Tales

The Silent Dominican, you ask? I thought it was a pretty loud culture, you might find yourself asking out loud to me. It is, you are correct, an extremely loud culture. But, my good friend, (a school teacher and my Dominican Mother), had a throat operation (which went fine) but she couldn't talk...for 3 days. oigh. Let me tell you about her experience:

Day one, about a month ago: She leaves town at 5 am to get to the hospital by 7. If you're not there by 7, they won't see you and you have to come back tomorrow. Turns out the doctor she needs to see isn't there anyways, so she has to make the two hour trek back home and Goes Back Tomorrow.

Tomorrow: Gets referred to an intern, who tells her to get a sonagram.

Next week: Leaves (for third time now, it's hurting her budget, school does not offer paid sick days and she has to find and pay for substitute teachers) gets there at 7, is told to wait until the afternoon to see her doctor...and then doctor calls in, says she's taking off 3 weeks for maternity leave. So then my good friend (who NEVER cries...) begins to brawl because 1) she's exhausted 2) she's near-broke 3) she's scared, and 4) they're treating her like "ca-ca" (I learned from my kids that caca is what you call human feces while pupu is animal solid wastes. good to know). Since she makes such a fuss, another doctor agrees to see her once he's off work. He tells her the intern was an idiot, she never needed a sonogram, she needs an operation. Wonderful.

Next next week: Goes in for operation, thinking "in-out-back at school tomorrow." They failed to tell her, until after the operation, that she would have to remain silent for 3 days. Double oigh...forget the oigh...that's a full blown string of expletives I cannot post.

Just so that, you know, you all can appreciate customer service and healthcare and all that good stuff. Communication. Doctors with hearts and brains.

So what did I do to cheer her up? The only thing I know how to do...I brought over puzzles and coloring books and crayons and cards and we silently played and I cracked jokes and she laughed (she told me she could laugh). Her daughter colored too. It was a very nice bonding experience.

Speaking of her daughter, she had a birthday recently, and I chanced by her party. This is how it went: 30 plastic chairs in three rows outside her house, she's sitting in a birthday dress, there's a huge cake by her side. The kids sing to her, the mom cuts the cake and hands it out, more kids run up and come and grab cake, and then everyone leaves. I asked my friend "is this normal? For kids to eat and run at birthday parties?" and she replied "they'd better run, or I'd have chased them off with my broom." HAHAha.

Speaking of birthdays, a certain author of this blog had her birthday since the last time I posted. To celebrate, I decided to fly my parents in to the DR (just kidding...they flew themselves over...) and we had a lovely time visiting my site, walking to a neighboring community, checking out the big city, and walking on the beaches of Juan Dolio. Much was my dismay when they left, staved off by their surprise present of a PLANE TICKET HOME for Christmas!!!! I've been singing "I'll be hooooome for Chriiiiistmas" nonstop in my head since they've left, which is at least a thousand repetitions of the song, especially since I don't know all the words. Other things for my birthday: Went out dancing with 2 teachers from the school and all the new Peace Corps volunteers that now live close to me. It was a lot of fun. Also I use the term dancing to describe any type of body movement when one is standing and music is playing (just so you all have an idea of the caliber I strive for).

Speaking of fun, one of the things I do for fun is talk to children. They're free, they're friendly, they're fun. (I know, right now your mind is blown by my use of literary devices to emphasize certain points). This is a hilarious exchange I was rewarded with one day.

"Alicia, I lost a tooth! Look!"
"Wow, you have a hole in your mouth! Congratulations!"
"Thanks."
"Do you know what happens in my country when children lose their teeth?"
"No, what?"
"Well, the children put their teeth under their pillows and that night the 'good witch' (*author's note...did not know translation for fairy, so had to resort to good witch*) takes them and leaves money under the pillow for the child."
"Wow, have you seen the good witch?"
"No, but I think my mom has."
"Oh. Well, there's no good witch here. What if I give my tooth to you so that when you go home you can ask your mom to sell this to the good witch?"
"Hmmm. That's a good idea."
"And then I'll tell the other kids too. Maybe I can get some other teeth out."
"Well, that's a good idea, but my mom might want some profit for herself. How about this: I'll give you all half of what the good witch gives my mom."
"Okay!"

hahaha. And that's why, when I'm not doing anything, I'm probably chortling to myself.

Right now I've taken 2 youth to (yet another) conference. This particular initiative is very exciting...it was started by volunteers eons ago (or like 6 years ago), and now it's run by both PC and Dominican youth volunteers. PCVs started by having youth groups and teaching things like reproductive health, making good decisions, what discrimination is, and gender rights. And by teaching I mean dynamic meetings with dramas, pictures, games, etc. Well these groups became something of a phenomenon, and so many volunteers started them (using a curriculum), that Dominican youth who showed promise became in charge of certain groups after the American volunteers left. Each time a group "graduates," members are capacitated to start or help begin a new group...and thus it has spread. So this conference is run almost exclusively by Dominican youth, and there are over 150 from across the country participating. Also, it makes it easier for me...still little sleep, but I can do things like skip sessions and type this wonderful blog for my wonderful readers who have been clamoring non-stop for an update.

That last bit was a little stretch, probably, I haven't even heard a clink for an update, but maybe you were clamoring silently, in your heads.

I think that's about it for now. If you're reading this, chances are I may or may not see you between December 20 and 30, but that's when I'll be in Florida, so I'm hoping to see lots of people and lots of free movies (ahem, Thomas!)

Can't wait. I'llll be hooooome for Chriiiiistmas.... (told you all)
-aliiiicia