Today we covered some cultural norms of the Dominican, I had my medical interview and my Spanish placement test (I’ll be interested to find out how they’ve ranked me on Monday), and we met a couple more present volunteers who have never had malaria! So yay for that. Saturdays at the training center end early, so I had more time to spend with my host family and with my fellow volunteer neighbors. I was actually able to convey the rules of “uno” in Spanish. It was cold out again, raining today, but the porch is sheltered so quite a few of us sat out in the rocking chairs for a few hours.
The area I’m staying in has four or five smallish houses clustered around one another. Mine is actually quite nice, I’d say the family has some money according to standards. There is running water and electricity, though throughout the country it’s rather unreliable. I’m not sure if the chickens, ducks, and roosters that run around the property are theirs or communal, but I am pretty sure the whole neighborhood hears them in the wee hours of the morning. There are also goats, cats, and the typical stray dogs that roam the community.
There isn’t much of a distinction between residential and commercial areas. On my way from the house to the training center, I pass mercados and bancas (which means a place to drink, not a bank), along with fruit stands and various other street vendors which we’ve been told not to buy food from. There is also a recycling plant on the way, which doesn’t seem to be very active judging by the amount of trash and plastics that line the bigger streets. Don’t get me wrong, the natural surroundings are gorgeous, but as with many developing countries, the land isn’t taken care of so well. There doesn’t seem to be much distinction between the street and the sidewalk either. Fortunately, the cars don’t traverse both, but the people do. As well as the dogs. But though they lay right in the middle of the streets, always seem to know how to get out of the way.
The family here constantly asks me if I miss my family. Of course I say yes, but also describe to them that I’m okay being away because I know they’ll always be there. I’m not sure if I conveyed this message with as much strength as I intended, but I think it got across. I also explained to them my reasons for joining PC and said that I’m happy to be here and to be busy. I am their seventh volunteer, so I think they understand all that. The doña is very sweet and maternal. She even heated water for me on the stove so I could wash my hair with warm water.
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