Tomorrow will have been a week since we’ve officially sworn in as Peace
Corps Volunteers of the Dominican Republic and yet, here we sit, the 22
of us ICTers, still listening to the babbling of what I could only wish
were a brook. I’d probably learn more that way anyhow. For some reason,
beyond all comprehension, Entrena has invited representatives of the
Ministry of Education to lecture us for three days on how to be trainers
of trainers of literacy. Today is the second day and so far, it holds
par with yesterday – reading and repeating, one and half hours of
information stretched out to cover an entire day. And have I mentioned
we already all this? Just as a concrete example of how efficient these
people are, our agenda for the three days, which would have looked very
nice on a single sheet of paper, was given to us in an eight page
packet. And the massive amounts of literacy training booklets that
they’ve handed us are all written in cursive. A great place for people
to start who don’t know how to read or write.
Anyhow, back to the swearing in ceremony. It was a really nice formal
affair at which the director of PCDR was present as well as the second
in command to the ambassador to this country who happens to be a
returned PCV. And now, I have a shnazy new certificate I can hang on my
wall so that I might hold merit with the Dominicanos – man, do they love
their certificates. The day following swearing in was the All Volunteer
Conferenc where all 166 of us in country gathered to be given money
belts and to meet one another. I know have special permission to
participate in the Escogo mi Vida Telenovela project during my three
month diagnosic phase (normally, PCVs aren’t allowed to be involved in
committees during this period). I’ve also signed up to be a member of
the Marine Interest Group (yay SCUBA! ), to participate in med missions
translating between patients and US volunteer doctors, (when my Spanish
is major, or course), and I’ve talked to all the leaders of the various
youth groups.
In the time since then, as I wait restlessly to retur to my site,
I’ve come up with a basic plan for carrying out my diagnostic. I’m
pretty excited about getting to know all the teachers in my community –
not to mention the youth – and anyone else, too J. Also since then, it’s
been raining pretty much nonstop as we approach hurricane season. Beca
and I were caught in a deluge yesterday on our way home from the
training center. Of course, neither of us were equipt with an umbrella
or money for a carro publico and both of us had our laptops in tow. So
we ran from over hang to over hand, from colmado to colmado, undil we
finally came to a place that had large plastic garbage bags – a rarity
in this pais. Of course, they only agreed to give us one, so we had to
saddle up Beca with both backpacks under the safety of our Dominican
make-shift poncho. By the time I got home, all I had to do was add
shampoo to complete my shower. And thankfully, our computers both made
it through, safe and dry.
Speaking of survival, thanks to Peace Corps initiated Standfast,
we’ve all managed to stay alive throughout the congressional elections
of this marvelously civilized country who only had 43 deaths due to
party disagreements and civil unrest. It’s particularly interesting,
however, that with each election sicne the democratization of the
country, voter turn out has continually decreased – yet, people and
families still retain an ardent fervor for one party or another – not
that there’s much difference between them ideologically or even
politically, aside from the colors on their campaign posters and
T-shirts… and banners, and painted cars, and painted buildings, and
bumper stickers, and pretty much everything else you can color, paint,
or dye. Even more interestingly is the fact that these posters and
enlarged, whitened faces, are all that their campaigns consist of. That
along with the constant guaguas driving throughout the communities
blasting copy-written violated songs, words replaced with ‘vote for me’
lyrics. That and the occasional traffic jam caused by a caravan of
people on motos sporting flags and making noise. Pretty amazing, huh?
Now I ask you, my fellow citizens of America – are we that far off after
our last election fuelled by T-shirts and Obama collectors edition
china? From president to rock star to a red and blue face on a white
shirt. Perhaps I need to readjust my definition of progress.
Anyway – I’m done with my rant and of to compartir in PB&J
sandwiches!! The highlight of my day. I shall have to think of something
else to do during the next lecture. Love and best wishes to all <3
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