The Early Bird

Transcribed from my journalÑ

The moral of this story is the early bird is pretty much the smartest creature around. This morning seems like ages ago, and it´s only 7pm!

After our second day in the DR, a day packed with our first meal with Michele´s family, a visit to a good friend Estella, and, of course, a trip to El Mogote Elementary, we have now established several things for the trip. The first is, mosquito repellant is pretty much akin to toilet paper. Yoú don´t NEED it, but it sure is good to have it handy at all times! John and I are currently competing for who will get malaria first, and I am sorry to say that he is winning. The second is, Estella´s house is a good hike away. Somehow, I always forget how far away it is! Maybe a quarter mile into the jungle of half ¨cultivated¨ land, and half pure wilderness leads to Estella and Laeice´s house, a shack on the iron infused dirt. Their children are some of the sweetest children I have ever met. When I passed around candy, I decided not to give the infant any because I assumed, incorrectly, that she wouldn´t eat any. When I didn´t give her any, her older sister who was holding her took her piece of candy, bit it in half, and fed her little sister the other half. Absolutely amazing. Keep in mind, this girl is not an older sister by very much. It´s common t0 see girls of 6 or 7 taking care of the infants thus prohibiting them from going to school. The third established thing of the tirp is Raca Raca Raca Chu Chua time! In the precious Urvan on the way back from Sitio Nuevo, John and I decided to open up the book carton and read aloud from a book about a train. It was great, and we have since established Chu Chua time at night whereby we can go over highs and lows, and discuss some of the things we have noticed-seen.

Renewed by the loveliness of the DR, I then proceeded to toss and turn in my bed for a full hour, cautiously wrapped like an overstuffed burrito in my mosquito repellant coated bed sheet. I then dozed off in a restless half sleep to wake at three am. Perfect. I stumbled intot he bathroom, turned on the light, and... there was a cockroach. On my shoulder. And another one. On my arm.

After this, I simply did not go to sleep. I sat on the bed for a little bit, but, I was afraid of waking my two roommates, so I decided to creep downstairs and wait for the others to arise. I chatted with the guard for a bit, and, at five thirty, left for the Haitian DR market a short car ride away.

The market is a time when the borders are opened to facilitate trade betweent he two nations. There were disputes about prices, a hefty chain linked fence closing off Haiti, and vendors working deals out all around us. The market was only about about a quarter capacity, but it was still a lot for us gringos to see. The funny part is, there was a small chain that closed off the only road to Haiti fromt he DR side. As I approached it with Jenny, we thought certainly the armed guards would stop us, demand to see passports, etc., especially since one guy with a shotgun was fast approaching us without a smile in sight. But, no, when we reached the chain, the man wordlessly lifted it so that we could pass under it easier. Brilliant.

The rest of the day flew by with errands, buying machetes, purchasing two live chickens, and beginnign painting the library. Some of my favorite quotes came from our car rides up to El Mogote. ¨Oh, you can just toss my machete aside if you want to sit down.¨ ´Has anyone seen my pineapple_¨ ¨The chicken just flopped on my foot!¨

The children were absolutely amazing. I have to go soon for dinner, but, I just have to say that the children were so adorable and generous iwth everything. We seemingly didn´t have enough brushes for all the hands that wanted to help, and help they most certainly did. The end of the day found Hogie, a three year old, with paint on his face and head, and all the chidlren grinning and splattered witht he rosy turquoise that the shcool is painted in. One child, Tony, an impish little boy full of mischief, got a little carried away as the four trees around the library will attest to, but, it was good fun, and I loved every second of it. It was another day of firsts... the first day that I had fruit picked right from the tree above me, the first time I ate a green orange, the first time I ever saw somebody scale a tree that seemed to just go straight up... a beautiful and wonderfully long day indeed.

Great Success!

I am currently typing in an internet cafe in Pedernales, RD!! (Republica Dominicana). 6 volunteers and I arrived yesterday to Santo Domingo, the capital, and we have been busy... sleeping in the car. It was a 6 hour trip from SD to Pedernales, and 30 minutes from Pedernales to Las Mercedes. From Las Mercedes, it was another trip to El Mogote where the school is.

The power just went out... nope, now it{s back on... and now it{s out again.

Oh DR!

I just wanted to say that we all made it safely )although Jenny, John, Sebastian, linda, and joe almost didn{t make the plane) and though we{re dirty, we{re happy! I{m so excited for what this trip has in store, and we have a fabulous group of volunteers so we{re all set Ñ=? That was supposed to be a smiley face, but, I haven{t quite mastered this spanish keyboard yet...

Sara

The Monstrosity.

If anyone were to walk in my room right now, I'm sure they'd scream, "A GREAT, GREEN BROWN MONSTER (with a handy waist buckle and removable pockets) IS EATING OUR DEAR SARA!!!!!!!!!"

Seriously, this travel pack looks big enough to comfortably hold my entire wardrobe, with room left over for, say, my family as well. I can picture the Chois, wedged It's stomach, playing cards and munching on the Cliff bars and dried fruit that are also tucked in there.

Ok, I just did picture that quite vividly a la JD. I gotta stop watching Scrubs.

^ The beached baby walrus on my back at this moment.

The not so natural selection continues...

BOOKS! Books, books, books! What to bring, what will I read, and what do I hope I will read but know will ultimately end up balancing a wobbling chair come the end of this trip?

For sures:
- Pocket sized Spanish-English Dictionary
- Pocket sized New Testament Bible
- Lonely Planet guide book for the DR (Joe's got Haiti covered)
- Guide to birds of the West Indies
- Notebook

Mebbes:
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (J Joyce). Have I finally grown into this book??
- Dust Tracks on a Road (ZN Hurston). Maybe this is simply because the "Dust Tracks" sounds like something I might encounter in the DR. Not the best reason for hauling a pound of deadweight for a month.
- The Odyssey. A likely pick.
- Naked Economics. This is a book my friend encouraged me to read, and when better than in a country whose economics are as naked as a newborn's?
- Daughter of Fortune (I Allende). House of the Spirits anyone? Isabel is a genius.

Off to finish what I started!
-Sara

C-R-A-P packing

It's getting to be That Time again, a time where my dresser and closet are unabashedly bared and my floor glares at me in angry, white patches, barely visible through the mounds of freshly done laundry and suitcases.

As a college student living approximately a bajillion miles away from home, AND, a biology major to boot, trust me, I have this packing business down to an exact science.

My method, which works every single time, can be boiled down to four things: Clean, Radiate, Accept, and Pack (also known as CRAP for short). This precious bit of knowledge has been used and improved over many a last minute packing adventure, so please, trust the expert here (points to self).

Sara's CRAP packing technique:

1) Clean- No matter how random the article is, as a practicing CRAP packer, I believe in laundering every bit of clothing that will end up in the suitcase (or in the Salvation Army bag).

2) Radiate- There is no way you can determine what is necessary for your trip without seeing it all in front of you! Radiate, radiate, radiate and spread everything over as large a space as possible. This is coincidentally the same method that my 6 year old cousin uses to much the same result.

3) Accept- As radiating will prove, there is no way all of that stuff on your floor will fit into a itty bitty suitcase. Shoes? Eh... Your lamp? Who needs light?

Accept the fact, and move on. It's the only way.

And,

4) Pack! Stuff, shove, and sit your way into 40-pounds of concentrated luggage.




I am currently in the "Radiate" phase, but feeling miles away from Accepting. With every carefully chosen item (natural selection, YUS!), I am forced to mentally weigh the object and assess whether it's true place is in the pack on my back for a month, or back in the relieved and semi-clothed closet once more.

Thus far, I have picked out two pairs of capris (if it shows you how used to roughing it I am, one is from Banana Republic), a pair of shorts, a rainjacket, and three shirts.

I think I am nearly done!

Swimming in carefully radiated clothing,
Sara

And so it begins

I feel like I have typed those four words an awful lot of times. With each new blog I create, I can't help but feel a little smile at the thought of what's in store. Will this trip entail getting bit by a crown giant lizard, being accosted by sand flies and mosquitoes, or seeing a flamingo in the very pink and very large live? Will it entail malaria, injury, or a reunion with my ex-bffl (bets friend for liiiife) Metamucil?

I guess we'll see! ALL of us will via this blog I have created in order to document my travels in the Dominican Republic and beyond.

Wish me luck, and send your prayers in my direction!
-Sara (Sarrrrita?)