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.