Cancion pa' Sarah

Here is the goodbye song my ladies sung at the library inauguration/despedida.

Adios Adios Adios, hermana Sarah

Adios que le valla bien

No pierdo las esperanzas

de que algun dia la volvemos a ver

Siempre recuerdo aquel día

Cuando tu llegaste a este lugar

Todo alegres y felices te dimos un hogar

Dejaste a tu padre y también a tu madre

Por venir aquí, a realizar tantas obras

en nuestro país

Ya con estas me despido con el corazón

para pedirle a mi Dios

que le eche la bendición

El Firme, Castillo

Cantado y escrito por el grupo de las Amas de Casa del Firme

12 de Abril del 2011

Washing Machine

And this is the way we wash our clothes, wash our clothes, wash our clothes

Sorry - it's in Spanish and I didn't have time to put subtitles so...

This is Rosa, one of my best friends in life now, is explaining that this is her little washing machine and the process we go through to get clean clothes. First you seperate the colors, then you put them each color at a time in the machine with soap. Then you rinse them using a series of buckets (Poncheras) with water in them. Then you put it in the suavetel bucket - this eats the soap up and makes it smell so niceee. Then you put it in the spin dryer which spins it super fast as long as there is electricity. Then you hang it up to dry in the sun!

Oh and where do we get the water from? It's rain water which we carry in that little bucket. The tinaco, or rain collection cistern is located on the other site of the house and let me tell you - washing takes a lot of water. I carry that bucket 15-20 times to wash just my clothes. Rosa washes 2-3 times a week for 4 men and 2 kids.

Moral of the story - I am very grateful for American Washing machines (although I still like clothes dried better in the sun - more environmentally friendly and just so lovely).

I'll post another update real soon with how the inauguration of my small library and the 'Despedida' = my send off, with how it all went.

Cuidense mucho y nos vemos en menos que 10 dias!!!

Sarah

Aves de Hispaniola

So the bird camp all in all went well! Technical difficulties with la luz aside, the kids and volunteers really seemed to have fun and be learning from the presentations. We had about 20 participants in total (5 volunteers from around the region and kids from their communities along with some invited speakers from different organizations and host community members). The entire event was sponsored by Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) and a huge thank you to Charles Kershner and Chris Rimmer for their help.

Jared's kids were presenting a charla on birds the last time I talked to him and it gave me the idea to make a little website with the info from the camp accessible.

Check this out if you are interested in doing a bird conservation workshop/event in the Dominican Republic/Haiti

Birds are awesome


I'm heading back to the states late August. We've got the librarian training and then library inauguration with a possible chess club tournament thrown in there (the chess club is doing very well, thanks to Orlando and Ramires). Then to the capital to square things up with COS (Close of Service) process of which I am doing the medical tests right now and then back home to be with my family. I'm currently looking at a few seasonal jobs right now with the National Park Service around the states -- but we'll see what turns up. Peace Corps does give you non-competitive eligibility for a year when applying to federal jobs so hopefully that will help me. Keep me in your thoughts if you can think to do so. I am really excited to see my family and I am now feeling ready to move on to the next great adventure.

Be well.
Sooner,
Sarah


P.S. No more mail because I'll miss it!















Carlos, Orlando, Chuma, Sarah, and Luigi at Aves de Hispaniola Summer Camp.
Bien cargados with their sweet certificados.

Ode to Caribbean Amphibians

This post is for my dear friends Katherine Apone and Alanna Savage. This tropical island misses you and the other 0901ers.

Hope you guys are doing well and will give update soon on library project and getting ready to leave.



Caribbean Amphibian
By Mark Saltzman

I know a tropical island
With a mango moon and banana sunshine
And on this tropical island
There lives a cousin of mine.

Sometimes he lives in the water.
Sometimes he lives on the land.
Sometimes he likes to go sun himself
On soft Caribbean sand.

Chorus:
He's a Caribbean amphibian.
He likes to hop in the tropical sea.
Caribbean amphibian,
a frog in a coconut tree.

Rio sings the campo blues

Mom plays the harmonica on her visit to my site. Rio belts it out.

Make sure the volume on the video is turned down, it's loud. Also scroll down the page and turn off the music player if you need.

Bugs

Here are some of my newest photos of awesome bugs that caught my eye in and around my house. If you know what any of them are let me know. This post is specifically for Maddie and Costa Rica kids.

Also - Newest musical recommendation of the moment:
The Tallest Man on Earth - Gardener

Hope all is well,
Sarah















This is a glowing click beetle. The two spots glow in the dark.






































This is a Giant Leopard Moth or Eyed Tiger Moth, Hypercompe scribonia.
I think that it looks like a little Ninja.

Sanitario Success: A Thank you!