Working on the house

Ok so I spent the last week moving into my new house and making it mine! The house was completely empty inside and therefore I spent most of my time being ‘chica curiosa’ making a big kitchen counter, book case, cabinets, and basically shelves of a dresser. I had a lot of fun making everything and it was actually wonderful to have the alone time and just be able to do things without running commentary. I still need to buy and cover the other half of the sofa, make a dining table, and I’m thinking I need another sort of craft shelf for the yoga/work room. Yet I wake up in the morning and am very happy when I look outside my room to my pretty kitchen.

I also have unfortunately woken up to the landlord in the backyard tending to all the cacao…realizing now that I’m living on his conuco (his farm plot) and that basically the rules of privacy just don’t apply here. I told him that I need privacy and that I’m going to reinforce the fence around the house but I don’t think he realized that I was referring directly to him. Dominicans have no sense of personal boundaries – like I’ll have my gate closed and door closed – normally a fairly uninviting sight and yet I am constantly being met at my back window with people going under the gate to look into my house. I am hoping it is because I just moved in and people and not something that will go on for the next 2 years. There is also a neighbor, a married 16 year old that seems to have a little something weird with her, who likes to watch me work for like 2 hr chunks and I’ve finally told her that I need personal space. They also take all my fruit! Needless to say I am a little burned about this and I don’t really have a problem with reinforcing the gate. Yes I realized a huge part of Dominican culture is sharing but….I was raised American and between the hours of 6 pm and 9 am I would like privacy and nobody should ever be in my backyard.

I made guava syrup which I plan to put on pancakes when I get back to my site! I need to go to the supermarket and get the stuff. I made sugar cookies to thank Mata and they turned out ok! I love my horno, it is amazing.

I was fairly frustrated this week and am now glad to be in the Capital. My Junto de Vecinos leader, Jose, was being how do I say…a jerk. He actually said in front of all the meeting after I had given them a little update on what I had been up to, plans, and what I need help with – well he told them that I need to be a little bit more aggressive with what I’m doing in the community because apparently he’s not seeing the results. I was obviously caught off guard by this and responded by saying – well what is it exactly that you are looking for from a single person? He apparently thinks I am supposed to change the attitude of the kids in the community to be respectful and hardworking and driven (which might be a problem because I dunno the adults in community aren’t really leading by example). I then went over to Jose’s house to try to get him to answer a few questions for a grant I am working on for our aqueduct project and after getting to the bottom line I calculated that in actuality they need over a million pesos (closer to 50 grand US) and are in a serious amount of debt with the hardware stores. He also explained to me during my recap of costs that they had been paying Haitian workers much less and I asked him if he thought that was fair and basically he told me that’s just the way things work with a little smile. That is just crap by the way. Dominicans really don’t like Haitians and that’s all I’m going to say about that for right now.

I’m frustrated because the aqueduct project is much less feasible to finish now. My project plans are slipping slowly thru the cracks. It will get better I hope. I am planning to do a few cooking workshops in my house – trying to emphasize the importance of not using plastic bags to help cook your rice and boiling water – while simultaneously playing with jams and cookies to see if we can fundraise for a volleyball for the cancha (they told me they’d really put up the poles for it today so let’s see when I get back...). I’m also going to print out some map mural grids to see if the kids are interested in that project for the library.

And for a little cheese with this whine.

I just got a stellar care package from Reedly and I am eating peanut butter pretzels. Life is good. I am also wearing my new threadless t-shirt from Nana and I love it! Thank you so much!

I am in the Capital this weekend for committee weekend but I haven’t found anything I want to join quite yet. I am just enjoying seeing people here and the running water. I might go to the marine interest group to see about getting scuba certified with a real trainer for cheap but I sort of have a fear of scuba diving! I don't like idea of having to acclimate to the pressure!

Will post pics soon!
Love,
Sarah