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!

New Beginnings

It's time to say goodbye to all the people that came into Peace Corps at the same time I did. It's my groups official close of service date this friday.

It's a real - FRANTICALLY TIE UP LOOSE ENDS, stress, stess, stress, excitedness new beginnings bring, start saying your goodbyes, oh man how do I deal with or put into words the feelings the culmination of the last two years have produced, swarming beehives, I need a presidente, lets have a last few great days together and sing alot.

COS 0901 - You are some of the most wonderful individuals I have ever met and you've changed my life. This has been amazing and I thank you for being part of it.

Arte

Mural time.

Orphanage painting with the lovely IT gang and the final picture for the World Map Mural in El Firme! The kids were actually showing me they knew some of the countries. High 5.

Soon,
Sarah

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a guineo.

Again it has been too long. It is going to be odd to have internet access every few moments when I am back in the states because I am so used to being rushed to check my email and look up stuff for grants-programs in the 30 minutes I am at internet centers. I can say that at least I will appreciate it, momentarily. It seems as if old habits do die hard in many cases. I have this very unrealistic idea that I will not go back home and be addicted to facebu and not watch TV and not take warm showers. I do think that I will want to sit and talk with people though and resist getting the iphone/ipad/ipickle I keep hearing about. You know what was really nice? Just getting to visit my Nana this Christmas and feeling like she had the time to talk with me. I hope I go home and things will not speed up to the pace they were before I left. At least I hope I never feel like that, even though I would like a job and more school and a family eventually and my American mind has taught me that those words are oftentimes synonamous with stress. My Dominican mind has taught me that having any job is lucky, school is a priviledge and family is everything. You should really make time to sit and visit with people that are important to you. You should also sit in a hamaca and have a cup of coffee while the sun rises. It is restorative. Haha, at least for me it is.


What Ive been up to in brief summary: -Medical Mission in March with the ILAC center! Translating for Americans Doctors and Dominicans receiving eye surgery. -Marine Interest Group Conference (Environmental Conference for kids, Orlando and Bee came with me) -Woman camp (Dona Rosa, Maria, and Ydalia came with me!) -Finishing up latrines and water filters. The last ones are going very slowly due to the simple fact the source of motivated beneficiaries has run dry. -Helping out with a Composting Latrine Manual -Helping out with Brigada Verde National Conference (Environmental Education for teens) -Scuba diving and getting Rio dog fixed and vaccinated with free clinic in Sosua. Yes, I have temporarily adopted a little terrier dog and she is adorable and will be staying on the island with a new volunteer. - I turned 25! It was an epic birthday, filled with snorkeling and fun friends. Plans for summer (That is right, I am staying until August because I wanted to) -Planning Avian Conservation Conference. Funding from the University of Vermont and program called Optics for the Tropics. Event is to educate/motivate youth to stop killing endemic songbirds with slingshots. -Small library construction in El Firme and teacher training -Planning Rescue Diver Course in Sosua North Coast -Climb Pico Duarte -Mom visit in May! -Figuring out life back in US. I am hoping to get a seasonal job with the National Park Service using the Non competitve eligibility Peace Corps gives me after I get back and a few good hugs from my family. I am also hoping to have more internet to search my options with Grad Schools for next year and I am thinking about Plant Ecology if I get a good vibe that there are jobs available if you have that degree. A lot of questions. A lot of decisions.

I am probably missing something. No worries. Now I would love to hear what you have been up to!? Thank you so much to the friends who have been calling and writing still, it still means the world to me.

Also new music recommendation here - The Civil Wars
A very Happy Birthday to my Uncle Dave! Be well. Sooner, Sarah

Long overdue - Michelle Kizner is a spirit in motion. In other news: How to cut a rug.

Blue Lagos, Rios, and Dominos - that's just how it goes when Michelle comes out to visit for a lovely tour of the northeast DR. Thanks again for your company Geoffrey and to the lovely Katie Apone's culinary delights and site visit in Pimentel.

Photos
Geoffrey and Michelle at Los 3 Ojos
Hilee, Geli and Michelle playing dominos in Loma Vieja
Tico, Michelle, and Ornelia and also a horse.
The lovely Katie Apone and Michelle in a rio.

And friends of Ms. Kizner need to watch this video because it makes perfect sence. Especially June. (Note, about 100 people have asked me when my dancer friend is coming back)

Another great time for the books. Thanks again Michelle :)

Another post very soon with updates. Cuidate.