Thank You and Dominican Experience - Day Seven February 24th

I wanted to thank everyone for their outporing of hugs and condolences.  Your words of comfort are helping, I'm doing okay.  But that was so tough having to put down my first cat, in October of 1996 Todd and I moved out of our parents homes and into our first apartment.  Two days after moving in I went to "look" at cats in the pet store.  Well I immediately fell in love with this grey tabby who started purring like mad the moment I held him.  Oh yes it was love at first sight.  Deep down, I knew it was probably time, I had no clue it would be so hard and so upsetting.  I had a feeling it might be time, but nothing prepares you to sign on the dotted line.

I've had a rough week, three bad things have happend to me so I think I now deserve to win the lottery (I play with the ladies at work).  Last Tuesday I took my car into the dealer it wasn't "feeling right" when driving, Todd suspeced a front bearing.  One bearing, one windshield washer pump, one fog light, one break light, one rear windshield wiper blade, caliper and oil change later I was $700.00 ligher.  Then Saturday we had rain and woke up to about 2ft of snow on Sunday, when Todd went to warm up my car on Monday, the handle on the driver's side of my car broke!  Finally, there was loosing Cuddles.  All of this in the space of one Tuesday to the next.

I am on a roll with my D.R. reports and I need something to occupy my mind, I also want to get these wrapped up before I fly out to Arizona on Sautrday morning.

Our last full day in the D.R. was a day of 100% relaxation!  We went to the beach from 9am to 5pm!  White coral sands, palm trees, and azure oceans!  I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking.

Sad

Tonight I had to make the hardest decision any pet owner has to make.

We'll miss you Cuddles.

Dominican Experience 2011 - Day Six Feb 23

The town of Hato Mayor

This day is my favourite day of the whole experience!  Again we were allowed to get up at a reasonable hour.  Ricardo joined us for the day to be our guide (he was one of our full time guides last year)  Wally was waiting for us with the bus this morning and we drove to Hato Mayor.

Pedro and Ricardo being goofs

Beautiful scenery

Coffee beans drying in the sun

Hato Mayorr is one of the areas where coffee and cocoa is grown, its mountainous and beautiful!  When we arrived in town we got off the bus and into the back of a truck where we stood in the back for the drive into the mountains.  It was nice to stand there in the sun and the wind as we drove though he mountains enjoying the stunning views.

Mondesto talking about cocoa

Sadly this year we didn't get to do the guided cocoa tour that we did last year.  I feel like we missed out on a lot of cool information/stuff that I learnt last year about Fair Trade Cocoa.  We were taken to meet Mondesto one of the local farmers who belonged to the Fair Trade co-operative in the area.  Oh boy he was a character!  He was very proud to show us the picture of Jesus he had drawn in pen on his hand.

These pods contain cocoa beans

Ricardo showing us the insides, the cocoa beans

We were shown what a cocoa tree was, and the cocoa pod that grows on the tree.  Ricardo cracked open one of the pods to show us what cocoa looks like in its raw form.  We were each given a bean and told we could suck on it.  It was a little tart and a little sweet.  He told us about how they ferment and dry the cocoa beans, how there are two quality levels, and the various products made with it.  Also you can use the heart/stalk from the inside and make marmalade from it.

Young cocoa tree

Mondesto actually grows cocoa plants which are sold to the cocoa farmers.  He harvests the beans from the pods and lays them out in the sun, he waters them over an 8 day process to germinate the seeds.  After the 8 days have passed he takes the seed and presses it into some soil in a little black plastic bag.  Before you know it, you've got a cocoa tree growing!

Mondesto and I

The owners of our amazing view

You could see for miles!

After leaving Mondesto's farm we got back in the truck and moved further up into the mountains.  We stopped at a piece of land owned by a poor family.  This piece of land had the most breathtaking view that went on for miles!  We had lunch then, we were instructed to find a quiet spot and reflect in an hour in silence.  The view was just so breathtaking I wanted to cry!  As I spent my time by myself I thought about what I had seen and done over the last few days.  I also thought about myself, my life, and where I was going from there.  If this isn't an exercise you've ever done before, go find a quiet beautiful spot, with no distractions and no electronics just sit there, and let your mind wander.

When our time was up we came back together again for discussion.  Before we were allowed to speak we first listened to John Lennon's "Imagine".  We each took our turns to speak.  Today's reflections were incredibly emotional for all of us, to express how deeply this country and its people have touche, moved and changed us in such a short time.  We were coming to a realization that our time there was almost over.

Dominican Experience 2011 - Day Five Feb 22

Finally, this day was the first day since we arrived that we were allowed to sleep in.  We had a later start to the day because our activities were local.  This day has a few serious moments but more lighter ones for a change.  After three emotional, heavy days I think we needed the change of pace.

We took the bus further into town and first stopped at a local daycare for low-income families.  The cost of the daycare is very low, 100 Pesos/Week.  This daycare takes in children from 45 days to 5 years.  It is staffed by qualified women.  When we arrived it was nice to see several bags of our donations going into the daycare.

Before touring the daycare though we had one stop to make, all of our bags and cameras were locked into an office and we hit the streets.  We went to an area called the Zona Franca, this is where many of the sweat shops are located in the D.R.  Here many Dominicans work hard, sewing clothing for 8 hours a day with only a 15 minute break.  These people make about 1200 Pesos a week.  The sweatshop was a bit of a shock, it was hot it was noisy and they were working fast!  The walk through was very quick and we had been told to leave our cameras behind at the daycare because photos weren't allowed.

Our guide Pedro introducing us to one of the daycare employees

The older children receiving lessons from a teacher

We then returned tot he daycare and toured the facility.  We stopped and played with the babies for a little while.  Of course the girls I had on the trip were absolutely in love, I have to admit the boys softened up too. 

After the daycare we made a quick detour.  All of the males on the trip are huge sports fans, so we stopped to check out the field of the local baseball team, the 2nd largest in the country.  Our guides sweet talked the guard to allow us in to check out the Estrellas home field.  We had a nice long lunch break before our afternoon activities.

We met up again and went further into the city.  We visited the local market, the park, the cathedral and the saw cigars made by hand.  We also stopped for ice cream on the ocean front before heading home

Walking through the local market

Food on sale

The Cathedral in San Pedro de Macoris

Cigars being made by hand

That night we had a great reflection with the kids.  The sister of one of the Dominicans who had been along with us for the experience as an observer joined us.  She works the the self same sweat shop we saw that day.  She talked to us about her job, and the conditions under which she worked.  The kids had some great questions for her.  After she left the discussion continued about how they would never take their part-time jobs for granted.  How good we have it in terms of labour laws which give us rights, good pay, and often good benefits.  How there is always an opportunity to move up or move on.  I must admit, I appreciate the good job I have.

Dominican Experience 2011 - Day Four Feb 21

Wally our driver for the day

Driving along the ocean front to Santo Domingo

We were up at 6am again today, today's trip was to the capitol of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo.  We were a little late being picked up this morning, and for this trip they brought along a few extra guides for the day so I actually ended up sitting in the front of the bus.  I was happy to find that our driver for the day was Wally!  He was our driver quite a bit last year too.  Well, sitting up front is certainly an eye opening experience!  Last year I think we were kept so distracted in the back of the bus with the music and dancing that I just never noticed just how INSANE the traffic is in the DR.  There seems to be no obvious rules of the road, unless they exist and are ignored.  Right of way seems to be whoever goes first or whatever is bigger... you just butt your nose in and go!  We definitely had what I would call some close calls Wally just laughed at me!

Crossing the bridge, the slum Simon Bollivar below

House on top of house, on top of house, 60,000 in 2 square KMs

Our first half of the day was spent at Esquela De La Salle, a school at the top of the slums Simon Bollivar we would be visiting a little later.  We met with the same teacher who spoke with my group last year, he also visited my whole school in Canada last year and spoke to the students about just how valuable education is.  He told us about De La Salle how it was a school for the less fortunate who life in the slum.  He also told us about the technical school nearby where the students can move onto after graduating to learn trades such as computers, baking, electrician, and so on.  So there is hope, to get out of such poor conditions, if you can get to school and apply yourself.  In North America we're so fortunate, education a good and free education is just taken for granted.  That education can really change your life situation.

Teacher at De La Salle

Course list on the wall outside the technical school

One house is built on top of another

Before we headed down into the slums, Ray pulled us adults aside and let us know we'd not be going as deep into the slums this year, as it was not safe.  There seems to be quite a bit of unrest down there, not even the police go down into the slums.  I didn't feel unsafe going down there, we were wearing shirts that identified us as part of the program, which does a lot of work down there to help the people.  We had about 8 Dominicans going down with us, all of our belongings were left in a locked classroom at the school.  The only two cameras allowed down into the slums were mine and the male teacher's on the trip.  I must admit we were never left alone, a Dominican was with us at all times.  We lined up two-by-two and off we went.  Our first stop was at the technical school.

Heading down into the slums

Cinder block houses

Poor living conditions and unsafe drinking water at the valley's basin

We then moved into the slums.  The slum is on a river valley, at the top of that valley/hill the living conditions and homes really weren't that bad.  As we went down the uneven cement steps, slowly the construction of the homes and materials used got poorer.  Instead of cement and cinder blocks it became scraps of wood and corrugated tin.  Also the amount of garbage increased, and the smells were less and less pleasant.  At one point we came across a ravine, it could of been pretty but it was filed to the brim with garbage, the smell was out of this world.

Poor construction at the river level

However, among the poor conditions and misery I saw moments of hope and light.  I saw beautiful children smiling and playing, teenagers sitting outside (because it was too dark in their poorly built homes) doing their homework.  These kids, going to school and doing their homework will have a future and will be able to get out of the conditions they grew up in.

Another bright spot of the slum is Little St. Paul's.  It was built and two teachers salaries are paid for by another school in my board.  I hoping before this school year is over that we will come up with a project that we can start from the ground up and can continue to support from year to year.  This school is where the young children without legal papers to go to school in the D.R. can start getting an education, the teachers often help get those kids their papers so that when they are bigger they can go to school at De La Salle.  The kids welcomed us warmly, they sang and danced for us.

Students at Little St. Paul's look at the poor condition their textbooks are in!

Kids outside little St. Paul's

When we got back to De La Salle it was time for reflection.  To talk about what we saw and what we felt.  The impressions the kids had were quite similar.  How fortunate they were to be born in the circumstances they now live in.  How these people they saw that morning have nothing, the garbage, the smell, etc.  These were the impressions many of us had last year as well.

Next we were introduced to three Dominicans who are part of the scholarship program that we had to contribute $2,500 towards as part of our fees to have this experience.  They all have come up from very poor circumstances and will be successful adults, hopefully giving back to their community.

Young boy and girl, residents of the slums

They had also brought back to the school with us a young boy and girl.  The girl about 12 used to go to Little St. Paul's, however she's now too old to go there anymore and she does not have her papers.  So there will be no further education for this girl.  That is sad, because she loved going to school.  Who will know what will become of her as an adult.  The young boy, he is blind.  Amazingly he apparently can get around the slums without any assistance!  He is also a fantastic musician.  Once a week he goes to a club and earns a few hundred Pesos playing with the band.

De La Salle school yard

A moth we found in the school yard during the lunch break

After reflection we had lunch in the De La Salle school yard before heading to the Colonial Tourist Zone.  Here's some shots from our walk about.

The oldest cathedral in North America, construction started in the 1500's

The altar at the cathedral

I'm assuming someones remains are buried here, this was in the floor of one of the little chapels

I just loved the ceiling of the cathedral

Yours truly

Ray and Pedro horsing around

 After walking around the colonial/tourist area we headed to a market to buy gifts for family/friends/ourselves.  I had a much easier experience this year as my Spanish was a little better and I was more comfortable with bartering.  I came home with some jewelry, vanilla, a painting, coffee, hot chocolate, and t-shirts.  I did much better with my money than last year!  Before heading back to San Pedro de Macoris we stopped for dinner at a lovely restaurant on the ocean front.  It was awesome and a nice way to end a long and emotional day. 

 

Ocean view from the 2nd floor of the restaurant

Who couldn't enjoy eating on the patio?

One of the dishes on the menu, not mine I don't like fish.

This is where I had my new profile picture taken, so pretty!