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Posts Tagged ‘Dominican Republic’

May 10th, 2011 - 3:22 pm § in Uncategorized

Being a Peacemaker

As he grabbed her she dramatically fell to the ground and laid in the street. He took the stick out of her hand and threw it into the grass. A few of the fastest of the crowd gathered around her as she laid there in defeat.[...]

April 11th, 2011 - 9:04 pm § in Uncategorized

The Process of “Civilizing” Someone

Many times when someone does something destructive or embarrassing, others who do not behave in such ways say that that person has not undergone formation. I think that explanation really does make sense. There is something that hasn't been developed or formed in the person through education and dis[...]

March 28th, 2011 - 7:09 pm § in Culture, Dominican Republic

The Art of Cooking Rice

I have brought many skills to contribute to those I have lived with here... However, this is all of relative value when I do not know how to successfully cook the most basic ingredient in almost every meal: rice.[...]

January 5th, 2011 - 12:58 pm § in Uncategorized

Viola’s Return – A Wonderful Christmas Surprise!

"There she is!" my husband exclaimed. I looked and although it was dark and she was a bit far, there was definitely Viola standing in a little field, looking at us. I called to her and she came running. We threw the doors open. "Get in the car! Come on Viola!" [...]

December 24th, 2010 - 9:00 am § in Around Town, Culture, Dominican Republic

Ho Ho What? Santa Claus in Haiti and the DR

I recently shared the story of Santa Claus with five young men in our program for Haitian boys who have come to the Dominican Republic in “search of life” and end up in pretty tough situations shining shoes or street vending. One of the boys mentioned “Tonton Noel” in reference to a decorati[...]

December 10th, 2010 - 5:00 pm § in Around Town, Day in the Life, Dominican Republic

So You Think You Have Clutter…

Here in the Dominican Republic, claustrophobia is shown no mercy. I have found that a lot can be done with a little amount of space. Take, for example, the home of a family I know in Puerto Plata. To get to their house off the main road, you have to pass through alleys on foot or [...][...]

November 19th, 2010 - 10:35 am § in Around Town, Culture, Day in the Life, Dominican Republic

You’re Out of Line…Or Am I?

Customer service is much different here in the Dominican Republic than in Virgina, where I’m from. In the U.S., if you ever approach someone at a position of authority at a store or business they are, more often than not, friendly and ready to attend to you.  Things here are the opposite. While t[...]

November 5th, 2010 - 10:32 am § in Around Town, Dominican Republic

A Tribute to Those We’ve Lost

Voices of those who have criticized my idealism with "realist" protests echo in my mind. However, I realize that we humans are the ones who create reality. There may be limits and everything does not happen overnight, but we do have a bigger role here than perhaps we realize. [...]

October 20th, 2010 - 10:35 am § in Around Town, Culture, Dominican Republic, Tips & Resources, Volunteer

Gringo Pricing: Living in Competition or Solidarity?

Any expat learns quickly that fixed prices for goods and services in the Domincan Republic don’t exist. If you are a gringo, you are normally given a higher price. In turn, many expats feel taken advantage of and seek to get the local price that Dominicans would pay. There are times when individua[...]

September 20th, 2010 - 5:00 pm § in Country, Culture, Day in the Life, Dominican Republic

A Hard Life Creates Hard Hearts

Whenever one of the mothers’ children whines or is too active, they often use a harsh action to cause the child to be quiet or still. This makes sense as confining environments don’t leave much room for lots of noise and activity. But I refuse to treat my son this way.[...]





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