Alive, but exhausted. Seriously, I think teaching first graders in a language they barely understand is probably one of the most tiring things you can do. I guess that's my excuse for not writing.
So much has happened, but Steve filled you in on most of it. I do have another part to the never-ending roach story. He was dead. Steve killed him. But his ghost or vengeful relative flew into my room last Thursday night. I was alone. My roommates were out and in bed and Steve had already left. He flew up to the ceiling and crawled on my bed while I watched in fear and horror. Finally my moment came. He moved up under the corner of the curtain where I couldn't see him and I attacked. There behind the curtain he was smashed onto the wall. I closed the windows quickly, took my things, and snuck into Beth's room to sleep in her extra bed. I have decided that my windows must remain closed at night. It is the only solution.
School stories- I am getting to know my kids better. One is very spoiled and has been told by his father to show the other kids who is boss (meaning him, not me), one loves to talk all the time (and he is the coordinator's son!) but he knows very little English even compared to the others, one has a VERY difficult time staying in his seat. Those are just the most noteworthy. They drive me CRAZY sometimes, but they tell my that they love me and I am beautiful on a regular basis. They know how to sweet-talk the teacher already. My room is almost always chaos central. There have been pencil stabbings, pencil breakings, pinching, hitting, only one full out attack that I had to hold kids back, etc.
We had a giant moth for a long time. The kids loved it. One day there was a huge worm in my room. One of my boys was sure that it had eaten the moth, but it was really only about half the moth's size!
We had a hornet attack one day. Well, it entered the room and flew around. The kids were running and flailing uncontrollably. I finally sat down on the floor and they all huddled around me. We sat like that until the hornet hit the fan and fell down dead. After examining him, we continued class (playing? Same thing- right?).
Our favorite book so far is Green Eggs and Ham. Our favorite song/chant is 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. The ninth grade class down the hall hears it every day.
More stories to come, trust me. The weekend at the resort was great. Really relaxing. I ate more than I like to think about. We got a little sun, had some drinks, etc. Sleeping in air conditioning had to be one of the best parts. The latin dance show was so cool! The dance club was so lame. The dj played random sounds to cover transitions inbetween songs or to "spice up" songs that he must have felt were lacking... Our "favorite" was a siren that had absolutely no beat. He loved the strobe lights so much that we had them for about half an hour. I just couldn't look after a while. The music was also so loud that we could feel it vibrating our heads no matter where we were in the room. He consistently "enhanced" the atmosphere with fog machines.
All we had left for dinner today was hamburger, mayo, and chips. It was pretty good actually. We got payed today and set up our bank accounts but it won't all be good to go until tomorrow. That means we go shopping tomorrow.
Also, it rained a lot today. My laundry has been hanging out on the balcony since last night... I need to get home and check on it. I'm still at the guys' apartment.
I can't wait to hear from you all again. I really miss the comments when I don't write. Have a good night and God bless!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Rodney and Patrice
Across the street from the apartment where the girls live, there is this house. It has a garage, and every night as I am walking home, I am greeted by two large dogs atop this garage. Like, on the roof. One's a German shepherd and one is some big puffy dog. It's such a comical sight when they are staring you down from their lofty perch, Andrew and I decided we had to name them. Rodney and Patrice.
On a side note, for those of you who are counting, today was mine and Amy's one year. So that was exciting. :)
On a side note, for those of you who are counting, today was mine and Amy's one year. So that was exciting. :)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Children Hate Me
What an eye-catching title, right? I've got your attention! Too bad. That topic doesn't come up until the end of this post. HA!
What a great weekend! It was so hard coming back today knowing I have a stack of correcting and 23 6th graders waiting for me tomorrow.
We went to a resort in Puerto Plata called Puerto Plata Village. It's in this big strip where there are several resorts. The worst part was that this resort is not on the beach. We could have taken a guagua, but we decided we didn't want to waste any precious relaxation time. Or money. The resort was all-inclusive, so doing anything anywhere else would just be a waste of money. This all-inclusiveness led to a very exciting and varied 24-hour itinerary: arrive, eat, drink, swim, drink, eat, drink, see show, eat, drink, dance, eat, sleep, eat, swim, drink, eat, swim, drink, swim, drink, leave. It was the perfect cap to the first full week of school. It wasn't that expensive, only 2,000 pesos (which is like $65) for 24 hours of all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink and AC and a nice pool. And yes, Dad, it had a swim-up bar.
The food was really good. I was glad to see they served mostly traditional Dominican food, not Americanized cuisine. I got to try a lot of new dishes. My favorite was guava marmalade. I need to remember to pick some up from the supermarket next time.
Also, for those of you who know me, you will understand this: In the lobby was this lovely looking grand piano. It was covered in a giant doily, candles, seashells, and a neat little sign reading "Please do not play the piano" in 4 languages. Super. My first experience with a real piano in a month.
Oh, and there was church. Unfortunately, I forgot my hymnal and English Bible. So I didn't have a clue what was going on.
And now the topic you've all been waiting for: I'll start by saying that Amy is a child magnet. All little children love her at first sight. It's amazing. Every baby, toddler, or little girl smiles and plays games with her without even having met her. Then they see me. Kids don't know what to think of me. I think I confuse/intimidate them. So they're having so much fun making eyes at Amy, see me, and their faces just fall. Exhibit A: While sitting at the swim-up bar, several little Dominican children where swimming behind us and splashing us. Nothing obnoxious, just playful. So I decided to play along. The little girl swam behind me and I splashed a little splash back. It ended up being extremely accurate and nailed her right in the eye. I received such a dirty look. They left us alone after that. Good night.
What a great weekend! It was so hard coming back today knowing I have a stack of correcting and 23 6th graders waiting for me tomorrow.
We went to a resort in Puerto Plata called Puerto Plata Village. It's in this big strip where there are several resorts. The worst part was that this resort is not on the beach. We could have taken a guagua, but we decided we didn't want to waste any precious relaxation time. Or money. The resort was all-inclusive, so doing anything anywhere else would just be a waste of money. This all-inclusiveness led to a very exciting and varied 24-hour itinerary: arrive, eat, drink, swim, drink, eat, drink, see show, eat, drink, dance, eat, sleep, eat, swim, drink, eat, swim, drink, swim, drink, leave. It was the perfect cap to the first full week of school. It wasn't that expensive, only 2,000 pesos (which is like $65) for 24 hours of all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink and AC and a nice pool. And yes, Dad, it had a swim-up bar.
The food was really good. I was glad to see they served mostly traditional Dominican food, not Americanized cuisine. I got to try a lot of new dishes. My favorite was guava marmalade. I need to remember to pick some up from the supermarket next time.
Also, for those of you who know me, you will understand this: In the lobby was this lovely looking grand piano. It was covered in a giant doily, candles, seashells, and a neat little sign reading "Please do not play the piano" in 4 languages. Super. My first experience with a real piano in a month.
Oh, and there was church. Unfortunately, I forgot my hymnal and English Bible. So I didn't have a clue what was going on.
And now the topic you've all been waiting for: I'll start by saying that Amy is a child magnet. All little children love her at first sight. It's amazing. Every baby, toddler, or little girl smiles and plays games with her without even having met her. Then they see me. Kids don't know what to think of me. I think I confuse/intimidate them. So they're having so much fun making eyes at Amy, see me, and their faces just fall. Exhibit A: While sitting at the swim-up bar, several little Dominican children where swimming behind us and splashing us. Nothing obnoxious, just playful. So I decided to play along. The little girl swam behind me and I splashed a little splash back. It ended up being extremely accurate and nailed her right in the eye. I received such a dirty look. They left us alone after that. Good night.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
One Day More
Only one day left. That's all. One day until the weekend.
I had my first day of music/drama elective with high schoolers today. I'm starting with 10th graders. I liked them. They're so fun. I remember how much I loved high school student teaching. At the very beginning of the class I asked each of them why music and drama are important to them. The very first one, a young lady, very frankly told me that she doesn't care for either. But we all had fun. Be played a lot with breathing exercises. We tried singing a bit, and the girls were doing pretty well. The guys were more lost, and one of them was consistently singing down a 4th from everyone else. At least it was consonant.
There was another animal episode today. Not nearly as exciting as the tarantula or the egret, but worth noting, apparently. It looked the same as the time the kids were at recess and found the egret. A big crowd of kids running all over, and Keith racing to the rescue. But this time it was a little baby bird. It still had a little of it's downy feathers. I suggested to Keith that since he's having trouble finding something the egret will eat, maybe it would try that.
I am so ready for this weekend. We go to the resort on Saturday. The perfect way to end our first full week.
Sorry about all the scary posts, Mom. I can assure you, the resorts are better, really. So no one be afraid to come visit!
I had my first day of music/drama elective with high schoolers today. I'm starting with 10th graders. I liked them. They're so fun. I remember how much I loved high school student teaching. At the very beginning of the class I asked each of them why music and drama are important to them. The very first one, a young lady, very frankly told me that she doesn't care for either. But we all had fun. Be played a lot with breathing exercises. We tried singing a bit, and the girls were doing pretty well. The guys were more lost, and one of them was consistently singing down a 4th from everyone else. At least it was consonant.
There was another animal episode today. Not nearly as exciting as the tarantula or the egret, but worth noting, apparently. It looked the same as the time the kids were at recess and found the egret. A big crowd of kids running all over, and Keith racing to the rescue. But this time it was a little baby bird. It still had a little of it's downy feathers. I suggested to Keith that since he's having trouble finding something the egret will eat, maybe it would try that.
I am so ready for this weekend. We go to the resort on Saturday. The perfect way to end our first full week.
Sorry about all the scary posts, Mom. I can assure you, the resorts are better, really. So no one be afraid to come visit!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Crooning Kids and Crazy Critters
Sorry about the K.
Today was music/drama class #2 with the 6th graders. It went really well. We talked about drinking in air through the bottom of your feet, like a tree, and it also turned into a posture cue "like a tree!" The best part is we experimented with singing using talking voices and singing voices. When they used their singing voices, they sounded so good! I kept applauding every time I had them sing something.
They were also very excited to sing things in small groups. I'm trying to teach them this 3-part warm-up, but actually they will only learn 2 parts. It's not working at all. They know each part separately, but when I have two groups sing different parts, they all compromise and end up singing the same thing. But they all sang the different parts individually in groups of 4 or 5. I was so proud.
Tomorrow is my first time with the high-schoolers. We'll see. I don't remember which class I get to start with. Either 10th or 11th. We'll see. The 6th grade class is easy because no one has hit their voice change yet. I have no clue what to expect from the high school. Ah well, just another adventure.
On another note, yesterday there were two animals apprehended on the school premises. One cute little cattle bird who was missing some of his flight feathers. The kids were attacking him during recess, but Keith (an American teacher from MLC who's been here for 5 years but used to work in a zoo and loves animals) rescued it. He also rescued the second visitor, a rosy tarantula the boys found in their bathroom. Keith claims it's the biggest he's ever seen, but Amy says it's not as big as the ones she saw in the rainforest in Ecuador. Right now it's living in an aquarium in the science lab. The bird is living in the spare room in Keith's apartment.
Today was music/drama class #2 with the 6th graders. It went really well. We talked about drinking in air through the bottom of your feet, like a tree, and it also turned into a posture cue "like a tree!" The best part is we experimented with singing using talking voices and singing voices. When they used their singing voices, they sounded so good! I kept applauding every time I had them sing something.
They were also very excited to sing things in small groups. I'm trying to teach them this 3-part warm-up, but actually they will only learn 2 parts. It's not working at all. They know each part separately, but when I have two groups sing different parts, they all compromise and end up singing the same thing. But they all sang the different parts individually in groups of 4 or 5. I was so proud.
Tomorrow is my first time with the high-schoolers. We'll see. I don't remember which class I get to start with. Either 10th or 11th. We'll see. The 6th grade class is easy because no one has hit their voice change yet. I have no clue what to expect from the high school. Ah well, just another adventure.
On another note, yesterday there were two animals apprehended on the school premises. One cute little cattle bird who was missing some of his flight feathers. The kids were attacking him during recess, but Keith (an American teacher from MLC who's been here for 5 years but used to work in a zoo and loves animals) rescued it. He also rescued the second visitor, a rosy tarantula the boys found in their bathroom. Keith claims it's the biggest he's ever seen, but Amy says it's not as big as the ones she saw in the rainforest in Ecuador. Right now it's living in an aquarium in the science lab. The bird is living in the spare room in Keith's apartment.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Correcting
Wow! What a tidal wave of comments! I can really feel the love. Thanks for the cookie feedback. I think the next step is to see if we can track down some shortening. That might be a little more predictable and grease the pan better, too.
Today was great at school. I only taught for a total of one hour and fifteen minutes. Most of the time was spent in a 45 minute math lesson that involved nothing more than teaching the kids how to correct an assignment in class.
The first challenge was how to pass your notebook ahead one. They all got confused and tried trading and passing all at once. We got it sorted out, and then we had to work on waiting to ask questions until after I've read all of the answers.
I said it I don't know how many times.
I made them repeat it.
I read the next answer.
Carlos raised his hand.
"Carlos, when are you supposed to ask questions?"
The whole class responds "AT THE END!!!!!"
The next step was wading through all of the repeat requests. We talked quite a
while about listening carefully the first time. Otherwise you get lots of:
"Yes, Starlin?"
"Number 15?"
"0.03. Valerie?"
"Number 15?"
"I just said that, Valerie. 0.03. Brianna?"
"Number 10?"
"125. Anthony?"
"Number 15?"
"You weren't listening, Anthony. Starlin and Valerie just asked. 0.03. Carlos?"
"Number 10?"
AAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's okay, we're learning. It's their first time. Next time will be better. I'm reworking my math class in my plans for next week, and I'd like to move toward more stations. One station for practice/review, one for correcting(so the students will need to be able to do it themselves), and one for the new lesson. That way I only have to worry about 8 students and their individual needs at a time.
Also, an interesting cultural thing I learned during math: in most Latin countries, a check mark on your school work denotes a correct answer. Incorrect answers are symbolized by an X. It really threw me off at first, I was walking around, seeing a sea of red check marks all over these papers, and I thought I had completely failed on the first math lesson. Then we figured it out. The kids were freaked out when I told them that in America a check mark means your answer is wrong.
The last part of the day was in developing some writing topics for the future and read-a-loud. I'm reading them The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Most of them have seen the movie, but the book includes a lot of different details, and they are really enjoying it.
Tomorrow is another day of my music/drama elective with the kids. I don't have much planned. We'll just have fun mostly, I think. See if we can work on a couple songs, but I'm mostly just keep things light. It's the end of the day, and it is hot, so you can't expect a lot of hard work from them.
Well, it's about teacher bedtime. Thanks again for all of the comments and prayers, everyone. 'Til tomorrow!
Today was great at school. I only taught for a total of one hour and fifteen minutes. Most of the time was spent in a 45 minute math lesson that involved nothing more than teaching the kids how to correct an assignment in class.
The first challenge was how to pass your notebook ahead one. They all got confused and tried trading and passing all at once. We got it sorted out, and then we had to work on waiting to ask questions until after I've read all of the answers.
I said it I don't know how many times.
I made them repeat it.
I read the next answer.
Carlos raised his hand.
"Carlos, when are you supposed to ask questions?"
The whole class responds "AT THE END!!!!!"
The next step was wading through all of the repeat requests. We talked quite a
while about listening carefully the first time. Otherwise you get lots of:
"Yes, Starlin?"
"Number 15?"
"0.03. Valerie?"
"Number 15?"
"I just said that, Valerie. 0.03. Brianna?"
"Number 10?"
"125. Anthony?"
"Number 15?"
"You weren't listening, Anthony. Starlin and Valerie just asked. 0.03. Carlos?"
"Number 10?"
AAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's okay, we're learning. It's their first time. Next time will be better. I'm reworking my math class in my plans for next week, and I'd like to move toward more stations. One station for practice/review, one for correcting(so the students will need to be able to do it themselves), and one for the new lesson. That way I only have to worry about 8 students and their individual needs at a time.
Also, an interesting cultural thing I learned during math: in most Latin countries, a check mark on your school work denotes a correct answer. Incorrect answers are symbolized by an X. It really threw me off at first, I was walking around, seeing a sea of red check marks all over these papers, and I thought I had completely failed on the first math lesson. Then we figured it out. The kids were freaked out when I told them that in America a check mark means your answer is wrong.
The last part of the day was in developing some writing topics for the future and read-a-loud. I'm reading them The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Most of them have seen the movie, but the book includes a lot of different details, and they are really enjoying it.
Tomorrow is another day of my music/drama elective with the kids. I don't have much planned. We'll just have fun mostly, I think. See if we can work on a couple songs, but I'm mostly just keep things light. It's the end of the day, and it is hot, so you can't expect a lot of hard work from them.
Well, it's about teacher bedtime. Thanks again for all of the comments and prayers, everyone. 'Til tomorrow!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Another Cookie Attempt
I now realize why they don't really bake in this country.
They don't have normal butter. All you can really find is margarine, and it's weird. My chocolate chip cookie batter was more like pancake batter. And the result was pancake cookies. Also, Andrew and I just had a "DOH!" moment. In the DR, chocolate chips cannot be merely kept in the cupboard, but rather in the fridge. So that was fun to stir into the batter. Betty Crocker also claimed that these cookies should be baked on an ungreased cookie sheet. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! She has too much faith in Dominican butter. Anyways, after another cup of flour and scraping the bottoms of cookies off the pan, I heavily greased it, dropped the spoonfuls on, and am now watching some actual cookie-shaped cookies forming in the oven. I can only pray that they will actually come off the pan.
GOOD NEWS!! I have cookies and they look like cookies!! The texture is a bit weird. But I'm not complaining, because they look like cookies, taste like cookies, and only left a small mess in the bottom of the pan. Whew!
The bad news, is that our cookie sheet it tiny, and only holds six cookies at a time. I'm really glad this was a smallish sized batch.
They don't have normal butter. All you can really find is margarine, and it's weird. My chocolate chip cookie batter was more like pancake batter. And the result was pancake cookies. Also, Andrew and I just had a "DOH!" moment. In the DR, chocolate chips cannot be merely kept in the cupboard, but rather in the fridge. So that was fun to stir into the batter. Betty Crocker also claimed that these cookies should be baked on an ungreased cookie sheet. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! She has too much faith in Dominican butter. Anyways, after another cup of flour and scraping the bottoms of cookies off the pan, I heavily greased it, dropped the spoonfuls on, and am now watching some actual cookie-shaped cookies forming in the oven. I can only pray that they will actually come off the pan.
GOOD NEWS!! I have cookies and they look like cookies!! The texture is a bit weird. But I'm not complaining, because they look like cookies, taste like cookies, and only left a small mess in the bottom of the pan. Whew!
The bad news, is that our cookie sheet it tiny, and only holds six cookies at a time. I'm really glad this was a smallish sized batch.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Roach Story: The Final Chapter?
I remember what I forgot about this weekend. We saw the conclusion of the cockroach saga. While using the facilities at Amy's apartment, I saw the beast. He was between the toilet and the sink. He's a big monster, a good 2 inches long not counting antennae. I couldn't get at him where he was, so I grabbed the wastebasket and waved it at him menacingly. He scurried away, but further under the toilet and out reach. So I waved the wastebasket closer, he scurried to the other side of the toilet, but next to the bathtub, still out of reach. This game continued for a few moments, until he made the fatal mistake of scurrying out from the safety of the toilet and into the open floor of the bathroom. I acted fast. It only took a few quick crunches from the wastebasket and all that remained of Mr. Roach was a crushed thorax, a few stray bits of leg, and a twitching antenna. Don't worry, there are pictures on the way.
PS For those of you confused on this one point, I had finished my business before the game of cat and mouse had begun.
PS For those of you confused on this one point, I had finished my business before the game of cat and mouse had begun.
Dates
Here's just a quick one so I can get to bed. Today was great! Steve told all about church so I won't except to say that it was so good to join in worship with other WELS members- and especially because they are from a different culture. It just shows how God's Word brings his people together regardless of all else. We are so blessed here!
Some have been wondering about dates for visiting. I'll give you a little info about our schedule. During the week we work from 7:45-5 Monday- Thursday and 7:45-3 on Friday. Weekends are off, just like in the States. I'm not exactly sure how to read our year schedule but it looks like the following are our days off: Sept 24, Nov 6, Nov 25 (half), Nov 26, Dec 20-Jan 6 (Christmas Break), Jan 21, Jan 26, Mar 30, Apr 18-22 (Easter Break). Let us know when you want to come! We'll be thrilled to have visitors. We can make arrangements for you to stay with us in the apartments or you can look into resorts in (reasonably) nearby Puerto Plata or other coastal cities.
Okay, tomorrow is the beginning of a long week... Buenas noches y Dios les bendiga!
Some have been wondering about dates for visiting. I'll give you a little info about our schedule. During the week we work from 7:45-5 Monday- Thursday and 7:45-3 on Friday. Weekends are off, just like in the States. I'm not exactly sure how to read our year schedule but it looks like the following are our days off: Sept 24, Nov 6, Nov 25 (half), Nov 26, Dec 20-Jan 6 (Christmas Break), Jan 21, Jan 26, Mar 30, Apr 18-22 (Easter Break). Let us know when you want to come! We'll be thrilled to have visitors. We can make arrangements for you to stay with us in the apartments or you can look into resorts in (reasonably) nearby Puerto Plata or other coastal cities.
Okay, tomorrow is the beginning of a long week... Buenas noches y Dios les bendiga!
Long Time...
No post... sorry. It was a busy weekend, and much of it has been at Amy's, where I do not have internet. So many adventures, but Amy has covered most of them.
The school week finished. Whew. And we got to party after! It was really fun. This party was a prime example of attitude of the DR. We decided to have the party barely an hour before it happened, and the girls were running around getting beer for everyone, and then Andrew and 2 other teachers were in the kitchen throwing together some food(drowning in garlic, so it was delish), and they put on some music, pushed the couches out of the way, and there were salsa and bachata lessons, and it was loud and fun. The DR. It was really fun to watch the different dancing styles, since many of the Dominicans have a more "club" style that is very informal, but Javier, an American teacher of Latin descent, has a more educated style, and it was really fun to watch him dance with some of the other teachers. He also danced with Amy a lot cuz she's so good. ;)
Yesterday we went grocery shopping and money exchanging at a different store that is further away. Other than Amy's gut-busting experiences, she also had a milk-carton-busting experience right outside the store and we got to ride home in a guagua(like a concho, but a big van). Now I feel like a real Dominican. To have traveled in a guagua with an arm-full of groceries. This van managed to fit 22 people and all of their belongings. No personal bubbles allowed.
Last night Andrew and I also got a chance to practice our new Spanish skills to order yaroa from a street vendor. It was better than the last we had because this place made it with green peppers, onions, and corn.
And today we went to church!!! For the first time in 3 weeks! We traveled with Keith , an MLC grad who's been here for 5 years, and he showed us how to catch a guagua to Moca. This one was air-conditioned. Heavenly. And we got to the church, and the first thing I thought was "Well, it certainly is WELS." There was an "altar"(a table with a table cloth and altar vestments)and a pulpit, and the pastors wore the white robes. There were a few Dominican touches, though. It was an open-air building with no walls, the liturgy and hymns were almost identical to CW but translated, the pastors were wearing jeans under their robes, and offering was not passed but rather a line was made to a table with a basket on it. I didn't understand a word of it aside from the hymns. I was able to figure them out for the most part. We are all looking forward to next weekend. We will be joining the church for a weekend at a resort in Puerto Plata.
That's all I can think of right now, I'll probably post this and remember a ton of stuff I meant to include. Oh well. Until next time!
The school week finished. Whew. And we got to party after! It was really fun. This party was a prime example of attitude of the DR. We decided to have the party barely an hour before it happened, and the girls were running around getting beer for everyone, and then Andrew and 2 other teachers were in the kitchen throwing together some food(drowning in garlic, so it was delish), and they put on some music, pushed the couches out of the way, and there were salsa and bachata lessons, and it was loud and fun. The DR. It was really fun to watch the different dancing styles, since many of the Dominicans have a more "club" style that is very informal, but Javier, an American teacher of Latin descent, has a more educated style, and it was really fun to watch him dance with some of the other teachers. He also danced with Amy a lot cuz she's so good. ;)
Yesterday we went grocery shopping and money exchanging at a different store that is further away. Other than Amy's gut-busting experiences, she also had a milk-carton-busting experience right outside the store and we got to ride home in a guagua(like a concho, but a big van). Now I feel like a real Dominican. To have traveled in a guagua with an arm-full of groceries. This van managed to fit 22 people and all of their belongings. No personal bubbles allowed.
Last night Andrew and I also got a chance to practice our new Spanish skills to order yaroa from a street vendor. It was better than the last we had because this place made it with green peppers, onions, and corn.
And today we went to church!!! For the first time in 3 weeks! We traveled with Keith , an MLC grad who's been here for 5 years, and he showed us how to catch a guagua to Moca. This one was air-conditioned. Heavenly. And we got to the church, and the first thing I thought was "Well, it certainly is WELS." There was an "altar"(a table with a table cloth and altar vestments)and a pulpit, and the pastors wore the white robes. There were a few Dominican touches, though. It was an open-air building with no walls, the liturgy and hymns were almost identical to CW but translated, the pastors were wearing jeans under their robes, and offering was not passed but rather a line was made to a table with a basket on it. I didn't understand a word of it aside from the hymns. I was able to figure them out for the most part. We are all looking forward to next weekend. We will be joining the church for a weekend at a resort in Puerto Plata.
That's all I can think of right now, I'll probably post this and remember a ton of stuff I meant to include. Oh well. Until next time!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
I need to write more often!
One week of school down. Don't remind me that it was only actually a three day week... I am so completely worn out by the end of each day- not to mention by the end of the week!
My students are adorable! Out of a list of 18 I only had five visit on the open house day, 8 in class on Wednesday, and 9 the next two days. We will see how many more show up next week. I wouldn't mind if more didn't... I LOVE my students already. There are 7 boys and 2 girls. They know VERY little English. They understand a little bit and speak even less. I have a target language classroom- meaning I only speak in English. It's crazy. The kids mostly just stare at me blankly and then keep doing whatever it is they are doing. I am getting really good at a happy voice and an angry voice so they can judge from my tone if their behavior is acceptable or needs a change.
They ask me questions in Spanish all the time. I have to ask them, "Can you tell me in English?" Their response is either, "I don't know in English" (which is often followed by a frustrated little head flopping into their hands) or they think for a minute before walking away or trying again in Spanish. They know "I want" as in "I want water," "I want food," or "I want bathroom" (sometimes they get the "to go to" part). One little girl always refers to the other as "he." It is quite funny really. They are so cute and genuine but little stinkers too (just as 1st graders tend to be). The best part is knowing that they will learn so fast!
Then last night it was finally time to party! As I was getting ready to leave Steve stopped in to my room to tell me that there was a party happening right away- at MY apartment. Funny how I was the last to know, but my room is kind of secluded. A whole bunch of the teachers came for conversation, spaghetti, drinks, dancing, etc. Our apartment is really big (7 people lived here one year) so all the teachers who could make it and some of their kids all fit just fine. It was so much fun to spend time with the other teachers outside of school!
Today I hardcore cleaned the kitchen! When I get in the right mood, I really love cleaning. And this morning I was in the right mood. It was my turn to clean the kitchen, which really needed it long before last nights party. I scrubbed the counters, cupboards, sink, microwave, and THE STOVE. They were pretty gross, but are pretty decent now, if I do say so myself. That really took most of the day. Then Steve and I worked on some wedding details for a bit before Steve, Andrew, and I headed out for Nacional, the big supermarket.
We took an "A" concho there and first exchanged some money. By then I was starting to feel kind of funny in the stomach. While we were shopping the stomach issue got worse very quickly, to the point where I had to actually sit down twice on the floor in the middle of the aisle because the pain made me so dizzy. It felt like a knife in the stomach. It was just a spell of indigestion so it passed reasonably quickly, but that was the worst I've ever had it. I am not sure what I ate to cause that so I hope it doesn't happen again.
Right now I am waiting for the boys to get to my place. They wanted to put their purchases away before coming here. They are also picking up some yaroa. The "y" here is pronounced like a "j". Steve told about yaroa in his post called "Too tired to write." That time we had it with french fries. Today we are going to try it with plantains instead.
Tomorrow we are meeting Keith, an MLC alumni who is here for the fifth year now, to go to the WELS church in Mocha. We are SO excited. One of us will certainly write about that experience tomorrow.
Also, if any of you have questions about anything, feel free to write them in a comment and we'll write an answer in the next blog!
My students are adorable! Out of a list of 18 I only had five visit on the open house day, 8 in class on Wednesday, and 9 the next two days. We will see how many more show up next week. I wouldn't mind if more didn't... I LOVE my students already. There are 7 boys and 2 girls. They know VERY little English. They understand a little bit and speak even less. I have a target language classroom- meaning I only speak in English. It's crazy. The kids mostly just stare at me blankly and then keep doing whatever it is they are doing. I am getting really good at a happy voice and an angry voice so they can judge from my tone if their behavior is acceptable or needs a change.
They ask me questions in Spanish all the time. I have to ask them, "Can you tell me in English?" Their response is either, "I don't know in English" (which is often followed by a frustrated little head flopping into their hands) or they think for a minute before walking away or trying again in Spanish. They know "I want" as in "I want water," "I want food," or "I want bathroom" (sometimes they get the "to go to" part). One little girl always refers to the other as "he." It is quite funny really. They are so cute and genuine but little stinkers too (just as 1st graders tend to be). The best part is knowing that they will learn so fast!
Then last night it was finally time to party! As I was getting ready to leave Steve stopped in to my room to tell me that there was a party happening right away- at MY apartment. Funny how I was the last to know, but my room is kind of secluded. A whole bunch of the teachers came for conversation, spaghetti, drinks, dancing, etc. Our apartment is really big (7 people lived here one year) so all the teachers who could make it and some of their kids all fit just fine. It was so much fun to spend time with the other teachers outside of school!
Today I hardcore cleaned the kitchen! When I get in the right mood, I really love cleaning. And this morning I was in the right mood. It was my turn to clean the kitchen, which really needed it long before last nights party. I scrubbed the counters, cupboards, sink, microwave, and THE STOVE. They were pretty gross, but are pretty decent now, if I do say so myself. That really took most of the day. Then Steve and I worked on some wedding details for a bit before Steve, Andrew, and I headed out for Nacional, the big supermarket.
We took an "A" concho there and first exchanged some money. By then I was starting to feel kind of funny in the stomach. While we were shopping the stomach issue got worse very quickly, to the point where I had to actually sit down twice on the floor in the middle of the aisle because the pain made me so dizzy. It felt like a knife in the stomach. It was just a spell of indigestion so it passed reasonably quickly, but that was the worst I've ever had it. I am not sure what I ate to cause that so I hope it doesn't happen again.
Right now I am waiting for the boys to get to my place. They wanted to put their purchases away before coming here. They are also picking up some yaroa. The "y" here is pronounced like a "j". Steve told about yaroa in his post called "Too tired to write." That time we had it with french fries. Today we are going to try it with plantains instead.
Tomorrow we are meeting Keith, an MLC alumni who is here for the fifth year now, to go to the WELS church in Mocha. We are SO excited. One of us will certainly write about that experience tomorrow.
Also, if any of you have questions about anything, feel free to write them in a comment and we'll write an answer in the next blog!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day the Second
The school day went smoothly, but it just drains you of all energy! I think it's the heat. We only teach half of the day, but by the time you are finished, you get your computer, sit in the teacher lounge, and just sit and stare for a while, because you have to store up your energy before you accomplish anything else. Needless to say, I took a nice nap this afternoon.
I had all 23 students today. It seems like a big number, especially compared to Andrew's class of 8.....makes me sick.... But they all like me, which makes it a lot easier. I think I've been able to earn most of their respect already, so the rest should be pretty easy. I have one girl who has a problem listening to my directions, so there might be some consequences on the way if she doesn't shape up. The boy you doesn't speak English is so great! He knows how important it is to me that the students don't speak Spanish during my class, that he completely refuses to use it at all, and works really hard to communicate using his very limited English. I do have some students who are lazy and want to just use Spanish, but most of them have been at this school for at least 5 years, so they know English.
Today was a fun day. We decided on our Classroom Standards of Behavior. (they're like rules, but I decided to call them something different) We talked a lot about respect today, did some brainstorming and discussions about it, and then broke into groups to make lists of how 6th graders should behave. Then we came together, picked our favorites, reworded some others, and came up with 5. Then the kids made posters of the standards for the wall. They were really proud of them when they were finished. I'm trying to challenge them with lots of difficult concepts, especially for ELLs,(English Language Learners)but I can tell they really appreciate it.
Tomorrow is a big day, since I'm going to try actually teaching a few subjects. We're going to start reading our novel, "Because of Winn-Dixie," work on some math puzzles, and start talking about Native Americans and oral tradition.
New topic: New kind of juice! Jugo de tamarindo, or tamarind juice. A tamarind is a legume, so the fruit is in a pod. According to Wikipedia, they are ingredients in Worcestershire sauce and chutney. The juice is dark brown, which really threw me off, but it actually tastes sweet/sour, like a tomato. It isn't my favorite. Jugo de chinola is much better, but that's no surprise. Andrew doesn't like it at all, so I might give the jug of concentrate I bought to Amy and I'll just drink it at her place. It's okay, we have another jug of jugo de pina, pineapple juice. Probably not too many surprises with that one. I'll let you know tomorrow.
Thanks for all of the comments everyone! It's very exciting to log on to the blog and see "2 comments" at the bottom of my post.
Now, to bed. Good night, America.
I had all 23 students today. It seems like a big number, especially compared to Andrew's class of 8.....makes me sick.... But they all like me, which makes it a lot easier. I think I've been able to earn most of their respect already, so the rest should be pretty easy. I have one girl who has a problem listening to my directions, so there might be some consequences on the way if she doesn't shape up. The boy you doesn't speak English is so great! He knows how important it is to me that the students don't speak Spanish during my class, that he completely refuses to use it at all, and works really hard to communicate using his very limited English. I do have some students who are lazy and want to just use Spanish, but most of them have been at this school for at least 5 years, so they know English.
Today was a fun day. We decided on our Classroom Standards of Behavior. (they're like rules, but I decided to call them something different) We talked a lot about respect today, did some brainstorming and discussions about it, and then broke into groups to make lists of how 6th graders should behave. Then we came together, picked our favorites, reworded some others, and came up with 5. Then the kids made posters of the standards for the wall. They were really proud of them when they were finished. I'm trying to challenge them with lots of difficult concepts, especially for ELLs,(English Language Learners)but I can tell they really appreciate it.
Tomorrow is a big day, since I'm going to try actually teaching a few subjects. We're going to start reading our novel, "Because of Winn-Dixie," work on some math puzzles, and start talking about Native Americans and oral tradition.
New topic: New kind of juice! Jugo de tamarindo, or tamarind juice. A tamarind is a legume, so the fruit is in a pod. According to Wikipedia, they are ingredients in Worcestershire sauce and chutney. The juice is dark brown, which really threw me off, but it actually tastes sweet/sour, like a tomato. It isn't my favorite. Jugo de chinola is much better, but that's no surprise. Andrew doesn't like it at all, so I might give the jug of concentrate I bought to Amy and I'll just drink it at her place. It's okay, we have another jug of jugo de pina, pineapple juice. Probably not too many surprises with that one. I'll let you know tomorrow.
Thanks for all of the comments everyone! It's very exciting to log on to the blog and see "2 comments" at the bottom of my post.
Now, to bed. Good night, America.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Real Teacher
Well, I'm alive.
Okay, it was better than that. My kids are great. I have 23, 21 were there today, and 3 of them are new students. Most of them have pretty good English. There is one student who understands and speaks very little, so I'm going to have to make sure no one translates for him too much, or he'll never learn. They started out behaving really well, but got squirrel-ier the second half of the day. I'll have to watch for it and keep it in check.
Management is easy right now, since I'm riding the novelty wave, but I'm trying to set things up so it'll be easier when that wears off. I did have to pull out the teacher voice today. It was a really nice kid who was getting way too chatty, so I hope pulling it out one this early will do the trick. (hahahahahahahahaha, I can hope)
I also started my Music/Drama class today. It's an elective for 5-8 and 9-12. Right now, we are in a preliminary kind of stage with the arts electives, where each grade gets 3 weeks with each elective before deciding on one for the rest of the year. I'm starting with my class, so I got to do some singing and acting games with them. They can sing a unison note, which honestly, I wasn't sure if that was going to happen. I tried teaching them a simple 2-part warm-up that really didn't happen. Some of them understood, but mostly it would start out two part for one note, and then turn into one part. Oh well. I have two more weeks. But I think they had fun. So we'll see.
Well, I need to get some work done on my lesson plans for the following weeks, and get some sleep. I'm wiped out. Ugh. Good night everybody.
Okay, it was better than that. My kids are great. I have 23, 21 were there today, and 3 of them are new students. Most of them have pretty good English. There is one student who understands and speaks very little, so I'm going to have to make sure no one translates for him too much, or he'll never learn. They started out behaving really well, but got squirrel-ier the second half of the day. I'll have to watch for it and keep it in check.
Management is easy right now, since I'm riding the novelty wave, but I'm trying to set things up so it'll be easier when that wears off. I did have to pull out the teacher voice today. It was a really nice kid who was getting way too chatty, so I hope pulling it out one this early will do the trick. (hahahahahahahahaha, I can hope)
I also started my Music/Drama class today. It's an elective for 5-8 and 9-12. Right now, we are in a preliminary kind of stage with the arts electives, where each grade gets 3 weeks with each elective before deciding on one for the rest of the year. I'm starting with my class, so I got to do some singing and acting games with them. They can sing a unison note, which honestly, I wasn't sure if that was going to happen. I tried teaching them a simple 2-part warm-up that really didn't happen. Some of them understood, but mostly it would start out two part for one note, and then turn into one part. Oh well. I have two more weeks. But I think they had fun. So we'll see.
Well, I need to get some work done on my lesson plans for the following weeks, and get some sleep. I'm wiped out. Ugh. Good night everybody.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Open House
Today I met over 50% of my students and their parents. It was great. I got to chat a little bit, a very little bit when they spoke limited English, and get to know their situations a bit. I have a class of 23 right now, 3 of which are new students, the other 20 have been together as a class for about 5 years, so it's like a group of best friends. They are really energetic, which will be great, because I like group work and discussions, but the trick will be harnessing all of their energy for good rather than evil. We'll see.
There were a few students who hung around all morning. Melvin, Anthony, and a girl whose name is escaping me right now.... But anyway, they were in my classroom for a while and we got to talk quite a bit. Anthony showed me pictures of his dad's new car on his cellphone (which will not be allowed tomorrow), and Melvin bought be M&Ms (which is allowed any time).
Overall it seems like a really great group of kids, and I'm excited to work with them all.
Amy already mentioned the sad news of our sub-director leaving. It was such a blow to all of the new American teachers. We really loved her. Hopefully she will be around this week so we can say our good-byes.
On a completely unrelated note, I was trying to make some simple peanut butter cookies just now. It's a weird recipe, one that has very few ingredients and no flour. I've made the recipe before, back in the states, and I added a little flour to it and they turned out great. But this time, I took my first pan out of the oven and tried squashing them with a fork, and they just crumbled. Part of it is I don't have an electric mixer, and it's really hard to mix peanut butter by hand, the bigger part, though, is that DR peanut butter is weird. It's a lot like organic peanut butter in the states, the stuff you have to stir up and keep in the fridge. But that's how everything is here. Most of it is organic, or has no preservatives. It's nice to see all of the food with tiny ingredients lists.
Well, I need sleep for the big day tomorrow. I love getting comments, so don't be shy. We love hearing from the US just like you like hearing from the DR. God's blessings!
There were a few students who hung around all morning. Melvin, Anthony, and a girl whose name is escaping me right now.... But anyway, they were in my classroom for a while and we got to talk quite a bit. Anthony showed me pictures of his dad's new car on his cellphone (which will not be allowed tomorrow), and Melvin bought be M&Ms (which is allowed any time).
Overall it seems like a really great group of kids, and I'm excited to work with them all.
Amy already mentioned the sad news of our sub-director leaving. It was such a blow to all of the new American teachers. We really loved her. Hopefully she will be around this week so we can say our good-byes.
On a completely unrelated note, I was trying to make some simple peanut butter cookies just now. It's a weird recipe, one that has very few ingredients and no flour. I've made the recipe before, back in the states, and I added a little flour to it and they turned out great. But this time, I took my first pan out of the oven and tried squashing them with a fork, and they just crumbled. Part of it is I don't have an electric mixer, and it's really hard to mix peanut butter by hand, the bigger part, though, is that DR peanut butter is weird. It's a lot like organic peanut butter in the states, the stuff you have to stir up and keep in the fridge. But that's how everything is here. Most of it is organic, or has no preservatives. It's nice to see all of the food with tiny ingredients lists.
Well, I need sleep for the big day tomorrow. I love getting comments, so don't be shy. We love hearing from the US just like you like hearing from the DR. God's blessings!
Are you there?
We miss you! Please comment on our blog... I wouldn't be so needy except that we look forward to your comments every day and it's such a let-down when there are none.
Also, for those of you who have asked (and there are a lot of you), you can find who wrote each post at the end of the message. It says when the post happened and who wrote it.
Today we had our open house. I only met four children (and a fifth this last week). The real news of the day is that Jeanette, the sub-director/coordinator of the school, quit. Her husband's company shut down all the offices on in the northern part of the island so she and her two daughters are moving to Punta Cana to be closer to him. We were all in shock. She was so organized, intelligent, experienced, and encouraging. She always had time to talk to us and she always had something positive to say about what we were doing. It will be hard for us to lose that. We just feel a little more alone now. The director of the school, Miss Jenny, just has SO much on her plate. I can't imagine how she is feeling right about now... She has to deal with everything and try to help and support all of us too.
There is really no way to communicate what that means to us- losing Jeanette. She was everything we needed here and everything this school needed. And we really looked up to her. I just would love to be like her- so passionate, driven, and organized. But we understand her circumstances and certainly can't fault her. It's just so sad that it had to happen this way.
On that sad note, I'm afraid I must leave you to get myself to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day filled with energetic 1st graders!
Tomorrow
Also, for those of you who have asked (and there are a lot of you), you can find who wrote each post at the end of the message. It says when the post happened and who wrote it.
Today we had our open house. I only met four children (and a fifth this last week). The real news of the day is that Jeanette, the sub-director/coordinator of the school, quit. Her husband's company shut down all the offices on in the northern part of the island so she and her two daughters are moving to Punta Cana to be closer to him. We were all in shock. She was so organized, intelligent, experienced, and encouraging. She always had time to talk to us and she always had something positive to say about what we were doing. It will be hard for us to lose that. We just feel a little more alone now. The director of the school, Miss Jenny, just has SO much on her plate. I can't imagine how she is feeling right about now... She has to deal with everything and try to help and support all of us too.
There is really no way to communicate what that means to us- losing Jeanette. She was everything we needed here and everything this school needed. And we really looked up to her. I just would love to be like her- so passionate, driven, and organized. But we understand her circumstances and certainly can't fault her. It's just so sad that it had to happen this way.
On that sad note, I'm afraid I must leave you to get myself to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day filled with energetic 1st graders!
Tomorrow
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Boys of Summer Are Gone
The last day of summer draws to a close. It was great. And fraught with adventures. It was a good adventure (buena aventura) in that it was only Beth, Amy, and I, all new kids, so we got to figure everything out on our own. Today is a national holiday in the DR, that's why we didn't teach today. In order to get to the beach, we needed to catch a concho to the bus station and then take a bus to Sosua. As we started walking, we quickly realized there were not many conchos about. Probably due to the holiday. We had walked practically half of the way to the bus station by the time we spotted the right concho. So we got to the bus station, and we were too late. They were already full. So we had to wait an hour for the next bus. Whatever, we would just stay later. So after the beach, we walk quickly back to the bus station, only to find that there are no tickets available for the 5:20 bus in Sosua or in nearby Puerto Plata, and there are no tickets available for the 6:20 bus in Sosua or in nearby Puerto Plata. Those are the last buses of the day. So we found a taxi that took us to Puerto Plata, and then said he would take us all the way to Santiago. It was nice because it was faster than taking the bus, but it cost 3x as much.
But the beach was great. The surf was better than last time. Last time, the waves were so small, the only difference between that beach and a Minnesota beach was the salt. This time there were actually some fun waves. We had some delicious cheeseburgers and fries, and I had a margarita like I'd never tried before. It was stronger and had a couple different fruit juices in it, I think, like mango, lime, and pineapple. Very good.
But now I need to go to bed. Tomorrow is open house day, so I have to be ready to meet my students and their parents!
But the beach was great. The surf was better than last time. Last time, the waves were so small, the only difference between that beach and a Minnesota beach was the salt. This time there were actually some fun waves. We had some delicious cheeseburgers and fries, and I had a margarita like I'd never tried before. It was stronger and had a couple different fruit juices in it, I think, like mango, lime, and pineapple. Very good.
But now I need to go to bed. Tomorrow is open house day, so I have to be ready to meet my students and their parents!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Qiin
I have no idea how to pronounce it, but it's the name of the brand of cookies I just finished eating. They're like those little wafer sandwich cookies we have in the states. You know, the ones that come in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry? Well, here they have a bunch of flavors. Including lime. So they are green. So they can't be bad.
Earlier tonight Beth, Andrew, Amy, and I walked to Bon, an ice cream place. I had dulce de leche ice cream. (It's like caramel, but creamier)
And to top off the night, Katie's boyfriend gave me a ride home on his motorcycle. It only lasted about a minute, but it's a pretty sweet bike.
Tomorrow: Beach Day #2!
Earlier tonight Beth, Andrew, Amy, and I walked to Bon, an ice cream place. I had dulce de leche ice cream. (It's like caramel, but creamier)
And to top off the night, Katie's boyfriend gave me a ride home on his motorcycle. It only lasted about a minute, but it's a pretty sweet bike.
Tomorrow: Beach Day #2!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Mopping
I cleaned the apartment today! Which meant mopping the floor, which was fun, since I didn't have a way to wring the mop out, and since I didn't want to turn the kitchen into a lake, I had to do it with my hands. Which was really gross. So if anyone has a solution please share. It's really dusty here, and the windows are always open, so I think I'll be doing this job very regularly.
And now for something completely different:
The walk back from the supermarket is a journey of mixed emotions. On one hand, I am extremely excited about all of the purchases I have made: I have bread for making french toast, I have a new kind of juice (tamarindo), I have bleach for cleaning the bathroom, I have more plantains, and so many more goodies. On the other hand, I have to carry all of my purchases back to the apartment. Which is not a short walk. And the purchases are not few. Which quickly results in sore shoulders. But it didn't rain until we were back, so I guess I can't complain.
Also, one more little note about the supermarket: Eggs are not packaged in a nice, protective carton. They are in a half-carton wrapped in plastic. It is very difficult to arrive home with a 0 egg mortality rate.
And now for something completely different:
The walk back from the supermarket is a journey of mixed emotions. On one hand, I am extremely excited about all of the purchases I have made: I have bread for making french toast, I have a new kind of juice (tamarindo), I have bleach for cleaning the bathroom, I have more plantains, and so many more goodies. On the other hand, I have to carry all of my purchases back to the apartment. Which is not a short walk. And the purchases are not few. Which quickly results in sore shoulders. But it didn't rain until we were back, so I guess I can't complain.
Also, one more little note about the supermarket: Eggs are not packaged in a nice, protective carton. They are in a half-carton wrapped in plastic. It is very difficult to arrive home with a 0 egg mortality rate.
A day of relaxation
I slept in today, which is why I am still up now. Steve came over to my apartment for breakfast only to find I had almost nothing! I had already eaten the two eggs I had left. There was no milk to make pancakes or to put on cereal. I had a little frying cheese (one of his favorites) and two mangoes, so he didn't go completely hungry.
After that I cleaned and he looked at music for school. After it had cooled off a bit and when we heard some thunder in the distance we decided to go shopping. We just went to the small grocery store that is in walking distance called Summit. We finally have food again! And we made it there and back completely dry! It rained shortly after.
Steve and I cooked some beef and vegetables with red sauce to put on pasta and Beth helped us throw together a quick salad. Andrew joined the three of us for dinner. After that we all watched a movie with Ally and Miguel before the guys headed home. If we get enough done tomorrow we will go to the beach on Monday:)
After that I cleaned and he looked at music for school. After it had cooled off a bit and when we heard some thunder in the distance we decided to go shopping. We just went to the small grocery store that is in walking distance called Summit. We finally have food again! And we made it there and back completely dry! It rained shortly after.
Steve and I cooked some beef and vegetables with red sauce to put on pasta and Beth helped us throw together a quick salad. Andrew joined the three of us for dinner. After that we all watched a movie with Ally and Miguel before the guys headed home. If we get enough done tomorrow we will go to the beach on Monday:)
Friday, August 13, 2010
Too tired to write...
But I know you people are counting on me. So I will press on.
Today was the last day of prep. Tuesday is like an open house, and then Wednesday is the first day of school. That means I'm supposed to be ready for school to start. Which I guess is true. I just feel unprepared because I don't know what to expect from the kids. I know what American 6th graders can accomplish, but I don't know what these students will be like. It's hard to choose literature because I don't know how good their English will be. It will be fine, since I'm planning a lot of activities for the first few days and won't start getting into material until the second week. I should get to know them a little by then.
We hung out at Amy's apartment tonight. It was really fun. We were all there (Andrew, Amy, and me, and Amy's roommates and their boyfriends). We had a good time playing mafia, which was extra difficult considering Ally's boyfriend Miguel doesn't speak much English. After the game, we were hungry, so Katie and her boyfriend showed us this little stand nearby that sells this delicious little dish called yaroa. It's french fries, covered with fried onions and chicken or pork, covered in cheese, covered in ketchup and mayo (of course). It was heavenly. And now, after that, I want to do nothing but sleep.
Today was the last day of prep. Tuesday is like an open house, and then Wednesday is the first day of school. That means I'm supposed to be ready for school to start. Which I guess is true. I just feel unprepared because I don't know what to expect from the kids. I know what American 6th graders can accomplish, but I don't know what these students will be like. It's hard to choose literature because I don't know how good their English will be. It will be fine, since I'm planning a lot of activities for the first few days and won't start getting into material until the second week. I should get to know them a little by then.
We hung out at Amy's apartment tonight. It was really fun. We were all there (Andrew, Amy, and me, and Amy's roommates and their boyfriends). We had a good time playing mafia, which was extra difficult considering Ally's boyfriend Miguel doesn't speak much English. After the game, we were hungry, so Katie and her boyfriend showed us this little stand nearby that sells this delicious little dish called yaroa. It's french fries, covered with fried onions and chicken or pork, covered in cheese, covered in ketchup and mayo (of course). It was heavenly. And now, after that, I want to do nothing but sleep.
Sequel to the cockroach story
I don't know which is better: not seeing the cockroach again and knowing he could still be alive or seeing him and having to attempt to do away with him again. For those of you who enjoyed the cockroach story, you may get a kick out of this:
Two mornings after the horrible night of the roach, my roommate Katie told Steve and I that she had a terrible story to tell us. The night before she had seen a roach in her room! (At this point we interrupted and told her it must have escaped from mine to hers.) She called her boyfriend who had just left to come back and kill it. By the time he got there the roach had once again disappeared. She did not want to lose sleep over it and so she slept in Beth's room, where there is an extra bed. It was the first time she had seen a roach in her room, and this is her second year here. That fact was somewhat comforting- knowing it is not the norm.
We told her that my story wasn't much different, and we made an agreement with Beth that if either of us see it again we will sleep in her room. I hope this is the end of the roach saga, but you will have to stay tuned to find out.
Two mornings after the horrible night of the roach, my roommate Katie told Steve and I that she had a terrible story to tell us. The night before she had seen a roach in her room! (At this point we interrupted and told her it must have escaped from mine to hers.) She called her boyfriend who had just left to come back and kill it. By the time he got there the roach had once again disappeared. She did not want to lose sleep over it and so she slept in Beth's room, where there is an extra bed. It was the first time she had seen a roach in her room, and this is her second year here. That fact was somewhat comforting- knowing it is not the norm.
We told her that my story wasn't much different, and we made an agreement with Beth that if either of us see it again we will sleep in her room. I hope this is the end of the roach saga, but you will have to stay tuned to find out.
Too Much Rain!
This morning upon entering my classroom I found a lake. They say the water came in through a crack on the ceiling. I don't know... It was a LOT of water. So I got to spend the first 15 minutes or so sweeping water into the bathroom which is attached to my classroom. There is a drain in there but the funny part is that the ground does not slope downward to the drain... Thankfully a custodian came to the rescue and I got to do some more planning.
We had to have everything ready today for school on Tuesday. Monday is a holiday and Tuesday is open house. Wednesday we start classes. Steven and I were at school till 4:30 today trying to make sure everything was just right and ready for the kids. I think I will never be as ready as I could be but at some point you just have to say "good enough." My classroom is pretty fun though I think, if I do say so myself:) We will bring cameras on Tuesday so we can share pictures.
I am at the guys apartment right now since it is raining once again. Steve and I won't be getting to the store again today. Tomorrow we will have to find some time during the day to get shopping. Food is starting to become a bit scarce, especially in my cupboard... Andrew braved the storm yesterday to get the guys a few things. On the upside we are staying nice and cool- 75 degrees right now!
I'm looking forward to this long weekend- and to hearing from you. I love reading your comments. It always makes home feel just a little bit closer:)
We had to have everything ready today for school on Tuesday. Monday is a holiday and Tuesday is open house. Wednesday we start classes. Steven and I were at school till 4:30 today trying to make sure everything was just right and ready for the kids. I think I will never be as ready as I could be but at some point you just have to say "good enough." My classroom is pretty fun though I think, if I do say so myself:) We will bring cameras on Tuesday so we can share pictures.
I am at the guys apartment right now since it is raining once again. Steve and I won't be getting to the store again today. Tomorrow we will have to find some time during the day to get shopping. Food is starting to become a bit scarce, especially in my cupboard... Andrew braved the storm yesterday to get the guys a few things. On the upside we are staying nice and cool- 75 degrees right now!
I'm looking forward to this long weekend- and to hearing from you. I love reading your comments. It always makes home feel just a little bit closer:)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
More Rain
There was some impressive rain this afternoon. It was crazy. It just kept raining harder. Obviously, Amy and I did not get to the store today. Thankfully, Andrew was brave enough to venture into the storm. He had one thing we didn't, though, an umbrella. So we have food again.
Today, I got my SCHEDULE!!! I've been waiting for two weeks for this. Now I can do my lesson planning which is due tomorrow...
I also talked to Jennie (the director) about my Music/Drama elective. It looks like I'll have two classes. 5-8 and 9-12. One hour each, once a week. That's not realistic. Jennie said I could have additional classes after school like an extra-curricular. Right now I'm thinking the class will be half choir and half small group drama performances. I'll try to focus on skills with the dramatic half, rather than just putting on a show. The end result should be like a variety show, which will be lots of fun, I think.
Today, I got my SCHEDULE!!! I've been waiting for two weeks for this. Now I can do my lesson planning which is due tomorrow...
I also talked to Jennie (the director) about my Music/Drama elective. It looks like I'll have two classes. 5-8 and 9-12. One hour each, once a week. That's not realistic. Jennie said I could have additional classes after school like an extra-curricular. Right now I'm thinking the class will be half choir and half small group drama performances. I'll try to focus on skills with the dramatic half, rather than just putting on a show. The end result should be like a variety show, which will be lots of fun, I think.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Rain is beautiful
It has been raining/storming most of the evening. For this our trip to the store was canceled. Sorry for the awkward way to word that sentence. It's a Spanish thing I guess. The weather here is cooler than in Watertown for probably the first time since we arrived! We are at a lovely 73 degrees right now compared to Watertown's 81 degrees:) We have enough food yet to make it through breakfast, but shopping is on the to-do list. It was a rather uneventful day. No roaches, no explosions... you'd think we were back in the States!
Hurricanes!!!!
Okay, so that's an exaggeration, too. It's just a thunderstorm. But the best part is that it just thundered so loud it set off literally every car alarm in ear-shot.
Also, at lunch today, I had tacos Dominican-style.
Ingredients:
Flour tortilla
Impossibly lean ground beef
Lettuce
Tomato
Pico de gallo
Cheese
KETCHUP
MAYONNAISE
Yup. No salsa, no sour cream, just ketchup and mayo. Weird. But not bad.
Also, at lunch today, I had tacos Dominican-style.
Ingredients:
Flour tortilla
Impossibly lean ground beef
Lettuce
Tomato
Pico de gallo
Cheese
KETCHUP
MAYONNAISE
Yup. No salsa, no sour cream, just ketchup and mayo. Weird. But not bad.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
A cockroach is not a bug
Last night there was a cockroach larger than a quarter running around my room. I was already uneasy because Steve did not know where his wallet with all his money was. (Don't worry- it's been found!) So to make matters worse, I saw this roach. Bugs are little. One thwap and they are gone. You don't think twice. But roaches are big and fast and they hide under things. Needless to say, even with Beth's help, the roach escaped. I slept very poorly for fear of the roach joining me at night... Silly, I know. I guess I'll have to get used to it.
As Steve wrote, I missed out on the excitement. He wrote that I was "watching" a dish. Actually I was "washing" it, and he told me it looked like the sun had come out for a second. Then we went into the other room and heard all the roommates talking about the explosion. Never a dull moment. If it had to happen, I'm just sad to have missed it.
I'm looking forward to a roach-free night of sleep. Good night!
As Steve wrote, I missed out on the excitement. He wrote that I was "watching" a dish. Actually I was "washing" it, and he told me it looked like the sun had come out for a second. Then we went into the other room and heard all the roommates talking about the explosion. Never a dull moment. If it had to happen, I'm just sad to have missed it.
I'm looking forward to a roach-free night of sleep. Good night!
Nulcear Halocaust
Okay, so maybe the title is a little dramatic. But there was a huge explosion! Less than 30 minutes ago! Here's the scoop:
I has at Amy's apartment. We we were in her kitchen and she was watching a dish, and I happened to look out the window and notice that it was light outside. Weird, I though, it's 9:00 at night, why does it look like the sun is setting? And then it faded. I thought I had heard a noise, which was confirmed by the rest of the apartment's residents. Beth and Katie's boyfriend actually saw the explosion. They saw the light and ran out to the balcony and saw the explosion, which they said looked just like in the movies. Apparently it looked like it was just a few blocks away. INTENSE!!!
I have also recently learned that the explosion was an abnormally large car explosion. Many of the cars here, especially the contros, actually run on natural gas and have a tank in the trunk of the car. Apparently a freak accident ignited the spark to cause such a huge explosion.
Also, if anyone is still wondering, my laundry is safe and dry in my closet.
If anyone wants to comment on my posts, I would be flattered. Amy has obviously proved that all it takes is to ask nicely...
I has at Amy's apartment. We we were in her kitchen and she was watching a dish, and I happened to look out the window and notice that it was light outside. Weird, I though, it's 9:00 at night, why does it look like the sun is setting? And then it faded. I thought I had heard a noise, which was confirmed by the rest of the apartment's residents. Beth and Katie's boyfriend actually saw the explosion. They saw the light and ran out to the balcony and saw the explosion, which they said looked just like in the movies. Apparently it looked like it was just a few blocks away. INTENSE!!!
I have also recently learned that the explosion was an abnormally large car explosion. Many of the cars here, especially the contros, actually run on natural gas and have a tank in the trunk of the car. Apparently a freak accident ignited the spark to cause such a huge explosion.
Also, if anyone is still wondering, my laundry is safe and dry in my closet.
If anyone wants to comment on my posts, I would be flattered. Amy has obviously proved that all it takes is to ask nicely...
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday: Take 2
I finally finished my part of the wedding website so Steve is now allowing me to blog too! Last week flew by and I feel like I hardly started the many things I need to accomplish. A teacher's work is never done I'm afraid. Saturday at the beach was much needed relaxation time and then Sunday was kind of a day for lounging. I did get my things mostly put away in my room. I live in an apartment with three roommates (Ally, Katie, and Beth) and four bedrooms, so we each get our own. Beth and I share a bathroom. I actually tend to spend more time at Steve and Andrew's apartment than my own since it is on my walk home and they have internet. My internet still needs to be set up.
We made it through this Monday much more conscious than the last:) Today at school Miss Jenny, the school administrator, came in and told me that my counterpart (the Dominican teacher who teaches my class in Spanish) had been switched. Apparently they wanted a more experienced teacher in the third grade classroom so Rosanna will be teaching them and I will now be working with Niwrka. She does not speak English. I am very glad to have the Spanish I do so that we can communicate.
I have made and put up a lot of the things I will be using in my classroom- days of the week signs, a good listening poster, colors in Spanish and English, a stop light for discipline, etc. Tomorrow I will need to get down to some serious planning. It is going to be a huge challenge to be resourceful here with the many limitations, especially with the younger children who need to have hands-on experiences to stay engaged in the lessons and retain the information.
Steve and I watched a sermon online today after school. (We will hopefully be going to the WELS church next weekend when Keith, the MLC grad who has been here for a few years, will take us.) We just finished working on our wedding registry, for today anyway... (That is one of the hardest but most exciting jobs ever!) and now he is making banana pancakes for dinner tonight. He's a pretty great fiance:) There is water here, for right now anyway. We will probably need to go shopping again soon. Maybe tomorrow... We live pretty day-to-day here. There is always another adventure right around the corner;)
PS. If you read this I'd welcome any comments! I do get just a bit homesick every now and then and it's always so great to hear from all of you back in the States or wherever you are!
We made it through this Monday much more conscious than the last:) Today at school Miss Jenny, the school administrator, came in and told me that my counterpart (the Dominican teacher who teaches my class in Spanish) had been switched. Apparently they wanted a more experienced teacher in the third grade classroom so Rosanna will be teaching them and I will now be working with Niwrka. She does not speak English. I am very glad to have the Spanish I do so that we can communicate.
I have made and put up a lot of the things I will be using in my classroom- days of the week signs, a good listening poster, colors in Spanish and English, a stop light for discipline, etc. Tomorrow I will need to get down to some serious planning. It is going to be a huge challenge to be resourceful here with the many limitations, especially with the younger children who need to have hands-on experiences to stay engaged in the lessons and retain the information.
Steve and I watched a sermon online today after school. (We will hopefully be going to the WELS church next weekend when Keith, the MLC grad who has been here for a few years, will take us.) We just finished working on our wedding registry, for today anyway... (That is one of the hardest but most exciting jobs ever!) and now he is making banana pancakes for dinner tonight. He's a pretty great fiance:) There is water here, for right now anyway. We will probably need to go shopping again soon. Maybe tomorrow... We live pretty day-to-day here. There is always another adventure right around the corner;)
PS. If you read this I'd welcome any comments! I do get just a bit homesick every now and then and it's always so great to hear from all of you back in the States or wherever you are!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Laundry Day
Oh, a whole new adventure!
Andrew and I really took our time experimenting with the washing machine before I tossed my clothes in. We figured out that you need to turn the water on and off manually at the faucet. And it takes a long time to fill the chamber up with water. We were lucky, and the water stayed on the entire time. Good news is, there is only cold water, so I can do my darks and whites all at once! Bad news is, when we first turned on the water, we noticed all these little flakes of gunk floating in the water. So that's also all over my clothes right now...
Anyway, here it is, how to run a Dominican washing machine:
Step 1: Turn switch to "Wash."
Step 2: Turn on the water.
Step 3: Toss in clothes.
Step 4: Put in some soap of an undefined amount.
Step 5: Wait 10 minutes.
Step 6: Turn off water.
Step 7: Start wash cycle.
Step 8: Drain water.
Step 9: Put clothes in spin cycle chamber.
Step 10: Turn switch to "Spin."
Step 11: Turn on water.
Step 12: Begin spin cycle.
Step 13: Turn off water.
Step 14: Drain water.
Step 15: Construct clothes line in spare bedroom.
Step 16: Shake water gunk off of clothes.
Step 17: Hang up clothes.
And that's where I am right now. I'll keep you posted.
Andrew and I really took our time experimenting with the washing machine before I tossed my clothes in. We figured out that you need to turn the water on and off manually at the faucet. And it takes a long time to fill the chamber up with water. We were lucky, and the water stayed on the entire time. Good news is, there is only cold water, so I can do my darks and whites all at once! Bad news is, when we first turned on the water, we noticed all these little flakes of gunk floating in the water. So that's also all over my clothes right now...
Anyway, here it is, how to run a Dominican washing machine:
Step 1: Turn switch to "Wash."
Step 2: Turn on the water.
Step 3: Toss in clothes.
Step 4: Put in some soap of an undefined amount.
Step 5: Wait 10 minutes.
Step 6: Turn off water.
Step 7: Start wash cycle.
Step 8: Drain water.
Step 9: Put clothes in spin cycle chamber.
Step 10: Turn switch to "Spin."
Step 11: Turn on water.
Step 12: Begin spin cycle.
Step 13: Turn off water.
Step 14: Drain water.
Step 15: Construct clothes line in spare bedroom.
Step 16: Shake water gunk off of clothes.
Step 17: Hang up clothes.
And that's where I am right now. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Beach Adventures
The first weekend in the DR!! That means beach day!!!!! We took a "contro" (sp?), it works like a bus, it has a specific route, but it's a car. All 6 of us (Andrew, Beth, Amy, Ally[an american teacher in her second year], Warlin[a dominican teacher], and me) were in the same one, yes it's only a car, but that's how they work. And that took us to the bus station. The bus took us to Sosua, where the beach is. We rented some umbrellas and spent the day lazing about.
I also need to mention the best part. The bus station and the bus itself were AIR CONDITIONED!!!! It was heavenly.
Also, Andrew and I had WATER TODAY!!! Yay, showers and clean dishes!
Also, tonight I made the most perfect tostones(fried plantains). They turned out great. Just how they are supposed to.
Also, check it out! Pictures of our apartment and our beach adventure. courtesy of Andrew!
Finally, here's a little preview for tomorrow: laundry day. Now I've got you on the edge of your seat...
I also need to mention the best part. The bus station and the bus itself were AIR CONDITIONED!!!! It was heavenly.
Also, Andrew and I had WATER TODAY!!! Yay, showers and clean dishes!
Also, tonight I made the most perfect tostones(fried plantains). They turned out great. Just how they are supposed to.
Also, check it out! Pictures of our apartment and our beach adventure. courtesy of Andrew!
Finally, here's a little preview for tomorrow: laundry day. Now I've got you on the edge of your seat...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
One More Thought
Someone just started drilling very loudly right outside our window. We're hoping they are fixing our water pump. At 10:00 at night...
... Okay, they were doing until 11:30, but I'm not going to complain, because I had a shower this morning. :)
... Okay, they were doing until 11:30, but I'm not going to complain, because I had a shower this morning. :)
DR Homecooking #1 Take 2
So, yesterday, Amy and I decided to try to make some traditional Dominican food for dinner: red beans and rice. It was quite eventful. First of all, we forgot that you're supposed to soak beans before boiling them. The beans took about an hour to cook. And we were in such a hurry to get them on the table, they ended up pasty like refried beans instead of soupy like red beans. But they were full of cilantro, onions, and garlic, so they still tasted good.
And DR rice is cooked differently. They use a little oil, too, and it ends up a little firmer than our rice. The directions I got online said: "Heat up 3 spoons of oil, add the salt and water." I knew this sounded fishy. Do you know what happens when you put water on hot oil? It erupts. But I blindly followed my internet resource. And it erupted. When the oil cooled a little, I boiled the water, made the rice, and it actually turned out okay. Not as authentic. I have since learned to cook the rice for a bit in the oil before boiling it. That makes much more sense.
Today has been pretty uneventful. School is mostly prep-time now. The real adventures have been happening in the apartment.
I woke up a little earlier than usual today, about 6, just to get a better start to the day. Only to find that the water in our apartment is not turned on until 6:30-ish. They do this. Some places turn it off during the day when you're supposed to be at work. Ours turns off at night when we're supposed to be sleeping. So we have to make sure to shower before 9 and after 6:30, apparently.
If that little water adventure wasn't enough, today when we got home, we found that we didn't have any water. All afternoon and evening. It just came on a few minutes ago. We went to Amy's house to eat since they had clean dishes. Apparently it is common to store up buckets of water for such a time as this. We're figuring this out. Slowly but surely.
And DR rice is cooked differently. They use a little oil, too, and it ends up a little firmer than our rice. The directions I got online said: "Heat up 3 spoons of oil, add the salt and water." I knew this sounded fishy. Do you know what happens when you put water on hot oil? It erupts. But I blindly followed my internet resource. And it erupted. When the oil cooled a little, I boiled the water, made the rice, and it actually turned out okay. Not as authentic. I have since learned to cook the rice for a bit in the oil before boiling it. That makes much more sense.
Today has been pretty uneventful. School is mostly prep-time now. The real adventures have been happening in the apartment.
I woke up a little earlier than usual today, about 6, just to get a better start to the day. Only to find that the water in our apartment is not turned on until 6:30-ish. They do this. Some places turn it off during the day when you're supposed to be at work. Ours turns off at night when we're supposed to be sleeping. So we have to make sure to shower before 9 and after 6:30, apparently.
If that little water adventure wasn't enough, today when we got home, we found that we didn't have any water. All afternoon and evening. It just came on a few minutes ago. We went to Amy's house to eat since they had clean dishes. Apparently it is common to store up buckets of water for such a time as this. We're figuring this out. Slowly but surely.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
DR Homecooking: Attempt #1
Breakfast: pancakes (okay, american) with mangoes and JUGO DE CHINOLA!!!
Today at school was actually pretty uneventful. We got a bunch of prep time in the morning which was nice. I'm looking through all of my text books and trying to do a little long-term planning. It's hard, since we haven't been given calendars yet, but we should get those tomorrow. I looked at my language arts books, and realized that I hate my basal.
*for those of you without a teaching degree, a basal is a reading textbook with a variety of short stories, excerpts of larger works, and mini-lessons*
I'm basically going to scrap most of the literature in it and pick and choose which mini-lessons fit with what I'm doing in other classes. I hope that's okay. Unlike American schools, at St. David, the parents actually buy the books for their children, and they don't like it if they buy a book that the teacher doesn't use.
*cough* any *cough* professors reading this *cough* might consider a *cough* similar policy *cough*
We had a meeting with Jeanette, one of our bosses, and she talked to us about using cooperative learning, and having centers and group work in our classes. Review.
And then more prep work. So I have a good idea of the basic outline of my curriculum now. Yay!
I was going to write more about the adventures Amy and I had today while attempting to cook authentic Dominican cuisine, but I got interrupted in my post by a Skype date with my mom, and not it's past teacher bedtime. So, my apologies to all of my devoted readers. More tomorrow, I promise.
Today at school was actually pretty uneventful. We got a bunch of prep time in the morning which was nice. I'm looking through all of my text books and trying to do a little long-term planning. It's hard, since we haven't been given calendars yet, but we should get those tomorrow. I looked at my language arts books, and realized that I hate my basal.
*for those of you without a teaching degree, a basal is a reading textbook with a variety of short stories, excerpts of larger works, and mini-lessons*
I'm basically going to scrap most of the literature in it and pick and choose which mini-lessons fit with what I'm doing in other classes. I hope that's okay. Unlike American schools, at St. David, the parents actually buy the books for their children, and they don't like it if they buy a book that the teacher doesn't use.
*cough* any *cough* professors reading this *cough* might consider a *cough* similar policy *cough*
We had a meeting with Jeanette, one of our bosses, and she talked to us about using cooperative learning, and having centers and group work in our classes. Review.
And then more prep work. So I have a good idea of the basic outline of my curriculum now. Yay!
I was going to write more about the adventures Amy and I had today while attempting to cook authentic Dominican cuisine, but I got interrupted in my post by a Skype date with my mom, and not it's past teacher bedtime. So, my apologies to all of my devoted readers. More tomorrow, I promise.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Jugo de Chinola
My first day of fully conscious work is complete. The day started off great. The hot water worked. And the Dominican frosted flakes were delicious. The mango was way overripe, but it was still delicious if not a bit mushy. Also, Dominican coffee is so good. And way cheaper than American coffee, so double-plus-good. It's very strong, but you just drink little cups of it. Andrew and I have this awesome little coffee maker that makes two perfect little cups of coffee. It's way different than anything we have in the states, but I can't describe it in words. I might have to just get a picture of it up.
The best part of work today was the culture presentations. Half of the staff here is Latino, and half is American. So the Americans gave a presentation about American culture, and they gave a presentation about Dominican/Haitian/Cuban culture. Amy and I showed off some swing dancing, and they showed off their merengue. I also found out today that the music class I'll be teaching is brand new, so I basically have to design it. I think I'll put together some ideas and pitch it to Jennie (the big cheese) at the end of the week.
I'm in love with Dominican food. For lunch we had rice, beans, and pork. Rice and beans are soooooooo gooooooood. Luckily, they are staples of the Dominican diet, and will be served almost every day. The other amazing thing in the DR is chinola, or passion fruit. We tried to buy some at the store the other day, and we didn't think it looked quite right, but the sign at the supermarket said "chinola" so we bought two and took them home. Amy cut one open tonight and it was not a chinola. We didn't know what it was, but not a chinola. We went back to the store tonight to pick up some more things we need, and found the real chinolas. Under the sign, not above it. Whatever. I also found passion fruit juice concentrate. I'm drinking some right now, and it is heavenly. Juice, mind you, not just concentrate.
The best part of work today was the culture presentations. Half of the staff here is Latino, and half is American. So the Americans gave a presentation about American culture, and they gave a presentation about Dominican/Haitian/Cuban culture. Amy and I showed off some swing dancing, and they showed off their merengue. I also found out today that the music class I'll be teaching is brand new, so I basically have to design it. I think I'll put together some ideas and pitch it to Jennie (the big cheese) at the end of the week.
I'm in love with Dominican food. For lunch we had rice, beans, and pork. Rice and beans are soooooooo gooooooood. Luckily, they are staples of the Dominican diet, and will be served almost every day. The other amazing thing in the DR is chinola, or passion fruit. We tried to buy some at the store the other day, and we didn't think it looked quite right, but the sign at the supermarket said "chinola" so we bought two and took them home. Amy cut one open tonight and it was not a chinola. We didn't know what it was, but not a chinola. We went back to the store tonight to pick up some more things we need, and found the real chinolas. Under the sign, not above it. Whatever. I also found passion fruit juice concentrate. I'm drinking some right now, and it is heavenly. Juice, mind you, not just concentrate.
Monday, August 2, 2010
One down
Day one of DR adventures is drawing to a close. What a day. It's actually very hard to separate it from yesterday since there was no sleep in between the two. We arrived in the Santiago airport this morning at 5:30, got to our apartments at 6:30, and started our first day of work at 7:30. Meetings about the school, tours of the school, meeting all of the teachers and staff, planning our cultural presentation for tomorrow, grocery shopping, all while desperately attempting to maintain consciousness. Okay, I did manage a nap at one point, but now there are only three things standing between me and my bed. A shower that has ceased to produce water for unknown reasons, a rum and coke, and this post.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Aventura #1
Well, we haven't even left the country and the adventures have begun! While waiting for our flight out of Milwaukee this afternoon, Amy and heard the news that LaGuardia Airport had declared a ground stop, meaning no flights in and no flights out due to the weather. As the clocked ticked by, and no news of a lifted stop came, we watched our four-hour window of time to change terminals in New York dwindling.
When AirTran finally dropped us at LaGuardia two hours late, we waited for our luggage (which always seem to be the last bags unloaded, don't they?) and then sprinted outside to catch the shuttle. Understand that Amy and I are laden with heavy back-packs, computer bags, and two 50 lb. suitcases each, so the term "sprinted" is used very loosely. Outside the airport we learned we had just missed the shuttle to JFK. 25 minutes later, we boarded the bus, and 30 minutes after that, we "sprinted" into JFK, took the escalator ("took" meaning "dropping Amy's luggage and watching it get mauled by"), and found a member of the JetBlue staff to assist us in checking in.
It was 7:50pm. Our flight closed check-in at 7:35pm. They could get us on the next flight, at 11:59pm.
We conceded, and found ourselves a place to sit down, drink rum and cokes, and eat a meal for the first time that day.
When we finally got to Gate 27, our flight had been delayed until 12:50am.
We are currently still waiting at Gate 27, and our flight is now scheduled to take off at 1:50am. Let the good adventures begin!
When AirTran finally dropped us at LaGuardia two hours late, we waited for our luggage (which always seem to be the last bags unloaded, don't they?) and then sprinted outside to catch the shuttle. Understand that Amy and I are laden with heavy back-packs, computer bags, and two 50 lb. suitcases each, so the term "sprinted" is used very loosely. Outside the airport we learned we had just missed the shuttle to JFK. 25 minutes later, we boarded the bus, and 30 minutes after that, we "sprinted" into JFK, took the escalator ("took" meaning "dropping Amy's luggage and watching it get mauled by"), and found a member of the JetBlue staff to assist us in checking in.
It was 7:50pm. Our flight closed check-in at 7:35pm. They could get us on the next flight, at 11:59pm.
We conceded, and found ourselves a place to sit down, drink rum and cokes, and eat a meal for the first time that day.
When we finally got to Gate 27, our flight had been delayed until 12:50am.
We are currently still waiting at Gate 27, and our flight is now scheduled to take off at 1:50am. Let the good adventures begin!
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