Por Fin!!!

Okay, so my mom finally nagged me enough to post something. Amy and I are finally starting to settle back into the routine of school, so I we should have a little energy left by the end of the day to post more frequently.

Christmas

First phase of Christmas break was the Kathy and Paul Phase. Amy's sister Kathy and her boyfriend were to arrive on our last day of work. But they didn't. They missed their connection in Miami and it turns out there's only one flight from Miami to Santiago every day. So they got sent to New York to catch a flight there. They arrived safe and sound in Santiago the next afternoon along with one of their bags. The other one was MIA. Literally. We didn't know, they didn't know, American Airlines didn't know. Thankfully, Kathy and Amy are roughly the same size so she could wear Amy's clothes. After a stressful week of waiting, calling airports, and pleading with parents to call AA back home, the bag arrived the day before they left. But we didn't let it ruin the week. We cooked, shopped, danced, went to the beach, and ATE DELICIOUS DOMINICAN FOOD. It was a sad good-bye when they had to leave.

Kathy and Paul flew out on Christmas Eve, and Amy and I got picked up from the airport by Joe, the guy we spent Thanksgiving with. He drove us to his place and Amy and I received another huge, delicious feast combining some Dominican favorites like rice and beans, and American staples like mashed potatoes and gravy and a fabulous apple pie.

Christmas Day was spent with the missionaries down here. Amy and I made some potatoes and a fruit salad and they provided everything else. It was a great night. We played cards all night. We even taught them hand and foot!

The week after, Amy and I had so many plans for what we would do with the time. We didn't work, we didn't have guests, just a bunch of free time! Well, none of those things happened. We mostly just slept. And ate. Watched a few movies. It was glorious. Just what we needed. We did do one thing. Martha, a teacher at school, invited us to spend a day with her in country (el campo) at her father's house. It was beautiful! We drove out of the city and into the mountains. Great scenery, and more great food. The ride back was a *blast*. Martha's son was sitting between us in the back seat. Cars here often don't have seatbelts, and the mountain roads were winding and bumpy, and this boy did not want to sit. I was scared he going out the window, so he spend most of the return trip next to me with my arm around him. He was fine with that. He proceeded to try my watch on himself and everyone in the car. We also swapped socks and shoes.

You probably noticed that our Christmas activities did not include a church service. That is correct. The church here does not have a special Christmas service on Christmas Eve or Day. No, the children's christmas service came on Dec. 31st. It was nothing like a children's service in the states. It included a reenactment of the annunciation, visit to Elizabeth, and birth. There was also a recitation by all of the children that included carefully decorated glittery signs. The final act was a song by some of the older girls and included (as we are finding all Dominican presentations must) choreography. Pastor Alex gave a kind of New Year message after that, followed by Angelitos (Secret Santa) and then, FINALLY, the food. We received not just heaping plates of food, but those plate/bowl hybrids heaped with rice, pastalones, meat, and salad. After the meal, they passes around some wine, eggnog, and fruit, celebrating the New Year as everyone left.

Coming soon: The Springborn Vacation in Cabarete, Horseback Riding in Jarabacoa, and Recent SDS News. Stay tuned.