March is over. Gracias A Dios. It´s not that I have anything against March, it´s just that I think this March was the longest month of my life. So much happened in just 31 days, I´m convinced if I got through this month, I can get through any month.
For all of April, I will be in El Seibo for technical training. El Seibo is in the east part of the country, if you could possibly see on this map. It is drier here than in Santo Domingo, with less rain and more dust.
So far, I am enjoying El Seibo for its size and more tranquil environment. For example, I can actually walk around this city by myself in daylight AND during the night. Granted, I´m not even trying to walk downtown past 8 p.m., but I can walk from a fellow volunteer´s house in my barrio after dinner and not have it be a big deal whatsoever.
Our technical training (as I understand it) will range from opening up computers and understanding what makes them function, and not function in the DR, to learning how to teach classes for computer programs such as Excel, Word, Powerpoint etc. Most computers here in the DR are at least 5-7 years old, and nearly all of the software is from 2002. So, all Microsoft programs are the 2002 edition. It definetly proves to have its limitations, but at least there is some infrastructure.
Twice a week, we are assigned to work in computer labs around El Seibo. My group is assigned to a children´s daycare or school (I´m not quite sure what it would exactly qualify under). It´s actually a pretty sweet building, with a computer lab, complete with 10 functioning computers WITH internet. In two weeks, we will have to teach a class to kids here pertaining to anything we want. So possibly a class on how to use Powerpoint or Word, or even how to use Google to search for information on the web.
Less boring stuff... My family here is great. I live in a three bedroom house with my Doña, her mom (who is blind) and goes by Mami, her two nephews, Jeffery who is 13 and Issac who is 8, and her son Ralpho who is 20. I have a room to myself as does Mami. My Doña, her son and her two nephews all share the third room.
The two little boys are my best friends here. I taught them how to play Crazy Eights, or "Ocho Locos," and now I´m almost positive there will not be a night here that we won´t play. I am helping Jeffery with his English. The education system here in the DR, to be honest is pathetic.
And I´m getting kicked out of the lab. More later.
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