good things here

It’s been a busy couple of weeks (well, more like month). The weekend after my girls weekend, I hosted a “Pre-thanksgiving” Party in my site for 22 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) and what should have been about 15 Dominicans, but was more like 30-35 Dominicans (who knows really), which in total was anywhere between 50 -70 people. But yes, 22 PCVs traveled from all over this country to come to La Caya, so we could cook an American style Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone brought their own ingredients from supermarkets in bigger cities, because La Caya isn’t exactly a thriving metropolis, and we cooked a true feast complete with two turkeys, mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing, cranberries, homemade mac-n-cheese, fried rice (what’s Thanksgiving without fried rice?), roasted vegetables and more savory dishes I’m sure I’m forgetting. We also made desserts, including pumpkin and chocolate mousse pies and Stef’s delicious peanut butter cookies. 

The festivities were held at the one-and-only Eddy’s house, and of course he was an hour late to a party at his own house, but no one can deny that the man knows how to make an entrance. And when he arrived, he brought his own party with 10+ more people and made an announcement that if I would have told him there were going to be so many people there, he would have killed two cows for the party. I don’t know how we did it, but two turkeys (and lots of hearty side dishes) sufficed instead. 

After our pre-party, most of us headed down to the capital to prepare for real Thanksgiving held at a country club for all 200 PCVs living in the DR, plus Peace Corps staff members, embassy families etc. Jean, Kaitlyn and myself were actually the ones who planned real Thanksgiving for everyone, and it was a lucha (fight). I could write a very long chapter about all the problems the three of us had the months leading up to the event, but really, it’s over with and it went well, so let’s move on with our lives. 

However, on another great note, because we were the planning committee we were lucky enough to stay with an American family who were kind enough to open their homes over Thanksgiving. They fed us, did our laundry (with a real washer and dryer!), let us take long, HOT showers and gave us comfortable beds to sleep in. The bubble that was their house was amazing, and it honestly did feel like we were in America for those few days. Such a good feeling, especially over an American holiday like Thanksgiving. 

Then I had the Encargados del Futuro, which translates basically to "bosses of the future", and is a youth conference put on by my sector in PC. It was three days, in a town outside of Santiago. Each volunteer brought two youths from their town to participate. The Encaragados conference focuses on all things computer and technology related, and so the presentations given were based on these subjects as well. It’s kind of an interesting concept, considering this country doesn’t even have stable electricity to run computers and all things technology related. But the conference does a great job of opening a few doors/windows/drapes into the enormous and never ending world of technology. My two youth had a great time, and even walked away with a new memory stick, t-shirt and certificate of completion. 

When we got back to La Caya, things started back up right away, and this week I’m feeling it. My English classes are ending (finally!) and that means final exams for my students. If they pass my test, they will also get a certificate of completion (Stacie stamped and approved) which may even help them get a better job sometime in their future. My first level class had their test today and my 3^rd level has theirs tomorrow. They are already asking me when the next class is going to start, and the truth is I’m trying to resist saying yes.

Today was also “Cholera Charla” day. What I was hoping to be a wildly successful event, with a great attendance was actually sort-of lackluster. At the Encargados conference I asked my two kids what we could do for the community before Christmas (something we could actually accomplish and succeed at). We all decided doing a presentation and drama about cholera would be the best thing- 1)because even though information has been spread in La Caya about cholera, nothing official has been done 2)we could organize everything in less than week 3)it’s something the community (you would think) is interested in and would attend. 

For the last week, I feel like I’ve been running around like a madwoman trying to organize and get people to commit to coming to our presentation/drama. I handed out formal invitations to all the big wigs in town- Eddy the mayor, the director of the school, the people at church, teachers and the new doctor in our small clinic. As of yesterday, everyone was coming, and the doctor was going to help me give the presentation (as to make it even more legit, as it’s coming from a doctor).  Alas, today was a much different story. 

I woke up and it was rainy, overcast and COLD. Seriously, like really cold (for here anyway). I knew we were doomed from the start. By the time 4 pm rolled around, the hour we were supposed to start, we had about 20 school kids sitting in our audience and no one more. After almost an hour of waiting, that number doubled, with more school kids and a few adults, but no doctor, no Eddy, no director. Despite the disappointing turnout, I gave the presentation as animated as I could and then a group of youths performed a drama about what would happen if you get cholera and don’t treat it. Of course it was EXTREMELY exaggerated, but everyone loved it and I think it really brought the point home.

So despite looking out into the crowd and seeing only about ½ of the seats filled, I still would call the event a success, because we did it. I can’t control the weather, and I can’t control the way Dominicans feel about going out in the rain, although by the time we were supposed to start it wasn’t raining anymore- but the mud is enough to keep people away. But I can do my part to follow through on what I start.  I was so proud of my kids up there, acting their hearts out to give their community a laugh and educate them about cholera.  

A few hours later, two ladies from the church who were in the audience found me in the center and gave me a hug congratulating me on how successful the event was despite the disheartening  turnout. One of the ladies grabbed me by the arms, looked me dead in the eye and said, “tu estas hacienda buenas cosas aqui,” – you are doing good things here. 

Sometimes, no matter what happens, if it’s down pouring rain or beating sun, there’s nothing more you need to hear.