So Much To Do

I have been so busy this week it is not even funny! I know I am never home. That is because I now live at the school! We have been killing ourselves planning our units and lessons and decorating our classrooms this week. I have gotten 26 hours of sleep since Sunday night last week and it is now the following Saturday (that's 6 days). I have been at the school until 2am two nights in a row. But my classroom is all ready to go! I AM SO EXCITED!!! It is so cute. I have the carpet area with a bookshelf, and on the wall I made a big tree with apples on it with all the kids names on them. On the inside of my door, I have WELCOME TO GRADE THREE in red and blue letters and underneath is a sun (that looks a little stoned--I am still new at this decorating business) and on the rays of the sun are the kids names. My lessons are all planned for the week and I am really excited to meet my kids.

In other news, I am totally loving it here. Last weekend was great because on Saturday night we met another English teacher from a different school who lives in our building and he invited Yolande and I to the teacher party his school was havig that night, so we got to meet a bunch of new people, because up until then we had only been hanging out with two other teachers at our school, and that can get a little boring. So anways, then Sunday Yolande and I went for a walk down one of the main streets towards the ocean. We stumbled across a local vendors' market so we wandred through there, which was way cool. We were the only non-locals there. Then we walked along the ocean front street--el Malecon--and found a great little bar/restaurant place overlooking the ocen with the palm trees arched across a blue sky. It was so beautiful!!!

Today is finally a sunny day. It was sunny on my birthday (three days ago), but then it rained in the late afternoon. It has been raining like crazy every day. When it rains, it pours! And the drainage system in the city is not so great so you end up with huge lakes in the middle of all the streets. It is ridiculous. Then all the frogs come out. You can hear them croaking. At first I didn't know what they were since they sound like ducks a little. Dominican frogs!

No Power Anywhere

We have heard on the news down here about the huge blackout that has hit Toronto and some parts of the US. We all thought it was pretty funny down here (Dominicans especially) that you guys were the ones without power when we are the ones with unstable electricity!

We had a huge roach in our apartment the other day after the rain, and two mice too. The scary thing is that the roach was bigger than the mice! YIKES!!!

Uniquely Dominican

Things that are unique about the Dominican:

A) Drive up liquor stores.

B) Men carrying guns. I saw a guy with one tucked in the front of his pants yesterday just walking down the street minding his own business. In fact, the other day when the director and I went to the airport to get Yolande, security pulled us over and searched the car for weapons. They checked under my seat, but not hers! I guess I look suspicious! *blink blink*

C) Freedom. A woman offered me her husband to dance with at the Merengue festival on Tuesday night.

D) Big bugs!!! I saw my first and hopefully but most likely not my last cockroach on el Malecon. Oh, and a dead cat. Charming.

My Dominican Times

Phew! I can't beleive it is Thursday already. As some of you know, it has been an interesting few days getting settled in, etc. Yolande arrived last night, and we stopped along el Malecon ("the strip" where they are having live merengue performances as an appreciation festival for the Pan American Games) for a bit of a Dominican welcome for her.

My apartment is beautiful!!! It is in a gated apartment building and there is a triple lock system for the door: two on the door and one on the gate in front of the door, plus the lock on the door to the apartment building, and the lock to get in the gate out front. It is like Fort Knox. If anyone wanted to mug me, they would have ample time while I am trying to get into my house as it takes me like, 10 minutes to remember which key, which way the lock turns, unlock all the double locks, get into the apartment and relock all the doors with the keys from the inside!!! There are grate/bar things on all the windows and even the balcony, so I feel safe leaving the windows open at night, etc. There is a fully furnished living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, maid's room (which is unused since I unfortunately don't have a live in maid) plus a bathroom, the apartment bathroom, Yolande's room, my room with an ensuite bathroom, plus all the closets!!! It is bigger than the condo in Toronto!

The electricity problem I had earlier was simple to fix after all. I short circuited the invertor (backup battery power for when the power goes out-- ha ha) and it just had to be reset. So now that is solved. Phew! And I haven't broken anything else yet!!!

Things at the school are good. We are having orientation at school and around town. Yesterday we did a bit of shopping in the morning so that we know where the places are in relation to the school, etc. Tonight we are going to El Museo de Jamon, which translates as the Ham Museum, so that should be interesting. Then tomorrow we are off to Boca Chica for some sun and fun, and Saturday it is a bus trip to La Romana and then a boat rode to Isla Saona for snorkeling and swimming, plus lunch and sightseeing along the way. All of which is included in our orientation! :)

Santo Domingo is a big city, but not strange, except for the large man-sized holes that sporadically appear in the sidewalks as you amble along. You could seriously get lost in there, so you have to watch out! My swimming in the sewer days are over thank you very much! The
traffic is crazy here, and they do not stop when you cross the street--only if they have time, which they usually don't. And crossing on red lights is a common thing if no cars are coming. The food is pretty good. I have had typical Dominican food, like rice and beans, some type of meat, etc. I have stayed away from the bizarre vegetables so far, but will be venturing that way soon. I'll let you know how it goes.

Arrived Safe and Sound

Just a quick note to let you know that I am here and have internet access! I am feeling a little homesick--I miss you guys A LOT!!! I know that I have only been here for one day and that I will make friends and learn Spanish and get to know my way around, but it sucks right now. Yolande is coming tomorrow so hopefully that will make things better. I can't wait until Christmas!!!

Dad, you will find this amusing: I plugged my hairdryer in this morning and managed to blow out all of the electricity in the apartment except for the fridge and the water heater which doesn't really heat. *sigh* The school handyman came around to my apartment and has no idea what is wrong because everything looks fine, so now the electrician is on his way. Only me!!! I have bad luck with electricity and electrical appliances.

Jen, I should have packed my pillows because mine suck!!! I am using my comforter as a pillow right now! Thank goodness we brought that. And I have no shower curtain rings so I should have brought my shower curtain. I am using twistie ties and cut up plastic strips for the moment. Do you know where my scissors and black watch are? I can't find them yet. Talk to you all later--the electrician is here.