Kelly - Wednesday in DR

I have a new talent. I can eat an entire meal with a spoon. It seems we only get one utensil for meals and depending on what you’re eating, you either get a spoon or a fork. Unless it’s bread and juice night, then you don’t get either.

Anyway, today was Wednesday… my favorite meal day. I can now eat a chicken thigh, rice and salad with a spoon. Now you should be able to tell that this is not an easy task! But, one that I have mastered after 3 weeks of eating beef, chicken and fish served with rice & beans with a spoon.

I painted with my preschoolers today. Painted their whole hands then they put them on paper to make a flower. Afterwards I thought I’d have to help them wash their hands… but the tia (Tia Juana) said, “Oh no, they can do it!” So I let them go… alone… to the bathroom to wash their hands which were COVERED in finger paint.

Afterwards I went in expecting to find a mess, and the bathrooms were SPOTLESS!!! SO, I watched the last little guy wash his hands, and when he was done, he took some water in his hand and spread it around the sink to clean off any paint splatters!!!

These kids are 2 – 4 years old and 16 of them can wash their hands and not get a drop of paint anywhere they aren’t supposed to.

It all amounts to expectations. I’ll be expecting a lot more from my students next year!!!
Oh, and some of us found another way to tell the Dominicans from the Americans. (Other than the obvious – thank you smart aleks). When the sun is out, the Americans can be found sitting in it, in a lawn chair, reading a book, trying to get a tan. The Dominicans will be inside, or under a tree, or walking with an umbrella trying to avoid it.

And if it rains? Americans will walk all the way to their own house, regardless of how wet they get. Dominicans RUN as fast as they can to the nearest shelter – regardless of whose house it is. Then they’ll wait it out.

Kelly Q. and I were laying on the sidewalk today waiting for someone or something (we’re always waiting for someone or something) and Veronika (she is Austrian I think) walked by and saw us. We had a good laugh over the weather differences I thought you would too.

Oh, and it’s been really hot lately. The sort of hot where you just sit there and the sweat rolls down your face, back, legs, everything. When you stand up you’re dripping and your clothes are wet. The only other time I have sweated like that is in spin class, and that is ONLY when Bridget or Val teach and they make us work so hard my legs cramp up.

So, what I’ve noticed is I smell good for about 20 minutes a day. I take a shower, scrub all the sweat off, put on deodorant, scented lotion and put gel in my hair. Then, for the 20 minutes after my shower I smell FANTASTIC! Fresh, clean, ahhhh. Then, my hair dries, the heat hits me and I start to sweat all over again… I can’t actually smell myself, but I’m sure I don’t smell super fresh. Especially after working in the baby house with Antonio who hasn’t worn diapers in 3 days, and after running around with the older kids playing “pato, pato, gansa” (duck, duck, goose).

THEN! The flies, and other bugs bother you cause you’re all hot and sweaty. So, I try to sit on the porch and read my book but I continually have to swat flies away. They are buzzing my ears, landing on my face, in my hair. They are EVERYWHERE! I’m sure you’ve seen insects crawling all over people on the tv, and that is exactly what it’s like. Last night I swatted at a fly that was on my forehead. When it didn’t go away I grabbed it and it was a spider! I’m a bug playground. Good times.

OH, yesterday Katarina tried to comb my hair to make it ‘soft’ and it turned into a giant rats nest. I just got it all untangled. Scary stuff. but it was fun. I feel like a giant muneca (doll) because they’re always rubbing my skin, arms, playing with my hair, trying to braid it, etc.

Well, I just got out of the shower and am enjoying my fresh smelling self. SO, on that note, I’ll sign off for now.

H appy Wednesday!
Kelly