Kj'sTravels: Week of Random

Let's do a late Saturday night update! So I am sitting in my house, listening to the crickets chirp, the bugs buzz, the bullfrog croak, and the stinking LOUD Moto's driving off!!! ha Here in the DR the guys LOVE to have a loud motorcycle, the louder it is, the more manly you are and therefore the cooler you are, I don't get it. Mostly it's just annoying and makes the street smell like gasoline all the time ha Since I live right off the Lagoon I get to hear lots of nature and tonight the clouds have cleared away and I can see some of the stars... Wait a minute, oh now I also am hearing the Campaign truck (the Presidential elections are in 2 Sundays from tomorrow and its a pretty big deal, all the time, literally parades daily) that is about 1/4 mile up the road from me but the stereo system is so loud that it sounds like it is right outside the gate ja ja Man I am not complaining because I am in paradise ;)Seriously I am loving every single minute of this time here! I have had time to read, I finished my classic novel, Wuthering Heights and maybe I need to re-read it again, I did enjoy the tragic love story but I think I rushed through it in angst to get to my next book and I have a feeling WH is more of a novel to be savored and not scarfed down... Any input anyone? I read a quick read this week, it's the 3rd book in the Something Borrowed series, it's called Baby Proof. It was a nice easy less tragic in the end kind of book. Prior to that I read the Book Thief which I recommend to anyone who likes a good read. It's a book set in Nazi Germany before and during WWII and it gives a different perspective of a young German girl, the writing is impeccable! So since my last update.... I hit up Playa Grande with Andrew, Christina, and their two visiting friends Shawn and Sarah, it is PARADISE! Then on Wednesday and Friday I got to man my very own station in the A Ganar English class which was fun, and the students told me "I was a great Prefessora" ha I didn't do much of anything but just reviewed and made them speak English the whole time rather than Spanish... Goodness I can't wait til I can understand Spanish and actually respond in Spanish! Thursday was a day of RAIN so I spent most of it indoors or on the porch, I have turned Dominican and no longer leave out if its raining ;( Friday afternoon I went to a neighboring neighborhood called Barrio Blanco. It is the next on up from the Callejon where I live, but it is much worse off and destitute. There are shacks and shanties, one after another. A good friend of ours lives there and his whole house what flooded up to the mattresses the other night, I just can't believe that its life for so many people. Margo, who also helps teach A Ganar, along with her husband are doing a improvement project in the neighborhood to build houses for the people. At least on person in the family has to be able to help build up the house; the whole community has to help build the houses; if you want a house then you have to contribute work time; each house is built at the same rate so people don't drop out of helping once theirs is built; each house costs between 5,000-7,000 to build but have a septic tank, one bathroom and 2-3 bedrooms. I believe right now they have 18 in the works and are trying to get donors/funding for the one house that is on the Lagoon and completely flooded the other day. Its so sad! After that Rebecca and I headed to a Crossfit class, you know this made me a happy camper!!! Today I took Maria with me to the Monkey Jungle to volunteer, we triaged, worked the pharmacy, and took a little adventure to get some large fruit looking melons that you carve out and make into bowls, the insides are poisonous... eeeek. This next week should be busy for me, church tomorrow, clinic on Monday, beach with kids from Barrio Blanco on Tuesday and then David Taylor to visit me on Thursday for his BIG 30!!!! Wahoo... Keep you updated, love you KJ Maria, Christina, Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah, and I at Mojito bar on the beach