A New House

Last night was the second night I slept in my own house, and how sweet a sleep it was. Well, it wasn't that sweet, but it wasn't bad either. The new mattress certainly didn't hurt the experience. I'm slowly buying the necessities for the house. I had forgotten how many things are necessary to play house. Especially in this case when the house was EMPTY upon moving in. I mean EMPTY. Nothing. Nada. Just lizards and a light bulb. Check out some pictures of the place here.

Renting a house in a foreign country is definitely a trip. In my opinion, this experiment, as much as living with a family if not more so, is mandatory to truly understand what it's like to live as a Dominican. I get water from a communal faucet in the yard which connects to a well using a small motor. We here are lucky in that there's "always" water, or so I've been told. I've come to enjoy the sound of heavy rain on a zinc roof. The latrine (yes, latrine) never fails to make me feel like a cowboy. The seat is a wood plank with a circular hole cut out.

All that being said, the place is quite comfortable. The mostly wood construction means the house stays considerably cooler during the day. That's a BIG plus. The neighbors are great too. While the house doesn't seem very secure, there are always neighbors at home to keep an eye out. The big dog (Flopi) keeps out other would be "ladrones".

I'm sure I'll be writing more about the housing experience in the future. It's a natural muse. In other news, school has started again, and my schedule has picked up as a result. I'm entering into my 3rd month with the web design class. The group is working on a project making a web site for a youth federation in town. I've also started an individual tutoring program for school teachers. The Secretary of Education has set a benchmark for computer experience for teachers, and I'm helping them reach that mark. It's interesting work, and inevitably leads to a home-cooked meal.

Projects are picking up. That's the main thing. And works seems to find you. In that way, I've somehow managed to pass 3 1/2 months here in Veragua and over 6 months in the country. I can hardly believe it.

How's everybody else doing?