1/21/08: New Year

2008 has arrived and far too much time has passed since my last entry. What have I been doing? Well, I made a trip to San Antonio and spent some quality time with the family and Corey. While there, I attended (and even participated in) the wedding of a high school friend. Congrats Jeremy and Mary. The trip sped by as I expected. I was back in Veragua before I knew what had hit me.

12/04/07: Winter's Here

So winter has arrived, and while I'm not expecting snow, the weather has cooled noticeably and I've bid my farewell to sweaty days and nights. On the other hand, the cool bucket baths can be more of a shock than a refresher, and the end of the heat means the arrival of the rain. I suppose everything is a tradeoff.

10/18/07: Monthly Update

Update: I added an article describing my project. Might be some new pictures too. Check the dates next to the galleries.

Well the last month has flown by like the rest of them. I suppose I can't expect time to slow down at this point. The youth conference I mentioned in the last entry happened last week and it was a tremendous success. We spent 3 days and 2 nights in Licey al Medio at the same center where I helped at the eye surgery mission 7 months ago. 28 kids came with 14 volunteers and everyone had a great time. The volunteers did a wonderful job planning the sessions which covered topics in both technical and instructional areas.

9/16/07: Summer Break

Update: I added that "read more" dealy to make the front page less verbose. Just click it to read the rest of the entry.

...And what a summer break it was... After a two month hiatus from web maintenance and serious responsibility in general, I'm back with a vengeance (vuelvo con una venganza?). OK, that sounds a little violent. But I am back, finally, and with no less than a superexciting recap of the last two months.

So what have I been being doing the last two months? In outline form:

A short trip to the States
A hurricane scare
Some twiddling of the fingers
Computer repair
A programming class or two
Free time! It's summer break right??

So I'll get 'em in order. I took a short trip to the States, Reno/Lake Tahoe to be more specific, for my cousin Amy's wedding. The trip was about 5 days, incidentally tacking on a 6th to allow for an unpleasant night at LAX trying my hardest to fall asleep in a chair that was engineered specifically to prevent just such an activity. Thanks Delta!

The ceremony and reception on the lakefront were very nice and gave me a chance to get to know my own extended family a little better. It's a strange thing, the extended family. Not that the people are strange... Rather, the way we know each other based on encounters of only 2-3 days every 2 years... if that. I feel like we used to know each other better... and that was probably true before distance entered the equation, a distance that has only grown as I have grown. I was consciously dwelling on this thought during the trip, probably spurred by the sudden and obvious cultural differences I was confronted by, especially with regards to cultural ideas of family. Without becoming too long-winded on the subject, most Dominicans do not understand the familiar distance many Americans come to see as typical or even necessary. Generally, Dominicans keep their families (in a very inclusive sense) close, if not physically, then at least in their conscious concern. I can't help wondering if it might be better that way, having a rich extended family in the inclusive sense.

Anyway, I'm waxing philosophical and any self-respecting blogger knows to avoid such ramblings. To sum up: The trip was pleasant and relaxing. After 5 days, my lips and skin were flaking and cracking from the dry mountain air (to be remedied by just 30 minutes in the perpetual sauna that is Santo Domingo). I slept in the most comfortable bed ever (perception possibly flawed by current mattress) at the Hampton Inn in Truckee. I gambled for the first time in my life, losing one dollar in the penny slots at The Sands within one minute. I'm not much of a gamer. I had a bit of prime rib, though, admittedly, it wasn't as good as I remembered it. I had a nice car trip around the Lake with the family. It is certainly a beautifully serene location. And I'm sure other things happened too, though I'd like to talk about the "hurricane" at some point, so I'll move on.

Only a week after my return to the island, we were warned of a tropical storm in the Southeast Carribean that was expected to become a hurricane and make its way towards us. This was to be my first experience with a hurricane and I can't help but feel a little dissapointed at its anticlimactic resolution. Of course, then I correct myself and thank the stars the hurricane came to nothing. The Peace Corps administration felt sufficiently concerned to consolidate most of the volunteers. Translation: we were put up in a hotel for 3 nights with all meals provided. There was even air conditioning and cable! We received little wind and even less rain. My house and cat were fine upon returning home. In the end, the hurricane scare was just less than a vacation (less because we weren't allowed to leave the hotel). I'm certain the entire island was relieved to see the hurricane pass with very little damage.

In terms of actual work, the summer has been slower than I would have liked. We have only been giving two classes a week in the lab and the students in the computer club have all been working (which is actually a good thing... two are working in Internet centers), leaving only Sunday afternoons free for class. I've been repairing and rehabbing computers in another lab. It would be an easier and quicker process if someone knew the passwords for Windows and the BIOS...

I've taken on more Peace Corps related work as well, fleshing out a manual for lab coordinators (in Spanish) and working as a webmaster for the new Peace Corps/Dominican Republic website. At the same time, we the IT Volunteers are putting together a 3 day youth conference for the middle of October that still requires a lot of planning.

Of course, I've still been reading plenty of books and tocando la guitarra more than usual. But don't think I'm complaining about that. The cat also keeps me entertained. I swear, he finds the weirdest bugs and biggest lizards to bring inside and play with/terrorize/eat. He's getting fat.

Anyway, that about sums up life. School is now officially back in session and I'm going to see if I can't get some new classes formed. Stranger things have happened. I hope everyone is healthy and in good humor. Can it really be the middle of September?

Peace.

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7/10/07: So.....

Update: Graduation Pictures, Vacation Pictures, more Kitty Pictures

I don't know why I've been putting off the website for the past month but for some reason, this thing has felt more like a responsibility than a hobby as of late. Certainly enough has happened since the last entry to warrant an update.

As you know (if you even skimmed the last entry), Corey came to visit me for a couple of weeks and my parents and sister came around the same time such that their visits overlapped a few days. The time with Corey was nice though it didn't start off in the best of ways with 4-5 days of solid rain. We were able to make it to the capital where we saw the Colonial Zone and the Peace Corps Office before the rain started up again. We made it out to Cabarete and then Sosua where Corey managed to get a sunburn walking in the fifteen minutes of sun that shined down that day. The next day, in Cabarete, we both baked ourselves on the beach during the first day of real sun. But we made it out ok, Corey utilizing the aloe plant in my front yard.

More than anything, however, Corey stayed with me at my house in Veragua, dealing with everything I've learned to deal with over 14 months under the especially difficult circumstances of heavy rainfall. Using the restroom and bathing outside is no small adjustment under normal circumstances, but adding pouring rain and mud to the mix is enough to stress even me out. But she lasted a week, enough time for my family's arrival and a rejuvinating stay at a real hotel.

My family arrived just as the weather cleared up leaving them six days of unbroken sunshine. We spent some time at the beach in Cabarete and Sosua and made a failed attempt at visiting Puerto Plata on a Dominican national holiday. Otherwise, the time was spent relaxing by the pool, in restaurants, and sniffing out good drink specials. We made a trip out to Veragua where we had a nice lunch with my host family. My parents still haven't told me what they really thought of my house, but maybe one day. We also hiked the "National Park" in Cabarete where the "Park Guide" prepared me a hand-drawn map of the trails which was no more than a long vertical line with five diagonal lines jutting off from it. But we didn't get lost and I think everybody had a good time, after we put on bug repellant.

For me, the highlight of the trip had to be convincing Leah, Corey, and my dad to take wind surfing lessons with me. Unfortunately, my mom failed to capture a photo with all four of us standing on the boards at once. But there was no lack of "in the water" shots, for those interested. Leah was doing quite well by the end and I had to respect the persistence demonstrated by both Corey and my dad. No injuries!

I like to think everybody had a good time, including me. We certainly didn't see even a fraction of what the DR has to offer, but for a vacation, I think we made out alright. Next time we'll go to the real beaches and national parks.

So those were the visits. They passed far too quickly, like most things I suppose. The following week I had my One Year In Service Training outside of San Cristobal in the Southwest where volunteers from the Education sector met to discuss progress, failures, projects, planning, and lessons learned after a year of work. It was a sort of re-energizing session for everyone and a point in time where each of us could focus and refocus our energies for the year to come. But I say a year and I'm realizing now that it is really just 9 months...

Back in Veragua, we've had a bit of success. The graduation went off, and without a hitch. It occurred still later than the postponed date, planned in 4 days, but it was a definite success. We had 20 students at the ceremony of the 35 or so who graduated their courses. A local public access show filmed the ceremony and played clips later that day. I was on Dominican TV! They even mentioned my name! But newfound fame aside, I'm glad, and relieved, that the graduation is behind us and I can now move on to other things, namely the restructuring and reforming of the committee.

School is over, the students are all on vacation, and I'm taking a forced vacation as I have to give my students their deserved rest. I'm not trying too hard to avoid boredom but I've managed to stay busy since the visits. Since I have the introductory lessons out of the way, I decided to give wind surfing a real go. I've been back twice already, and I've been promoted to a smaller board that goes much faster. I just need to learn how to use the back harness now, and then I'm off into the world of real wind surfing. My plan is to go once or twice a month for the next 9 months. If I can get decent after three trips out, I figure 9 months should leave me a seasoned pro!

Anyway, things are going along here. There's still hope of making this summer a productive one, so I don't despair. I've been healthy and active and the constantly growing kitty keeps me sane. I've finally named him. Chuqui (pronounced "Chooky"). I'm looking forward to the wedding at the end of the month. I haven't seen the extended family in a few years and it will be fun to catch up.

I really should keep up with this page, if only to avoid writing entirely too lengthy entries such as this one. Hope everyone is doing well. Take care of yourselves! Peace.

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5/27/07: No Whiners

Update: Two new photo sets up (the birthdays). The shoutbox has been moved to the contact section. Dejame un mensaje.

So as some of you might have noticed in the last entry, I was a little stressed out the last few weeks. The kitties were one thing, and I was simultaneously dealing with a quickly approaching yet unplanned graduation ceremony as well as the usual frustrations with (non-)projects and counterparts. But I don't like whining. And anyway, I've come to a temporary resolve which should last at least two more weeks. One can hope.

I've given away two of the kitties to neighbors. I know one will be well taken care of but I can only hope the other will get the kind of treatment it needs. One will stay here with me (the black and white one). He remains unnamed as of yet, but my neighbor likes to call him Mitsubishi. I don't know why.

5/10/07: Lesson #1257: No Pets

Update: First article up for my one year retrospective

Yet more tragedy in Veragua. Pokey, my cat, was attacked by dogs two nights ago, and hasn't appeared since. She's feared to be dead (by me alone, it seems) and that leaves me with a serious problem. Her three three-week old kittens (see kitties) have been left without a mother... in my house.

Neighbors have made some "encouraging" comments to me, but none have offered to help me take care of them or raise them. I didn't expect them to. I'm just not entirely sure what to do. I've been using a small eye-drop bottle to feed them milk and the three of them seem to be catching on. Still, there's no way I can be the mommy cat for 2 weeks (or longer). They drive me crazy besides! And I'm not at home all the time. They're already escaping from wherever I've come up with to put them and I have to go searching in every nook and cranny of the house whenever I get home.

5/07/07: One Whole Year

Update: More cosmetic changes (aye que linda!), posted pictures of the kitties

Last Saturday, May 5th 2007, I celebrated the official one year mark here in Veragua. I didn't end up doing a whole heck of a lot besides working in my front yard a little pulling weeds and such. The grass is coming in nicely, and the guandules (pigeon peas?) tree has finished blooming. My neighbor and I picked most of them on Sunday and she made me a nice lunch with them. I've always liked guandules and it's too bad they can't be found in the States.

During the last week or two I've been thinking about what a year abroad has done to me - how I've changed and what I've learned and done. Certainly there's too much to sum up here as a blog, but I want to put something together, something coherent and illustrative, about my year as a Peace Corps Volunteer and what I hope to gain from another year. I suppose if I promise to do it here, I'll be bound to produce. So look forward to that coming soon right here on quixfox.com.