Well, I'm here in the DR, having just returned from a border city near Haiti, and I can say that this is not exactly what I expected. We are spending the night in a hotel in San Juan, which is a larger city in the south, and when we first stayed here Sunday I thought that it was a little dingy. Now, having returned from Banica, it feels like a palace! We have a shower that is clean and has warm water. We have a bathroom with a toilet seat and flushing capabilities. We have air conditioning and electricity--we even have internet! Where we stayed last night, there were windows with no screens, extremely dirty floors, a disgusting bathroom with a huge spider, tons of noise all around and electricity only from 1am to 3am. A bat was stuck in my room last night so I had to sleep on the couch in the living room. It was incredibly hot and humid but I was so nervous about the mosquitos that I slept under a sheet. It was the longest night of my life. And there was a long cat fight that took place near our apartment that sounded not of this earth. So freaking bizarre. Roosters crowing at all hours, dogs barking, music blaring, etc etc etc. The woman who is leading our group, who has done plenty of field work in Costa Rica, Tibet, and even the DR said that she usually prides herself in her ability to survive any field conditions but that this experience has broken her. I honestly think we could have managed, but it's much better to be here tonight. I wouldn't have showered for 3 days and I don't have anything else to read to pass the time until I pass out...
Our work is going okay, except for the weird encounters we've had with people who are providing services. I feel a bit annoyed because there doesn't seem to be a problem with smoking in Banica. There are a few people who do, but it seems like a lot of effort to do all this work for a handful of people who still smoke. I guess I see the value in creating an entirely smoke-free community, but I don't know how sustainable that is.
My biggest question is: What do people do all day? I saw people (not just in Banica, but all over the country) sitting outside all day long, not doing a thing. Barely talking, not occupying themselves with any activity. Some people obviously work, but most seem to be lounging around all day. It's just a strange sight.
The whole vegan thing has been interesting. The woman who cooked for us seemed to understand what I could not eat, and I don't think I was unknowingly fed anything not-vegan, but she was super suspicious of me. She kept saying she didn't know what I eat if I don't eat meat, eggs, cheese, milk, etc. I explained to my teammates that where I live there is "cheese", "milk" and "meat" that I can eat that don't come from animals, and one of my teammates said that he knows a woman who is vegetarian and she makes something that tastes exactly like meat, and is very tasty. It was nice to hear that, and I was very happy to find chocolate Silk and soya chunks at the regular supermarket. I'm not quite sure how things will go in the other community, but I still have plenty of Luna bars and Vega shake mix if I need them. At this point, I could probably use some green pea powder... :)
Thankfully I have not gotten sick and I have been able to survive the heat, seemingly better than other teammates. I sweat all day long but it doesn't quite bother me. I think it's because of my time in the backcountry. And maybe all the Power yoga that I've done. I'm used to being sweaty, I suppose!
That's all for now. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. I miss my Adam and I already have work emergencies not related to the project that I need to take care of. What a challenge this kind of international project is. Don't tell anyone, but I've already considered quitting! But not seriously, of course. But I'm not that excited to do this kind of field work again. At least on such a tight budget.
I should just mention that I really love my teammates. They are so supportive and have so much knowledge and how-to about this country. I don't know what we would do without them. Yamel is hilarious. Jairo is very kind and friendly, and Arisleyda is great in a crisis. She's also friendly and compassionate. I love her.
Okay, now I'm really done. Time to shower. Love to all!
