2 de febrero 2014. Well. That was the start of that post. And as you can see, I didn't finish (probably for the best). I'm still feeling quite frustrated but have a much more level head now. So with that in mind, I'm going to present the not-so-good-stuff in a different way.
1. Sleep. It just hardly exists. I have never been so exhausted as I am for such an extended period of time. Since last March to be exact. And here, with the rooster hut in the backyard, the damn puppies and dogs that fight, bark at a passerby, or literally howl for 20minutes at a time, and the nonstop music when there's luz, sleeping is a joke.
**Then an American volunteer (though not PC) who's job is medical here in the area brought me ear plugs. And I've actually gotten a few full nights sleep for the first time in I don't know how long. Even had some seriously vivid dreams in there! I'm still exhausted for whatever reason but it has made a world of a difference just to be able to muffle the damn music in front of my house, the dogs, and the roosters. Thanks Jake :). Oh and side note. When I first met him and he said his name? My eyes watered up and I said, "That's my little brother's name. Can I hug you?" And he let me :D
And walking in the morning with my ladies. Again, exhaustion and most mornings I wake up angry. Haha but I force myself to go and ALWAYS end up laughing hysterically and coming back in the best mood possible despite only having 10 minutes to then get ready for school!
2. Two fights broke out the other day. One was right after school in the afternoon and it was two boys. I ran over following an older man walking briskly as he proceeded to take his belt off. I got there, pulled the one kid away and the other took off running. The one I had got himself free from my grasp and ran after him. And the 20 bystanders (kids) ran too. Cheering, screaming, and laughing the whole way. Unfortunately my leg had been causing me problems and that day it was the worst. So chasing after them was hopeless. I don't think it continued though...
The second one? Two sisters. And one with a bat. The kids again were cheering and dying of laughter, enjoying every threat and every swing and miss made. I ran up, chased after the girl with the bat and took it away. She then got a ball and threatened with that but nothing more happened. They had been playing baseball but I took the bat with me to the house where it's stored and ended their game quickly. They were laughing at me now when they saw how mad I was...
**But then there's Nini and Julibay (spelling?). They're young and every night that there's music, they dance. And it's hysterical.
And hey, there's fights here but it's still not like Villa was.
3. The huge gash on the forehead of a little boy. Upon inquiring what happened, figuring he had just fallen, he told me his mother hit him with a stick in the face...
**But there is the love that Pipe shows his kids. And Papito. And Lucila. And I get to see it all daily.
4. Alejandro sobbing because he didn't want to go to his mother. Her and Pipe fought outside over it amongst their many many problems.
**But Alejandro fell asleep peacefully in my arms that night. I had picked him up to rock him and we laughed together, ate a lemon, and I watched his puffy eyes droop and drift off to sleep.
5. Pipe being controlling. I love him and he takes such good care of me. But there are times when I really want to do things on my own. And I can't. Take Saturday for example. I knew I was headed to DaJabon with Ryan, Allison, Lula, and Greg. The bus (and only bus) that passes my site to get there passes by at 7:30am sharp. I planned on walking the 20 minutes to get to the Cruce that morning to catch it. Pipe insisted on taking me on his moto. We argued a bit. I finally gave in. So that morning I was ready to go by 7am. 7:15 rolls around... I call him. No answer. 7:20. A text. 7:25. Another text. Nothing. I finally head out, first thinking I'll walk to the Cruce but then realizing there's no way I'd make it. So I go to his house. I yell his name and ask if he was still planning on taking me. Sleepily he answers yes and I hear him rummaging around. 7:30 he comes out and asks what time it is. I tell human and he says matter-of-factly, "Oh, well the bus is already gone." He takes me anyways and a guy there says the bus just passed. I try to convince Pipe to take me up the road a ways because the bus stops a lot and on a moto, we could catch it. He says there's no way we could... After waiting for 20 minutes for some other bus or truck to pass that I might be able to grab, he says he'll take me to Loma de Cabrera which is a bit far but there's always busses leaving from there to DaJabon. We set off but only with the promise that I can pay him a little for gas....
**But just up the road, a pickup truck is pulling out onto the main road headed to Loma. Pipe talks to the guy and I hop in the back in the flatbed, leaving Pipe behind. Hood up and freezing my ass off, we wind through the mountains. I make it to Loma, find the bus and within minutes, we are off. Not only did I make it to DaJabon just as my friends did, it was $50RD cheaper cuz I had gotten a bola halfway :) We spent the day there, first eating breakfast at an awesome restaurant, roaming around and learning where everything is, buying this:
To organize all my school and artsy stuff which couldn't have made me happier, and then buying this:
We went to the bridge over Massacre River which divides the DR and Haiti. After talking with a guard, we sent a moto into Haiti to buy us Haitian beer. Haha it was sooo good. Maybe just cuz it was different than Presidente or Brahma but either way, happiness in a can. And? Despite him being overbearing, I was grateful that Pipe was waiting for me at the Cruce when I got back so I didn't have to lug my new organizer into my site. I hopped on his moto, put it on my lap, and we were off!
I also know where I'll be getting my mini fridge hopefully soon. I really miss drinking cold water.
6. Not being able to do my evaluations. It's been two weeks and I've been stuck making posters for all the teachers. The Director also doesn't seem to care that I'm here. And what the hell is my job here again?
**I feel more welcome and loved by kids and teachers alike. Though I'm not doing exactly what I want and as fast as I want (Ann is coming next week with a request for a plan...uh...shit?), I am learning each day and there does seem to be something for me to do. It just might not be what Ann wanted me to do.
7. Shitload of work to do for PC and haven't done enough home visits. We have an Escojo Enseñar Conference that I'm helping with two charlas for. Gotta plan. And we are rewriting our manual for teacher training too which I've been roped into writing a session for. With being at the school both tandas, I get home at 5, eat dinner and don't want to leave my house and family... I get stuck and haven't met nearly enough people or done enough informal interviews.
**Today I worked on a few things for the conference and manual and feel good about it. I actually missed lesson planning and doing technical stuff like that like way back in my college years. And although I was so exhausted I couldn't see straight, I did check one visit off (got homemade coconut ice cream out of it!) and made plans for another one with someone I really feel like I could learn from and even work with. He has so much passion.
So for now, I'm content. Not overly happy but not utterly depressed like I had been in Villa. Things will come in time. And all will fall into the places they should. Even if I don't realize it in the moment. Venga lo que venga, right?
:) Buenas noches.
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