La Casa de Camaron

I don't even really know where to begin this post with...except to continue to tell you all how amazingly happy I am that I took the risk of leaving my job at Wells Fargo, leaving all of my family and friends, leaving everything I knew, back at home and coming to a strange country, all alone and begin a new job that I knew nothing about.... This has been so wonderful and it's not even been 2 weeks since I started teaching....



I guess I will being by telling you that this ENTIRE town has been amazing to me... Everyone knows that we live in "la casa de camaron." Camaron is the last name of our landlord...and everyone knows that we live here.... last night at around 9:30, Sonja and I walked to a colmado to buy 2 botellones de agua (5 gallon jugs of water). They didn't have anyone working at that time who could deliver them so I said that I would just be strong and do it myself... then this guy who was working there asked "Donde viven?" Where do you live.... Sonja and I were trying to find the words to explain to him where we lived when this lady who neither of us know was walking by outside and heard the conversation, poked her head in and said "en la casa de Camaron." I blew my mind...so he took it upon himself to bring both of our waters to our house...as he was walking out he said "si necesitan algo, estoy aqui, por cualquier cosa." If you need anything, I am here...for anything."



On Sunday afternoon, Sonja and I were hanging out in our house and these 2 little boys were poking their heads through our porch...we went out and asked them what they needed....only to find out that they wanted to shine our shoes...and it just so happens that mine needed cleaned...so..for only 10 pesos...which is exactly 27 american cents...I got my shoes shined! They were the cutest little boys... I asked them..What do you do with this money? The one said that he uses it for food and the other said that he gives it to his mom..they were only 10 years old and hard little workers!



Today, Sonja and I were making lunch and I heard a horn honk outside, I recongnized the man on the motoconcho but thought it was a student of Sonjas...he ended up coming up and he was a person who brought other students to my class but was not a student himself...He told us that he was asking people around town where we lived..they told him so he came to our house to again tell us that if we needed anything...tell him." I have heard this from so many people, and they are people who truely mean it. People around here so so genuine, I can't even begin to tell you.



Yesterday, Sonja and I were trying to go grocery shopping in Higuey...which consists of getting on the bus here in San Rafael, getting to Higuey and finding the grocery store...we saw one of our students at the bus stop who was on her way to the University...she told us that she would go with us and show us around Higuey so that we knew where we were going.... She took 3.5 hours showed us 3 grocery stores, which one was the cheapest, where the taxis are, the motoconchos, everything...granted she probably missed class...but did it all of us! :)



I am now up to 36 students in my class..and it IS CRAZY!!! But I would not ask for anything else...I love these kids like they are my own... they are so beautiful, so intelligent, so, 100% everything that I was hoping for. They are my life.... I have been sick with a cold this week and very tired...Today during break one of the students brought me very yummy coffee.... After class was over another student came up to me and said "te gustan aguacates?" Do you like avocados? I said yes, why? And she said...oh I will bring you 2 to your house tomorrow...You live in la casa de Camaron, right? So tomorrow morning this nice student of mine is going to bring me 2 avacados.



Today was Sonja's birthday and her kids threw her a wonderful party!! With cake, pop, chesse and crackers, music, everything! It was so beautiful! These kids make me want to cry on a daily basis! I cannot wait until they start really talking! I am sooo excited!! On Friday, a few of the students asked Sonja and I if we want to go to a museum with them before class...so Friday morning at 10 we are going to do that.



For some reaosn the mosquitos are still finding me...I am not sure when or how but they are! I think it is because my legs are too long for my bed and I kick the net out when I sleep...so my legs are starting to get eaten again...people around here tell me it is because I am white and they can see me...other people tell me it is because I still haven't eaten enough Dominican food... quien sabe?!? (who knows).



Que mas..que mas..... last weekend was the inaguaration of our language center...apparently we made it on TV and everything...people have told us that they have seen us on TV...It was kind of a big deal...people are very excited to have 2 Americans here, trying to help their citizens strive and hopefully bring good things to their town....



The BEST news...we officially have AIR CONDITIONED classrooms!!! My students keep complaining that they are cold...to that I tell them...Too bad.... I am hot...leave it on and put on a sweatshirt! It might be mean but it is the only 4 hours of the day that I am comfortable. My students.... they are still trying to speak Spanish...and I am still forcing them to sing...they are now beginning to tell on each other so it is pretty funny..they sound like 2nd graders... "teacher teacher...spanish." Teacher teacher...he is speaking Spanish." I just adore every single one of them! I still have a few who are struggling but for the most part they are getting it! They already know the difference between plural and singular..they know when to use A and when to use An.... oh they are the best!



My class is up to 36 and Sonja's is up to 60.... they are contemplating having us each teach 6 hours a day now instead of 4 and splitting up the classes... I guess we will come to a conclusion tomorrow on that...otherwise they will have to hire another teacher.



Tonight, the town is without electricity again but our generator is acutally working right now so for the time being I have power... but I am doubting that it will last too much longer....



I will now let you get back to whatever it was that you were doing...I am sorry that this post was kind of long and not full of a ton of information!



As always, love you all and keep me posted on your lives as well!



PS....COME VISIT!

Also...we just had visitors! :) A group of our students came over to have birthday cake with us...they did our dishes and offered to come back tomorrow and help us mop (since they got our floor dirty because it was raining) AND they offered to come teach us how to cook like Dominicans! :) They were on their way here with Sonja and apparently some guy was driving who was not a student and Sonja asked him how he knew where we lived and his responce was that " you guys are VERY popular here...everyone knows!" :)

Goodnight!