Dear Readers
All this week I've made the quick trek up to the school for observations. It's been fun. For one thing, I can speak Teacher in Spanish, so I can actually hold conversations there at an intelligence level above that of a twelve year old obsessed with clouds. Despite that, I cannot understand Dominican Teacher Speak Speed, but at least in the afternoon classes, everyone is very understanding. Yesterday I burst out laughing because over the course of a conversation the only words I had really comprehended were Blood, Leg, and Parasite. They were spaced out enough that they were probably unrelated but taken together they were pretty funny.
Then, of course, everyone is like, what's so funny? And I actually told them so they could laugh too.
And everything I've been told about No Dancing, Be a Nun is complete BS. I've been ordered to get up and dance at the school to prove that I really do know how to dance bachata. Not like in front of crowds or anything but the teacher attitude towards being in the classroom is much more lax here, so frequently my observations entail sitting in a chair, on the sidewalk (sientate! My most common command, it means Sit!) and chatting with teachers, or listening to teachers chat. The other day I was there, and was asked if I really knew bachata, and one of the teachers who had already forced me to prove my bachata dancing prowess said yes, I did, so some music was put over a phone and yep, I got up and danced.
I just tell everyone it is because I am a Dominicana now, not an Americana. People seem to think that is very funny. I survive by laughter. If not for my ability to create humor with my crazy situation and lack of Spanish prowess, I think I'd be miserable. Peace Corps is not easy, not by any means. Day after day of constantly speaking and listening in a language I barely have a handle on, the high expectations the community has of me, (contrasted with my lack of Spanish!!!!) and too many guys surrounding me like lovestruck puppies.
Speaking of lovestruck puppies, I also have a real lovestruck puppy. The family dog follows me to the beach and the river every day now. He won't let me out of his sight. I feel kind of awkward about this because he is not my dog, but everyone asks me if he is. I just enjoy having some company when I take my walks that does not try to speak to me in Spanish.
The other high entertainment I've been experiencing is with my guitarita. That tiny little guitar has won me some friends, and possibly another love-struck male. People are trying to teach me how to sing 24 horas, which is a very romantic and beautiful song by Frank Reyes. That also is cute. Instead I just start singing in English and nobody knows what I am singing about. It is fun, especially when I am feeling frustrated by things I cannot describe in Spanish so I start singing about them in English and people only know to compliment me on my singing, without having the slightest clue what I am really talking about. The best was when I was singing about how I hated bucket showers and my host mom said it was a beautiful song.
What else? Well, what if I were to tell you that I am often given commands like a dog? There is the ever present command, SIT! and then there is Come! And then there is Bath!
And it might amuse people to know that I have been presented to the mayor. It was an odd experience. I told him who I was, what I was doing, then I was given the third degree on how powerful he was and how great he was, and then he told me welcome to Los Patos and I said thank you several times and bolted. With dignity, but I bolted. I can see why people might not like him much.
I think that about covers it. I've now had a full week free of those crazy tigueres and their crazed cat-calls. The only time I am ever bothered is by tourists from other parts of the country and I am learning to recognize them on sight.
Dominican Wolf
All this week I've made the quick trek up to the school for observations. It's been fun. For one thing, I can speak Teacher in Spanish, so I can actually hold conversations there at an intelligence level above that of a twelve year old obsessed with clouds. Despite that, I cannot understand Dominican Teacher Speak Speed, but at least in the afternoon classes, everyone is very understanding. Yesterday I burst out laughing because over the course of a conversation the only words I had really comprehended were Blood, Leg, and Parasite. They were spaced out enough that they were probably unrelated but taken together they were pretty funny.
Then, of course, everyone is like, what's so funny? And I actually told them so they could laugh too.
And everything I've been told about No Dancing, Be a Nun is complete BS. I've been ordered to get up and dance at the school to prove that I really do know how to dance bachata. Not like in front of crowds or anything but the teacher attitude towards being in the classroom is much more lax here, so frequently my observations entail sitting in a chair, on the sidewalk (sientate! My most common command, it means Sit!) and chatting with teachers, or listening to teachers chat. The other day I was there, and was asked if I really knew bachata, and one of the teachers who had already forced me to prove my bachata dancing prowess said yes, I did, so some music was put over a phone and yep, I got up and danced.
I just tell everyone it is because I am a Dominicana now, not an Americana. People seem to think that is very funny. I survive by laughter. If not for my ability to create humor with my crazy situation and lack of Spanish prowess, I think I'd be miserable. Peace Corps is not easy, not by any means. Day after day of constantly speaking and listening in a language I barely have a handle on, the high expectations the community has of me, (contrasted with my lack of Spanish!!!!) and too many guys surrounding me like lovestruck puppies.
Speaking of lovestruck puppies, I also have a real lovestruck puppy. The family dog follows me to the beach and the river every day now. He won't let me out of his sight. I feel kind of awkward about this because he is not my dog, but everyone asks me if he is. I just enjoy having some company when I take my walks that does not try to speak to me in Spanish.
The other high entertainment I've been experiencing is with my guitarita. That tiny little guitar has won me some friends, and possibly another love-struck male. People are trying to teach me how to sing 24 horas, which is a very romantic and beautiful song by Frank Reyes. That also is cute. Instead I just start singing in English and nobody knows what I am singing about. It is fun, especially when I am feeling frustrated by things I cannot describe in Spanish so I start singing about them in English and people only know to compliment me on my singing, without having the slightest clue what I am really talking about. The best was when I was singing about how I hated bucket showers and my host mom said it was a beautiful song.
What else? Well, what if I were to tell you that I am often given commands like a dog? There is the ever present command, SIT! and then there is Come! And then there is Bath!
And it might amuse people to know that I have been presented to the mayor. It was an odd experience. I told him who I was, what I was doing, then I was given the third degree on how powerful he was and how great he was, and then he told me welcome to Los Patos and I said thank you several times and bolted. With dignity, but I bolted. I can see why people might not like him much.
I think that about covers it. I've now had a full week free of those crazy tigueres and their crazed cat-calls. The only time I am ever bothered is by tourists from other parts of the country and I am learning to recognize them on sight.
Dominican Wolf
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