[Laughter] Public Transportation Guarantee: You will be entertained.

One of the most entertaining/interesting moto ride I've taken.

Went to La Sirena last night, and as I'm leaving I tell the moto driver that I'm going to the Parada (I said the right place this time). He says something like "Okay linda" (Linda= cute in Spanish. Dominicans use terms of affection all the time, especially this term) Okay, so that was compliment #1. I put my feet on the pedal things, and apparently I put them the wrong spot.. so as he is fixing them he says: "Oh wow, your toe nails are so beautiful, did you paint them yourself?" I reply with "Yup." And he says, "Wow, what a talent you have." (Compliment #2 & 3). So we're leaving La Sirena and he stops by this bush and picks off a leaf. I just go with it.. and we continue to drive. He continues to ask me questions, and compliment me (you have a lot of energy, you have alot of joy, you're so nice-- so let's say like Compliments #3-10). Halfway through the ride he hands me the leaf (that he picked off the bush in front of me) and says... "It's not a rose, but you know, it's the symbol that counts" By this point I am cracking up at this guy/the situation. He continues to explain to me that next time I come to La Sirena he will have not one, but two roses for me, and that he'll actually have the real flower. We continue talking all the way to my stop.. at which point he refuses to let me pay him for the moto ride. He finishes the conversation by asking me to bring back the leaf next time I'm at La Sirena. I guess.. maybe to show that I remember him? 

What a character.

---Also, you know you visit La Sirena too much when you walk in and immediately one of the employees says.. "You like it here, huh?"

Okay. Just thought I'd share that funny 20 minutes of my life here in the DR. Adios!

Imani


PS- I promise to blog about other things soon! AND include pictures. I feel like I'm a bit behind?

[Laughter: DR Style]- Our accidental moto ride.

*Disclaimer: This may be more funny to Sarah (my roommate) and I. 
       We go grocery shopping at a store called La Sirena (think Dominican style walmart). When you leave La Sirena at night your choices of public transportation are limited because the carrito (Dominican style inexpensive taxis) stop is too far away to walk with alot of groceries. This leaves us with the option of taking the expensive taxi, which of course is waiting for you right outside the doors of La Sirena.
 Tonight, since we didn't have too many groceries we decided to take two motos to the carrito stop, and then take a carrito home (all to save money). So we hop on the motos, tell them to take us to the Gran Parada (the carrito stop that is 5 minutes away in Puerto Plata) and we get moving. I don't think anything of our trip until we start passing landmarks that signified that we were definitely outside of Puerto Plata, way beyond the Gran Parada, and halfway home to Montellano. I scream to Sarah on her moto: "Where are we going?" And Sarah screams back: "I don't know." A little bit later when our motos are next to each other again, the conversation continues.  Me: "They're taking us all the way home, aren't they?" Sarah: Yup, I think they are." Sure enough, we continue to pass landmarks that signifiy that we're getting closer and closer to home, and farther away from La Gran Parada in Puerto Plata.
          I then realize that out moto drivers probably thought we said La Gran Parada in SOUSA and not the one in Puerto Plata. (Sousa is past our home). I tell Sarah and we both start hysterically laughing (read: laughing/spitting in our own faces because of the wind) at the situation of us accidentally carrying two weeks of groceries* home on a twenty minute motorcycle ride. I've never felt more accomplished, nor more Dominican in my entire life. Accomplished for saving money/not dropping the eggs I was desperately holding on to. And Dominican for carrying a huge cargo on the back of a motorcycle.

I think God knew Sarah and I needed a good laugh tonight.

*Groceries included: eggs, bread,  2 cartons juice, chicken, a plunger, bread, cheese, canned goods, fresh vegetables, etc. etc. 

[Mi Vida] Makarios First Day of School

Hard to believe the first day of school was weeks ago! Sorry for the lateness of this blog post. Enjoy the pictures anyway! (Also I technically blogged backwards, the first day of school was before my first day of ESL classes).

Makarios is primarily a school, that educates children: grades PreK-2nd. As ESL Teacher/Community Outreach Coordinator, I will be working mostly from the villages, and not the school... but in these first few weeks I was able to spend most of my time at the school while I prepped/planned for my village visits and classes. I think I may be in love with each and everyone one of the kids at our school.

Here are some pictures from the first day of school (a day spent of getting to know new students, new teachers, and of course, recess)

Profe Yomo & Wilner

Profe Yomo & Alylin

Profe Miranda & Chinada

Profe Nicole on the playground

Myself & Chinada

Vanessa!

Profe Nicole & Profe Dena singing

Profe Yohan, Myself, and Profe Sarah singing with the kids

Myself & Bernito

Franchesca, Memo, and Rachel

Erickson eating breakfast

Profe Belizeur playing a game with his class as they wait in the line for the bathroom.

Lisela, Ana Wendy, and Mary Ledy

Andy lifting up Anthony

Son

Raidi (who has the best natural facial expressions)

There's a smile!

[Mi Vida] ESL Classes in Los Ciruelos

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while! I'm hoping that once things in our apartment are settled.. I'll be able to spend my afternoons relaxing, catching up with people, and blogging.. versus the endless To Do lists I've been having to complete. Here's a photo filled blog on the ESL part of my job:

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After my schedule is in full force, I will eventually be teaching an ESL class 7 times per week! So far I have started with the class in Los Ciruelos (where the Makarios host house is located). These kids have already captured my heart, and I look forward to spending the next two years with them!

Erika (wife of the original host couple that has ended their time in the DR) and I began the process by walking around Los Ciruelos to advertise for the upcoming class. I was so amazed and overjoyed by the warmth of the people that invited us into their house, laughed spoke and spent time with us. (I expect that a similar thing will happen once I start spending time in Chichigua and Tamarindo conducting the Community Outreach part of my position.. and I greatly look forward to that!) Once we passed out the enrollment forms, we formed the classes, and held the first two classes of the year! Take a look through the pictures to see the dynamics of the class:

We spent the first class going over the goals of ESL class and playing icebreaker games with simply English so that we could learn each other's names.

Darlin, Yonalis, Sindy

Estrella

Grelin

Luisanna

Gouri & Esteban

Yonalis, Sindy, Patricia

Patricia

Esteban, Gouri, Simeon

The hope for my ESL class is to provide a much needed service to the people that live here on the North Coast. Because this country attracts many tourists, knowing English is a valuable resource that will allow Dominicans/Haitians to obtain better jobs. Through my teaching I also hope to let Christ live completely through me, exemplifying his love in an audible & tangible way.

[God is good because]...He is Sovereign

God is good because.. He Is Sovereign. He places his words in my path, at the most APPROPRIATE times, and through the most unique/appropriate of ways. Aka- when he wants to tell me something, he uses whatever means to do so.

Today it was Zephaniah 3:17, someone tweeted the verse, and I could not have read it at a better time. Like, seriously.

The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. -Zephaniah 3:17 (Amplified Version)

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PS- I'm currently writing this from my sick bed :(
I believe I'm either pretty dehydrated or have a virus. (I'll leave all the yucky bathroom details to your imagination). Please be praying that I heal super soon, so I can get back to work!! I'm still feeling very dizzy/lightheaded when I'm standing up/move my head too fast.

AND:

Preview on me teaching my first ESL class!! -- full blog post to come soon!

Thanks Erika for the pictures!

[Mi Vida] Sabbath

Dena, Miranda, Sarah and I spent last Saturday at the beach.... relaxing, laughing, talking.. and taking our MTI advice to have one day of rest per week, for the fruitfulness/longevity of our ministry!!
Oh yes. I forsee many beach sabbath days in our future.

Water & sunglasses. Essentials at a DR beach.

Man selling coconut water.

MTI Reunion with Katie! 

Sarah paddle boarding

And a bonus:

Elvis spotted. Cabarate, Dominican Republic

From the DR, with love.
Imani

PS- I know Dena isn't pictured in any of these photos. But she was most definitely at the beach with us! Love ya girl!

[Mi Vida] Yays/Yucks

As I described before, we learned at our mission training how we will often experience the Paradox of living life abroad. The positive things you experience are the yays, and the negative things are the yucks. It's totally normal/typical/okay to feel both of these things at the exact same time: To know that God has called you to a place and be happy about that.... while at the same time being super frustrated with all the negative things that keep hitting you in the face. I'm going to share a few of my yays/yucks now. PS- another longish blog post coming up. Sorry! 

Yays

• A few days into staff training, I re-fell in love with Makarios and God confirmed how much his presences is intertwined in every piece of this organization and the people who work for it. 

•The fact that I'm going to once again need (capital N-E-E-D) to rely on the Lord every single minute of every day. (For spanish speaking abilities, for the ability to not scream on the top of my lungs when I get another mosquito bite, for the ability to love like he loves me, for safety, for health,  etc. etc.)

•The fact that I'm going to experience what I experienced in Peru. When my bible reading became "alive" to me. When I was able to read a passage and then pray, walk in, and live out the words that I just read. 

•Cold showers. For those of you who have traveled to other countries and not stayed in a resort, you've more than likely experienced the coldness of water. It's a complaint I've had in my past mission trips.. but NOT here. After a super humid day outside, a cold shower is the biggest present you could ever ask for.

•The Makarios team is absolutely AMAZING (capitals emphasized). I honestly could not have asked for a better staff. I'm going to aim to introduce members of the staff individually in following blog posts.. so I won't take up more space here explaining how great they are.

•Spotify works ABROAD! 

•The warmth of the people here is absolutely amazing. Erika and I went walking around Los Ciruelos yesterday to advertise for the ESL class I'll be teaching, and we ended up being out for 3 hours talking to families/kids about everything and anything. It's common for people to just invite into your homes, ask you how you're doing (and really care about your answer), offer food/drink.... and this is all when you come UN-invited. How much of a culture shock is it going to be when I return to the states and show up to my friends homes (unexpectedly) expecting all the same things ;)

•Going to the beach as our Sabbath. I'll never stop getting used to that.

Photo example of a YAY: Our staff (that is amazing) playing icebreaker games.

Yucks

•Having busy staff days (work 8-4) and busy afternoons (apartment hunting, grocery store shopping, etc.) and THEN wanting to just crash on your bed because you're exhausted from speaking a different language most of the day, learning 2 million things about a new country/culture, and doing your job. Then you have the choice to make: crash and… not finish up your to do list of: thank you cards, blogging, figuring out student loan deferments 

•The humidity. 

I'm told that I will get used to it. And I believe it.. when I feel the sweat dripping to my toes, only to look over at my Dominican/Haitian fellow staff members whom (because of lack of sweat) appear to be as if they are in the midst of an air conditioned room. But for now, until I get used to it… it's a yuck. A big time yuck.

• LOS INSECTOS (bugs). Okay so huge praise to God, I didn't see many bugs in the beginning days. Yes there was the spider incident, yes I saw the flash of a cockroach.. but overall there weren't many! That was all UNTIL I started to receive 2 mosquito bites per day, there was another tarantula found outside the Mak house, and moths began to attack my computer/me late at night because of its bright light. If you know me well, you know that I am legitimately terrified of all bugs. Like it's right up there with getting a terminal disease.  This is a huge yuck. A yuck that I'm hoping will eventually subside as I live on a tropical island. But a yuck nonetheless. (PS- The two tarantulas I've seen now have both been in tuperware boxes to be the kids "pets." Pray that I NEVER EVER EVER see one in real life just crawling around here.. because you will hear my scream for hours and hours upon end.)

•I've been missing a few things lately. (This act of missing falls into my yuck category.) We were encouraged at our Mission Training that it's okay to admit to missing some of the more "shallow" things that you'll be letting go of once you leave the states. So here goes:

• Netflix, Hulu, Pandora-- these all don't work outside of the states
• Fall (my absolute favorite season). Oh how I miss Autumn, and all it entails. The leaves changing colors, wearing a sweatshirt, jeans & converse sneakers, bonfires, my Steve Madden fall boots that I got on super sale and was only able to wear once because the Syracuse snow kicked in early last year, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin ice-cream, (really pumpkin flavored anything), flag football, flamingo football,   60 degree weather etc. etc. etc. 
• Syracuse.. everything about it:  24/7 access to my best friends, CRU, Juice Jam, college life, dining hall food choices (who would have thought I ever said that), Famous Artists- who is performing IN THE HEIGHTS this year,  NY State Fair, upcoming basketball season, the quad.. etc. etc. 
• Air conditioning
• The lack of bugs the US has.

Photo example of a Yuck: A tarantula (that the Menold Family caught outside). A THOUSAND TIMES YUCK.

(PS- Everytime I say a thousand times ___.. I always think of Pride & Prejudice. You know, when Jane says yes to Mr. Bingsley proposing.. Anyone?)