asleep instead of blogging!
Wednesday we had our fun day, a day without clinics. We started the
morning relatively late (@ 0730, not 0630) and left for Monte Cristi
around 0830. We took 10 shuttle buses to Monte Cristi, where the other
Orphanage Outreach orphanage is located.
We arrived in Monte Cristi a couple hours later, and made our first
stop at a minimart. It was like the Bi-Rite crossed with a 7-11. We
hadn't exchanged any money, so were unable to shop, as they only took
pesos. Our stop was brief, and we continued to OO's English Institute,
located right across the street from the town center, which held a
park with monuments, grass, and benches. The E.I. is a three story
(and sleeping dorms on roof) building, where children from the
community come to learn English during the day. Kids in the DR go to
school for only half of the day; kids who participate in classes at
the English Institute do so opposite of their school schedule. If a
child goes to elementary school in the morning, they have the
opportunity to be in English class in the afternoon, and visa versa.
The EI accepts 5th to 8th graders, and children move through the
program each year. The EI classrooms look like elementary classrooms
in the states; the cardinal directions are labeled on the walls, the
alphabet and nursery rhymes are featured prominently, and most solid
objects are labeled in English ("couch, door, desk, ceiling").
After leaving the EI, we travelled to the Monte Cristi orphanage. That
orphanage is much more developed than ours in Jaibon, as OO has been
at the MC for a longer time. From the roof of one of the buildings,
you can look out and see the ocean. On clear days, to the South, you
might see Haiti. 45 children live at the MC orphanage, and some young
adult residents receive intensive English training to prepare for
college-entry testing. OO sponsors orphanage kids if they'd like to go
to college. Right now, four young women from the orphanage are
studying in the capital.
Once we left the orphanage, we stopped at a curio shop on our way to
lunch. The owner and his wife worked the register (cardboard box with
USD and Dom pesos). They met in Texas, at a Bible college. He's
Domincan with great English skills, and she's from Texas. As a group,
we spent a small fortune. My Dad will be happy to know that I'm not
bringing him home non-functional crap. Only vanilla!
After shopping, we headed to lunch at a wonderful outdoor restaurant,
where they served nearly one dozen different dishes, buffet style. The
seating was cafeteria style, and the roof was thickly thatched. Birds
were flying on and out of the edge of fronds, bringing food/supplies
back to their nests. Very cool!
After lunch, we went to El Morro beach! We ran into the Carribean, and
were the last group out of the water. It was a lovely 75+. We all
received saline sinus flushes, courtesy of the ocean, repeatedly. If I
lived here, I would never leave the beach.
We wrapped up at the beach, and headed back to Jaibon. We stopped
again the Monte Cristi, at an ice cream shop. Much excitement ensued,
as 20+ ice creams (hand-scooped) were dispensed. The flavors were very
similar to ours, but under the circumstances, tasted better than any
in the States. I bought an ice cream for our hot bus driver, Victor,
who acquired multiple ice creams by the time we left.
We got back to Jaibon at dinnertime, and was followed by movie night
for the orphanage boys. They came up to our pavilion and watched
Spanish audio, English subtitle Shrek. Lynne, Kelly and I were too
pooped to watch it, so we spent the evening trying to wash the sand
from our ears, hair, etc.
This is a wonderful country, but regular access to a shower is a total
life enhancer. :-)
Sent from my iPhone
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