9. “Don’t know where I am, but I’m sure glad to be here!”-
As my time in Las Terrenas comes to an end, I start to reflect on my time here. I start to ponder that maybe I’m not entirely sure what I’ve been doing here or what I’ve really accomplished. And maybe the kids at the library think I’m a loser, mean, or something worse. Maybe I should have never come here at all. Then I remember the times I’ve had here and the things I’ve seen - the students, the beaches, the food, the culture, the poverty, and everything else. I would not trade this experience for anything.
I came to Las Terrenas with an open mind, ready for an adventure, and pretty certain of my relationship with Erin. I leave with a deeper appreciation of everything I have back home: a house, food, a job, security and family. I am leaving knowing that Erin, though a little strange, is great and I can spend 18 hours a day with her and only her and still like her just as much as I always have, if not more. I leave here appreciating all the little things I took for granted back home, like electricity, books, television, friends, and most of all family. This worldly experience has taught me a lot, but primarily has taught me how lucky I am to have what I have and to come from where I do. Coming to Las Terrenas, though frustrating at times, was one of the best choices I’ve made thus far. But don’t get me wrong; I’m ready to leave. I am ready for the comforts and unnecessary commodities of home.
As one chapter of my life comes to a close another opens. I am leaving volunteering and the Dominican Republic, for now, to go back to the United States to serve as an Army Infantry Officer. Leaving a foreign country to serve in that of my own. The adventure of one, though vastly different, has prepared me to be a better leader for the next.
So I think I’ll close Thursday’s with Mateo the same way I started it, with the question “Why did I come to the Dominican Republic?” I think my answer is the same - “For the adventure, for the satisfaction of knowing I’m doing something, though little, that is more than some people will ever do to help a community out in their lifetime. I’m in the Dominican Republic because I was sick of flipping burgers at a hole in the wall bar/ restaurant in downtown Grand Haven. I’m here because I only have 2 more months until I have to start at least 6 years of my life as an Army officer, so I thought it might be nice to see a foreign country that is not located in the middle east. I’m here because I want to be.” Oh and I don’t mind the beaches…
Cheers,
Mateo
8. The Poverty –
As our time in the Dominican Republic comes to a close and our budget dwindles, Erin and I got on the subject of the poverty here. This isn’t the best topic to write about and it’s difficult to describe the type of poverty that exists here, but I’ll give it my best shot. Poverty of Las Terrenas comes in many different forms, mainly food and money. However poor they may be in lack of possessions, food, and cash; the locals make up in family and cohesiveness.
The poverty here is something I have never seen before, and hope never to see again. Poverty exists in the States, but on a different level. Money problems always seem to be happening elsewhere – Africa, Haiti, Ecuador, etc., and there are government programs and homeless shelters provided for those in need. But here, in a different – maybe better – manner, homelessness is not an option, no matter how poor one is. Extended families always exist, and are obligated to help one-another out. I have yet to see someone sleeping in a cardboard box or anything of the sorts.
We’ve noticed a reoccurring theme with the children here; every child shares. Even when they have a single candy bar, they split it into as many pieces as possible to share with the other children. Poverty is like that. While many families here are poor, they spend what they have and share everything they can, so no one has “nothing”. In the States there seems to be a common focus on immediate families, but here no matter how thin the bloodline, relations are definite, predetermined lifelines. When talking to one of our new Dominican friends, he put the money situation like this, “ In the United States when someone buys a big cake they usually only eat some of it and save the rest for later. Here in Las Terrenas when someone buys a cake they will eat as much as they can right away and then share the rest with friends.” Now picture the cake as paychecks and alcohol and you’ve got Friday and Saturday nights in the Dominican Republic with nothing left for the rest of the week. Everyone has it rough, but with one another it seems to lessen the pains.
In Las Terrenas people, including children, show no shame in asking for money or change. Some people do it through trickery, as we’ve found out, and others do it blatantly. We are approached daily with pleas for money whether it be from a little girl at the library complaining of hunger because her mom can’t afford to feed her enough or a man claiming he owns the hotel Erin and I are staying at and needs an advancement on the money because his wife just got sick and his child is in the hospital (1. Erin and I are not staying in a hotel 2. We just saw him ask the other white people for money, but tell them a different story and 3. It’s now widely known that he is one of the biggest dope heads in town).
We never feel good about turning people away, but we never feel good sharing the little we have. Either way, it will never be enough to fulfill their needs. And if we do share some change from our pockets, it’s only reinforcing their begging. I know the children begging for money didn’t choose to be poor and most of the people lack education so high paying jobs are out of the question, but I just want something more for them.
The library, though small and bare, seems to be that place for the people here. No the library is not a shelter or a welfare provider, but it is a place for the local people to read, take classes, and learn simple ways to better their lives. I just wish more people would take advantage and that these advantages would be enough.
7. The Routine -
The alarm wakes me up at 9:15 am as it does everyday. Erin has been up by now for about an hour. She usually writes for the blog, showers, and makes tea by the time I stumble out of my sleepiness. We eat breakfast together; it’s either cereal or some form of eggs depending on our level of motivation that day. I usually try to cook the eggs because Erin always burns the pan and I hate washing the dishes after she cooks.
After breakfast we start our two-mile walk to the library. It usually takes us about 20 minutes because of the narrow sidewalks and busy traffic. The library is supposed to open at 10:00, but lately it’s been whenever Erin and I stroll in. There by the gate, every morning, sits Estel, usually singing “Profe Mateo” with some random toy she found in the trash. Yesterday it was a “new” bicycle, with a missing seat, a missing pedal, and grass growing from the rusted handlebars. She tried ringing its bell but instead of making a noise, it fell off into the dirt. She shrugged and walked away.
Mornings at the library are typically slow, meaning a maximum of 20 kids. I teach English to my Haitian friends from 10:45 until about noon. In the meantime, Erin either prepares for an activity for the afternoon session or participates in one. Activities have consisted of drawing and cutting out animals, painting, planting flowers, cleaning the street around the library, coloring pictures, making puzzles, building legos, and of course reading (it is a library). The morning session closes at 12:30 and by that time Erin and I are more then ready to leave. We start our two-mile hike back to the house usually discussing what happened at the library the whole journey back. At the house we’ll make lunch, nap, shower or read, but mainly just rest, recover, and try to prepare for the craziness that is in store for us in the afternoon.
We slowly begin our hike back the to library at 2:15. The library is scheduled to open at 2:30, but we rarely make it there before 2:45. Most afternoons, Erin and I will walk to the library gates to find 30 or so students waiting on us. This would be encouraging if all of these students were coming to the library to read. Unfortunately they’re mainly there to relax, draw, or hang out with friends because none of those luxuries exist in their homes. Afternoon sessions are always the craziest and the kids test my patience daily. I finally feel comfortable picking up a little brat to toss him/her in the bushes if he/she continuously annoys me. The bush toss is usually the tell tale sign that I’ve had enough and everyone needs to leave me alone for a good 5 minutes before bugging me again.
We try our best to keep the children occupied with activities, but there is only so much you can do with limited resources, space, and personnel. We’ve been getting help lately, however. For the past two weeks a local man has been teaching chess to the kids from 3:00 – 5:00 pm every Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesdays a local named Ana stops by to read the children a book and cut shapes out of paper with the kids.
We kick everyone out of the library at 5:30 and Erin and I are back at the house by 6. This is our typical schedule for the weekdays. After the library we’ve found a routine as well. Skype dates at 6:15; Mondays I skype my parents and a sibling, Tuesdays Erin talks to her dad, and Wednesdays her mom/ siblings. After skype we make dinner at 8:00 and spend a few hours reading, watching a movie, or debating over proper Boggle words. Then it’s off to our separate - yet similarly uncomfortable - bunks until the next day’s adventure begins. Thursdays after the library we run to one of the amazing beaches for a swim, then we eat our favorite homemade tacos! Fridays we usually try to forget the library by taking a trip to the beach for drinks and more swimming.
This is the routine Erin and I [and Estel] have fallen into for the past 5 weeks. Every day is new and a little different from the last at the library, but with all the crazy things that have happened, the schedule may be the only thing that stays consistent.
6. Profe -
I’ve never considered myself a master of the English language, but I always try to use it correctly. More over I definitely have my troubles communicating with the kids here in Spanish. So to say the least I really didn’t think I would make a good professor of language. But for the past 5 weeks I have been teaching a group of 9 Haitians, 7 guys and 2 girls, English. Their ages are as varied as their attendance, ranging from 27 to 18 years, with the occasional 11-year-old sitting in. The most interesting part of the whole experience is we don’t even share a common language. My Haitian students only speak limited Spanish, as their native language is Creole (a mix of French and some African languages). This makes for difficult conversation and slow progress, but I’m happy with how it’s going so far. I think I’m becoming the popular choice for lessons in town - mainly because the library is the only place with free English lessons. With money being tight for most people here, word of my class has spread quickly.
English is taught as the second language in many of the elementary and junior high schools in Haiti. My students have some knowledge of the language like how to ask questions and understand basic conversation. I’ve taught them present, past, and progressive tenses with as many verbs I can think of. Most of the time I tell them the verb in English, say it in Spanish, and have one of the students who knows Spanish decently enough translate that word into French or Creole – like I said, it is a slow process. When my students don’t understand the Spanish translation I either draw a picture or act out the verbs. We have worked slowly into having conversations about our favorite things. The consensus is that each student’s favorite food is rice and beans with chicken, the favorite type of music is rap, and the favorite sport is Futbol. I told them I live in the same state as Eminem and my street cred grew by 10 points, and when I could name off 10 international soccer players! Man, I was in. Though they speak limited English they know the lyrics to songs by R. Kelly, B.I.G., Eminem, Usher, and Akon. Their favorite of all is, of course, Wyclef Jean.
The classes become more difficult as time progresses. I have no real knowledge or training on how to teach and they can’t exactly tell me what they learned in grade school. I’m running out of tenses and verbs, plus they prefer conversation and how many mornings can you spend on rap songs? Some days I try to review what we learned from weeks previous, but it’s almost as if they learned nothing from before. They do much better proving themselves in conversation than through written exams. I try my best and they try theirs, which is about all we can ask from one another. Our best lesson yet involved lyrics and spelling. I said an artist and their song title, and each student in turn had to write the lyrics on the board. Knowing to say the words and writing them are two very different things.
As our conversations and my teaching have developed, I’ve learned each one of my student’s “life plans.” Although the plans vary with each, all mainly consist of making enough money to buy a passport, a visa, and a plane ticket to the United States. When in the U.S. all plan to find a job, have a house, and marry an American with good looks and money. It’s kind of funny because other than the visa, I have the same exact plan.
I’ve also managed to find out a few details of their lives. The main summary of each is: they moved to Las Terrenas with a brother, sister, or cousin to find work. Most work as night security guards for hotels or banks. They work to support themselves as well as all of their family members back home in Haiti. For them the Dominican Republic, especially Las Terrenas, is a sanctuary from the poverty and war in Haiti, but all have bigger plans to move to the States. Two students have asked me already if they can come back with us, one brought me his passport and asked for my help in getting him a visa, and all ask about the prices of airfare from Santo Domingo to Miami. I try to help as much as I can, but I definitely can’t bring them back, buy them a visa, or loan them money for a plane ticket. I can, however, teach them English every day.
All of the students are good people. They have a willingness to learn and a desire for something more. I just wish I could do something more significant than teaching them the months, days of the week, and how to ask for directions in English.
5. Rafiki Herself -
Oh the Dominican Republic. It is the only place in the world I’ve been to outside the United States and although the beaches and the weather are beautiful, I hate it when it rains. Especially because we have no television. I think my biggest nightmare is being trapped in a 10 X 10 room for 48 straight hours with Erin Moore. Don’t get me wrong, I think Erin is great and I’m so happy to be here with her, but man she can talk. When she’s not making lists or trying to plan out my day, she’s singing what she remembers of childhood songs, or just thinking aloud.
When it rains, the Dominican Republic becomes a different kind of place. A jungle of sorts with lizard running through the windows and into the house, bugs and mosquitoes looking for shelter, even the neighbor’s cat seems to be attracted to our place. But nothing is worse than the jungle leader, Rafiki herself – Erin Moore.
Just kidding!
All jokes aside, it is amazing the ways Erin and I have found fun without Beluga or Barney. Prepare yourself for this. So far Erin and I have completed a 1000 piece puzzle, have read over 6 books each (all with chapters – no pictures - and above an 8th grade reading level), have written over 10,000 words for this blog, and have managed not to kill each other (just barely). Erin and I would only be happier in our relationship if not for the stupid word game “Boggle.”
I am a very competitive person, as is Erin, so we have yet to complete a game of Boggle without a fight. Erin likes to cheat and make up words so she miraculously beats me by a single point. Maybe once or twice I’ve made her cross off a word that she and I both knew existed because she couldn’t define it - sucker. She’ll read this and complain I’m lying through my teeth, but I know the truth and she’ll have to deal with being a liar when God judges her at the pearly gates. Ha.
Besides Boggle, Erin and I have found other ways to get on each other’s nerves. I like to push Erin’s buttons by leaving her little gifts in her toilet, letting her know just how much I appreciate her. Erin likes to mess with me by waking up at 8 a.m. every morning (including weekends) and making just enough noise outside my room to keep me from peaceful sleep. Erin also likes to watch movies with the target audience of 13 year old girls – 13 going on 30, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Hairspray, and of course everyone’s favorite, The Notebook. The worst part is I can hardly argue because of my disparity for TV and our limited DVD selection. The movies I may enjoy are bootlegged copies with poor quality, are in another language (take your pick- Spanish, French, German, and even Kriol), or cut out right before the end of the movie. I can’t blame this all on Erin, I guess, its not all her fault. And despite the quarrels and excessive rain, there is no other person in the world I would rather be with in this jungle of a country than that wonderful, beautiful, smart, and stunning monkey – Erin Moore.
Note from the editor: Dear readers, I am not a monkey, I don’t cheat at Boggle [often], and I only sang Baby Beluga three times – it’d sound better but Matteson refused to sing it in a round. His loss.
4. The Dominican Republic -
- Family is most important – often, it’s all they have.
- There seem to be a large number of young kids in a single family, usually raised communally by extended family. Most kids live with/near/ or next to their cousins.
- Everything is different from the U.S., even fruit. In the states we have skinless fruits such as apples, peaches, and pears. Everything needs to be peeled here- Mangos, Papaya, and Bananas. The difference is in the climate. Here, the fruit needs protection year round from critters. In the states (except Florida’s oranges) the fruits are exposed for a minimal amount of time.
- There are too many stray dogs in the streets. The people here must not have tuned in to Bob Barker as he ended The Price is Right with “Please get your dog spade or neutered” and it surely shows.
- While dogs are found everywhere, cats are rarely seen. This, in my opinion, is a good thing.
- It’s always 5:00 here! Beer can be drank with every meal. There is no time early enough, if you’re a local. And no age limit. 13? Sure, must be for his dad. 8? Maybe, as long as he has the cash!
- Garbage is everywhere. Las Terrenas has only 4 garbage trucks that pick up trash only on the main street. All other garbage is thrown in the river flowing to the ocean or simply dropped on the ground.
- Electricity is only 16 years old and is very costly. Limited use is encouraged.
- Rubia = Blonde. Blondes are rare in the D.R. so Erin is well known and liked on our walks to and from the library. It was a complement at first, but the whistles and cat-calls get old.
- Kids only attend school for half the day, morning or afternoon session. And if you are a baseball player, you are practicing or working out when not in the classroom.
- If you are local and over the age of 22 without a child or wife, you are considered poor (as I was called by a 6 year old boy).
- We’ve been told women shouldn’t wear shorts unless at the beach.
- Whether you are 8 or 10 or 15, if mama’s got a baby, you’re taking care of it. Some days at the library there are 10 year olds put in charge of their baby or toddler sisters and brothers.
- Dominicans are amazing at baseball, but terrible at basketball.
- Even the poorest people here have premium cable and a nice TV, Erin and I have neither.
- To look a motoconcho driver or street vender in the eye means you would like to purchase their service or goods.
- Over 6 feet is freakishly tall.
- The school system is relatively new, meaning within the last 10 years.
- The most beautiful women in the world live here.
- Racism is vicious and evident between Dominican nationals and Haitians.
- Las Terrenas is similar to most small towns in the U.S. – Gossip is a way to pass the time.
- The artists on the streets don’t seem to make many sales, but their work is worthy of a purchase.
- There is no better place to volunteer for 2 months then in the wonderful town of Las Terrenas.
3. Oct 1st - 3rd -
The weekend of October 1st – 3rd may have been my favorite thus far. Even though it was Homecoming and Johnnie/ Tommie weekend in Collegeville, MN I think Erin and I had more fun here together than we would have had we been back at school – maybe. Friday night started out very slowly. Erin and I watched a movie and headed into town for food. What we found might have made my trip here to Las Terrenas worthwhile. Erin and I stumbled upon possibly the best, unhealthiest sandwich in town. The sandwiches are called chimas – we think - and are sold by street vendors typically stationed outside the bars. Chimas consist of chicken or pork shaved from the leg of a pig right in front of you. They throw the meat on the fryer, add in cabbage, tomato, onions, and a special seasoning sauce, and let it cook for about 5 minutes, then throw it all on a cooked bun covered with ketchup, mayo and picante sauce. It is the most delicious “fast food” sandwich I have ever eaten. Well after Erin and I ate our new favorite sandwiches, washed down with a 24 oz. bottle of El Presidente, D.R.’s national beer, we headed to the liquor store and bought some cheap vodka and a $.50 energy drink that tasted exactly like red bull. The rest of the night Erin and I talked and drank. You would think we might be running out of things to talk about after spending 18 hours a day with each other, but we still haven’t. We ended up maintaining conversation over drinks for 4 hours. It was fun, comfortable, perfect, and exactly what we both wanted. It was our first time drinking hard alcohol in the Dominican Republic and after a senior year of college celebrations, a month seems a long time. We ended up spending the rest of the night making Mac & cheese and finishing our conversation until we were both too tired to talk anymore.
Saturday Morning
I woke up slowly at the crack of noon to find Erin outside finishing up her laundry. After I washed my clothes and hung them on the line to dry, we quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed for Punto Poppi, the local beach. The weather was sunny and hot, so the beach was the best place to be in town. We swam, read, talked, and tanned for 5 hours until we were red with sunburn and tired of the sand. After a quick shower and nap, I cooked Erin an amazing dinner of hotdogs with cheese on white bread - gourmet. After dinner I called my old roommate Mike Carr to ask about the Johnnie/ Tommie game and the homecoming festivities. The second he told me about St. Joe I immediately wished I were back in Minnesota. After the depressing phone call, Erin and I made a plan to go out on town for our first time. We stopped at the first bar we saw, I ordered a large beer for both of us to share, and just as we were about to sit down we heard people speaking English. We approached them and they offered us a seat. We ended up talking, drinking, and exchanging cell phone numbers with our first English-speaking friends in the Dominican. Our first friend, Nickie, is a Canadian from Calgary who was supposed to move here with her boyfriend, but was dumped days before leaving. Now here in Las Terrenas she is repaying her father for her college tuition by working and managing a bar he recently bought. Our second friend, Francisco, is a Dominican born, 27 year old guy. He lives in Santo Domingo, but works as an air traffic control man at the Las Terrenas 3 airplane airport. He speaks limited but conversational English. The four of us wandered around Las Terrenas for the rest of the night and into the morning checking out the local bar scene and trying to dance on the crowded dance floors. Erin and I ended the night with our new favorite sandwiches and headed home for bed.
Sunday Morning
Woke up tired at 11:30. Erin and I quickly made breakfast and then headed down to the beach again. We swam almost the entire 3 hours we were at the beach in the 85 degree water. It’s amazing how clear the water is here, despite the fact that one mile down from the beach is a connecting river that most locals will throw their garbage in. After swimming and tanning, Erin and I headed back to the house to relax and unwind from our crazy, fun weekend. We made a good dinner of chicken with rice and beans that actually tasted great. Looking back on the weekend, Erin and I realized that even though we might not have been in Collegeville on Homecoming weekend, there is no one in the world other than maybe our families who we’d rather be with. So maybe we didn’t get to see the Johnnies miss a last second field goal to lose, but everyone at homecoming hasn’t gotten to experience the 85 degree ocean water or the best fast food sandwiches known to man.
2. Basketball-
Let me just start off by saying that I am by no means a great basketball player. I played a little in high school on a pretty good team, but I was nothing special out on that court. I was more of a “hustle” player, didn’t score many points, but got out there and gave 100% for the cause. Well, on Wednesday night, I got my first taste of basketball here in the Dominican Republic. Let’s just say I wasn’t impressed. It is now very clear to me why baseball is the Dominican sport of choice.
Before I go on I need to tell you this: basketball in the Dominican is completely different from basketball in the U.S. First, fouls are called on every possession that would never be called even in a high school game in the states. Second, the hoops are only 9 feet tall, not because they can’t reach ten, but because a majority of the men in the country only stand 5 foot 5. Third – obvious - they speak Spanish, which I am terrible at so I barely knew whose team I was on. I ended up playing a total of 2 games of 5 on 5 basketball. Embarrassingly the first game we lost, the second we won by 11 playing to 13. I was the second tallest guy on the court and was actually playing with athletes that were more or less my own age, but the skill difference was unbelievable. I almost felt like Lebron James out there (the 9 foot hoops help, but hey what’s one foot?). My team lost the first game on a bank shot 3 pointer, garbage. I realized halfway through the game that Dominicans are NOT team players. Every time I would pass the ball they would dribble into 3 guys and then toss up a prayer. Now I’m not saying I haven’t done that a thousand times in my life, but it’s way different because I am the guy doing it. So it did not take me long to learn not to pass the ball to anyone who’s not wide open under the basket, but it was too little too late. We lost on that stupid shot. Oh P.S. I‘m very competitive and also a pretty bad sport.
The other night Erin and I were at a local restaurant eating fried calamari and pizza on the beach, when I asked her what her favorite memory of the Dominican Republic was so far. She responded with a smile and said it was that moment, the pizza, the beer, and the conversation. I liked her answer, but really like that every new memory she makes is her most favorite. She then asked me the same question. I could have said it’s the beautiful beaches of this tropical paradise, but I answered that it’s the whole experience so far. My favorite memory is the one I’m in the middle of making. The memory of arriving in a foreign country barely speaking the native language, the memory of being awoken in the middle of the night with a lizard on my chest, the memory of sweating 24/7, the memory of going to bed hungry and awaking the next morning with the same urge to indulge in a cheesy McDouble with lettuce and mac sauce only, the memory of having 12 kids around me barking orders and questions and me not being able to respond to a single one of them, and lastly the memory of loving every minute of it because I’m here with Erin and I’m not alone.
So for my first official reflection, I’d like to discuss…
The Downtime-
Erin writes a lot about what we do at the library and the many personalities we have the pleasure of dealing with daily, but if I were you I’d want to hear about what we do when we’re not providing daycare to 50 kids. Unfortunately, it’s pretty simple. Every night when Erin and I get back from the library we try to head straight for the beach to unwind after a frustrating day’s work. It’s usually a 20 – 30 minute walk to the local beach, Punto Poppi. We swim and relax for about an hour until it gets dark, which ends up being right around 7. On the nights we don’t get to go swimming we head down to local restaurants on the beach to steal their wifi connections so Erin and I can talk to our parents, update the blog, check up on my sports teams, and of course view our Facebook. After an hour or so of stealing the wifi, we head back to our house, Casa Paz, for some stove top made meal usually of Mac & Cheese, eggs, or spaghetti. After dinner and a quick shower, we like to cap off the night by reading one of the many books Erin’s dad let us borrow, watching a movie on Erin’s computer, playing Boggle, or just talking and enjoying each other’s company. I think a lot of people reading this would think it’s really boring, but I’m actually starting to enjoy the downtown at the house without TV shows, newspapers, and the internet. So far I’ve read 3 books, all of them over 200 pages and did not include pictures (thank you very much). The best part might be that Erin and I haven’t killed each other yet and still at least from my point of view enjoy our time together.
Wishing the best,
Matteson (Mateo)
