3 weeks in...

I haven't blogged in a while and I know you all are dying to know what's been going on with me, so I thought I'd give you a quick update...

We have finally started working! I know you guys were probably thinking I'm here in paradise on vacation all summer long, but we actually have an internship. We work in the legal department of the largest insurance company in Latin America and our supervisor, Doña Josefa, knows everyone who is anyone in Santo Domingo, so we do a lot of rotating between different legal departments within the city so that we can, in her words, "saber todo de la ley dominicana! (know everything about Dominican law!)." We've been to both traffic and criminal courts to observe the differences in the legal systems (as compared to the American legal system) and there are definitely a lot. For example, when we walked into the traffic court, we did just that- walk in! There weren't any metal detectors and I don't recall seeing any security guards. Luckily, no one flew off the handle while I was there. Judges and lawyers here also have to wear special robes when in the court room which feature berets adorned with colored balls on top. (Judges wear one color, defense attorneys, another, and so on). Besides that, we generally stay in the office and assist the attorneys in the department with whatever tasks they ask of us. And no matter what, we aren't allowed to speak English. Our coworkers are so excited to help us better our Spanish.

Outside of work, I finally made it to the beach. We've been to Boca Chica twice, but whenever we tell people that I work with that we've been there, they always give us the same look like "Eww, why would you go there?" Apparently, Boca Chica is the dirty beach that no one wants to go to (I have seen garbage and stray dogs), and now one of the worst beaches in the area. BUT, it's crazy because the actual beach itself is more gorgeous than any beach I've ever seen in the States! Must be so nice to live here and have your pick of tropical beaches! Anyway, while lounging on the beach people come up to you selling everything ranging from fresh seafood and coconuts to CDs and wooden sculptures. There are also food stands that sell fresh fish which they fry right in front of you after you select the one you want. Being the adventurous eater that I am, I just had to try one although our program doesn't want us eating "street food." L and A were too scared to try it (Lame! Lol), so my newest roommate and I split a plate of fried fish (it was huge) and tostones. It was so good! Too bad I forgot to take a picture to show you all...

In cultural excursion news, last weekend we took a three and a half hour WALKING (-___-) tour through the Colonial Zone. We visited a cathedral in the heart of the zone which I was told was the oldest gothic cathedral standing in the Americas, dating back to the 16th century. I thought it was absolutely beautiful despite the fact that laid within the floors and walls were the tombs of countless men who had been buried there centuries before. The most interesting part about the cathedral, though, was that it housed the tomb of Christopher Columbus! Yes, the Christopher Columbus that we all read about in school books who "discovered" America! Although we couldn't actually enter the tomb since it was roped off, it was still cool to be that close to a piece of history that I have heard so much about.

Tomorrow we are going to Santiago, which used to be the capital of the country before it was destroyed by an earthquake and relocated here. I am so excited to get outside of the Santo Domingo area so I can see what the rest of the country looks like! Stay tuned because I will most definitely be updating when I return...

Nos hablamos! <3

Roadside food stand where I bought some chicharron to try for the first time

The stairwell leading to Christopher Columbus' tomb

Inside the oldest gothic cathedral in the Americas

Laying in a compartment in the first fortress in the Americas. Soldiers would lay in these to get good range on opposing forces without being vulnerable to return attacks.

A little bit of Dominican culture

Yesterday was our first cultural excursion sponsored by InteRDom, the program with which we are here in the Dominican Republic. These cultural excursions are outings to various places and landmarks in the DR meant to give us a firsthand account of the country's rich and diverse culture. For the first half of the outing, we found ourselves at the Museo del Hombre Dominicano (The Museum of the Dominican Man). The museum featured paintings, sculptures, and figures depicting the mixed heritage of the Dominican people. Dominicans are descendants of the Taino people who inhabited the island of Hispañola (the name of the island in which the Dominican Republic and Haiti are located) at the time of its "discovery" by the Spanish in the 15th century and thus many of the exhibits featured Taino artwork, words, and sculptures depicting what Taino life was like on the island. The museum also featured many pieces of African artwork and instruments brought over by enslaved Africans in European captivity, paying homage to the African ancestry that Dominicans also possess.

The next stop on the cultural excursion was the Cueva de las Maravillas (Cave of Marvels). Discovered in the 50s, this cave is about 25 meters underground and home to a multitude of Taino drawings, each thousands of years old. The drawings either depicted aspects of Taino life or were homages to the different gods that Tainos worshipped and/or to the afterlife and reincarnation. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures in the cave (because the flash of camera lights on the drawings fades the paint), but trust me it was definitely a site to see! Besides the drawings, there were stalagmites and stalactites, some covered in a beautiful white crystal rock, a natural pool which was so clear and still, it looked like an actual mirror reflection of the surrounding cave, and a lot of murciélagos (bats). I'd definitely have to say that touring la Cueva de las Maravillas was one of the most amazing things I've ever done! 

I've only been here for eight days and I am so in love with this place! The people, the scenery, the food, I love it all! In just eight short days, my Spanish has gotten so much better, namely because I speak it from the moment I leave my apartment, until I return. But, it's definitely unrealistic to think that I will be able to reach fluency by the time I leave in August, so... (drum roll, please!)... I've decided that after I graduate from law school, I want to move back here for a year! I haven't begun to look at the details, but I would love to live here for a year and work for an NGO (or maybe even the company I'm currently interning for, who knows?) while at the same time working towards becoming bilingual. Anywho, that plan is super far off and who knows what will happen between then and now, but as of right now, I'm pretty sure it's what I'd love to do.

The remains of a Taino king and his favorite wife.
At his death, she was buried alive.

Instruments made by enslaved Africans brought
to the Dominican Republic by Europeans

Spanish influence on religion in the DR

The view from the entrance of the Cueva de las Maravillas 

Inside the cave

Lo más reciente sobre mi viaje

Another long day here in Santo Domingo! During our second day of orientation we learned all about the different modes of transportation that the Dominican Republic has to offer. There are about six different modes of transportation available: the Metro, the OMSA (city bus), taxis, carros públicos (similar to taxis but with set routes and a requirement of six passengers), motoconchos (motorbikes), and guaguas (o voladores [mini buses]). All of the transportation in Santo Domingo is pretty cheap, ranging from about 20-150 RD (Dominican pesos) which is about $0.50-$3.85. The Metro and the OMSA are the more "official" forms of transportation in Santo Domingo (meaning they are the most similar to the transportation systems of cities like NYC and DC), as they are run by the government and are the cheapest forms of transportation available in the city. The most expensive form of transportation is the taxis, but since there aren't meters running in these taxis unlike the highway robbery practices of NYC taxis, the cost generally isn't too high.

Now that we know how to navigate the city, we have already made plans to explore the city starting this Thursday, which is a holiday here in the DR (although I'm not quite sure of the name). Anyway, we are going to wake up early and take a bus to Boca Chica, the beach nearest Santo Domingo, that features turquoise waters and white sands where we will spend the day soaking in the island rays. No puedo esperar! On Friday, we are going to the Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone) which I have been told is home to over 500 bars (and safe, not to worry!). I am very much looking forward to getting out and experiencing Dominican nightlife and can't wait to tell you all about it!

Comida china y criolla
There is a small Chinese Dominican population here in the DR. Such an interesting hybrid! 

Un carro públicoThese cars are so small, yet they pack six passengers in each!

Day 2.

Today was my first full day in the Dominican Republic and I must say, I think I'm already in love this country. There's something so amazing about seeing beautiful brown people everywhere so vibrant and full of life! People here don't even realize that I'm not Dominican until I open my mouth to speak and they realize that my Spanish is noticeably much slower than their light-of-speed-like vernacular. We haven't learned how to use the public transportation system yet, but imagine how much more in love I'll be with the DR once I've explored farther than my immediate surroundings.

We left the apartment around one o'clock today in search of authentic Dominican cuisine and luckily, one of the drivers at the FundGlobe headquarters offered to drive us to our desired location. However, once we arrived, we found that the spot was closed. (Dominicans definitely observe Sunday as the Sabbath more so than Americans generally do, so many stores and restaurants close early, or like the restaurant we wanted to go to, don't operate at all on Sundays). Since we couldn't go there, the driver offered to drop us off on a main street close to a supermarket to allow us to explore. After about twenty minutes of walking around and asking people where a restaurant that served Dominican food was, we finally found a bar and grill that served sandwiches and other plates. The food that we had was good but I still have yet to come across a place that sells pollo asado, arroz con frijoles, o mofongo! I am dying for some authentic cuisine, so hopefully once orientation begins, the program coordinators can direct us on where to go.

Once we left the restaurant, we walked to a pay phone (YES, a pay phone!) to phone the driver so that he could pick us up since none of us have yet to purchase a local phone. Of course being that none of us have used a pay phone in at least 10 years, we somehow messed up the call and lost the coins that we inserted. Luckily, a couple of police officers walked over to us to make small talk and offered to let us use their phones to phone the driver. He picked us up shortly and once we returned to the apartment, we threw ourselves on the couches and slept under the breeze from the constantly running fans. Dominican heat is another thing! Being outside makes you sticky from the humidity and the heat itself is draining.

In many ways, from what I have seen so far, the Dominican Republic is very similar to the states. Most of the people have cars, young people hang out together, etc., but I have noticed some key differences. For instance, people are more friendly and willing to talk. Walking down the street, more people will speak to you than you would encounter on any given street in the US. This could just be because most people don't seem to walk places so maybe it's rare to see three girls walking leisurely? Who knows. People also tend to hang outside. This means in front of their buildings, on the side of the street, wherever! Shooting the breeze and chatting it up with friends outside just because is something that we definitely don't tend to do as Americans. The biggest difference, though, is definitely the police/security/military patrol over here. It's serious! I've seen so many cops and men in military garb armed with huge war-like rifles (slight exaggeration, but they're seriously a lot bigger than the guns that ordinary cops carry in America) patrolling the streets, weapon in hand. Obviously, cops make rounds in the states, but rarely on foot AND with guns in hand rather than secured in a holster. This may be because it's election season over here or this could be an everyday occurrence. Either way, the people here seem unphased.

Since the first day of orientation for the program is tomorrow, I'll end here but leave you with the view that I wake up to every morning. Ciao =)

Yo he llegado a la Republica Dominicana!

Hola mis amores!

I'm FINALLY HERE! Yes, I am writing this post from my very own bedroom in my Dominican apartment where I will spend the next two and a half months! Exciting, right?! I have been counting down to this day since I decided that I would be interning here back in October.

It's really surreal being here, as this is my first time visiting a Spanish-speaking country, and when I say "Spanish-speaking," I really mean it! Since I touched down in Santo Domingo this afternoon, I have not met ONE person who knows any English. Super intimidating because now I know that if I want anything done or need to ask for assistance, etc., I better know how to say what I need to say or I'll be SOL! However, I am very thankful for it because I will finally be forced to speak Spanish almost all the time. I'm already learning new everyday words that I had somehow missed out on learning during my high school and college studies.

Our apartment is huge and located on a really nice street lined with condos. The apartment is a three bedroom and although five girls will be living here (L, A, me, and two other girls that we haven't met yet), it's very spacious and I don't think that anyone will feel uncomfortable, especially me seeing as I snagged my own room! WOOT! Downside though is that my air conditioning unit doesn't seem to be working properly so I have the fan on full blast, but it's blowing around warm Caribbean air =/. The apartment also features a dining room, full kitchen, laundry room (no dryer, we have to hang our items to dry), living room, balcony, and in addition to a bathroom in each room, a half bath.

Anywho, earlier this evening before A arrived, L and I decided to walk to the nearest grocery store in search of some towels and hangers (two words that we didn't know how to say in Spanish). There's a little shopping plaza about seven esquinas (blocks) from where we live and along the way, we met some of the most interesting characters. The men here do truly believe that they are Romeos, as we heard nothing but praises of our beauty with every step along the way- not even an exaggeration, Dominican men are hilarious! However, the only store that carries the items for which we searched (the Dominican version of Walmart) was about a ten minute away and since it was getting dark, we decided to save that trip for tomorrow.

As a last bit of news, L and I were both offered correspondent positions with the program! That means every week you can stay updated with my adventures on an official InteRDom student blog where I will document my time in the Dominican Republic. You can check that blog out here. Our first blog posts will be posted at sometime within the next week =)

Stay tuned because the fun's just beginning...

<3

Nuestra casa durante el viaje (Our Dominican apartment)

L y yo en ruta al apartmento (L & I headed to the apartment)

La hermosa vista del mar (BEAUTIFUL view of the sea)