Start from the bottom up. Pictures of my casa

Other side of my room. Still havent bought a drawer so all my clothes are in suitcases.
My room. Mosquitera.
Other view. Excuse the mess i was working.
Main room/entrance
Work station/where i eat when i have light
Where I cook
Where I wash my dishes
Mi casa.

Real Update

1/17/2011

Im sorry I couldn’t fill you guys in on everything before. Ill try and make up for it now.
In December I held a Christmas show. I started with about 30 kids and slowly the number dwindled and I ended up with 12 girls and one boy. Do I feel defeated? No. That night was amazing. Many times I have questioned what I am doing here and then there are moments of clarity. The jovenes show was one of those moments. We had been rehearsing for about a month and what began as once a week practice soon became an everyday thing. The jovenes that stayed with me wanted to reunite. It made them happy and it made me happy.

The jovenes sent out invitations to the campo. My mom sent me some Christmas bells and lights. (Thanks mommy dearest)
That night the whole town came out. The kids sang 8 songs and I was filled with joy. The community had never had a Christmas show before, never had a childrens show before.

The kids were filled with pride and it made my heart smile.

Not a big change. Maybe not even a small change.

A moment.

A moment that will live in my heart and in the hearts of those 13 children.

I had another moment of clarity today. You see my town has been without water for about a month.
La bomba broke. All the people in the town stayed with their arms crossed except this one luchadora named Gladys. God bless her.
She fought and got our bomba fixed for about 18,000 pesos. Got the sindico to pay for it.

Finally when the water was released people got greedy and the water didn’t reach many homes because some wanted to fill up every single tanke that they had.
One of the other women told Gladdys to go home that she didn’t have say over anything and this broke her heart and she swore to never help the community again.
You see she is the one that helped me solicit education to get the kids another professor. We were supposed to go again tomorrow.

In campo people talk- they talk a lot. They also chismed and said that the water didn’t go down because my project partner had hogged it all. This hurt her because her and her husband are the reason the town has any water at all.

How quickly people are able to tear down when they have gotten what they wanted.

So you see Dominga and Gladdys are the two essential women in my community. Without them no one moves. Its unfortunate but it’s the way it is for now.
The community takes them for granted and both of them want to give up.
Today I spoke to them both individually and then together.
I explained to them that what they do many do not have the courage to do. That they do things for the good of doing good. That if they give up they will not be happy because they are truly happy when they are helping. Its something that God has given them. And it is the spirit that pushes them. People will always talk but they cannot make them feel inferior without their consent.

We talked about many things until we came to an understanding.

When I left them and Dominga had decided to let her husband be in the water committee I was forming and Gladdys decided to go with me to solicit education again. I felt good.

I felt like I had accomplished something. A lot of times we look for big things and we over see that it’s in the small connections that we make a difference.

Without these two women I wouldn’t be here because they are the ones that fought to bring me here.

It is important that we stay strong and united.

Everywhere we go there are negatives trying to tear us down, keep us away from what we are supposed to be doing.

Remember that these deferments only have the power if we give it to them.

I hope and pray that my town can come together and get organized enough to start a water directive. One that will work.

I hope and pray that I will be able to bring this community a latrine project.

I hope and pray that we will get more professors for the kids.

I hope and pray that more men and women will stand up and luchar to better the community.

Somos mas fuerte unidos.

All my love!

Live True.

Updates

Hola mi gente

I know its been a while since Ive posted. Merry Christmas- Happy New Years!!!
I hope that you are well and happy and feeling blessed. I cant believe its 2011. I must say that i did not feel the change as much over here. Holidays are weird. Christmas didnt feel like christmas- it was just like any other day except we had way more food.

It was sad to be without my family. But im proud of myself i did not allow myself to wallow in tears. I know that i had it in me to ball but i only allowed myself a few tears. Me estoy madurando!!! Plus my mom got me a great christmas present... a flight home in March!!!!

Im coming home March 10th people get excited!!!! I know im excited =)

So... I moved out of my host family's house and moved into my own home!!!!
I am so happy to have my own space. Even though i can still hear my dona yelling at everyone from where i am its still great.
Ive only been on my own for a little over a weeek but i feel the change already.
The move took a week- my uncle changed a wooden wall to block and me and my dad painted a couple of rooms.
Paint makes everything better. haha

I have about 5 rooms. My room, family room, dining room, kitchen, and another room to wash the dishes. Hardly any furniture to fill it but its great. Here we sit on plastic chairs until i can save up for a mesedora =)

My project partner took me shopping for my furniture which was really nice of her and her husband. They are really great with me. My project partner is my best friend in my site.

I have a fridge with a freezer! A bed. And a 4 burner stove and tank.
Went shopping for food this weekend and spent all of my money. Now i have 300 pesos left to last me until the end of the month. Hmm... may be a problem seeing as i have to pay for me and my project partner to get to IST at the end of the month.
May have to pull from my US account. =/
Dont worry floks ill be alright.


Anyways i have to run but i will try and write soon. There is still a lot left to tell. Will write soon.

Until then... enjoy the photos!

There are pictures from the christmas show i put on with my jovenes.
Picture of my family. Me riding a burro. And me with two of my good friends out here Estacy and Robin.

Love u!!!! Take care of yourselves!

Some words

Hola!!! 12/12/10
I hope that you are all doing well.
Things have been up and down for me. This month has been hard. One positive is that I went and visited some other PCV’s in the south. I got to spend 3 days on the beach. Its crazy that some volunteers get a beach site. Talk about being blessed and living the life!!! I saw Barahucco, Los Platos, and San Rafael. My favorite was San Rafy’s . The river water literally flows into the ocean. Beautiful beautiful. If your ever here skip the all inclusive and go to the south, there lay some of the last untouched beaches in the country.
During my trip I met an American couple who had built a house on top of a mountain in San Rafael. Took the guy 13 years but he has a great lay out. Trying to start an eco-tourism project and swims/surfs every day. This is a couple that’s doing it. Living outside the mold and couldn’t be happier.
Living here makes me question a lot. I wonder if I will ever be able to live in the US again. Not that I don’t love where I come from but Miami is super expensive to live in.
What I pay in rent is what you pay for your electric or water bill.
Whats wrong here?
Im just going to say it. Americans have way too much and still want more. What happened to simple living? Were we all convinced by what the media told us we should want and have? Do you know that I barely use a whole bucket of water to shower every day? Think about how much water you use. Is there ever a time where you could turn some water off soap up and then turn the water back on to wash off?
Here I don’t have internet and I have to go to a certain spot to get reception to use my phone. When I think of how much time some people my age spend on changing their FB status or texting or watching television it makes me sad. It’s like an itch that we need to scratch. Have to get that new I-phone because it will make us happy… until the new one comes out and then were not satisfied with the one we have. All these things that supposedly make us happy but they are just things! Things don’t make anyone happy.
All that time that people waste on their phones when they are actually hanging out with their friends or family. And for what?
What is it that we have to prove?
When did we get like this?
When did we grow so disconnected from each other?
Im not judging anyone im just stating some things I have seen along the way that I do not understand from my generation.
I love to see spending real time. I love to see people sharing and going out of their way to help someone else. I love to see people say hi to one another. That is what I see here in the DR.
It is in the US too. You just have to look a bit harder. I believe there is a silent revolution going on. One where more people my age are becoming aware of the truth. And there getting mad and there talking to their friends about it. But unlike the 60’s were not making noise like we should.
I’m rambling. I am aware. I just think that some of these things should be said.
During this Christmas season and throughout the whole year, your whole LIFE… spend time with the people you love.
Tell them you love them. We do not have all the time we think we have.
Ill tell you one thing I don’t think I can truly be happy without my family. Im happy but its not the same. I miss my sister’s laugh and words of wisdom that make me question if age means anything at all. I miss my mom so much, just sitting down and talking to her. Miss watching football with my step dad and dancing with my brother.
I miss my friends. I miss so much. This Christmas will be the hardest one of my life. But I pray that the Lord will give me the strength I need.
I’m here for a reason. And for however long I am supposed to be here I will be here.
So send your love and strength my way because Im going to need it. Until next time… I will leave you with a Whitman quote from 1855-
This is what you shall do.
Love the earth and the sun and the animals.
Despise riches.
Give alms to everyone that asks.
Stand up for the stupid and crazy.
Devote your income and labor to others,
Hate tyrants, have patience towards the people,
Take off your hate to nothing known or unknown,
Or to any man or any number of men.
Go freely with powerful uneducated persons
And the young and with the mothers of families…
Re-examine all you have been told at school
or church or in any book and
Dismiss whatever insults your own soul.

Sending you all my love,
Vera =)

So thats what my site looks like!!!

Beautiful mountain terrain. In La Loma.

Those are the kiddies i live with. They are beautiful and very loving. Happy to be able to unleash my affection on them.

So Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Much to be thankful for...

Gods grace, beauty, and love.

Family love and support. They are they driving force in my life.

Friends support and love.

My campo.

My project partner who is a blessing.

Food.

Mosquitero!!!

What Ive been up to...

-Well counted that 58 kids were commuting to the middle school thats 1 1/2 away. Went with two other ladies from my community to solicit Education in Bani to see if we can expand the school in Los Jobitos to 8th grade. There is room and definitely enough kids. Just no teachers or supplies. The director said we have a chance of getting some teachers in February. Pray for us guys because this is a change my campo really needs. Until then ill keep bugging education so they dont forget our campo.

- Started a jovenes group. Turn out was astounding. We will be working on a Christmas show, filled with songs and quizas acting =)

-Working on a recycled paper project. Working on perfecting the consistency of the paper and cards. Its coming along. Im excited about it.

-Helped the women make and sell mistolin which is like Fabuloso. Very unorganized but cool. Right now were looking at raising funds to get them legalized.

-Came to the capital for Thanksgiving. Was in a swimming relay and in a talent show.
Another PCV sang a rap and i sang the hook and the chorus. It was awesome! We sang about the change that we have forgotten that we have the power to actualize.

Miss my family though. Its hard being away from them but im becoming madura. I dont cry anymore because i dont have the privacy to and in this country people dont cry.
So i dont know how i feel about that but Im fine.

One day at a time. Sometimes it hits me, Oh im living here for two years...
This is my life. Its a weird feeling. But im happy.

So im thankful for you. And all the change that we can bring about if we come together. Im thankful for this opportunity.

I hope you are great and happy!!!

All my love!!!!

Sounds

http://www.rogerdp.com/music/projects/105/april%20jams%2001.mp3

http://www.rogerdp.com/music/projects/105/april%20jams%2002.mp3


Check out these jams I did a while ago.

All improv so dont judge. Laugh if youd like hahaha

Enjoy. =)

Some pictures for you to enjoy

Breathe In- Breathe Out



Meditation



"El Play"



One of my favorite little Boys!!! =/ CBT

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Some of my Pizza Magic!!!

Hope you are well and happy!!!

Love u