Christmas- New Year’s Eve- Present

Christmas Eve was very eventful.  I played some baseball and hit some “ron rons”.  Then Martha called me in to help with dinner preparations. This meant making a delicious seasoning to put on the chicken.  I mashed some garlic with lots of other campo spices and had to put this all over three freshly killed chickens (not something you’d find a Giant nicely cleaned and in plastic wrap).  Martha wanted to bake the chickens and as it turned out had never prepared chicken this way before.  So I turned on the oven… and a mouse crawled out.  Martha proceeded to grab it and kill it then grab my arm.  I was more horrified at the fact she had raw chicken hands.  The chickens took forever to cook but the dinner was delicious.  I baked some chocolate chip cookies.  Later that night I went to the gift exchange where I got a purple shirt with rhinestones that is way too tight (super Dominican).  The next day (Christmas Day) was just an ordinary day here in the campo. In the morning I Skyped with my family while they were opening presents and having breakfast.  I felt more as though I were watching a movie than missing out.   For New Year’s Eve I went with some friends to Cabarete in the north of the country.  I spent NYE day sailing a catamaran and drinking Cuba libres on the beach.  That night there were tons of tents set up on the beach playing music and at midnight there were fireworks. 

I got back to my site on the 2^nd and on the 4^th my host dad was rushed to the hospital with high blood pressure and might have had a minor heart attack.  He and my host mom are still there and gracias a dios he is doing much better.  I went to visit him yesterday.  The hospital was a total disaster.  There had just been a car accident and there were people in the waiting area bleeding and there were blood stains on gurneys and every time one rolled down the hall everyone would rush to the window to see if the person was dead.  Every five minutes a new evangelical person would come into the room and try to save our souls.  I was ready to leave after thirty minutes but we stayed for over five hours.  My host parents expect to be back tomorrow.  I have had the house to myself for the last week.  The first few days I was taking care of my host brothers but they went to stay with their mother.  The neighbors bring me food and are super concerned that I am sleeping alone and keep trying to send some neighborhood kid to come stay with me.  Dominicans do not sleep alone.  Not just in the house or even in the room.  They sleep 2-3-4-5 to a bed because they don’t like to be alone.  I on the other hand HATE sleeping in the same room as people (loathe hostels).  I have to keep reminding everyone that I lived on my own before I got here and I will live alone in two or three weeks.  Speaking of!  My house is coming along very nicely.  As soon as my host family situation is back to normal I am going to go buy everything I need. 

I am headed to the capital on Friday to see Harry Potter finally.  The first week of February is my three-month in service training where I will be giving a presentation of the community diagnostic I have been conducting the last three months and when we learn about all the grants available to volunteers.  English class has been going well. Everyone can introduce themselves in English which is a good place to start.  Other than English all day Sunday I play baseball all the time and have actually convinced the boys to let the girls play too (since I refuse to play if they aren’t included.. and well I’m pretty much an All Star). I’m getting over my third round of gripe and am making good use of the Smart Wool socks Nana and Poppy sent!   Hope all is well and everyone had a nice holiday and Happy New Year!  As always, keep sending updates. I love getting mail electronic and snail even if it takes weeks to arrive.  

PS: Host family just arrived home.  There are a million people in the house but glad he is ok!