At Any Given Moment

I’d be one of these few things, in order of most likely:

In my house having me time: reading/writing in my journal/playing with Lina/writing a blog/downloading photos on my computer/watching a DVD, or lately I’ve started doing some yoga as well. We’ll see how long that lasts.

In a meeting; Sundays: the women’s savings and loans group, Mondays: English class followed by my youth group, Tuesdays: the nutrition course, Wednesdays: children’s play group. Might be adding an addition youth group meeting on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Get this, THEY asked ME for more! Hah! Success? I think SO!

Sitting with Lina at a fried chicken stand (what are called here frituras) or across the street from the fritura at my project partner’s house/the house where Lina’s (once again pregnant) mama lives. They play every day.

At someone’s house drinking juice or eating cookies or something, talking about whatever is new, although I wouldn’t say I’m really in on any of the gossip of the town just yet. Major events pass all the time with me not hearing about them or hearing about them because I overhear someone else’s conversation. In the past week there’s been some drama here: a Haitian boy who drives his motorbike way too fast (but don’t they all) crashed with one of the deaf men in the town. No one was hurt, but the next day the same boy hit my neighbor’s puppy and she didn’t make it. She was about the same age as Lina, same size and same colors. They used to play a lot. That event made me so much more dedicated to keeping her on a leash although none of the dogs here are and I know Lina hates it. Then yesterday someone from the town over shot someone else. It was a love triangle apparently and the guy who died was the girl’s other boyfriend. To hear people talk about it was very interesting: a woman from my town said, ‘serves her right for having two boyfriends… who is she to have two boyfriends?’ Interesting no, in a country where just about every man has 2 women or has had at some point many infidelities including many children from many, or at least 2 different, women.

Cleaning the house or the yard: sweeping/mopping every day, wiping dust off of various items, doing dishes in my shower, cleaning puppy droppings, picking up after myself, burning trash, tending to my recently started compost pile, etc.

In Santiago or Santo Domingo for committee meetings, conferences, medical visits, internet usage, grocery shopping, refueling the ole batteries, and the like.

It’s a good life. I’m happy most of the time. Ironically, that first most likely place you’d find me is the one that brings me the least amount of satisfaction or joy. I do love writing, reading, or watching DVDs at nighttime, but when I get lazy and allow myself to do that stuff during the day, I often find that I’m grumpy or discouraged. So when I’m able to pull myself out of bed (that’s not as depressed as it sounds, it’s mostly because I figure if I’m just sitting around, I may as well do it under the bed net and avoid getting bitten,) I find that I’m a lot happier, using my Spanish, getting to know the community, slowly, but surely.