Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Whirlwind Tour

I’m in the States for xmas!  The week before I left the DR was pretty hectic, trying to wrap up a few projects, talk to a dozen people, assuage Sugeidy’s fears that I wasn’t going to return, and planning things logistically.

The ICT/Education sector’s Encargados del Futuro youth conference was in Licey, outside of Santiago, on the 5th-7th of December, so I headed to Santo Domingo to catch the Caribe bus up north.  I was sitting wedged between Phil and an extremely old man in the very back row of the guagua to the capital,  when I noticed my duffle bag fly off the top of the bus and slide across the road behind us into a ditch. You see, the minibus was crammed with about 26 people instead of the standard 12 or 15, so the cobrador (guy who takes money and helps cram people in the bus) was standing outside on the running board, holding things to the top with one hand.  As my bag was flipping end over end into incoming traffic, I calmly thought, “Well, there goes that.” and turned back around in my seat.  I’m not quite sure where I was in that moment, because I was perfectly content with letting it go.  Then, I noticed everyone in the guagua staring at me, and I half-heartedly yelled “Ai, la maleta.”

The bus came to a stop, and started backing up.  Another bus had stopped, and the other cobrador was pointing in the ditch where the bag was. Phil had the sense to try to yell at the chofer and cobrador, while I thought… yeah! That guy should be angry! His bag is all fucked up now! I muttered “Si!”, and—oh yeah—I remember where I was: focusing on not vomiting.

I get car sick pretty easily, constantly, and consistently.  One time, I visited a volunteer up in the mountains.  I spent the first few hours vomiting after getting off the bus.  The Caribe up to Santiago has almost the same effect… I’ve started popping Dramamines for any trip over half an hour. 

My bag turned out to be just fine. All that was in it was a bunch of breakable stuff that I had bought as xmas presents for all my friends and family, wrapped loosely in Hoy newspapers and plastic bags that used to hold eggplants.  I eat a lot of eggplant.

I made it to the conference, albeit a few hours late.  I wish I could have stayed longer, and participated more.  Next year, for sure.  I also made it to the airport the next day using ONLY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION! A taxi through this guy, Wilson, runs RD$800 (about US$21).  I took two busses, and paid a total of RD$80 (US$2). 

My mom and Adam met me in the airport in Raleigh with a big jacket.  The flights weren’t that long (nothing compared to Raleigh-Taipei), but I was dead. After taking a day to “recover” by sleeping, eating, and using the internet, I spent the rest of the week sleeping, eating, and using the internet.  Mom and I drove up to Norfolk to visit my sister and her new baby, who is probably the cutest thing ever to poop. 

PICTURE TIME:

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BUNDLE UP…

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…BECAUSE IT’S SNOWY!

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Ameian and Adelyn

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Ameian and Adelyn

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Mom, Jessica, and Adelyn

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My sister, decorating the tree.

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I baked cookies!