2 Light bulbs vs 3 Need Greaters. The show down

Some really big news is that we managed to change two light bulbs at the house. This doesn’t sound like much, I Know, but these where really high light bulbs. Since no one around has a ladder high enough (let alone not made out of sticks) one rainy day we made the stunning realizations that Abad had been storing couple sections of scaffolding behind our house, Score! If only all the pieces had all matched, and the inserts weren’t filled with concrete….but eventually, 2 hours latter came to a point where we had the two levels put together. Granted the where being held together with zip ties and electrical tape, but we weren’t ones to complain at that point. Up we went to change the dead bulbs, only to discover that the light fixtures required only tiny little bulbs which necessitated of course for us to salvage parts from the rest of the house and change the light fixtures. Inside the conduit we found a dried out centipede of considerable size which was a little surprising, but 4.5 hours latter…we had light. Until the power went out and realized that whole circuit in the main room of the house isn’t on the battery backup. Oh well.all for the sake of science. Because now when someone asks us “How many needgreaters it takes to change a lightbulb?” we can confidently reply, “three. It requires three Need greeters 4.5 hours to change a light bulb” Now you know too.

Empenadas and 80 ounce, double rotor Blenders

1-26-09


So the Other day I was asked by a couple of visiting friends from Imbert if I wanted to go scout territory with them. While in my mind I was thinking of Imbert as the large town with paved roads I drive through to visit them, It was explained that because both of them where new to the area, one being the service overseer, there was need to get some of the outer extents of the territory, which can be quite campacino. They gave all these reasons why they needed to go(at this point I was not connecting the fact that they only had one motorcycle and there where three of them)and how valuable it was for it to be done. But seriously, an excuse to explore the depths of the campo is enough for me, every thing else is just bonus.
The morning arrives that we are to head out on our quest of covering the outer reaches of the territory. Sunny weather made for an awesome early morning ride on the oh so curvy road following the river, arrive at the hall Lorenzo hops on (PO of Imbert), off we go, riding into and out of streams, Up the hills, and down the hills. This Area puts Ranchito to shame in the degree of driving difficulty… placing tracts every now with passerby’ while one of us where marking some notations on our homemade map. It began to rain hard for a while (typical). We would take refuge from the rain in some interesting shops every now and then. You see, The road we were following was one of those that some of the tourist ‘safari’ trucks would come down, and stop at these select places. You could pick them out very easy. They had big luxurious bathrooms (men’s AND woman’s) with running water. Ok so they where glorified outhouses, but still, in comparison to the scenery they stick out like a sore thumb.
At One such place, they where carving from soap stone statues of shapes and sizes. Lots of elephants and iguanas and such, a few abstract pieces. Fantastic things. They said the stone is very very soft, which makes it good to work with. After the got the basic shape, they could file down details (Like scales on a fish) and sand it down to take the roughness out. Then they would finish up with a shoe polish of all things to make everything shine and feel ultra smooth to the touch. Fun to watch them sculpt, if you every visit this country.
So all and all, we managed to only cover half the territory we wanted to, but at least we had a good time doing it and managed to have a few really good conversations with a few folks, one family even fed yucca and salami(Dominican staples) which was really nice. This Friday we’ll go for it one more time, which I’m looking forward to.

A few updates on some events here. Abads and Jose came back from there respective trips, so at least for a little while El Ranchito was once again playing with a full deck of cards. But, Jose came back just long enough to move out to Santiago, to his the congregation he was assigned to after MTS. Very nice place, 3 bedroom, 2 porches second story in a good neighborhood, ($130 a month in rent, what a deal) We are going to miss him here in Ranchito, but the congregation there has a lot of need, and are very appreciative to have him there with them. But it’s a only bus ride away to visit.
Oh, before this gets wrapped up, in other semi-Local News, my Buddy Kenan(de Imbert) Flies out today back to the states for a couple months as a Dominican Representative in an upcoming MTS class. That’s Always exciting to hear.

~Paz

Mike and Corey regress, and our unemployment system at work

1-19-09

This Past Tuesday, was a busy day. Cory, Mike, and Mikes brother and sister-and-law(Of Luperon hall) where flying into POP after a month of being away to the states, working and visiting friends as the routine goes. Cory scheduled a taxi with Casa-Lopez to come pick them up, and set up instructions for them to pick me up at 12:30 at the house. It was all choreographed perfectly. Knowing this, I got an extra early start to the day, packing my backpack for Puerto Plata early So I could just grab it and go. I made sure I was well prepared to do the Tuesday morning studies, got to Al Fundo early, and Studied with Norca. Great study there by the way. Winter break is finally over for the school kids, and this brought the kid count at Norca’s down from 5 to 1. Finally, some relative quite. Good success there. Off to Cambiaso, Met up with Jose, told him that I probably wouldn’t have time today to share a meal with after the study, as is the custom, He proceeded to go out back to the kitchen area, and pull out a plate of fresh rice and one and a half fishes, fresh caught that day, and says I need to keep up my strength, and lunch should not be skipped.
“Ok”, I said. He had reason.
The whole fish was about 6-7” long, Head to tail. Some of the locals eat the heads I hear, but, I have to draw the line somewhere. The remainder of the fish, very Tasty. Very boney. Normally not that big of a deal, but this time I managed to lodge a rib bone into the roof of my mouth pretty deep. That hurt.
To add insult to the injury, ass a sat there, trying to remove it, I accidently broke the bone off at the insertion point. Ugh. The hazards of seafood. In my book, sharp bones piercing the flesh is right up there Mercury & toxic industrial waste seeping in to the food stream. Ok, so not that bad. Just stop the bleeding with big spoonfuls of rice if it ever happens to you.
Anywas, After eating, we followed up with a good study, and a record breaking ride from Cambiaso to Calle Coa. Mostly of this being due to there to the dry weather we’ve been having, which gave the mud holes time to dry up a little bit.
So the short of it, Raced around all morning, get home, grab my bag and start sitting on the side of the road outside the house, 12:30 on the dot. I proceed to stay there for about 35 minutes. Nothing. I finally decided to give up and take public transportation and started walking to the stop. Not sooner then 35 seconds latter, a large and shiny white SUV fly over the hill and hit the brakes, skidding to a stop in front of my house. My ride has arrived.
His name was ******(the driver, not the car), the brother of ******. **** grew up in New York much of his life, so quickly the conversation switched to English. Very entertaining Fellow, Describing his adventures of being a cable guy in the big city, some problems with, and hypocrisy in the police force, as well as the benefits of working for the government (unemployment). After reviewing what he is doing, I Pretty much figured out that it sounds pretty fishy. Getting paid for unemployment in the states, having a friend make a deposit to a different account and pulling out the money in a foreign ATM….Hmmm. I don’t know. Receiving more in a week from the government then I live on in a month here, all the while having a local business of your own, seems just downright dishonest. But who am I to judge. On the way back he told us about the apparent he was subletting to a friend in NYC, He was only paying 500 a month for it. New York City. 500 dollars a month…Hmmm. Turns out it was section eight housing. Ah man. Our tax dollars at work. Oh so it turns out, The car we where driving…the Mayors personal Car....(for the non astute reader, the driver was NOT the mayor)

Always specify “good water” from “Water you buy from the store”

Why should you do this? Well. Let me explain. Through out the week, The local brothers and sisters are extremely hospitable. “please, come and eat with us, we’ll cook you rice and beans, and we’ll chop up a chicken (they’ referring to a live chicken mind you)..You need to eat more Eric…your to skinny, 10 more pounds you need! Ect.ect. Anyways, the ones that we eat most with generally understand, that as extranjeros, we have strict dietary restrictions of purified water only. This means NO rain water for drinking. So the terminology that we’ve come to understand, is agua bueno(good water for the language impaired) for the purified drinking water. This was not the case with today. They finally had me over (scheduling has been tricky this month). Rice, beans, Lettuce and fish! I think it was mackerel. As is the custom, no water till you finish a soiled plate of rice and all the fixings. The amount of rice the give you is incredible, you eat and eat and eat, yet you still have a full plate of rice in front you that just how high they pile it! The domicans often go through two of such plates, but to me, every meal with a Dominican feels like I’ve been unwilling entered a twisted competition eating contest where if I lose, I feel very guilty for not finishing…anyways. So The brother asks me. “¿Quiera agua?”,
Sí. Claro, but is the water, good water? For as you know, as foreigner I have to be careful.”
“Oh of course its good water.”
“Great!” I’m parched!”
“ooh. It has a bit of a citrus flavor to it…”
“that’s the lime we put in, do you like it?
“oh yeah its tasty”
Yeah, its good to for your health, it kills all the things in the water”
“really.”
“yeah, see the water comes down over there, from the roof, through the gutter, and into that rusty barrel over there….and even though its clean and fresh water, we put the lime in just in case. “

“oh.”



Needless to say I entered the realm of the semisolids today. We’ll keep an eye on that.


LESSON. Always double check using the most descriptive language possible. Or better yet, stop at a colmado and pick up some soda and bring that. Not only is it a welcomed treat for your hosts, you never have to wonder if your digestive tract will Commence rebellion against you and careless ingestion tactics.






As a matter of weather is concerned, The past week or two have been just great. Not too much rain at all, and the heat has been more or less tolerable. Early fall weather in Nuevo Ingleterra. This has been very helpful with all the roads and trails we end up traveling in a day. But, all good things must come to an end, and yesterdays service was a wet one.
As it often does it rained early in the morning and stopped, right at sunup. So I figured it would be dry.. nope! As soon as we headed out of the hall on our walk to the territory it started coming down hard. Fortunately, umbrellas a customary thing here, if for nothing else it offers protection from the sun(Interestingly the word the use here is not the one I learned for umbrella, the word used here is “sombra”, which translates to shade) any ways, two people to a sombra and off we went. One Picture I do wish I had managed to capture was off two of the older sisters who I suppose didn’t want to have their hair get wet, so the managed to get hold of small plastic bags(the mini trash bags they use at the colmados for groceries) and carefully placed them of their hair. It actually looked ok, but on the way back that morning I felt somewhat relieved that the others In the group got a kick out of it too. But I suppose a garbage bag over the head isn’t the oddest thing I’ve seen here.
One time, one of the studies (who lives on the other side of the river mind you) came with hair not done. Now I will be the first to tell you that I am probably the last person to notice if a women’s hair was not done. I just assume it was the style they were going for yeah know? But this sister’s state of hair readiness was readily apparent even to me. This is because here head was completely done up with curlers. Not just a little bit. She has big hair, which requires that many more. And They where the BIG curlers too! Just struts right in, not a worry on her face. I don’t understand this mindset at all, I would figure that instead of getting my hair just the way I wanted it, I would settle with something that was complete, but then again, my hair takes a whole 30 seconds to prepare, so who am I to say anything, but still. But, Just think for a moment, this women with a head full curlers, has no problem walking 30-35 minutes on the well travelled road to get where she’s going. Wow. That’s some guts in my book. Granted many a Dominican woman does this to, at least the meander around town in curlers. Cherry says that if they are going out that night, or even just going to the city..Its a big deal, so they do there hair. And walk around in the streets to socialize, looking silly the whole time. ¿Ironic no? Its a foreign concept to me, and I’ll prolly never understand.


Pushup Count: 2945/200000

Making the Delivery.

1-7-09
So today, I was worried. I Had the service group to take out and lead for the day. Normally this isn’t that much of a big deal. But yesterday was different. today was Wednesday, and that means a big group. Normally most of the hall. But as abads are gone, and jose is gone, our source of group transportation was just about dried up. While there is one other brother with one of those big 10’ bed Daihatsu flatbeds, but that he used for work. So like the good brothers do here when the need be, all 16 of us started the walk out to the territory. At least 45 minutes out. But, on the way, we passed the brother with the flatbed. He gives me keys and asks me if I know how to drive stick. I thought of trying to pull the old, “lo siento, no hablo espanolo” trick. Not that I don’t like driving, I do really. Particuly small and nimble cars. Ideally Go-carts. Just the driving a massive truck down bumpy dirt roads with 15 or so elderlyish brothers and sisters riding in the back wasn’t exactly my cup of tee. But we did make it out there ok. No mishaps. I just drove a whopping 20 kilometres o less the whole way. But needless to say, We did have good success, I even encountered a younger guy who was learning inglish in one of the institutes, so that’s always fun to let them practice with you a little. In realidad, they don’t get all that many opportunities to talk with native speakers that far out. At any rate, When we returned everybody was super grateful of my driving. The said it was very smooth…and no one fell out. Always a plus in my book. Since most (if not all) of them have never even learned how to drive a car, the truck driving is a big deal. Oh so a new record in our hall for the most people in a pick truck( a antiquated quad cab Nissan), 21. beat the pants off the least record by 4 people. I’ll have to check and see if the visiting American sister has pictures.

Still have’t eaten the beans…

Crawling insectoids invade the habichulas

1-5-09
So Today was, well, I say to often it was a waste, but it really wasn’t. I woke to the sound of the pasture borracho at around 6:30 and got things done around the house. Always good I guess. Im getting ahead on my studying which I like, but I did have a lot of free time today and I’m still not really used to that. I wrote a lot for the email, but that’s about it. I couldn’t send it though. I was going to do some work in El Estrecho, but the guy that has it was traveling today, so, so much for that. I even went to Luperon, but there was no power there which stunk. When I came back to the house, we still did, so I’m starting to think contrary to Corey on the idea that our power is the same line as Luperon. Made some messy taco like things. Definitely not the best ones I’ve made so far.

Oh, so I got extra black beans today. Three pounds worth. Not usually anything worth mentioning, but as a I was scanning through for rocks, I noticed 1 or 2 bugs. Small little guys, but still big enough to make an audible “crunch” when you put you finger on them. I wasn’t all that concerned really. But I found at least 30 more. I got what I could and put the rest in the freezer. We’ll see what happens.

Wow. There is way to much ice in mi vaso de ron….lo prueba como….agua.

So I’ve got to something to fill up my time, but not too much. I hate the feeling of not having things done, but that feelings also is what drives me to action. Cory and mike are still gone for another week, I’m sure that will help out the time filling bit.

I started listening to some of the Spanish Dramas. They rock so far. The old ones are wicked long. Like an hour and a half. But I’m picking up a lot of it. It helps when you know the stories.

I was thinking today. In only a few days more, I will have been studying Spanish for a whole year, I really thought I’d be better, but Its coming together. Granted I’ve been saying that for 12 months. Poco a poco.

So I started my new workout schedule. My goal for 2009 is to due a total of 200,000 pushups. In reality that’s a little under 550 pushups a day, not so bad. I can do 50 at a shot pretty easy, and today I pushed out 350. obviously I need a bit of time to get to the 550 a day level. But I don’t think I’m that far from being able to a 100 at a shot. Its close. Once you get to that point, it’s a piece of cake. Granted the off days im not expecting to do the full amounts, but extra on the on days. We’ll keep it posted. Currently 850.

Some happenings

The dead cat incident.

So I don’t know who decided that putting the dead cat in front of my house, but it was gross. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t hit by a car, it was still intact I have suspicions of the borracho across the street, but maybe not. I think I recognized the cat too. I used to watch him watching me through the kitchen window whenever he was walking along the rooftops of the neighbors. Sad. Anyways I really thought that something would just eat the thing or something. It was a little off to the side of the front gate, maybe it would just…disappear. I was wrong. 3 days latter (yesterday) I went outside with a garbage bag, a stick, and a mission. When I sat outside on the balcony, that sweet… ever so aromatic smell of a rotting flesh would waft up to the second level and drift slowly into the nasal cavity. Some of my neighbors (not the borracho) who happened to hanging out at the colmado, look on with amusement as I proceeded to double bag the decaying feline. All the while gagging at the pleasant view I had, of all the cute little, wiggling maggots fall off and out of the stiff. Biology. Gotta love it.


The Day the Ditches Turned Red (and the air smelled tasty!)

It was still dark in the 6:00 hour, but the sounds of the early morning alert my internal clocks that, yes, yes indeed It is my time to rise out of bed. On their way to work or run their errands, the riders of small, 125cc scooters and motorcycles, with no mufflers mind you, downshift and rev their engines so as to make it up the gentle hill my house lies on. At six o’clock in the morning, this sounds more like an angry swarm of bees has encompassed you, overtaken you, while you while simply observing a NASA shuttle launch. Yes. It was time for coffee. Normally as one drinks there morning coffee, reviewing the daily text or whatever it is they do with their coffee, one has the soft sounds of roosters doing their thing about eight feet away from head, or perhaps their neighbor, shedding a half pound or two in there “reading room”. Maybe there will be a dog that knows nothing, but that it has a voice. And wants the world to know it too.. Of course too some of the omnipresent Spanish music, most likely some Bachata or Meringue will always be playing in the background from a distant neighbor with loudspeakers and little concern about you and your commitment to drinking your coffee in the early morning hours in peace.

The first scream I heard came from a nearby home just around the corner. Barely fazed me. As this is not a human scream. Although similar at times, one learns to tell the difference….Either that or they all become non-human screams….a state of being I should be careful to avoid I suppose.

The second scream. I Little while latter, from the other direction. But still. No alarm bells had gone off.
A third.
A fourth.

What was going one?


Chancho.

Chancho is a pig. And, in the Dominican Republic, pigs are animals that should fear “Going for a walk” with there owners. As this, ultimately, means the death.

I discovered this fact one day previously in the ministry with Abad, The Indian/Puerto Rican Special Pioneerin my hall. We had just seen a man holing the ende rope in his hands, the other end carefully tied in a not-so-comfortable looking noose around Chanchos neck, Trotting down the road with not even a trace of concern or worry. In fact, I would even hazard to say..this pig was….smiling…

When I Inquired of this strange sight to Abad, He simply said “O he probably just got sold or something” ok not so bad. But then, raising his arm and pointing, he said “ ok, yeah, you see over there? That’s a carnaria (butchershop)..they to kill him and sell him”

“O”, I said.

Like the fulfillment of bible prophecy, on the way back to the hall for lunch, there was Chancho. Hanging on a hook(most of him it least) in front of the meat shop.

But this day, this day was different. This was not just your average one or to animals a day thing happening. Everyone was doing it. I have never seen so many Pigs “go for a walk” then on this day. The day before Christmas in the Dominican Republic... have fear little piggy’s. Cover yourselves with mud, and stay low to the ground, and maybe, you will be concealed of the day of Dominican hunger…
As was unlocking my front gate so as to pull out my motorcycle on the way to meet the service group, I saw exactly what the locals where doing.

Now as a way of explanation, The main streets here, like the one I live on, have steep drop-offs on either side. This is not simple to encourage people not to pass on the right, although it is effective at this. The reason for the deep trenches is that generally speaking there is no sewage in fracture, or in other words, when your wash your hands in the sink, this water is piped down into the street. Don’t worry though the toilet water should have a special septic leech field it needs to pass through first, or people just use an outhouse. Also of benefit, is that when it rains the water has a place to go and doesn’t just flood out the house everyday(just once or twice a year instead).

The result of these trenches is that in order to get from the street to your house, you need to construct a bridge of some sort, often this is down with a good solid 4” slab of concrete. Not only do this make an excellent foot bridge or, if wide enough, car bridge, it apparently makes a good platform for pig slaughtering. And you can’t beat the drainage. Needless to say, I witnessed the two next door neighbors of mine tie the feet of Chancho together, and well…see the title of the this section…

I never really considered myself a City person before. But this event kind of shed some new light on the matter for me. All part of how the food we eat makes it to the dinner plate I suppose.
But at least I gained some solace in the fact that as the day progressed, the air had that magnificent aroma of 11 million people slow roasting pork of over the open flame. Wherever we travelled that day, the sight of fully dressed pigs strung up on poles became more and more common to behold. One of the local sisters here ending up buying a whole bunch(I guess it’s cheaper then usual) and gave the Abads and I containers filled with giant roasted pork rib and plantains. Wow. Was that good. I didn’t eat the skin. I’m Not sure if your supposed or not. But I opt for the no skin or strange organs when have the opportunity,( “No thanks abad, here, you eat my portion of chicken stomachs, I just stuffed with all this rice, Tu Sabes?”

Yes it was a Morning of Hog screams and a night of a full belly. All and all an ok day