So La Guazara is preparing for Christmas. Last year, as you may remember I was in the batey during christmas time. I was so overwhelmed after swearing in and just arriving to my community that I'm not sure I remember the Christmas decorations there. Well this year I am much more 'chilled out' and in a perfect state to observe.
So I arrive back to La Guazara after volunteer Thanksgiving celebrations in the capital to find a new shack constructed behind my house and chains of plastic colmado bags strung in all directions. Juice boxes are hanging from trees. Oh and one of the biggest surprises of all I head out to my old host mom's house that night (where I always hang out at night) and there's this new 11 year old girl there. She asks me "your name is Rebecca right?"
"yes."
"where do you live"
i point to my house. "where do you live?"
"here."
WHAT? yes that's right my host-family now has a hija de crianca- a girl that is not their own but they will raise like their own. Apparently this girls' father was sexually abusive and put in jail. The mother is poor with 7 children that she cannot afford so the girl was originally sent to live with her aunt. Her aunt was abusive so Elfida- my host mom- said she would take her in (because they are one of the wealthier families in La Guazara and can afford it). This is a pretty normal thing to happen in the d.r. I actually think that many people look at me and think I'm a hija de crianca. That my parents sent me here for some reason (they always wonder what I did to make them send me away) and Elfida is now taking care of me because she has the recoursos (money).
So anyways this new sister I have is 11 and completely AWESOME! She serves me juice without me even asking. she hangs out at my house with me. She goes on walks with me. She stands up for me against the tigueres and threatens to punch them. She's pretty much the coolest thing to happen to my host family since me.
So the other night she wanted to go looking at christmas decorations and i went with her. we went walking and walked past 4 different christmas set-ups not unlike the shack outside the back of my house, completely decorated in colmado bags. At night though they light bonfires sit around the decoration and talk. So we hit the one of my aunt and join in. She has created a teepee like one, once again out of colmado bags and wire, with a heart on top. I'm sitting there by the bonfire hanging out with one of the girls decides to take a circle of wire and colmado bags and crown me queen of this christmas colmado bag teepee! Everyone cracked up especially my little cousin with spinabifida. Although I will be coming back to the states next week to celebrate christmas I do believe that I will be able to fulfil my duties as queen in La Guazara. In case that something comes up and I am unable to fulfil my duties from 'across the small pond' I have informed my new host sister that I would like her to fill in for me as Queen.
It's gonna be a beautiful christmas. See ya'll in a week.
