Tuesday, March 06, 2007

ch-ch-ch-changes

so im moved and there have been some major ups and downs.
i love living alone. i can eat what i want when i want. i can cook for myself. i can clean for myself. i can bathe whenever i want and i dont feel like im in anyone's way. major freedom.
problems- setting the ground rules with the neighborhood kids and gaining thier respect. so far i have had visitors every ten mins. literally the longest i went one day was 15 mins without a visitor. the kids are also trying to push my limits right now which is creating some strain. "tu eres mala, rebek. eres mala conmigo." i get that all the time for kicking the kids out- but hey, no fighting or yelling in my house. they will learn. im no pushover. and i have a lot of work to prepare right now as im presenting my diagnostic in a week.
so ive discovered im a horrible cook. my dog wont even eat my cooking. its bad. but hey wheres a better place to learn or a better time right? the other day after i was screaming at some kids who were angry at me for kicking them out of my house, and throwing rocks at my house, i was cooking lunch. frying up some green bananas, true dominican style. when Yesmir (my 5-yr-old niece) comes in with 3 of the kids and an alive pigeon in her hand. "rebek, look what we have for you to eat. just kill it clean it and fry it." how can you stay mad at kids who catch you a pigeon? i laughed, and no i did not eat it! im not that desperate yet.
besides the rocks being thrown at my house my other main problem is people coming to ask me for stuff. "dame algo." "rebek, tengo hambre. dame un galleta." (give me something. becky im hungry give me crackers") at first i was just highly irritated. its been happening a dozen times a day from everyone kids, adults, teens. do they not know why im here yet? i cant give things. i dont have things to give. then i sat with one girl and we had a talk. she really doesnt have enough to eat and sometimes when they dont have money will go days without eating. shes a sponsered child but the institution only gives clothing and books for school (atleast at school she can get bread and milk). im gonna have to talk to someone and figure something out about this one. why are there no jobs in this country? tough questions... what can ya do?
its cute that the donas are worried about me living alone. they fear that i cannot do things- cook, clean. they send thier teenager daughters to my house to do it for me. so i tell them to stop and then give them cosmo in spanish to read instead.

my parents are coming in a week! Happy 6 month in country anniversary!