things have happened

hey long time no post. still here in the d.r. doing the volunteer thing. some pretty big updates.

things have happened and because of this i am moving sites. this is not a normal volunteer thing, a volunteer always expects to come in country and live in the same site for thier 2 years of service; however, this is not a completely abnormal thing. if there is every a situation where the saftey or security of a volunteer is in question p.c. will take care of you. you are first priority. thats what happened with me.

this is slightly ironic that this is happening to me. when i first moved to my site one of my site neighbors (volunteer in a nearby community) had just had a site change. she would call me at times to talk about the adjusting process and such and i remember telling her (and everyone else) that i couldnt do this all over again. settling in to my community is hands down the hardest thing ive ever done in my life, i always thought if i were forced to change sites i'd probably just early terminate, and many volunteers who have to change sites (as the one i was just talking about did) do. i've seen those volunteers in the midst of site changes in the office. they always seem slightly broken. understandably so. your so far along in your service. you knew your community. you had your project. you had your home. now you have none of that. you can no longer relate to your volunteer friends that do. you have to start all over again.

despite all that im feeling optimistic about this site change. scared, of course, but optimistic also.
Thank god for the sector i'm in. Thank god for my boss and pcvl who have walked me through this process in baby steps. keeping me informed through the whole process, calling randomly to make sure im alright, allowing me to visit my new site possiblities and even choose where i end up in the end. Thank god for the volunteers who've changed sites before me. a month ago, when i knew that changing sites was probably going to happen to me but before it was official, i started talking to a volunteer in between stages of site changing. Now shes a month in to her site. shes offering me her support and being honest with me about settling in for a second time. i apprieciate that.

so my new site and why im excited:
La Guazera, in the loma near Barahona.
what is a loma you ask- well loma literally translates to crazy beautiful little mountian town where people grow coffee, avacados, bananas, and other delicious items along with beautiful flowers. where people enjoy the crisp mountian air, amazing views, and find peace within themselves.
unfortuantley loma also translates to: town with little to no cell phone reception. so im changing cell phones again. will have a new number and be very hard to reach, as im moving up in the world and this "higher" position means im important and hard to get a hold of.
My new site is actually the old site of one of my good training friends who early terminated not long ago. luckily she did tons of prep work for me and started some pretty amazing projects in her short time there- along with getting people legally declared! Im still in contact with her and she sent me a lot of her paper work. It will be interesting having her support and help through my time there also (as i've told her she has to remain involved in this site- they are OUR projects now, not only mine).
official move date: june 5, day after i turn 23

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!

domesticating me

Updates-
after much work and negotiation (long story) i finally have a house. i will move in next week. i also have a dog. she's nothing i wanted- not the right looks, sex, coloring- but hey the first dog was killed by a pig and so i wasn't too picky. plus shes amazing (a little turd but amazing).

problems- solutions section

house has no electricity or water- but they are coming(?)

the house is suffocatingly dusty- when i get water it will be cleaned everyday

my room is freaking hot- solution (?)

more brightside to life-

i have my very own latrine!

i get to cook and clean for myself (yes this is a good thing)

Pictures have been updated- of house, dog, batey, and map mural that ive been working on with my youth