20 things that happen to you when you live in the DR for over three months

I have now been here for three months and life here in the Dominican Republic is quite different then good-ol’-suburbia-Centennial, CO or college-town-USA-Waco, TX.So here I have compiled a list of what happens when you live in another country for an extended amount of time.

20 things that happen when you live in the DR for over three months:

1. The concept of weather and seasons and, therefore, time becomes non-existent…..When every day is sunny and 85 it could be January or April. Only a calendar will tell.

2. Your Facebook advertisements are now all in Spanish, as well as half of your newsfeed…… If you looking for the best Panaderia, I know the place.

3. Rice is life…… If you didn’t eat rice for lunch or at least once today, something terribly wrong has happened.

4. You know the characters and plot line of your host family’s favorite soap opera……You wouldn’t believe what happened last night!

5. The word “Ay” is heavily used in your vocabulary….. Ay, mi madre! ‘Oh’, ‘wow’, and ‘opps’ no longer exist.

6. You frequently forget words in English…… Mom, I can’t remember what it in English.

7. You frequently forget words in English…and Spanish…… Ummmmmm…. ??

8. Your notes are a mixture of English and Spanish…… Spanglish, it’s a real language people

9. It’s raining? Drop everything……. The fact that it is raining essentially means life has stopped. No worries, we will wait until it passes.

10. You constantly analyze how much exactly a moto ride should cost……. Is it more economical for me to take a guagua or moto or perhaps a carro publico? A gugau will take more time, but then again it’s not that far…

11. The concept of Saturday and Sunday are essentially synonyms for one word: Beach…… Ricon or Los Fuentes, or perhaps Juan Dulio?

12. You have no idea what songs are popular in the U.S. But the latest bachata hits, you know every single one…… Romeo Santos, Don Migelo, El Mayor, Prince Royce: these play every hour of everyday

13. You have a designated colmado…… Yep, we go to the one by the blue house, down the road, past the church… it has the best prices.

14. You ask if there is wifi wherever you go…… ¿tiene wifi?

15. You consequently have given up looking for wifi……. Seriously, what is there to see on Instagram anyway. None of my Dominican friends have it.

16. Your mom tells you, you talk a little differently now……. Really, that is just great. I am not even close to fluent in Spanish and apparently I am losing English as well…

17. Pica Pollos are the best lunch spots……. Economical and they have RICE

18. The concept of walking anywhere for anything is out of the question…… Why walk when you can take a moto?

19. You constantly are asked to come, stand in the shade……. But I like the sun. Dominicans are dumbfounded with this statement.

20. You can’t wait to be home but at the same time are equally terrified to leave this wonderful, beautiful place and people……. Your life here is much different than anything you have known before and nothing will ever compare to the experience. The memories will last forever.

Poverty – perception or prejudice?

Usually when we think about poor people, the image that comes to our minds is one of sad and miserable beings desperately begging for money. Many things might add to this perception, like the media or maybe even our own ignorance. When watching charity advertising showing people living in extremely poor conditions, we normally feel bad for them and want to help. Nevertheless, the motivation for our outstretched hand many times might be caused by a feeling of pity or even by a bad conscience. We see these “poor creatures” who are not able to take care of themselves and consider it our responsibility to supply their needs. However, is it fair to act upon this perception? I think we should reconsider why we do what we do.

Regrettably, before coming here to the D.R. I somehow shared this perception of the poor. I was very excited about joining the work of Esperanza and making a difference in the lives of other people. However, I had no idea how these lives were actually going to impact me.

In the beginning when going to the bank meetings and visiting the communities where Esperanza works, I was very concerned about being respectful and showing gratitude to the associates for letting me into their homes, allowing me to take their photos and make interviews with them. I was very careful not to seem as a rich, arrogant “gringa” (white girl) feeling better than others, showing off her jewellery and fancy clothes and so on. So I kept it simple, wearing neutral clothes and leaving my jewellery and iPhone at home. Nonetheless, I soon realized that they just wanted to relate to me like to any other person. I could just relax and be their friend. – I even had one associate add me on Facebook and inviting me to the beach!

Another thing that surprised me was that the women actually dressed nice, had their hair and nails done and even wore jewellery! I was surprised! My perception of how poor people look just went down the drain. I saw so many beautiful and smiling women, laughing and joking with each other. None of them seemed like an excuse for themselves, which I somehow might have expected. No, they all seemed so strong, independent, funny and loud. It was completely the contrary to my perception of poor people being weak, dependent, quiet, and sorrowful about their situation. These women don’t sit down feeling sorry about themselves, but works hard to achieve their goals. Their main concern is to feed their family and be successful in their businesses.

These associates have shown a completely different example of how poverty looks like! My motivation for helping them is longer based on a perception of them being weak and helpless, but on a comprehension about them being strong fighters, who just need the resources in order to accomplish their dreams.

My experience here has definitely changed my perception of poor people, but not only that, it has changed me as a person as well. I know I will never be the same. God has shown me so much and taught me things about life that will remain as a part of me forever.

My expectations for this trip have not only been met; on the contrary, they have been surpassed!

 

Stories of Esperanza

One of the main tasks of a communications field intern is writing up the Stories of the Esperanza. Or, telling the story of the associates’ businesses and lives for donors, communications and other purposes. Each day we go out into the field (communities where the associates live) and interview different associates while the loan officers perform the interest payment meetings and business teachings.

We collect stories. We get to sit and talk with different people from all walks of life, of all ages and of different backgrounds. And the stories are amazing. What Esperanza International is doing is empowering entire communities to rise up out of poverty and better their lives.

I have what I believe the ultimate privilege of knowing the people on the Samana peninsula. My team and office work throughout the entire peninsula and each bank and community is unique. After being here for three months, I have visited almost every community and every bank, some multiple times. I have been able to create friendships with the associates and their families. I get excited to see them and happy to catch up on their lives and businesses. With only about three weeks left here in my branch office I am trying to figure out how to get to go to some of my favorite banks to say goodbye. I have already realized some I will not be able to visit again and I am sad that I never said goodbye. The way they have opened up their lives and homes (and sometimes even refrigerators for jugos naturales
) for me has been incredible. Dominicans are some of the most generous and free-giving people I have ever met. They always want to help and always have time for you.

The stories of Esperanza are inspiring. I have met twenty-year-olds who care for three nieces and two younger sisters. Twenty-three-year-olds who deeply dream to go to university and pursue degrees in business administration, psychology, education and others. I have met 62-year-old grandmothers who have 40 grandchildren and work sowing clothing and selling each day. The stories are amazing.

Esperanza associates are some of the most hardworking, self-sacrificing people I have ever met. I can’t count the times I have heard: “I work this hard so my children can have a better future.” Or “I just want my children to attend university” Or “my greatest dream is to see my kids have professions of their own on day.” The mothers in the groups are just astounding. They will wake up at 5am to get ready for the day, cleaning, cooking, taking care of their children, sending them off to school and then work 12 hour days in their colmados, or small convenient-store type stores, among other businesses.

My favorite part of my day is for sure hands down talking with each associate and learning the story. Learning how, many times before Esperanza, they had no business or they worked in one of the many resorts/hotels on the peninsula, or they borrowed capital from a bank that charged extremely-difficult –to-meet interest rates. You can see in the way their eyes light up and the pride they tell their story that they are happy and grateful to be a part of Esperanza. Their lives have been changed for the better.

Each bank has a particularly personality and I have loved visiting each one. I love seeing the faces and learning the stories. Some banks always run smoothly, everyone has their money ready and prepared. Some banks run not so smoothly, and the problem-solving skills of the loan officer are always highlighted. Some banks are playful, teasing me and the loan officers, some banks have at least twenty small toddlers running around playing and screaming. Some have sleeping babies in the arms of their mothers. Some have their favorite songs they like to sing at the beginning of the meetings. Top favorites I noticed include: Christo es mi libertador (Christ is my liberator), Necesitamos a Jesús en este lugar (we need Jesus in this place) and Dios es Bueno (God is good). I have caught myself countless times with one of these songs running through my mind after work.

I have also seen real, hard, true life. Someone can’t pay and no one can help. A whole group doesn’t show up. Someone is lying. Life is prevalent. Life is real. And seeing it first-hand has shown me the importance of knowing the people and knowing the stories. Poverty is just a word. It’s thrown around too casually, too much as a just a word. I am hesitant to say these people are poor, or stuck in poverty because after knowing them, hearing their stories, and meeting with them multiple times, they simply are living life. They aren’t poor; they are people. They are changing their circumstances and futures. They have friends and families, and problems, and weddings and birthdays and to them, life is life and they are living. So for us to come in and label them as poor or in poverty doesn’t seem right to me. Poverty, maybe, might be a mindset, a mindset of dejection and despair, and the people I have met and talked to are anything but dejected or despaired. They are alive, vibrant, happy, real, colorful, joyful and above all hard-working. And I feel incredibly privileged to know them.