Thanks to a former colleague of mine who emailed a bug expert at Royal Alberta Museum, we have discovered what the Fuzz Creatures are.
BAGWORMS
So now, I am learning all about bagworms. I guess the reason they look like Fuzz is because they create their case out of materials found around them. In our case, it is the dust, fuzz, lint and dirt that accumulates around the house thus why they just look like another piece of dirt/dust/fuzz.
Cool and creepy, all at the same time.
As a side note, I submitted a question to an ask a biologist site, so I'm interested to see if they give the same response!
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Fuzz Creatures
Somehow, I went several days without posting. Mainly because 1) not much happened, and 2) I was tired.
Recap
The end of the week was fairly normal. I went to work, I came home, I ate, I slept. On Friday, I received a rose at work for Mother's Day. (Sunday was Mother's Day here) I'm not really sure why I got one... perhaps they think I have children (thus implying I had left said children behind for a year) or they didn't want me to feel left out. Regardless, I received a rose. O also took one, after some convincing on his part, and told me he was going to give it to his mom. I, of course, could not give mine to my mom, but I did take a picture of it and send that to her! Anyways, the single rose now sits in an empty wine bottle on the kitchen table. Slowly the petals are starting to fall. It kind of reminds me of Beauty and the Beast...
After a quiet work day on Saturday (Sr. S and I were the only ones here in the consulting department) I met up with Maria and Paula at Nacional. We picked up lots of food and some sparkling wine for our girls afternoon which consisted of eating, drinking and watching Season 2 of Sex and the City. On our way home, we were just getting out of the carrito when the bottle of sparkling wine fell out of Maria's bag. We looked in horror as it fell into the gutter at the side of the road. It was kind of in slow motion as we saw it drop and waited for a fizzy burst to appear. But it didn't. It remained intact. (It fell from about 2+ feet) We were overjoyed! Saturday evening was spent, as usual, online playing board games with Bart. Mr. Baby Lizard also made an appearance twice that day. Although Pavol told me that he's been cheating on us and hanging out in one of the other apartments too (he was spotted at Pavol's boss' house on Friday night...).
Sunday was rather exciting since David, Pavol and I decided that we needed to do something about our kitchen. We went to Casa Cuesta to see what we could find. We ended up getting a corner shelf, a wheeled 3 tiered basket shelf and a new dish drainer. Pavol and I gave all of the dishes a good cleaning and then we reorganized. The kitchen literally looks 10 times better! It makes me so happy. We also gave the living room furniture a bit of a refreshing. Last week, I had asked Maria to pick me up some febreeze (I was on bed rest with my ankle) but, as is often the case, Nacional had run out. So she got this other product that you sprayed on, it foamed up and then you rubbed it in to the fabric. In the process of cleaning, I ended up getting a bit in my eye (ouch). Lots of water later, it seemed okay, but I switched to my glasses for the rest of the day. I also did quite a bit of cleaning in my room, it looks much better now!
So the title of my post... the Fuzz Creatures. Every so often, I'll spot these little piles of fuzz stuck to the wall. They are shaped like a tiny leaf. About a month ago, one of them caught my eye since it appeared to be moving. Odd. Upon closer inspection I was sure that this little pile of fuzz was alive. I took a photograph and video of it so I had proof. However, once I showed the video to my mom and dad when they were here, I decided I was a little bit crazy and that it was probably just the breeze from the fan that was making it move. Here's the evidence from that first day:
Then today, as I went to hop in the shower, I saw another Fuzz Creature. It was also moving. Since there was no breeze in the bathroom, I knew that it may just be that I was crazy this time or that I was right. Upon closer inspection I could see more of the Fuzz Creature and realized that it was actually a creature. After my shower, I ran and got my camera, determined to prove it once and for all. And so I did. Unfortunately, I was so excited to prove that I wasn't crazy that I kind of forgot about my ankle and several minutes of being squatted down near the floor left me incredibly sore... Oh well, it was worth it. Check it out here:
Unfortunately my google skills have turned up nothing as to what this thing actually is. If you know - let me know!!! But for now, they will just be the Fuzz Creatures that inhabit our home and give me the creeps.
Recap
The end of the week was fairly normal. I went to work, I came home, I ate, I slept. On Friday, I received a rose at work for Mother's Day. (Sunday was Mother's Day here) I'm not really sure why I got one... perhaps they think I have children (thus implying I had left said children behind for a year) or they didn't want me to feel left out. Regardless, I received a rose. O also took one, after some convincing on his part, and told me he was going to give it to his mom. I, of course, could not give mine to my mom, but I did take a picture of it and send that to her! Anyways, the single rose now sits in an empty wine bottle on the kitchen table. Slowly the petals are starting to fall. It kind of reminds me of Beauty and the Beast...
After a quiet work day on Saturday (Sr. S and I were the only ones here in the consulting department) I met up with Maria and Paula at Nacional. We picked up lots of food and some sparkling wine for our girls afternoon which consisted of eating, drinking and watching Season 2 of Sex and the City. On our way home, we were just getting out of the carrito when the bottle of sparkling wine fell out of Maria's bag. We looked in horror as it fell into the gutter at the side of the road. It was kind of in slow motion as we saw it drop and waited for a fizzy burst to appear. But it didn't. It remained intact. (It fell from about 2+ feet) We were overjoyed! Saturday evening was spent, as usual, online playing board games with Bart. Mr. Baby Lizard also made an appearance twice that day. Although Pavol told me that he's been cheating on us and hanging out in one of the other apartments too (he was spotted at Pavol's boss' house on Friday night...).
Sunday was rather exciting since David, Pavol and I decided that we needed to do something about our kitchen. We went to Casa Cuesta to see what we could find. We ended up getting a corner shelf, a wheeled 3 tiered basket shelf and a new dish drainer. Pavol and I gave all of the dishes a good cleaning and then we reorganized. The kitchen literally looks 10 times better! It makes me so happy. We also gave the living room furniture a bit of a refreshing. Last week, I had asked Maria to pick me up some febreeze (I was on bed rest with my ankle) but, as is often the case, Nacional had run out. So she got this other product that you sprayed on, it foamed up and then you rubbed it in to the fabric. In the process of cleaning, I ended up getting a bit in my eye (ouch). Lots of water later, it seemed okay, but I switched to my glasses for the rest of the day. I also did quite a bit of cleaning in my room, it looks much better now!
So the title of my post... the Fuzz Creatures. Every so often, I'll spot these little piles of fuzz stuck to the wall. They are shaped like a tiny leaf. About a month ago, one of them caught my eye since it appeared to be moving. Odd. Upon closer inspection I was sure that this little pile of fuzz was alive. I took a photograph and video of it so I had proof. However, once I showed the video to my mom and dad when they were here, I decided I was a little bit crazy and that it was probably just the breeze from the fan that was making it move. Here's the evidence from that first day:
Then today, as I went to hop in the shower, I saw another Fuzz Creature. It was also moving. Since there was no breeze in the bathroom, I knew that it may just be that I was crazy this time or that I was right. Upon closer inspection I could see more of the Fuzz Creature and realized that it was actually a creature. After my shower, I ran and got my camera, determined to prove it once and for all. And so I did. Unfortunately, I was so excited to prove that I wasn't crazy that I kind of forgot about my ankle and several minutes of being squatted down near the floor left me incredibly sore... Oh well, it was worth it. Check it out here:
Unfortunately my google skills have turned up nothing as to what this thing actually is. If you know - let me know!!! But for now, they will just be the Fuzz Creatures that inhabit our home and give me the creeps.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Vegetarian Mofongo!
The last two days have been brutally humid and thus brutally hot. Of course, we've been having issues with our air conditioner at work, which has just made everything that much better. Sarcasm.
O is still giving me a ride to work, which I am extremely grateful for. On the way to work on Tuesday, he took Tiradentes instead of Lincoln. We were about one block from the office and situated behind and to the right of a garbage truck while stopped at a red light. The one garbage man started digging in the garbage and pulled out an empty plastic coke bottle. I thought this was kind of odd. Then he took the bottle and smacked something. Turns out it was one of the street kids. It made me very angry, sad, frustrated and confused all at once. The kid didn't seem to upset by this but made his hand into a gun shape, and pretended to shoot the garbage man. Then the kid joined two others and began begging at the windows of all the cars. O just said no and shooed them away. It was kind of an intense moment for me.
Lunch on Tuesday was prepared by Joel and the rest of the crew. A Dominican dish, mofongo, was on the menu. Normally it is made with several types of meat... but they made it without for me, and had some meat on the side.
David also thinks that I need to get myself a walker... you know for my ankle. Rene and I were joking around with a "cane." Here are some random pictures:
After work, I went back to the MC to meet up with everyone to go to the movie. We saw Extraordinary Measures (Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser). I'm glad it only cost RD$50 (CAD$1.43) because it wasn't that great of a movie. Personally, I thought Brendan Fraser ruined it - which is not surprising... It could have had potential without him playing the lead character though. I also ate popcorn for the first time since I left Canada. It was good. By the way, a medium pop and medium popcorn cost me RD$130 (CAD$3.71). The best part of the whole evening was the experience in the theatre. Dominicans are very vocal during the movie. When something is sad, everyone makes sad noises. When something good happens, they cheer and clap. At the end when it all works out, there were more claps and hooting and hollering. It was awesome. I mentioned this to Ozumy after and she said, "Dominican clapping style". It's so true. When we landed here in Santo Domingo, the plane erupted into cheers. Now I've had this happen before on particularly stressful flights (insane delays, bad turbulence, etc.) but never on a normal on-time flight. Come and visit me - you'll see. I kind of like it. I also found it interesting that cell phones went off during the movie although people put their ring tones on a low volume setting. They would answer and talk quietly. It actually didn't bother me too much. Could it be that I'm becoming more, uh, relaxed?
Today's lunch at the MC was Falafel. It was so good. I need to get Joel's recipe.
I ended up getting quite a bit of work near the end of the day. Sr. S came by and was asking me what I was eating. Now normally he asks this when I'm actually eating, but today, no food. I looked confused, and he sort of clarified. Apparently he wanted to know if I was eating, in general. He worries that I will end my internship and be too skinny. Then we talked about what Dominican food I had tried lately. Later in the day, Sr. S's granddaughter was in the office. She is adorable all on her own. But he sent her over to my desk to give me some papers. She came by and said to me in Spanish, "This is from papa S" (except S was his full name in real life). I said thank you and away she went. Later, when I went into his office, she was sitting at his big desk working on her handwriting. Did I mention that she is adorable!
I ended up taking a taxi home. Traffic was insane and it took half an hour. We were nearly hit a few times and the driver was ridiculously close to a lot of vehicles. In the end it worked out and I made it home. Right now the three of us (Pavol, David and myself) are all sitting in the living area with our laptops. Pavol just got his new one today so he's rather excited. We're so social!
O is still giving me a ride to work, which I am extremely grateful for. On the way to work on Tuesday, he took Tiradentes instead of Lincoln. We were about one block from the office and situated behind and to the right of a garbage truck while stopped at a red light. The one garbage man started digging in the garbage and pulled out an empty plastic coke bottle. I thought this was kind of odd. Then he took the bottle and smacked something. Turns out it was one of the street kids. It made me very angry, sad, frustrated and confused all at once. The kid didn't seem to upset by this but made his hand into a gun shape, and pretended to shoot the garbage man. Then the kid joined two others and began begging at the windows of all the cars. O just said no and shooed them away. It was kind of an intense moment for me.
Lunch on Tuesday was prepared by Joel and the rest of the crew. A Dominican dish, mofongo, was on the menu. Normally it is made with several types of meat... but they made it without for me, and had some meat on the side.
David also thinks that I need to get myself a walker... you know for my ankle. Rene and I were joking around with a "cane." Here are some random pictures:
After work, I went back to the MC to meet up with everyone to go to the movie. We saw Extraordinary Measures (Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser). I'm glad it only cost RD$50 (CAD$1.43) because it wasn't that great of a movie. Personally, I thought Brendan Fraser ruined it - which is not surprising... It could have had potential without him playing the lead character though. I also ate popcorn for the first time since I left Canada. It was good. By the way, a medium pop and medium popcorn cost me RD$130 (CAD$3.71). The best part of the whole evening was the experience in the theatre. Dominicans are very vocal during the movie. When something is sad, everyone makes sad noises. When something good happens, they cheer and clap. At the end when it all works out, there were more claps and hooting and hollering. It was awesome. I mentioned this to Ozumy after and she said, "Dominican clapping style". It's so true. When we landed here in Santo Domingo, the plane erupted into cheers. Now I've had this happen before on particularly stressful flights (insane delays, bad turbulence, etc.) but never on a normal on-time flight. Come and visit me - you'll see. I kind of like it. I also found it interesting that cell phones went off during the movie although people put their ring tones on a low volume setting. They would answer and talk quietly. It actually didn't bother me too much. Could it be that I'm becoming more, uh, relaxed?
Today's lunch at the MC was Falafel. It was so good. I need to get Joel's recipe.
I ended up getting quite a bit of work near the end of the day. Sr. S came by and was asking me what I was eating. Now normally he asks this when I'm actually eating, but today, no food. I looked confused, and he sort of clarified. Apparently he wanted to know if I was eating, in general. He worries that I will end my internship and be too skinny. Then we talked about what Dominican food I had tried lately. Later in the day, Sr. S's granddaughter was in the office. She is adorable all on her own. But he sent her over to my desk to give me some papers. She came by and said to me in Spanish, "This is from papa S" (except S was his full name in real life). I said thank you and away she went. Later, when I went into his office, she was sitting at his big desk working on her handwriting. Did I mention that she is adorable!
I ended up taking a taxi home. Traffic was insane and it took half an hour. We were nearly hit a few times and the driver was ridiculously close to a lot of vehicles. In the end it worked out and I made it home. Right now the three of us (Pavol, David and myself) are all sitting in the living area with our laptops. Pavol just got his new one today so he's rather excited. We're so social!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Ankle/Foot Update
Thankfully, I have a great coworker who was nice enough to pick me up this morning (thanks O!). I also have great friends who picked me up from work and took me home (thanks Rene, Zak and Joel!). The day was pretty slow at work but surprisingly it went by fast. I had a bit of a stupid moment when I realized that I had grabbed a container of bocconcini instead of pineapple... That's what I get for putting the cheese in my usual pineapple container. Mom also sent me a video on how to cut a mango (I suck at it - just ask Pavol) so when I got home, I gave it a try and it worked quite well!
The ankle was quite swollen by the time I got home. As a comparison, this is what my feet look like normally:
This is what the left foot looked like after work:
So more ice and elevation this evening. At least I can put more pressure on it now but I still can't put my foot down flat or turn it from side to side. But, hopefully tomorrow it will be even better! Ugh.
The ankle was quite swollen by the time I got home. As a comparison, this is what my feet look like normally:
This is what the left foot looked like after work:
So more ice and elevation this evening. At least I can put more pressure on it now but I still can't put my foot down flat or turn it from side to side. But, hopefully tomorrow it will be even better! Ugh.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Dominican Health Care
Yesterday was my first experience with the Dominican health care system.
I'm rather clumsy in general so what happened is not that much of a surprise. The way my mornings work is that I set my alarm for about half an hour before I have to get up. This is because the water heater has to be turned on so that I can have a non-cold shower in the morning. But on Saturday, my alarm went off and I ended up falling back asleep. So when I did wake up I was in a bit of a rush (remember I work on Saturdays) to get the heater turned on so that I wouldn't be super late. However, in my rush of getting out of bed, I didn't realize that my left foot had fallen asleep (I have not great circulation) and if anyone has ever tried walking while your foot is asleep - you know it doesn't work so well. I totally rolled my ankle and crumpled to the ground. Ouch.
As I lay on the ground, I tried to tell myself that it was okay, no big deal, but I couldn't put any pressure on my foot. I hopped out to the kitchen as I had heard that David was up. I hoped that it would somehow get better quickly. I debated whether or not it could be broken (as it was swelling up very quickly) and thought, I'll call Ozumy (since she has all the answers). I said that I think I should go to the hospital and she said, wake Pavol up, since he knows where one is and can take me sooner. So David woke up Pavol and Maria. I had to call the insurance company prior to going to find out what hospital they wanted me to go to etc. We caught a taxi and off we went.
The process began quite smoothly. They had me see a nurse right away and took me in for x-rays while Pavol and Maria dealt with the paperwork. The x-rays were interesting. They didn't use any lead coverings. Then I got taken to a bed to wait for the doctor to look at the x-rays. While waiting, a couple emergencies came in that were quite bad, so understandably, me and my ankle/foot had to wait. We then found out that there were problems with the hospital connecting to my insurance company. Because the hospital said they couldn't call Canada (even though the number was collect) I ended up calling the insurance company back several times and relaying messages. First it was that the fax number they originally gave the insurance company wasn't working, so it had to go to another fax number. They still had problems with this, so I suggested email, but the hospital didn't have email (what!?). Finally the forms got sent through. Then the hospital said they didn't have a representative from my insurance company in the Dominican (or like a partner company). The insurance company didn't understand this since they had on their file that the hospital was one they could direct bill to. ANYWAYS, long story short - I ended up having to pay up-front and would be reimbursed later.
The doctor finally came and told me it wasn't broken, and proceeded to bandage it up. They wanted to inject me with antibiotics, but I said no to that since I didn't think that was exactly necessary. They gave me a prescription for a cream and some pain killers - neither of which I filled - and sent me on my way. Until I went to pay. My MasterCard was declined. So I then called MasterCard to find out what the deal was. Turns out, my card number was "compromised" but everything was fine. They are sending me a new card with a new number. Great, except it has to go to my address in Canada - which means I won't have it until mid-June when Bart comes to visit. I asked if they could put my Dominican number on file so that they could actually get a hold of me if this were to happen again but they couldn't do that. Maria was lovely and paid the bill for me. It was just under RD$3000. Which isn't much by Canadian standards (especially when x-rays are included) but here that is a lot of money. Anyways, I paid everyone back once we got home and all was well. Plus I have a nice set of x-rays!
I spent the rest of the day in bed with my leg up. Today, I can now hobble around without having to hang on to walls and other furniture and the swelling has gone down quite a bit. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be able to walk 2 blocks at a time, thus being able to go to work, but I may have to call O and see if he can pick me up.
My plan for today is more relaxing. Paula is coming over in a bit to hang out and perhaps watch a movie or some TV episodes! Should be fun!
I'm rather clumsy in general so what happened is not that much of a surprise. The way my mornings work is that I set my alarm for about half an hour before I have to get up. This is because the water heater has to be turned on so that I can have a non-cold shower in the morning. But on Saturday, my alarm went off and I ended up falling back asleep. So when I did wake up I was in a bit of a rush (remember I work on Saturdays) to get the heater turned on so that I wouldn't be super late. However, in my rush of getting out of bed, I didn't realize that my left foot had fallen asleep (I have not great circulation) and if anyone has ever tried walking while your foot is asleep - you know it doesn't work so well. I totally rolled my ankle and crumpled to the ground. Ouch.
As I lay on the ground, I tried to tell myself that it was okay, no big deal, but I couldn't put any pressure on my foot. I hopped out to the kitchen as I had heard that David was up. I hoped that it would somehow get better quickly. I debated whether or not it could be broken (as it was swelling up very quickly) and thought, I'll call Ozumy (since she has all the answers). I said that I think I should go to the hospital and she said, wake Pavol up, since he knows where one is and can take me sooner. So David woke up Pavol and Maria. I had to call the insurance company prior to going to find out what hospital they wanted me to go to etc. We caught a taxi and off we went.
The doctor finally came and told me it wasn't broken, and proceeded to bandage it up. They wanted to inject me with antibiotics, but I said no to that since I didn't think that was exactly necessary. They gave me a prescription for a cream and some pain killers - neither of which I filled - and sent me on my way. Until I went to pay. My MasterCard was declined. So I then called MasterCard to find out what the deal was. Turns out, my card number was "compromised" but everything was fine. They are sending me a new card with a new number. Great, except it has to go to my address in Canada - which means I won't have it until mid-June when Bart comes to visit. I asked if they could put my Dominican number on file so that they could actually get a hold of me if this were to happen again but they couldn't do that. Maria was lovely and paid the bill for me. It was just under RD$3000. Which isn't much by Canadian standards (especially when x-rays are included) but here that is a lot of money. Anyways, I paid everyone back once we got home and all was well. Plus I have a nice set of x-rays!
My plan for today is more relaxing. Paula is coming over in a bit to hang out and perhaps watch a movie or some TV episodes! Should be fun!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Mirror, Mirror...
It ended up raining for essentially the rest of the day so we just hung around the hotel. I went with mom to the business center to do their online check-in for their flights. While there, I received a call. I thought it was from O, since it was his phone calling me, but turns out it was J. J wanted to know if I was coming back to the office (it was already 4:30pm) and I said, “no, I took the afternoon off, I’ll be there in the morning.” To which J says, “well we have a meeting for the FB project at 10am, how much more do we need to do on the report.” I reply, “I’m not sure, I still haven’t received the new data from you and the new changes have to be reviewed.” Anyways, this ends up in J telling me that he is going to be there at 8am. So I say, ok, I’ll be there at 8am too. Now, I know that I am doing a good job, but when things like this happen, I still get stressed. When it comes to my work, I’m a bit of a perfectionist – anything that my name gets attached to better be top quality. Anyways, my frustration/stress/worry caused a migraine, so the rest of my day was a write-off.
It felt very odd to say bye to mom and dad. It felt odd for them to be visiting me to begin with! I guess that is how you know you have actually moved to a new place: when people start visiting and you end up playing tour guide. It’s the first time that I’ve said, see you in 3-4 months. I don’t think I’ve gone that long without seeing them before. I stressed out a bit since the flight they were supposed to be on was delayed, and I didn't know if they would make their connection, but as it turns out, they were put on an earlier flight and so everything worked out just fine. Air Canada even said they would fix or replace my luggage that was broken! Hurray!
Recent Randomness:
On my way to meet mom and dad on Tuesday, I had a very brief walk between carritos where I passed a man who was peeling fruit and dropping all of the peels into a container. A lady walked by and dropped her peel in there too, but the man turned to her and gave her massive evil eyes. She ended up picking her peel out and throwing it out somewhere else.
The mirror at work fell down the other day and broke. Now I don't have a mirror at work. This mirror, was the only mirror in which I could see half of myself in. My bathroom mirror is too high up and not of good quality, so I can see from my shoulders up there, and my bedroom one is just a small vanity mirror, which is good for only small sections at a time. I never know if my outfit actually works or not... and at least the work mirror gave me a bit of an idea...
This morning's carrito ride was ANNOYING. The lady in place number 3 refused to help me open the door (it was a kind of pull the handle, push, wiggle the door to open thing) so the man in place number 2 had to reach over her to help me. THEN when I went to pay, normally when you are in place number 4, the person in place 3 will take your money and pass it to the driver, because it is too far to reach. But no, lady in place number 3 refused to do this, so I had to attempt to do a sit/stand maneuver over her in order to pay. If I knew better Spanish, I would have been tempted to tell her to get over herself - she's in a carrito for pity sakes!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Smyth's continue to take on DR
Back at work today!
I didn't have to work yesterday, but the explanation for that will come after we go back in time to Sunday...
Sunday was election day here in the Dominican Republic. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I began my day by taking a carrito to the Colonial Zone (the driver got mad at me for making him stop so close to El Conde - oops!), and meeting up with mom and dad again. Most everything was closed so we ended up having a fairly lazy day. However, the usual flea market that is in the small plaza across from their hotel was up and running (although with less vendor's than usual) so we went to check out the goods and wares there. Mom and dad had already been earlier (and while they were out and about they saw their first dead rat Dominican squirrel) and had already made a purchase, but wanted to take me since they thought I would like the stuff that one particular man was selling. Indeed I did. More purchases were made, but I must remain secretive about this until after Thursday for two people are receiving gifts from this vendor... (Jonathan and Bart) We headed to Plaza Espana for lunch, and ate at one of the pretty restaurants on the west side. I don't remember the name of the restaurant but it has a man with a wooden leg in its logo. Regardless, it was a lovely meal. I had salmon ravioli in a mustard alfredo sauce. Mmm. However, I was disappointed that they did not have a dessert menu. Following lunch, we wandered around some more. Mom and dad took me to see the first monastery and the first hospital (two sites I had yet to happen upon) then we wandered back to the hotel to spend some time at the pool.
Does this guy look like George Bluth to you too?
Because it was election day, we still couldn't buy alcohol. We were all craving beer, but had to settle for chinola (passion fruit) juice. Our lazing at the pool was followed by a nap and then supper (rough life eh?). Then, as is becoming a habit, I had the hotel call me a taxi and away I went. I should also mention now that the President also declared (the day prior to the election) that everyone would have power on election day AND that everyone would get Monday morning off.*
I, personally, was happy with both of these political gestures. I like having electricity, and getting Monday morning off meant an entire day off for me, since I had previously booked the afternoon off. So, once again, my morning began with a trip to Zona Colonial to meet up with my parents. Earlier, mom and dad had stopped by the Fort to check if it was open and they were told it was. When we returned, they then said it wasn't. But maybe, it would be open tomorrow. Well, fine, we said. Instead we headed to the Larimar Museum (interesting, and mom made a purchase) and then to the Amber Museum on el conde (we all made purchases). We at lunch at one of my favorite pizza shops, where we had to wait extra long because they had run out of tomatoes. Yes a pizza shop was out of tomatoes... When we got back to the hotel, we had ice cream and beer, watched a lizard doing pushups and poofing out his neck in an attempt to mate with another lizard who just kept running away from him, followed my relaxing and swimming at the pool. Another lovely day.
Today's plan, once I finish my morning at work, is to meet up again and perhaps go to the park on the other side of the river. You know, be a little bit more daring. Mom and dad are scheduled to head back home tomorrow morning.
*As a side note, can you imagine what would happen in Canada, if Harper decided to just give everyone in the country the morning off. This would be chaotic! Think about that one for a bit...
I didn't have to work yesterday, but the explanation for that will come after we go back in time to Sunday...
Does this guy look like George Bluth to you too?
Because it was election day, we still couldn't buy alcohol. We were all craving beer, but had to settle for chinola (passion fruit) juice. Our lazing at the pool was followed by a nap and then supper (rough life eh?). Then, as is becoming a habit, I had the hotel call me a taxi and away I went. I should also mention now that the President also declared (the day prior to the election) that everyone would have power on election day AND that everyone would get Monday morning off.*
Today's plan, once I finish my morning at work, is to meet up again and perhaps go to the park on the other side of the river. You know, be a little bit more daring. Mom and dad are scheduled to head back home tomorrow morning.
*As a side note, can you imagine what would happen in Canada, if Harper decided to just give everyone in the country the morning off. This would be chaotic! Think about that one for a bit...
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Smyth's take on DR
I feel like a lot has happened over the past few days. My apologies, in advance, for the long post.
May 13th - My Birthday
At the office, Sr. S ended up finding out that it was my birthday. This led to several people stopping by and wishing me Happy Birthday followed by hugs and kisses. It was quite nice. To make it even better, they ended up getting me a large bouquet of flowers. Very beautiful! I ended up leaving around 2:00 and met up with Zak, David, Ozumy and Karim to have lunch quickly at Pola. From there, I took David to Nacional so he could buy a few things from his gigantic list he had made! I didn't end up getting a real nap, so I was still very tired when I went to dinner. I tried calling a taxi, but they misunderstood my directions, which I knew, and tried to clarify, so that taxi never showed up. It was getting late and I didn't have much time, so I called Ozumy and got her to call me a taxi. It arrived and the driver was quite nice and patient with my Spanish. Which was good, since we ended up getting stuck in traffic. The PLD was having a parade through the colonial zone, which caused us to sit having to watch the parade go by for over 20min. Now, I was close enough that I could have walked, but because of all the crowds and vehicles that were a part of this parade, I didn't really feel comfortable being on my own. So I stuck it out, in the car, with my funny taxi driver. I had to call the hotel to let mom and dad know I would be late, since it was well past the reservation time. Finally I arrived and we went to dinner at the restaurant La Residence. I had an amazing cheese soup to start (even though it had bacon on as a garnish), 3 lobster tails with a side of rice and vegetables, and I finished it up with an amazing caramelized banana dessert with a rum and raisin ice cream. It felt so nice to get dressed up and have a fantastic dinner. Oh and a bottle of malbec was involved too! Mom and dad told me all about their day - I was quite impressed at how well they did for their first day!
I ended up getting home and to bed around midnight.
May 14 - Isla Saona
At 5am, my alarm went off. I had to be ready to leave at 6am to catch a taxi and get to the hotel by 6:30am. The tour bus was going to pick us up at 6:45 and I could not be late! I didn't sleep well at all that night since I was very afraid that I would sleep in or that the taxi company wouldn't be able to understand me when I called, or that there would somehow be crazy traffic that early in the morning... I made it, with time to spare.
When the tour bus came, the guy (Leo) that came to greet us was way too happy for that time of the morning. However, his energy and humour was very appreciated once I was slightly more coherent and awake. Already in the bus was a couple from Columbia that now lives in Miami. He travels to Santo Domingo a lot for business, but they decided to come together to celebrate their 4 year anniversary. They were very lovely and we had several nice conversations with them. The next people we picked up were a newly married couple (he was from Mexico, she was from California) and the woman's sister (also from California). That trio ended up being rather annoying. They were loud, obnoxious and just kind of oblivious to the fact that they were sharing a bus with other people. They provided the rest of us with too much information and too much PDA from the couple. The sister, was constantly putting on makeup and eating random food that she had in her bag. The bus ride took just over two hours as we drove out past La Romana. We also made a stop at a hotel near our boat departure point, where the American/Mexican trio were heading to next and where we picked up an elderly couple. They were quite old (75) but full of spunk. They were from Arizona (although she was actually born in Caroline, Alberta), he was in the paramilitary and he couldn't stop bragging about how great it was to stay at an all inclusive hotel. They were adorable though. They talked so much about how they had booked everything online and just about everything in general.
We began the main part of our excursion by taking a speed boat out to an area in the ocean where it is very sandy and shallow. The elderly lady hadn't put her swim suit on, so I lent her my skirt so that she could put her swim suit on without having to show off her goods to everyone else. In this area, there were also starfish that you could touch and take pictures with. However, Leo told us that if a woman touches the starfish from this place, they will get pregnant in 3 months. I didn't touch any starfish, and I wouldn't let mom either... We spent about an hour in this area, swimming around, drinking rum, etc.
We then continued on the boat to Isla Saona where we plopped down on the beach chairs to relax. Mom was anxious to explore the island, so we did so. We happened upon several amusing things, like crabs, a melon floating away to sea, lots of interesting pieces of coral, fully intact conch shells, some eggs (not sure of what animal), etc. It was a lot of fun, as we were constantly like, "oh, come here, look what I found!" Following our excursion around the island, we headed back where I did a bit of napping on the beach before lunch. The lunch was quite extensive and quite tasty. After lunch, I slept some more on the beach, in the shade.
Our return to the main island was on a catamaran. We drank more rum, danced merengue and took in some more sun. One of my favorite moments was when mom, dad and I were laying out on the netting at the front of the boat, and all the sudden, mom lets out a little squeal. I figured she must have just had some water splashed on her (this was her first thought too), but then she squealed a bit more. It turns out that a small, bright blue, flying fish had jumped into the netting under her. It was then wiggling around. I tried to get a picture of it, but it managed to get back through the netting before I could. All of us on the boat had a good laugh about this. By the time we got back to the main island, I was exhausted. It was a lot of adventure and on so little sleep. We dropped off the elderly couple and the American/Mexican trio at that hotel, and had a quiet trip back to Santo Domingo, since all of us were trying to sleep (some of us succeeded). Apparently, in the city it had rained quite a bit - we were lucky to have such a beautiful day where we were. We didn't get back in until after 7. I quickly ate dinner with mom and dad at their hotel before catching a taxi back home to get ready for Maria's birthday party that night. (It was also sort of my birthday party too).
May 14 - The Evening
Once I was ready to go, Pavol and I met up with Manuel, Zak, Karim, and Alejandra. We then picked up Maria and Julia and headed to Zona Colonial. We hung out at Plaza Espana, drank some rum and watched a performance of music and dancing. More entertaining though were these two small children who were dancing merengue together (they were maybe 7 years old?) It was adorable! We soon headed to a club/bar called Doubles. Maria had originally reserved the private lounge area for us, but something happened and another girl ended up using it and not us (still a bit fuzzy on the details since they were being yelled to me while being bombarded by loud music). Anyways, we had a lot of fun, and I even did some dancing! I was quite surprised by how they made my drink. I asked for a vodka cranberry but the drink was 3/4 vodka and 1/4 cranberry. It was very strong. It was also the only drink I had all night. I got home sometime after 1am and got to bed at around 2. It sounds like most people got home at around 5...
May 15 - The Real Santo Domingo
This morning I met up with mom and dad again at their hotel. It had been raining on my way there, so I was tired, humid and my feet and sandals were still wet. They took me to the artisan fair that they had been to that morning. I ended up getting a simple bracelet. Then we went to catch a carrito to Lincoln. I had a few issues with this, as I haven't taken a carrito from Zona Colonial by myself before. However, it all worked out. And we got to be squished in (4 in the back) which made the experience much more of a, uh well, experience. Once at Lincoln, we caught another carrito to the MC. Here, we met up with Zak, Ozumy, Orlando and Adaica. We had to pick some food up at Pola, since we found out that everything was closing early today since the election is tomorrow. We also found out that you can't buy alcohol 24 hours before the election... Then we hopped into two taxis to go to the Botanical Gardens. I think that mom and dad quite enjoyed themselves. I brought along my good camera this time so I had fun taking pictures. We also got to try this interesting fruit (Ozumy please comment as to what it is called) that I have never seen anywhere else. It is very interesting. After the botanical gardens, we stopped quickly at the MC so I could grab my groceries and take my flowers home (I had left them at the MC since I had no way of getting them home on Thursday). We had told the taxi that it was supposed to wait and then take us the rest of the way to my apartment. For some reason though he started driving off with just dad and we had to stop him. It was kind of funny, but the thought of what would have happened if he had succeeded in taking my dad to my apartment was scary (no phone, not actually knowing where my apartment is, etc.). All was well though and we were able to laugh about it. I chilled with the parents for a while, we made dinner, and chilled some more before sending them in a taxi back to their hotel.
There is a party tonight at the MC but I am just way too tired to go. A good nights sleep is all I want right now!
May 13th - My Birthday
I ended up getting home and to bed around midnight.
May 14 - Isla Saona
When the tour bus came, the guy (Leo) that came to greet us was way too happy for that time of the morning. However, his energy and humour was very appreciated once I was slightly more coherent and awake. Already in the bus was a couple from Columbia that now lives in Miami. He travels to Santo Domingo a lot for business, but they decided to come together to celebrate their 4 year anniversary. They were very lovely and we had several nice conversations with them. The next people we picked up were a newly married couple (he was from Mexico, she was from California) and the woman's sister (also from California). That trio ended up being rather annoying. They were loud, obnoxious and just kind of oblivious to the fact that they were sharing a bus with other people. They provided the rest of us with too much information and too much PDA from the couple. The sister, was constantly putting on makeup and eating random food that she had in her bag. The bus ride took just over two hours as we drove out past La Romana. We also made a stop at a hotel near our boat departure point, where the American/Mexican trio were heading to next and where we picked up an elderly couple. They were quite old (75) but full of spunk. They were from Arizona (although she was actually born in Caroline, Alberta), he was in the paramilitary and he couldn't stop bragging about how great it was to stay at an all inclusive hotel. They were adorable though. They talked so much about how they had booked everything online and just about everything in general.
We then continued on the boat to Isla Saona where we plopped down on the beach chairs to relax. Mom was anxious to explore the island, so we did so. We happened upon several amusing things, like crabs, a melon floating away to sea, lots of interesting pieces of coral, fully intact conch shells, some eggs (not sure of what animal), etc. It was a lot of fun, as we were constantly like, "oh, come here, look what I found!" Following our excursion around the island, we headed back where I did a bit of napping on the beach before lunch. The lunch was quite extensive and quite tasty. After lunch, I slept some more on the beach, in the shade.
Our return to the main island was on a catamaran. We drank more rum, danced merengue and took in some more sun. One of my favorite moments was when mom, dad and I were laying out on the netting at the front of the boat, and all the sudden, mom lets out a little squeal. I figured she must have just had some water splashed on her (this was her first thought too), but then she squealed a bit more. It turns out that a small, bright blue, flying fish had jumped into the netting under her. It was then wiggling around. I tried to get a picture of it, but it managed to get back through the netting before I could. All of us on the boat had a good laugh about this. By the time we got back to the main island, I was exhausted. It was a lot of adventure and on so little sleep. We dropped off the elderly couple and the American/Mexican trio at that hotel, and had a quiet trip back to Santo Domingo, since all of us were trying to sleep (some of us succeeded). Apparently, in the city it had rained quite a bit - we were lucky to have such a beautiful day where we were. We didn't get back in until after 7. I quickly ate dinner with mom and dad at their hotel before catching a taxi back home to get ready for Maria's birthday party that night. (It was also sort of my birthday party too).
May 14 - The Evening
May 15 - The Real Santo Domingo
This morning I met up with mom and dad again at their hotel. It had been raining on my way there, so I was tired, humid and my feet and sandals were still wet. They took me to the artisan fair that they had been to that morning. I ended up getting a simple bracelet. Then we went to catch a carrito to Lincoln. I had a few issues with this, as I haven't taken a carrito from Zona Colonial by myself before. However, it all worked out. And we got to be squished in (4 in the back) which made the experience much more of a, uh well, experience. Once at Lincoln, we caught another carrito to the MC. Here, we met up with Zak, Ozumy, Orlando and Adaica. We had to pick some food up at Pola, since we found out that everything was closing early today since the election is tomorrow. We also found out that you can't buy alcohol 24 hours before the election... Then we hopped into two taxis to go to the Botanical Gardens. I think that mom and dad quite enjoyed themselves. I brought along my good camera this time so I had fun taking pictures. We also got to try this interesting fruit (Ozumy please comment as to what it is called) that I have never seen anywhere else. It is very interesting. After the botanical gardens, we stopped quickly at the MC so I could grab my groceries and take my flowers home (I had left them at the MC since I had no way of getting them home on Thursday). We had told the taxi that it was supposed to wait and then take us the rest of the way to my apartment. For some reason though he started driving off with just dad and we had to stop him. It was kind of funny, but the thought of what would have happened if he had succeeded in taking my dad to my apartment was scary (no phone, not actually knowing where my apartment is, etc.). All was well though and we were able to laugh about it. I chilled with the parents for a while, we made dinner, and chilled some more before sending them in a taxi back to their hotel.
There is a party tonight at the MC but I am just way too tired to go. A good nights sleep is all I want right now!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
What José has done, is seen.
So the Dominican mid-term elections are this Sunday, and I have been receiving text messages to my phone. This is the most recent one I have received:
Lo que José ha hecho, se ve. Este 16 de Mayo vota por JOSÉ MONTAS SINDICO, vota PLD.What José has done, is seen. On May 16 vote for José Montas, Trustee - vote PLD.
Ah, good times.
Yesterday was, well, exhausting.
Mom and dad were flying here and were scheduled to arrive just after 7pm. Their first two flights both landed early (good work Air Canada), but then their flight from Miami to Santo Domingo ended up being delayed (American Airlines) as the plane was late leaving from Paris. I had J call in the morning to book Don Pedro to take me to the airport. So when I saw this delay, we had to reschedule. Then I got home and received an email that said the flight had been delayed further. I thought I'd wait it out a bit before rescheduling again with Don Pedro, and I'm glad I did. A few minutes later, the flight was cancelled (apparently mechanical issues with the plane). I ended up calling AA to see if they could tell me whether or not my parents would be on the next flight out, at 8:30. Indeed, they had just been booked onto that flight. I desperately tried getting in touch with O or J to call Don Pedro (he doesn't speak English) but O was in class, and J was teaching class. Luckily, Maria was kind enough to call on my behalf and we rescheduled. At 8:30, I checked the flight status again, and it said it would be leaving 10 min late. Fine, I could deal with that. I checked again in 10 minutes, and it said the plane had left. I was so relieved. They were scheduled to arrive at 10:40 by this point. Shortly before 10:00 I thought, I'll just check again in case the arrival time had changed at all. Thank goodness I did, because they changed the departure time to about an hour later! Ahh. So Maria called Don Pedro again to reschedule. I felt so bad - even though there was nothing that I could do. The flight ended up arriving a tad early, which I was grateful for, but by the time they got through customs, it was about midnight. They also had damaged luggage. And by that, I mean I now have damaged luggage, since they had taken one of my pieces. Sigh. Of course, American Airlines didn't have a booth open, and when we tried calling their offices were closed. So we're hoping that if we call today, we can get something worked out.
Don Pedro then took us to the hotel, it is a beautiful place! I can't wait to explore it further tonight when I meet up with them! I was hoping that their room would have two doubles, so that I could stay over, but no such luck. Following that, Don Pedro took me home, where I proceeded to open up an array of birthday cards and gifts that my parents had brought with them from Canada. Since I wanted to be talking to Bart when I opened up his gift, I went online and did just that. But I didn't end up getting to bed until around 2am. Just as I was falling asleep at around 2:30, the power went out, which caused me to lay there, wide awake until it came back on again and it cooled down enough for me to sleep.
Maria and I went to the salon. We were supposed to be there at 7am, but it was closer to 7:30 when we arrived. It is very different than salons in Canada. Anyways, for RD$180, I had a manicure and a pedicure. Unfortunately, I wrecked the polish on my toes once I got to work - so I will have to do a quick touch up at home.
My plans for the rest of the day, are to leave work a bit early so I can have a nap before heading to the Colonial Zone to have dinner with my parents at La Residence (the restuarant in their hotel). And I'm going to wear my new birthday dress!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
El Policía
Yesterday I had my first run in with the police...
I was on my way to meet Ozumy, Zak and Zak's brother, Karim, for lunch. I headed over to the MC and had started walking up the stairs (they are on the 3rd floor) when I passed two police officers. They were talking and of course, I couldn't understand, but then it seemed as though they said something to me. Being a good Canadian law abiding citizen, I turned around to find out what they wanted. The one officer continued down the stairs, and the other one stayed back to talk to me. I told him right away that I didn't understand Spanish, and he asked me if I understood Spanish a little bit, and I said yes. He confirmed that I spoke English, and asked me where I lived. I told him I lived here in Santo Domingo. He continued to talk to me in Spanish, but it was noisy and I had a hard time hearing him, on top of the fact that I don't understand spoken Spanish well yet. I was pretty sure by this point that he was hitting on me (and that I was not being questioned for police type reasons) as there were a few words I picked out that hinted this way. Finally, he asked about my phone number. I was like, I don't understand (No entiendo!) hoping he would just give up. Instead he wrote down on a piece of paper something close to this:
Usted se ve muy bien me de le pedia su numero?
Which roughly translated means: you look very well, can I ask for your number?
I said no as politely as possible but he was still persistent. Then I was saved by the arrival of Ozumy, Zak and Karim. I quickly told Ozumy to get him to tell her what he was asking me... she did, and he replied in Spanish, "oh I was just saying hi." When he was further away I told Ozumy about the note. Then I asked her to teach me how to say, "sorry I have a boyfriend" but like most times when I ask what something is in Spanish, I forget. Later I asked Maria, and I wrote it down: Lo siento, tengo novio. Memorized!
Jennifer told me today that unless I think I might have done something wrong, to just walk away from the police when they start talking to me. This goes completely against my instincts. I mean, if I'm wandering around Edmonton and a police officer stops to talk to me, I stop and talk to him/her. Obviously, I would understand a lot more quickly as to whether or not they were talking to me for business or pleasure, but still, I'd stop.
Anyways, more importantly - lunch. We went to a restaurant called Lasagna near the office. I ordered cheese and spinach cannelloni with a tomato, eggplant and mozzarella sauce. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was quite delicious! Ozumy made me order in Spanish, I stumbled through a few new words... but the waitress seemed to understand.
On my way home - I ran into Orlando! It was a lovely surprise!
Today, lunch was also quite exciting. The original plan was to go to Pola with Zak, but just before it was time to leave he emailed to tell me that Pola was canceled and to come over to the MC right away because they had just cooked something. So off I went. Joel was over there (he is studying to be a chef) and he was teaching Zak how to cook this sauce for pasta. It was amazing. The main excitement came when Joel was like quick, do you have any rum? Zak said no, but he had some whiskey. Joel said this was okay and Zak ran off to get some. Then he made Zak put some in the pan where he was cooking corn and then turns to us and says, stand back! We're like what? As Joel puts the pan back near the flame and starts the entire thing on fire. It was crazy. Since there were two pans for sauce (one with ham, and one without ham - for me) he did it again for us with my pan, which we caught on video. I don't think I could do that. Anyways, the food was great and we sat outside on the patio to eat!
When I arrived home I found out that I had received some mail! My dear friend Chelsey had sent me a card for my birthday and another one to tell me she missed me. That made my day!
This evening was rather unexpected. After altering my appearance slightly, I turned on my computer to see that mom and dad were still at home and online. I chatted briefly with them but I can't believe that I will see them tomorrow! Just as I was finishing up my conversation, there was a knock at my door and I heard Ozumy's voice! She, Orlando, Zak and Rene had stopped by. Zak ended up going with Pavol to play football and the rest of us stayed at the apartment. I made some dinner and we watched some Monty Python (Holy Grail). An enjoyable night.
Tomorrow will be a big day for me! Taking a taxi alone to the airport! It's exciting but scary at the same time.
Oh and coffee update: I am no longer included on the coffee run. However, last Friday, I had to do a survey in Spanish at the office which asked demographic questions along with whether or not I drink coffee, how I like my coffee and if I would pay RD$15 to get it from a machine at work.
I was on my way to meet Ozumy, Zak and Zak's brother, Karim, for lunch. I headed over to the MC and had started walking up the stairs (they are on the 3rd floor) when I passed two police officers. They were talking and of course, I couldn't understand, but then it seemed as though they said something to me. Being a good Canadian law abiding citizen, I turned around to find out what they wanted. The one officer continued down the stairs, and the other one stayed back to talk to me. I told him right away that I didn't understand Spanish, and he asked me if I understood Spanish a little bit, and I said yes. He confirmed that I spoke English, and asked me where I lived. I told him I lived here in Santo Domingo. He continued to talk to me in Spanish, but it was noisy and I had a hard time hearing him, on top of the fact that I don't understand spoken Spanish well yet. I was pretty sure by this point that he was hitting on me (and that I was not being questioned for police type reasons) as there were a few words I picked out that hinted this way. Finally, he asked about my phone number. I was like, I don't understand (No entiendo!) hoping he would just give up. Instead he wrote down on a piece of paper something close to this:
Usted se ve muy bien me de le pedia su numero?
Which roughly translated means: you look very well, can I ask for your number?
I said no as politely as possible but he was still persistent. Then I was saved by the arrival of Ozumy, Zak and Karim. I quickly told Ozumy to get him to tell her what he was asking me... she did, and he replied in Spanish, "oh I was just saying hi." When he was further away I told Ozumy about the note. Then I asked her to teach me how to say, "sorry I have a boyfriend" but like most times when I ask what something is in Spanish, I forget. Later I asked Maria, and I wrote it down: Lo siento, tengo novio. Memorized!
Jennifer told me today that unless I think I might have done something wrong, to just walk away from the police when they start talking to me. This goes completely against my instincts. I mean, if I'm wandering around Edmonton and a police officer stops to talk to me, I stop and talk to him/her. Obviously, I would understand a lot more quickly as to whether or not they were talking to me for business or pleasure, but still, I'd stop. On my way home - I ran into Orlando! It was a lovely surprise!
When I arrived home I found out that I had received some mail! My dear friend Chelsey had sent me a card for my birthday and another one to tell me she missed me. That made my day!
This evening was rather unexpected. After altering my appearance slightly, I turned on my computer to see that mom and dad were still at home and online. I chatted briefly with them but I can't believe that I will see them tomorrow! Just as I was finishing up my conversation, there was a knock at my door and I heard Ozumy's voice! She, Orlando, Zak and Rene had stopped by. Zak ended up going with Pavol to play football and the rest of us stayed at the apartment. I made some dinner and we watched some Monty Python (Holy Grail). An enjoyable night.
Tomorrow will be a big day for me! Taking a taxi alone to the airport! It's exciting but scary at the same time.
Oh and coffee update: I am no longer included on the coffee run. However, last Friday, I had to do a survey in Spanish at the office which asked demographic questions along with whether or not I drink coffee, how I like my coffee and if I would pay RD$15 to get it from a machine at work.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Dominican Tarzan y Los 3 Ojos
Sunday was our trip to Los 3 Ojos (The 3 Eyes). We were supposed to go to Faro Colon, but we ran out of time. Which was alright in the end, since we were very exhausted and hungry following our adventure.
We met at the MC (Me, Ozumy, Zak, Yeimy and Paula) and called a taxi. We made our way out to the park, it is on the outskirts of the city on the road that leads to the airport. The driver didn't really know where he was going, and ended up passing the place, and had to drive quite a long way until he found a spot to get onto that road. Although for a couple moments he considered off-roading it across this piece of land, but we were like no! no! since I'm pretty sure there was a barrier on the other side, and I don't think his tiny, run down car would have been able to handle it.
When we arrived, we were swarmed by men selling little statues. We politely declined and headed in, where a man in bowling shoes approached us to be his tour guide. He spoke like 6 or 7 languages, so he claimed. We just liked his bowling shoes and didn't end up hiring him. We sat down to wait for Jennifer and Ricardo. Zak and I particularly enjoyed how the men with wares to sell would get all flustered and would hustle to prepare their goods and their makeshift cardboard fan whenever visitors would come out of the cave. They sold many types of necklaces too. It was quite the interesting sight, as one man would fan the lady with the piece of cardboard and the other would show off all the necklaces trying very hard to sell them. Behind us, sat Dominican Tarzan, in his purple shorts, just chilling and having a cigarette, waiting for someone to hire him to put on his show.
We caught a taxi back to the MC and went to EmpareDado for a late lunch. I was happy to be able to find out which drink it was that I had had the day we ordered in EmpareDado at the office. I knew it was passion fruit, but apparently, Dominican Spanish has a different word for passion fruit and thus I had not been able to find it on the menu, since my Latin American Spanish dictionary had the non-Dominican word.
The rest of my day was spent struggling with my horrible internet and several power outages. It caused me great frustration! But, that's just the way it goes.
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