It is most important for you, reader, to internalize that the ramblings in this edition of “Betsy’s Blog” are solely and specifically the opinions of me (I), an exaggerated visitor of an exhausted Volunteer.
The primary and most important observation that I have made to date is that the people here are human beings, beings subject to common rules of individuality and variation betwixt persons. That being said, I feel free to generalize and say that the vast majority of Dominicans are impressively generous. The typical Dominican will halve their portion, in order to share with a relative stranger, and then halve that remaining portion once again to accommodate someone else down the line. The one exception to this is the Capital, which, at first impression, is an awful, awful place.
When visiting your volunteer, I suggest that you attempt to view them the most in their natural habitat. There exist, currently, two reasons for such advice. One (1): Volunteers usually tire with ease, and variation from their familiar schedule may be exhausting. Two (2): Volunteers can be crappy tour guides, frequently rushing you past the 500-some year-old church in order to get you to the best Yogun Früz stand in the DR.
Here are a few surprising things to expect from your volunteer in country:
-complaint or concern for money (this is often baffling, considering that they frequently argue over values amounting to less than three cents, USD). It is difficult to remember that these wonderfully sacrificial individuals are, in fact, volunteers. It is important to know that a brief argument over a few pesos is more a stand based upon respect and competency in their temporary home, rather than genuine penny-pinching.
-Frustration with their project (with exception of Jake). It seems as though resources are a major problem for many volunteers. Betsy is fortunate to have one of the most functional Centro de Tecnología in the IT division. Other volunteers seem to be missing important elements, such as inversores (battery-thingys to keep the power smooth and on), power, teachers, and students. Organizationally, much of the structure reminds me of two hands working simultaneously. One hand washes the dishes, but that hand forgot to inform the other hand, who was supposed to go buy soap, and in-stead told his cousin to go do it, and she had rolos in her hair, so all of the dishes got washed sans soap. And also, the river overflowed its banks, so there is now manure in your water. As a visitor, it is easy to see all of the energy that a person can put into this system, yet, said person will probably not see many fruits of their labor in their time in this country.
-Emotional withdrawal. I think that this is different to each volunteer, but is relatively common. A volunteer is having a tough time at living their life, in addition to the sometimes futile attempt to be useful at their site. They endure quite a bit of stress in response to these two factors, and all without the direct safety, resource and comfort of their security system, you. It seems common for the volunteers to create a space, or relative indifference toward home, if only to survive separation from those whom they love so much. This is an understandable process, and it may take some time for a volunteer to grow accustomed to a guest, even those guests with amazing levels of charm and handsomeness. Trust that they are happy to see you, or at least will be eventually (possibly after you leave).
As for making your trip everything it can be, keep your eyes open to things that appear unusual and different. Many irregularities here can be explained in terms that are common to American culture, yet exaggerated. For example. Most Dominicans LOVE to have their picture taken. It is not unusual to have a Dominican look at a photo of their-self and comment “wow, I am extremely good looking.” The odd thing is, looking as sexy as possible here rarely involves smiling. This can produce hilarious results, especially in a group context. Please see attached photo.
I have felt a lot of pressure here to “dress the part.” Dominicans typically wear very nice jeans, fancy shirts, and impeccably clean shoes. I have tried (in vain/vanity) to emulate this look, but have been able to come to only one conclusion: I am a Gringo. There is absolutely nothing that can be done to change my hair, skin, and the perspective under which I was raised. I stick out like an albino Oreo with hot sauce instead of sweet frosting. I might as well dress comfortably. Eventually, people will learn to value me for my differences more than they would for my Dominican-ness.
When I arrived, I felt the need to be prepared, as if for a safari. The odd thing is that here, the burden of accessories is often what makes you feel naked. When going out and about, especially in the capital, one will feel the most free with as little as possible (to be stolen). I have also spent a day in tow behind two (deceptively athletic) young Dominican men, with a sweaty back-pack, which filled more and more with fruit as we progressed though the neighboring hills. This type of journey is a serious character-builder, and is much easier taken without the pack.
In the Capital, which I would visit last, I recommend getting an actual guide-book and Xeroxing the pages of the Colonial Zone. I feel few volunteers get a real tour when they visit the capital, and your map and info would probably enrich their visit along with yours. Since this area is also very popular with tourists, this sort of thing is more acceptable there. Also, at shops/markets, don’t be intimidated because you don’t speak Spanish. If they want to sell you something, they can be patient. Since you will probably be over-paying anyhow, they can accommodate you.
Pueblo Specifics
Our pueblo is the most tranquilo of places that I have visited. The size of the community and their affection for Betsy can offer a lot of relaxation, and resource on the part of the visitor. Safety comes along with this package as well. I feel that introductions are very important, as well as a short visit to as many people as possible. Just take in the surroundings as the conversation happens, because this is beautiful, wonderful Dominican life. Betsy is usually pretty good with a general synopsis of what occurred in the conversation while your eyes glazed over. You find that you learn a lot about an individual without even communicating directly. If you are lucky, you can sometimes get invited for a real Dominican lunch, the biggest of the day. No matter how Betsy tries, she will not be able to duplicate the deliciousness of Dominican rice and beans. Warning, do not play Dominoes with a Dominican with any expectation, unless that expectation is to receive a real humbling.
I have made only one funny Joke in the entire time that I have been here. You can try, but American humor is worthless to these people. If you want to tickle their funny bone, get stuck out in the rain, or slip and fall or something. Patti, you will do fine.
With that, I abruptly end this edition. More to come!
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Cincoski, ingeñero de chopeando y instalador de filtros. Marriot El Seibo.
As for the toilet: I think that Betsy is nuts. It is fine to sit on the seat. And at night-time, I find that the roaches that do live in there are afraid of light. Shine your flashlight down there a few times and they will all go as far from your precious hiney as possible. Hers is the only one in the country that is ok to put TP down. In most places, there is a trash can or bucket for papel de baños. If it’s dark, or even semi-private, I recommend just peeing in the yard.
The primary and most important observation that I have made to date is that the people here are human beings, beings subject to common rules of individuality and variation betwixt persons. That being said, I feel free to generalize and say that the vast majority of Dominicans are impressively generous. The typical Dominican will halve their portion, in order to share with a relative stranger, and then halve that remaining portion once again to accommodate someone else down the line. The one exception to this is the Capital, which, at first impression, is an awful, awful place.
When visiting your volunteer, I suggest that you attempt to view them the most in their natural habitat. There exist, currently, two reasons for such advice. One (1): Volunteers usually tire with ease, and variation from their familiar schedule may be exhausting. Two (2): Volunteers can be crappy tour guides, frequently rushing you past the 500-some year-old church in order to get you to the best Yogun Früz stand in the DR.
Here are a few surprising things to expect from your volunteer in country:
-complaint or concern for money (this is often baffling, considering that they frequently argue over values amounting to less than three cents, USD). It is difficult to remember that these wonderfully sacrificial individuals are, in fact, volunteers. It is important to know that a brief argument over a few pesos is more a stand based upon respect and competency in their temporary home, rather than genuine penny-pinching.
-Frustration with their project (with exception of Jake). It seems as though resources are a major problem for many volunteers. Betsy is fortunate to have one of the most functional Centro de Tecnología in the IT division. Other volunteers seem to be missing important elements, such as inversores (battery-thingys to keep the power smooth and on), power, teachers, and students. Organizationally, much of the structure reminds me of two hands working simultaneously. One hand washes the dishes, but that hand forgot to inform the other hand, who was supposed to go buy soap, and in-stead told his cousin to go do it, and she had rolos in her hair, so all of the dishes got washed sans soap. And also, the river overflowed its banks, so there is now manure in your water. As a visitor, it is easy to see all of the energy that a person can put into this system, yet, said person will probably not see many fruits of their labor in their time in this country.
-Emotional withdrawal. I think that this is different to each volunteer, but is relatively common. A volunteer is having a tough time at living their life, in addition to the sometimes futile attempt to be useful at their site. They endure quite a bit of stress in response to these two factors, and all without the direct safety, resource and comfort of their security system, you. It seems common for the volunteers to create a space, or relative indifference toward home, if only to survive separation from those whom they love so much. This is an understandable process, and it may take some time for a volunteer to grow accustomed to a guest, even those guests with amazing levels of charm and handsomeness. Trust that they are happy to see you, or at least will be eventually (possibly after you leave).
As for making your trip everything it can be, keep your eyes open to things that appear unusual and different. Many irregularities here can be explained in terms that are common to American culture, yet exaggerated. For example. Most Dominicans LOVE to have their picture taken. It is not unusual to have a Dominican look at a photo of their-self and comment “wow, I am extremely good looking.” The odd thing is, looking as sexy as possible here rarely involves smiling. This can produce hilarious results, especially in a group context. Please see attached photo.
I have felt a lot of pressure here to “dress the part.” Dominicans typically wear very nice jeans, fancy shirts, and impeccably clean shoes. I have tried (in vain/vanity) to emulate this look, but have been able to come to only one conclusion: I am a Gringo. There is absolutely nothing that can be done to change my hair, skin, and the perspective under which I was raised. I stick out like an albino Oreo with hot sauce instead of sweet frosting. I might as well dress comfortably. Eventually, people will learn to value me for my differences more than they would for my Dominican-ness.
When I arrived, I felt the need to be prepared, as if for a safari. The odd thing is that here, the burden of accessories is often what makes you feel naked. When going out and about, especially in the capital, one will feel the most free with as little as possible (to be stolen). I have also spent a day in tow behind two (deceptively athletic) young Dominican men, with a sweaty back-pack, which filled more and more with fruit as we progressed though the neighboring hills. This type of journey is a serious character-builder, and is much easier taken without the pack.
In the Capital, which I would visit last, I recommend getting an actual guide-book and Xeroxing the pages of the Colonial Zone. I feel few volunteers get a real tour when they visit the capital, and your map and info would probably enrich their visit along with yours. Since this area is also very popular with tourists, this sort of thing is more acceptable there. Also, at shops/markets, don’t be intimidated because you don’t speak Spanish. If they want to sell you something, they can be patient. Since you will probably be over-paying anyhow, they can accommodate you.
Pueblo Specifics
Our pueblo is the most tranquilo of places that I have visited. The size of the community and their affection for Betsy can offer a lot of relaxation, and resource on the part of the visitor. Safety comes along with this package as well. I feel that introductions are very important, as well as a short visit to as many people as possible. Just take in the surroundings as the conversation happens, because this is beautiful, wonderful Dominican life. Betsy is usually pretty good with a general synopsis of what occurred in the conversation while your eyes glazed over. You find that you learn a lot about an individual without even communicating directly. If you are lucky, you can sometimes get invited for a real Dominican lunch, the biggest of the day. No matter how Betsy tries, she will not be able to duplicate the deliciousness of Dominican rice and beans. Warning, do not play Dominoes with a Dominican with any expectation, unless that expectation is to receive a real humbling.
I have made only one funny Joke in the entire time that I have been here. You can try, but American humor is worthless to these people. If you want to tickle their funny bone, get stuck out in the rain, or slip and fall or something. Patti, you will do fine.
With that, I abruptly end this edition. More to come!
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Cincoski, ingeñero de chopeando y instalador de filtros. Marriot El Seibo.
As for the toilet: I think that Betsy is nuts. It is fine to sit on the seat. And at night-time, I find that the roaches that do live in there are afraid of light. Shine your flashlight down there a few times and they will all go as far from your precious hiney as possible. Hers is the only one in the country that is ok to put TP down. In most places, there is a trash can or bucket for papel de baños. If it’s dark, or even semi-private, I recommend just peeing in the yard.
2 comments:
Jeff,
You did a awesome job, will take your insight in consideration when we come over. Patti
Jeff Why havent you been writing betsys blog all this time?
Jake
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