Learning Continues

Peace Corps training continues to roll by, as we have less than three weeks left in Constanza and a mere four days until we get our site assignment.

The last two weekends have been particularly busy, highlighted by a visit to the host family finca and a national holiday celebration. First: the visit to the family farm. Last weekend my plan to have a relaxing Sunday was abruptly changed when my host aunt invited me to visit an uncle who lives on a nearby farm. I immediately got dressed and jumped into her car with her husband, two other volunteers, and four kids. Yes, there were nine people in the car. And to make the trip even more Dominican fashion, we stopped at a local colmado to pick up beer and cheese for our drive to the farm. Luckily the driver refrained from drinking and we made it safely to our destination.

My host uncle’s farm is beautiful to say the least. He and his wife live on a vast amount of land, mostly cultivated to sell carrots and potatoes, yet they also grow a dozen other vegetables and fruits for their own consumption. They live in a small but beautifully decorated cabin in the middle of the farm, and the other volunteers and I felt like we were in the Spanish countryside the minute we walked into the home. The family took us for a drive on their land and we got to see some amazing views looking down toward Constanza. At one point we stopped in the middle of the road so that the 11 year old son could scale the mountain in search of a pumpkin. I had a wonderful time and was thankful for the opportunity to see yet another aspect of Dominican life.

This weekend proved to be equally exciting. Friday was the Dia de las Mercedes, a big Catholic holiday that is celebrated by most Dominicans. Apparently in a battle between the Spanish and Tainos, the Spanish were visited by the spirit of Mercedes; she told them that they would win the battle, and they did. I find it a little depressing that this is the cause for three days of celebration, but it does fit with the Dominican pride for its Spanish heritage. Anyway, the festivities began on Friday and continued through Sunday evening. Tons of people gathered around the park downtown to drink and dance bachata, merengue, and reggaton.

Amidst the family visits and celebrations, I continue to learn more about Dominican society and culture. As of late I have been fascinated by learning all about the challenges Dominicans must overcome in order to travel, work or live in the US. I continue to meet locals who say that they want to visit the US, but it’s too difficult to obtain a visa to do so. I have learned about the dangers Dominicans put themselves through in order to live in the US. Many take a boat to Puerto Rico, and many die in the process. My neighbor claims that if a woman on the boat is on her period, the passengers will throw her overboard in order to escape the risk of a shark attack. Sounds a little outrageous but this is what I hear. I think the most heart wrenching story I have heard so far comes from my host mom. Her husband has been working in the US for nearly a year and has not been able to visit his wife or two sons since he left. Apparently if he leaves he cannot return to the US; the only way to fix this problem is if he marries an American… so now he is left with no option but to look for a wife in order to visit his real family in the DR. Yet jobs pay so poorly in this country that he feels he needs to keep his American job in order to support his family. Americans are privileged in the most obscure ways. I certainly had never thought twice about the ease at which we can travel to other countries, but we should not take this for granted, among many other things.

Number two on my list of things to learn more about is education and employment in the DR. Unfortunately, the correlation is not as strong as one might hope. I have heard that the education system here is one of the worst in Latin America. There are tons of private schools here, many of which offer a better education than their public counterparts, but they are too expensive for many families to afford. On the contrary, the public university in the DR offers the best education, but (I think) there is only one and it is located in Santo Domingo. That means that Dominican youth must move to the capitol in order to obtain a public university education. There are private universities scattered around the island but they are more costly and do not offer the same caliber education. Unfortunately things don’t get much better for the lucky Dominicans who obtain a university degree, as there are very few decent paying jobs. Many Dominicans with a university education have no way of using their degree in a professional setting. Here is where work in the US looks promising, but as we already know, arriving in the US is a journey in itself.

Hearing about issues in this country make me reflect on the US. Dominicans know the US through movies and tourists, so they think that all Americans are wealthy and provided with unlimited resources. It is interesting to compare problems in the DR with the US, as many are similar. But issues in this country are more pervasive and more serious. For example, water and electricity. These are the two most apparent differences between the two countries. Any water that comes out of the facet (if facets are available) is not clean enough to drink. And most people in the DR have electricity that comes and goes all the time. Giving up a few lights or the television is no big deal, but when the refrigerator doesn’t work all your food is going to spoil -- and in a tropical climate, this happens fast. Indian Reservations in the US most closely resemble the average lifestyle here, from what I can tell. It is easy to appreciate every kind gesture in this country when you take into account the inadequate water and electricity and lack of opportunities. And despite the challenges Dominicans face, they are incredibly happy and generous. This country continues to confuse and amaze me all the time!