DR: A Love-Hate Relationship

Along with my 9th month anniversary in country came the feeling that I have more or less become accustomed to living in Bani. While acculturation required an understanding of Dominican life, it also required that I adjust to living and working with people who live in poverty. The culture of poverty is distinct and, in many ways, is cross-cultural. Nevertheless, poverty in the DR is more intense and more delicately affects Dominicans’ survival than it does Americans. For this reason, there has been a lot to adjust to, and in reality I will continue to face related challenges throughout my service. Still, I have a feeling of adjustment to life in Dominican culture, and I seem to have developed a love-hate relationship with this country. Here is a list of what I love and what I hate relating to the cultural aspect of living in the DR:

I love Dominican food; I hate that there are no other food choices but Dominican cuisine.
I love the natural beauty of the island; I hate that it’s abused by trash.
I love that Dominicans don’t work when it’s raining; I hate that Dominicans use any excuse they can to get out of work.
I love the laid-back lifestyle; I hate the lack of ambition.
I love how blunt Dominicans are; I hate how men talk to women.
I love how much Dominicans value family; I hate that family planning is non-existent.

Then there are some things I just hate…
I hate how it’s common knowledge that men sleep around and have multiple families; I hate even more that women have accepted this.
I hate how poorly Haitians are treated; I hate that nearly all Haitians in the DR are nice and ambitious, and that they are still at the bottom of the Dominican totem pole.

And others that I just love…
I love how Dominicans are nearly always friendly and willing to share anything they own.
I love how you can depend on people without any doubt that they will pull through.
I love how you can visit neighbors without any prior planning… and that they automatically give you coffee or juice.

SO you see, adjusting to life in a new place is an on-going process. There are moments when you love life and the adventure, and others when all you can think about is going home to air conditioning, family and friend, wi-fi and normal food. Living here is certainly a roller coaster. As a matter of fact, my schedule is soon going to change with the arrival of summer... and for the better, fingers crossed! More on that next time...