I'll Be Home for Christmas...

It is almost time to head home!

There is not much new to share…

To celebrate Thanksgiving, us volunteers, as well as the staff and the Dominican teachers (about 30 in total) gathered together. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner – half American food, half Dominican food. Funny, I actually enjoyed the Dominican dishes more than I did the turkey and stuffing. But I am definitely looking forward to many American foods when I return. In all honesty, the thing I miss most from the US - after family and friends, of course - is milk. Yes, milk. I have realized since being here, and am slightly ashamed of the fact, that I am a milk ‘snob’. There is milk here, but it is just not the same and I cannot bring myself to drink it.

Classes ended with a bang and a fun field trip to Ocean World. Before the field trip we had a week of ‘final tests and assessments’ followed by some fun days (ie. movie day). Many of the kids surprised us with their performance on our final test. Yafreisy, one of our 10-year old girls, improved a lot – she wrote a whole page for her writing test and used paragraph format! Woohoo, success! Another day Davi - a teenage boy who plays the ‘tough guy’ or ‘punk’ in class and is very big into kitesurfing - asked if he could take the book that we are reading in class home with him to continue reading. That was a great day! Some of the kids have been at the center during the past two weeks for special classes, but I am going to miss them so, so much while I am gone!

We have been conducting a census in the Callejon for the last couple weeks before break. Basically this means we have been walking around outside, in the sun, for hours every day knocking on people’s doors (or rather, yelling ‘buenos’ through their windows) and asking them questions. Did I mention that it is still summer weather here? And that there are about 29308420734 houses in the Callejon? (Okay, okay.. that number is a slight exaggeration, there are only about 1,000). Anyway, I’ve been told that if you don’t have anything nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything at all. So I think I will choose not to talk about census anymore, and move on to bigger and better things.

We have also spent some time evaluating the past semester – our programs, our classes, further outreach to the community, etc. and have come up with some great new ideas and ideas for improvement in the Spring. I’m looking forward to the things we have planned to implement when we return in January. It is great to be leaving on a positive note and with a lot of enthusiasm for the new semester.

I’m really looking forward to seeing some of you while I am home!
Mostly I wanted to post to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. So, Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo!

Lindsey