i'm sitting here without light really. the power's been out for a bit, but we now have a backup battery. it only powers half the house, so i've got the computer and modem plugged into it plus the radio and a lightbulb...that's all i really need, right? anyways, today was nice. i went into la romana in the morning for rounds at the clinic where i got to see a presentation about genital ulcers, yay! then i came back here ahead of milagros. while she was gone i made more friends with the kids in the neighborhood. i am expanding beyond the kids of the gomero to other kids....some of them now know that my name is not "americana" or "cosita" but that it is raquel, and others only know me as "cosita". i gave out some little play dohs that i had and some peeps. they were a huge hit. then i sat and talked with the kids for a long time. probably a group of 6-10 kids. a lot of times i was lost as to what they were saying to me because they all speak so fast and they all speak at the same time. plus, little kids don't really understand the whole "i don't speak their language thing". it's funny to see the littlest of the kids growing up some. they can now talk with me a lot more, and it's kind of cool. after milagros got back i went to find neftali at his job, but he wasn't there. i ended up running into one of hector's friends in the center of town. back up here i hung outside the colmado a little. it was mostly familys around, so i just sat and watched and at times talked with my neighbors.

everyone asks how long i'm here. one of the changes in my neighborhood has been the addition of a "basketball hoop" to a lamp post that i can see from my door. it's fun to watch the kids playing, and i'm tempted to join except for the fact that i'm completely inept at basketball. in fact they're still playing probably because it's getting dark and there's no power in their houses.

tomorrow we're off to samana for the weekend.

i'm here...por fin

hey all....
i'm here safe and sound (for any of you who worried). after a long trip with 16 hours worth of layovers i've arrived. it's wonderful being back, and at the same time it's kind of weird. it's almost as if nothing has changed, but again looking at things yesterday driving into san pedro i felt as though i was seeing things for the first time. i remembered the place but didn't quite remember the feel of it. six months doesn't do too much to a place. the still guy still sits outside of the grocery store asking for money. the same woman still sells barettes on the street. the same guy still works at the pastele place. anyways, it's nice. i got to say hello to all of my neighbors. i just gave the little kids at the gomera play-doh which they were excited about. with a big warning not to eat it.

last night i ended up translating. some missionaries were visiting and did a presentation about hospice at a small church. as we got to the church that was in a poor neighboorhood they started pulling out sound equipment. it was pouring rain, and rain kept leaking through the tin roof. they set up a microphone and starting telling the neighboorhood to come and enjoy the presentation. i got up and warned people about my spanish and then continued to translate. at times i got stuck pronouncing a word or not knowing a word. i could see some of the people laughing at me in a friendly way. but at the end i was proud of myself. the people at the church were cool, they were very down to earth, so i think milagros and i will go back.

all in all i'm glad to be here. i do miss you all!
rachel

going back...

so tomorrow's the big day...
heading back to the DR

i leave tomorrow morning around 11:30, fly to detroit, then to newark, getting into newark around 9pm. i'll then spend the night in the newark airport and leave again at 7 the next morning finally arriving in santo domingo at 11:30 on tuesday.

i'm excited....