Sitting, Wishing, Waiting

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Trip Start Aug 19, 2008 Previous
Entry Trip End Oct 29, 2010 Next
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  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Sunday, October 19, 2008

CBT CONT.:  We finished CBT and wow did time fly by.  We didn't get the chance to jump off of any more waterfalls unfortunately, but we concluded our 5 weeks of training.  One of our tasks was to network with local organizations; finding out the history, mission, resources, funding, and how we as Peace Corps Volunteers can help.  We were basically making "cold calls" and were dropped off in a city, given the names and addresses of these organizations, and had to find them (which of course, hilarity ensued).  The journey took us around in circles because, as we learned, Dominicans like to "save face" even when they don't know the answer to a question.  For example, if you asked a Dominican for directions, if he/she did not know the answer, the person would just guess and point in an arbitrary direction.
 
BUT VOLUNTEERS DON'T DRESS UP:  That is, of course, until two other volunteers that I'm close with (Amy and Kelly) were invited to the Chamber of Commerce gala when they talked with the President of the organization during their cold call they made.  They invited myself and Dan, a fellow volunteer, with our professor bringing us along.  It was nice to dress up, wear a tie, and have a glass of wine for a change.  We got to talk with important people (though in Spanish, there was only so much I could say), but I did get a few business cards and made some connections!  All of which could help me get funding or support for future projects in my community.
 
THE DEPARTURE :  The last 5 weeks really have gone by fast but it is so interesting to see the connections I have made with people of the community and my fellow trainees.  It was actually sad to leave our community, but since my group was the first to live in this particular barrio, they threw us a huge party with about 70-80 people in attendance- we danced all night, played dominoes, and ate enough for an army.  Knowing that we were only there for 5 weeks and having such a nice send off, with people telling me to come back and visit any time and that they consider me a brother, well, that just pulled on my heart strings a bit.
 
THE RETURN:  When I walked through the door to my first family in Santo Domingo there were a lot of hugs and kisses from my doņa and the rest of my family.  It has been nice to come back to a familiar place and feel like I have a home here (now I have two!).  The ninos in my barrio were very excited to see me and so of course I played with them for half of the day when I got back.  
 
We really have been put to work during community training and have learned so much in a practical way.  I'm starting to discover how I really can make positive changes in my future community, and that the scale of change is very large.  This Monday we find out our permanent sites, which we are all very excited for.  The next day we will visit our sites with our project partner (connection with the organization we will be working with) and then return to Santo Domingo to swear in as Peace Corps Volunteers!

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