Meeting the President
Trip Start
Sep 05, 2005
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46
48
Trip End
Nov 07, 2007
Las Taranas, Dominican Republic
Sunday, August 12, 2007
I was very excited to be able to go and support one of my fellow volunteers on her big day. Just the week before, I was in Cacique, visiting my friend Brad, who was inagurating a new comunity center he helped reconstruct. I was so proud of him for his accomplishment. Sometimes it helps to have a fellow volunteer who really understands the blood sweat and tears that go into our work.
Now, Iris, who was going to have the grand responsibility of providing training for two school computer labs, would be inaugrating the new High School built by the government and welcoming the president of the Dominican Republic to Las Taranas. She was so nervous at first but very happy. I stood with another volunteer among pushing and sweaty crowds for FOUR hours awaiting the president, who finally arrived in a helicopter. He first took a tour of the school and then gave a few speaches, but the most impressive was when he mentioned Iris (though could not recall her name) as a PC volunteer from Chicago and how she was doing such a great job! I couldnīt have been prouder than if it had been myself up there. I mean, having a foreign leader mention you in one of his speeches is pretty cool, I must say.
I left the crowds sweaty and tired, but I can say that it was a day I would never forget.
