First hair cut in the DR...

So let me start my story by saying there is this crazy man that is always hanging around my apartment...and when I say crazy man, I mean a strange man who is always dressed like he is going to work in a bank, does not speak very much english, but loves to tell me..."hello teacher, you so pretty." He is always drinking everytime I see him, talking about random bullshit that makes no sense, and is always telling me he loves his country, and welcome home teacher. My friends and I pander him, and I even gave him 5 pesos one day to help him buy a beer. This is that guy....you know, that guy that everyone knows, and they just laugh at his outrangishness....

So needless to say I was quite shocked when I walked into get a hair cut and he was the hairstylist!!!! OMG, I wanted to walk out, but he started to amuse me....so curious adventurous Holly that I am thought...well what is the worst things that could happen. If I end up with a strange sort of Dominican styled mullet, well I could always shave my head......so I decided to sit in his chair, and that is when the aventure began!!!!

So the man proceeded to do what appeared to be rituals...folding and re-folding the towels, picking every single hair off his counter by hand, taking deep breathes over and over again, and walking around my chair looking at my head, as if he was about to preform brain surgery. As I sat in his chair, which he called his "throne of edward scissor hand," I could not seem to get my look of, "OMG this guy is a freaking joke," off my face...so this lady walked over and proceeded to inform me that hi guy worked at Paul Mitchell's salon, and that he was "a hair artist." So once again, I was so intrigued I just had to stay and watch the show...even though my hair was about to be one of the main characters!!! So then he says in his broken English, "hair have feeling, it has face and cry and happy too." I said in Spanish....You can speak in spanish, I speak spanish....and he said again in his broken english, "no no no teacha, I wanta try speaka english wit chu." So I said fine....whatever. Then he proceeded to talk about hair having a face and it can smile or be sad, etc etc etc...but then he took the end of my hair and started to brushed it all over his face..he said..."u hair is so so angry!" I was like WHAT...so he told me in spanish that my hair was angry and needed to put cut because it lost its soul...I was like ok, I am out of here. So just as I was about to leave, he said...sory, did I scare you..and I said uh...YEAH!!! So he said, let me cut your hair...so he did and it turned out pretty cute....

Anyway, I had to share my story with everyone...it was too funny!!!

So hope everyone is doing well...chat later.

Living in paradise!!!

hahahaha....well, not exactly. I have not had electricty for 4 days!!! It is complicated, but the bottom line is that the girl who lived here before me was apparently stealing her electricty from a store near the apartment...well what does that mean for me? Well the electricty company found out and CUT all my lights!!!! So, I had to call and say...no, I was not stealing electricty...wow was that fun. Anyway, I have lights now, Thank GOD!!! But, I am scared everything thinks it was me stealing the electricty...as if I would even know how.

But thank God I live in paradise, because it has been 70 degrees or below every night, so I have not even needed AC.

Well, I have to get back to work...so talk to you soon!

First Day of Class and a Hurricane

So I survived the hurricane. It really was not too bad, but lets hope that is all we get this year...both here and in New Orleans. Thanks for all whose emailed, called, and wrote on myspace asking how I was...I appreciate the concern...but I survived. We did get some pretty intense wind and rain, but it lasted less than a day. Really, the worst part was the high waves that did some damage on the ocean front...other than that, the city was fine. I actually went to see Transformers in Spanish that day....

So, today is the first day of classes. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job....though than emotion may change throughout the year...lol. As of now, I love it. The students are amazing, and I am so excited about teaching this year!

Once again...I am out of here...but I will keep you informed...Miss everyone!

OK, so I got homesick

Greetings from the Caribbean!

So, I got really homesick last night...so what did I do??? I went to TGI Friday's...lol!!! Oh and I never thought seeing so much flare would make me so happy, but it did. I went with some American friends and we ate generic American food, but it was nice to have a taste of home. And there are plenty of american chains here, so I will be fine. I think tomorrow I will have Taco Bell!

Anyway, other than my homesickness last night, I have been pretty comfortable here. I feel like I fit in, other than being called gringa or Americana every few days because of my accent...but other than that, I blend right in.

So a side note about the electricty....there seems to be a problem in my area with the electricty, because I loose electricty for about an hour at least 4 times a week. That has made things interesting, especially when I am in the middle of making Eggplant Paramsean when the electricty decides to leave...what fun! But, I have learned to cope. I just turn on my flash light, lights some candles, and I am good too go.

The weather has been amazing...I rarely even use my AC!!! I usually just put the fan on and open the window and it is very comfortable. I know everyone in Louisiana is sweating like pigs!!!! Sorry!!!! But, you should move to the Caribbean too!

Well, I am here in my classroom....so I better get back to work. I miss everyone!!! Talk soon!

Until next time America....

Hola...K lo K

K lo K...means what is up...for all you americanos out there. Anyway, let me tell you what exactly is up here in the big DR!!!!

First off, I made my first Dominican meal in my apartment. It was Mangu, eggs, and batida de lechuza. Mangu is mashed platains with purple onions and olive oil, and a batida de lechuza is a payapa smoothie....WOW was it good. I have been eating the fresh fruit here like crazy. You can get a HUGE papaya for less than 50 cents, and 5 ripe juicy mangos for less than a dollar! It is amazing. I have been making fresh juices and smoothies everyday. YUM! I also have taken a liking to Dominican coffee, which let me tell you will grow hair on your chest it is so strong. Which is why they comically serve it to you in a small shot glass, rather than a mug. And trust me, that is all you need...when I drink it, I feel it coursing through my viens....but it tastes SOOOOOO GOOOD!!!!! Que Rico!!!!

Well next topic....I have been spending a lot of time designing my classroom and preparing my lessons plans. I am going to shape young minds....Wow...poor kids. Just Joking! I actually like doing this teacher stuff....it really fits me perfectly....I love to talk, hate to stay still for more than 5 mins, and I get bored entirely too easy....so this is working out well. Always a new challenge for me, and I actually get paid to talk and students cannot tell me to shut up!!!! I love it!!!

I really am happy here. It is strange, but living here feels like I just bought the perfect pair of shoes...It just fits perfectly for me.

Until next time America!!!

Hey...I am here

About the culture:

OK, so I have officially been "dominicanized"....wow, what a culture shock. I mean, I grew up in a half Dominican family, so I thought I would be prepared, but it is much different coming here with family when I have my father to help me with everything. I am here alone, and what a shock that has been. First off, I learned never say "estoy Caliente" when you are trying to say you are too hot too dance. In this country that means you are "excited and interested in sexual endeavors" aka "horny!!!!" I could have died when I said that to a man asking me to dance at a club...OMG....the look on his face was priceless!!! Then, the Spanish word for cemetery sounds a lot like the Spanish word for bathrooms....so I proceeded to have a conversation with my uncle at a restaurant about how I really wanted him to go to the BATHROOM with me so I could see my grandmother....being the polite man he is, he waited until I finished and asked me why I thought my dead grandparents were in the bathroom.....JESUS!!! I was hoping to re-invent myself as a sophisticated American...hahaha....oh well...I am Holly, and that will never change in any country I move too. But, I must say...I LOVE it here. I am so happy, and I have meet a lot of new friends....both American and Dominican. There are a lot of Americans that live here because they love the culture, food, and weather just like me. And believe it or not, other than the few afore mentioned mishaps, my Spanish is improving a lot.

About my Job:

So, I do not know if everyone knows this, but I decided to teach for the year. I originally wanted to practice law here, but after trying to find the perfect job, this teaching job fell into my lap, and I could not be happier. The school is called MC School...which stands for "Mi Colegio School" Spanglish for "My High School." It is a very small private high school that believes in the arts, self expression, creativity, and creating well rounded students so they can become productive members of the Dominican society. The school is taught in English and Spanish, and I will be teaching 11th and 12th grade US Government, US History, World Literature, and Debate. So you ask, how am I qualified to teach all this when I am a lawyer by profession? Well, I do have a degree in English Literature and I am 6 credits short of a History degree...also I started in education, so I the 21 credits of education that MC School requires of its teachers. As for Debate and US Government, that will come from being a lawyer I guess....lol. In those two classes, I have 9 students, and in addition to teaching, I will be preparing them for a Model United Nations competition. The 12th grade is 9 students and the 11th grade has 14 students. This year will be the first graduating class for the school, and as the American teacher, they want me to help with the first prom, graduation, senior day, etc...so I am excited to be a part of it. Teaching has always interested me, so I think I will be happy doing it. It will be a challenge, but I love a challenge.

So, there it is...it has been my first two weeks here, and I am very happy. I am home sick though!!! Until next time America!!!