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!!!