Thursday, November 16
Just Stuff ...
I am going to call this entry "just stuff" because I have no idea what I am going to write.
Yesterday I went out on my regular walk. This usually happens right after my 'internet cafe/breakfast' time. I always take my camera along with me. Yesterday I took so many pictures that I totally filled the memory card on the camera and had to stop. I love the tropical foliage and flowers here in the Caribbean. Yesterday I concentrated on that as the subject of my pictures. Below are some examples of what I walked past.
The fruit of one of the many types of palm trees here in la Republica Dominicana.
Pretty uneventful day yesterday.
Quiet early morning with door open, both fans going, CNN on the tube (gotta have my politics fix) and steaming Dominican coffee (loaded with milk and sugar). About 10 am off to Rocky's and breakfast and two or three hours on the net. Then, of course, the required walk and picture taking expedition, back to the apartment for shower and shave, reading time. I'm currently reading Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival. Interesting reading for a political junkie. The required short nap. Lunch/Dinner or whatever you call it at Susanna's (the best Dominican restaurant in Sosua). Pollo frito, arroz, habichuelas, ensalada, plantano frito y aqua con hielo por $100 pesos. For you non-spanish speakers that is fried chicken, rice, beans, salad, fried plantains and ice water for $3.00. Hung out at Tom's (Hamburger Paradise) for awhile, drank coffee and chatted with friends till after dark. Back to my "place" for some computer time, listened to bachata (dominican music I love), more reading and asleep by 11. Quite a day! I had better slow down.
This guy has a great view of Sosua.
My old girlfriend figured out I am in town and has been stopping by. Word travels fast here. I guess one of her friends saw me on the street and pretty soon ella toca la puerta de mi (she knocked on my door.) She and I have been off and on together for almost a year now. She is sweet, of course very poor, to me gorgeous, and doesn't ask for much. I told her that I wasn't getting as involved as before but we could be just friends. Like that will really work.
We met in mid-December of 05 and though I didn't know it at the time she was newly pregnant. Don't want to get into long stories about the he/she culture here. Suffice it to say the Dominican guy (chulo) does the girl until he impregnates her and then he moves on to the next one. There are no laws to make him work and be responsible for his dalliance so what you have are thousands of single Dominican women running around with three or four kids, no money, no jobs, no work skills and no man to take care of them.
Carolina had her baby on September 16 (Carolita). I'll pitch in a bit for leche y pampers (formula and pampers) to help out and will enjoy some time with her, but no mas (no more).
Snow in the forecast for Missouri I understand. Heard that while in the pool the other day.
John did you say 18 degrees in Edmonton? Boy that would keep me inside. Rachel send me your San Francisco pictures!
Matt I'm getting pissed. You had better find time to do a better job of communication with your 'old man.'
Think I will venture down toward the beach today and buy a picture or two for the walls of my "place." I love the Haitain painted tropical pictures you can buy here. I took several of them back to Missouri with me and they adorn the walls in my apartment there.
The "place" is coming together really nice. The walls are bare though and I need to get lots of pictures up. I do have some of my family pictures up.
I hate buying the tropical art here because you have to put up with the totally aggressive Dominican guys who are selling them. When I say aggressive, I mean 100 times more aggressive than any salesman you have ever encountered. It is hard to "just shop." No it is impossible because they won't leave you alone. Then you have to learn to barter with them to get the price you want. I hate that ... example ... I have bought one so far ... I picked it out, he said $2000 pesos. I laughed. Their first offer is always totally ridiculous and aimed at the tourists who don't know any better. I told him I live here and he should treat me with more respect than that. I countered with $300 pesos ... He said $1000. I said $500 and that was my final offer. Then it took five minutes and me starting to walk away three times for him to get from $1000 to $500 and finally it was bought. Then you have all the other vendors who are watching from a short distance away trying to get you to look at the exact same pictures and buy from them also.
Stay tuned!
Just Stuff ...
I am going to call this entry "just stuff" because I have no idea what I am going to write.
Yesterday I went out on my regular walk. This usually happens right after my 'internet cafe/breakfast' time. I always take my camera along with me. Yesterday I took so many pictures that I totally filled the memory card on the camera and had to stop. I love the tropical foliage and flowers here in the Caribbean. Yesterday I concentrated on that as the subject of my pictures. Below are some examples of what I walked past.
The fruit of one of the many types of palm trees here in la Republica Dominicana.Pretty uneventful day yesterday.
Quiet early morning with door open, both fans going, CNN on the tube (gotta have my politics fix) and steaming Dominican coffee (loaded with milk and sugar). About 10 am off to Rocky's and breakfast and two or three hours on the net. Then, of course, the required walk and picture taking expedition, back to the apartment for shower and shave, reading time. I'm currently reading Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival. Interesting reading for a political junkie. The required short nap. Lunch/Dinner or whatever you call it at Susanna's (the best Dominican restaurant in Sosua). Pollo frito, arroz, habichuelas, ensalada, plantano frito y aqua con hielo por $100 pesos. For you non-spanish speakers that is fried chicken, rice, beans, salad, fried plantains and ice water for $3.00. Hung out at Tom's (Hamburger Paradise) for awhile, drank coffee and chatted with friends till after dark. Back to my "place" for some computer time, listened to bachata (dominican music I love), more reading and asleep by 11. Quite a day! I had better slow down.
This guy has a great view of Sosua.
My old girlfriend figured out I am in town and has been stopping by. Word travels fast here. I guess one of her friends saw me on the street and pretty soon ella toca la puerta de mi (she knocked on my door.) She and I have been off and on together for almost a year now. She is sweet, of course very poor, to me gorgeous, and doesn't ask for much. I told her that I wasn't getting as involved as before but we could be just friends. Like that will really work.
We met in mid-December of 05 and though I didn't know it at the time she was newly pregnant. Don't want to get into long stories about the he/she culture here. Suffice it to say the Dominican guy (chulo) does the girl until he impregnates her and then he moves on to the next one. There are no laws to make him work and be responsible for his dalliance so what you have are thousands of single Dominican women running around with three or four kids, no money, no jobs, no work skills and no man to take care of them.Carolina had her baby on September 16 (Carolita). I'll pitch in a bit for leche y pampers (formula and pampers) to help out and will enjoy some time with her, but no mas (no more).
Snow in the forecast for Missouri I understand. Heard that while in the pool the other day.
John did you say 18 degrees in Edmonton? Boy that would keep me inside. Rachel send me your San Francisco pictures!
Matt I'm getting pissed. You had better find time to do a better job of communication with your 'old man.'
Think I will venture down toward the beach today and buy a picture or two for the walls of my "place." I love the Haitain painted tropical pictures you can buy here. I took several of them back to Missouri with me and they adorn the walls in my apartment there.The "place" is coming together really nice. The walls are bare though and I need to get lots of pictures up. I do have some of my family pictures up.
I hate buying the tropical art here because you have to put up with the totally aggressive Dominican guys who are selling them. When I say aggressive, I mean 100 times more aggressive than any salesman you have ever encountered. It is hard to "just shop." No it is impossible because they won't leave you alone. Then you have to learn to barter with them to get the price you want. I hate that ... example ... I have bought one so far ... I picked it out, he said $2000 pesos. I laughed. Their first offer is always totally ridiculous and aimed at the tourists who don't know any better. I told him I live here and he should treat me with more respect than that. I countered with $300 pesos ... He said $1000. I said $500 and that was my final offer. Then it took five minutes and me starting to walk away three times for him to get from $1000 to $500 and finally it was bought. Then you have all the other vendors who are watching from a short distance away trying to get you to look at the exact same pictures and buy from them also.
Stay tuned!
posted by Miguel at 8:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home