Profe in the DR 14

Profe in the DR 14

Friday morning I had to go to the capital.  Like always I hired a motoconcho  (motorcycle taxi) to drive me the mile out to the bus stop in front of Batey 2.  We were just about at the stop when we saw the Neyba bus go flying by.  My motorconcho driver then sped on trying to catch the bus.  He succeeded several miles down the road.  I got on the bus and settled down for what I thought was going to be my normal 4 ½ hour ride into the capital.  About 15 minutes later, as we were pulling into the town of Tamayo, we were met by a group of 20-30 people blocking the road and not letting the bus pass.  They were all yelling, and making threats, and someone hit the side of the bus twice.  The bus driver jumped out and started arguing with them.  The people on the bus didn’t know what to do, about half got off, the other half stayed.  I was trying to decide what to do when the driver came back and said he was turning the bus around.  We went back to the crossroad next to Batey 4, and were soon met by another Neyba bus.  We got off the bus and waited while people discussed (and I mean yelled) what they should do.  A third Neyba bus showed up, and there was talk that the police were coming, and we would be able to get by, so we got back on the bus.  My motorconcho driver had come by to drop someone else off in Batey 4, and he came over to the bus and advised me to get off the bus and go to Barahona and catch a bus going from there to the capital instead.  He said that would be much safer.  (A police presence here does not guarantee safety.)  So I got on one of the old vans that go to Barahona along with several other people with the same idea, and we headed south (instead of east) and completely avoided Tamayo.  About 20 minutes down the road we got off at a crossroad and waited for a Barahona bus to pass by.  I arrived at the capital about an hour and a half late for my meeting.  I later heard that the mayors of the two towns, Neyba and Tamayo are fighting and that was why Neyba busses were not being allowed to pass. 

I had originally planned to go to the capital the day before, but the Neyba busses were on strike because they wanted the other half of the road into Neyba fixed.  (The government fixed one side of the road then stopped.)  There have been a lot of strikes lately.  People have been striking over lack of water, lack of electricity, and the rising gas prices.  Strikes here usually involve people burning tires to block the road, and lots of yelling and threatening.  They often turn violent, and people are often killed. 

Friday and Saturday I spent in the capital.  I am part of a group that is re-writing a manual for the Chicas Brillantes (girls group) program.  I returned safely Saturday evening.  The Neyba bus went around the town of Tamayo, taking the same route I took Friday morning to go into the capital.

You have to be very patient as a volunteer and roll with the punches.  I have several new programs I have been trying to start, two since March, that I have to keep moving back the start date for one reason or another.  Sunday I was going to start an English class with a group of teenagers, but only one teenage boy showed up.  Wednesday I was planning to start up the program Deportes Para La Vida, but one of the two young men who are going to help me with the program had to go to the capital.  His mother is in the hospital.  I also have been trying for a long time to start a math tutoring program and re-start the art club.  Things happen much slower here, and you just have to get used to it. 

I reached into my coin pocket of my jeans the other day and felt something that wasn’t a coin in there.  It turned out to be a strange looking hard shelled bug about an inch long, ¼ of an inch wide. 

Chess club continues to be a big success.  More and more kids are learning how to play and several adults as well.  Some of the kids have gotten very good.   We decided to record who beat who so we can rank the top ten each week. 

We have had a few wrinkles with soccer, but have been ironing them out.  A large number of boys decided that they want to play baseball as well.  Blanco the boy’s soccer coach didn’t want them to play two sports and hasn’t been showing up much to work with the boys lately.  The girls also lost the majority of their players to softball.  I told them I see no reason they can’t play both sports, especially since summer vacation starts in a week.  I have been working with the baseball/softball coach to avoid schedule clashes. 

Gitana, the volunteer in Batey 7 and I are currently planning a soccer league for the summer vacation between four teams.  We are planning to make it a co-ed league which is something new here.  I will let you know how it goes.  The last two days I have had the girls and boys practice together, but the girls are hesitant to join in.

It rained a lot last night and this morning everything is slightly flooded again.  Its always mud or dust, mud or dust around here.