Tuesday, January 30, 2007
There's No Such Thing As A Boring Three Day Weekend
Like the title says, there is no such thing as a boring three day weekend here in the Dominican Republic. We took this weekend to explore a part of the island that we had yet to discover, Cabarete. This little town is located on the north side of the island about 40 minutes east of Puerto Plata.
The five of us, Sonya, Kari, Rebbecca, Claire, and I, woke up early Saturday morning to catch the Caribe Tour bus. This is the same bus that we took when we went to Samana that lasted 6 hours because they stop in every little town along the way. This time around our destination was a bit closer and the ride only last around 4 hours. We finally made it to Cabarete around noon and checked into our hotel. This adventure was a little bit different than any we had taken in the 
past. This time we just checked into a hotel that was along the beach instead of staying in an all inclusive resort. The town of Cabarete runs along the coast for about a mile and lining the street are all types of hotels, restaurants, bars, and other tourist type places. This was probably the most touristy place we have been so far.
After checking into our hotel we decided to grab some lunch before heading out to the beach. We had lunch at our hotel restaurant that overlooked the ocean. After lunch it was out to the beach for some more fun in the sun. 
Cabarete is a little bit different than other beaches along this coast because it is famous for its wind. Along with this wind comes the best place on the island to wind or kite surf. Claire and I had both seen wind surfing before but kite surfing was something that we had only heard about. 
The site of all the kites in the air, once we got to the beach, was amazing. We both stood there trying to figure out how we could explain this incredible site to anyone. We tried to caputre the site with our camera and are more than willing to share with you what we have but trust me when I say that these pictures don't do it justice. If you click on the pictures here they do get bigger and you are able to see a little more in each one and I am going to put a short video of the kites on the video page if you are interested. At one point on Saturday afternoon we estimated there to be about 150 kites along the coast along with about another 50 or so wind surfers.
It was fun to hang out on the beach that afternoon taking in the sites. Claire and I walked down the bea
ch closer to where more of the kite surfers were located to get a better look. There were people learning how to kite surf all along the beach while others were gliding along the surface of the water at remarkable speeds. I thought it looked like a lot of fun to learn but was told that it requires many lessons to really get the hang of it and since we were only going to be there a couple days I decided it would have to wait for another time.
Another great thing that goes along with high winds are big waves. I, more so than Claire, really like to get knocked around by bigger waves, so this was perfect for me. I was able to do some real body surfing over the three days that we were on the beach. Here is a shot Claire took of one of the waves getting the better of me.
On Sunday we took an Iguana Mama Eco tour to one of the National Parks in that area. The bus came and picked us up and took us back into this village that has an agreement with the government which allows them to live there as long as they help preserve the vegitation that grows there. It was here that the five of us along with a tour guide began our 2 and a hal
f hour hike around the park. Along the way the guide showed us all types of fruits, flowers, and other types of plants that Dominicans use. Along the way we stopped by this families 
hut and chatted with them before moving on. In the picture the man standing in the white shirt was our guide and the lady of the house is there with her two sons. The highlight of the hike for Claire and I was when we got to this all natural lagoon that was located inside a cave. It wasn't very large but it was big and deep enough to take a quick little swim in. It was very clear and pretty cold but refreshing non the less.
During the evenings we would wonder down the beach looking for a place to have dinner. Each resturant that was along the strip opened out onto the beach and had tables out on the sand with torch l
ighting and music playing. We didn't find it too hard to find a fun place to eat.
Here is a shot of us having dinner one night at an Irish pub, of all places, call Jose O'Shays. We all had a great time tanning on the beach, trying out new places to eat, and swimming in the ocean and pool. There really isn't a boring three day weekend around here.
The five of us, Sonya, Kari, Rebbecca, Claire, and I, woke up early Saturday morning to catch the Caribe Tour bus. This is the same bus that we took when we went to Samana that lasted 6 hours because they stop in every little town along the way. This time around our destination was a bit closer and the ride only last around 4 hours. We finally made it to Cabarete around noon and checked into our hotel. This adventure was a little bit different than any we had taken in the 
past. This time we just checked into a hotel that was along the beach instead of staying in an all inclusive resort. The town of Cabarete runs along the coast for about a mile and lining the street are all types of hotels, restaurants, bars, and other tourist type places. This was probably the most touristy place we have been so far.
After checking into our hotel we decided to grab some lunch before heading out to the beach. We had lunch at our hotel restaurant that overlooked the ocean. After lunch it was out to the beach for some more fun in the sun. 
Cabarete is a little bit different than other beaches along this coast because it is famous for its wind. Along with this wind comes the best place on the island to wind or kite surf. Claire and I had both seen wind surfing before but kite surfing was something that we had only heard about. 
The site of all the kites in the air, once we got to the beach, was amazing. We both stood there trying to figure out how we could explain this incredible site to anyone. We tried to caputre the site with our camera and are more than willing to share with you what we have but trust me when I say that these pictures don't do it justice. If you click on the pictures here they do get bigger and you are able to see a little more in each one and I am going to put a short video of the kites on the video page if you are interested. At one point on Saturday afternoon we estimated there to be about 150 kites along the coast along with about another 50 or so wind surfers.It was fun to hang out on the beach that afternoon taking in the sites. Claire and I walked down the bea
ch closer to where more of the kite surfers were located to get a better look. There were people learning how to kite surf all along the beach while others were gliding along the surface of the water at remarkable speeds. I thought it looked like a lot of fun to learn but was told that it requires many lessons to really get the hang of it and since we were only going to be there a couple days I decided it would have to wait for another time.Another great thing that goes along with high winds are big waves. I, more so than Claire, really like to get knocked around by bigger waves, so this was perfect for me. I was able to do some real body surfing over the three days that we were on the beach. Here is a shot Claire took of one of the waves getting the better of me.
On Sunday we took an Iguana Mama Eco tour to one of the National Parks in that area. The bus came and picked us up and took us back into this village that has an agreement with the government which allows them to live there as long as they help preserve the vegitation that grows there. It was here that the five of us along with a tour guide began our 2 and a hal
f hour hike around the park. Along the way the guide showed us all types of fruits, flowers, and other types of plants that Dominicans use. Along the way we stopped by this families 
hut and chatted with them before moving on. In the picture the man standing in the white shirt was our guide and the lady of the house is there with her two sons. The highlight of the hike for Claire and I was when we got to this all natural lagoon that was located inside a cave. It wasn't very large but it was big and deep enough to take a quick little swim in. It was very clear and pretty cold but refreshing non the less.
During the evenings we would wonder down the beach looking for a place to have dinner. Each resturant that was along the strip opened out onto the beach and had tables out on the sand with torch l
ighting and music playing. We didn't find it too hard to find a fun place to eat.
Here is a shot of us having dinner one night at an Irish pub, of all places, call Jose O'Shays. We all had a great time tanning on the beach, trying out new places to eat, and swimming in the ocean and pool. There really isn't a boring three day weekend around here.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Goodbye Mom P.
Well, we've just said goodbye to Mom... it's pretty sad. My mom is truly one of my best friends.Last night for her "Last Hurrah" we went to a place called Bob's - the same place we went for my (Claire) birthday dinner. We had a great time having a meal together, and Mom insisted on paying.
For her last dinner in the DR, she had a wrap with sweet plantains, chicken, and cream cheese. Since I have a cold, I decided to go for soup, and the soup of the day happened to be made out of a huge orange 
squash-like veggie that they have here. It was so creamy and buttery! I'm sure it helped my cold. John had his favorite: the applewood smoked burger. We like Bob's because, unlike at other places here, the food always tastes really good - like home good. I'm sure many of you do not find our dinner fare interesting, but for us, yummy food is always worth talking about. We had a wonderful time, and we hadn't even started feeling sad yet. Mom was ready to go back and have a quiet evening with us. Little did she know, however, that Becky, Sonya, and Kari had a surprise cooked up for her when we got home. 
squash-like veggie that they have here. It was so creamy and buttery! I'm sure it helped my cold. John had his favorite: the applewood smoked burger. We like Bob's because, unlike at other places here, the food always tastes really good - like home good. I'm sure many of you do not find our dinner fare interesting, but for us, yummy food is always worth talking about. We had a wonderful time, and we hadn't even started feeling sad yet. Mom was ready to go back and have a quiet evening with us. Little did she know, however, that Becky, Sonya, and Kari had a surprise cooked up for her when we got home. 
Earlier in the day, close to the time when we were measuring John for the tux he'll need to wear for his best friend's wedding in May (see right), Becky had called me aside and said she wanted to have a little surprise good-bye party for my mom. We stealthily made a plan, and my mom had no idea whatsoever. When we got home, Becky called out into the hallway and said she wanted us to come see something in her apartment. We had planned on having it on the roof, but the clouds passing overhead were ominous, and it looked like rain. So, I made sure Mom walked in first, and SURPRISE!!!
I tried to get a good shot of her looking surprised, but all I got was the back of her head. So, this is a shot of her feigning surprise as she loads up her plate with tropical fruit (her favorite - and luckily plentiful around here), brownies, and ice cream. Becky and Sonya did such a great job at 
the last minute putting this all together. We had a great time talking, eating dessert, and playing a silly game together. I think it was a much better way to end the time with my mom than having a "quiet evening" in the apartment thinking about the inevitable: she will be leaving tomorrow. Sorry about the blurriness of the picture on the bottom right, but the ambiance in the room involved many 
candles and not much overhead light, which makes for a great atmosphere, but not great pictures.
the last minute putting this all together. We had a great time talking, eating dessert, and playing a silly game together. I think it was a much better way to end the time with my mom than having a "quiet evening" in the apartment thinking about the inevitable: she will be leaving tomorrow. Sorry about the blurriness of the picture on the bottom right, but the ambiance in the room involved many 
candles and not much overhead light, which makes for a great atmosphere, but not great pictures. We all really enjoyed ourselves - and I certainly did my fair share of enjoying, too, because by the end of the evening, I knew I had enjoyed a little too much - done a little too much. My head cold had decided to attack. I felt so sick when I went to bed - I knew I had done too much for being sick. Oh well. How often does my mom get to visit me here in the DR?
Anyway, I ended up going to school today for two and a half hour and then coming home. I wasn't going to make it. Now, mom is in a taxi, or sitting in the Santo Domingo airport waiting to fly away from here for good. No worries, though, we'll be back in Bloomington before we know it, right?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Hoosier Gets a Haircut
We've been having a great time these past few days with Mom Pontius. It's great having her around so she can see what "normal life" is like for us. (If you read our blog regularly, you know that there is no such thing as "normal" here.) We've been taking it kind of slow recently because I (Claire) have come down with my first Dominican cold. I haven't been feeling very well for the last few days.We have pretty much been taking it easy: reading on the roof, 
watching football, going to the 
movies, etc. John noticed that Hoosier needed a haircut, and he needed to get ready for tonight's big game (Colts vs. Patriots). We (all of our teacher friends, mom, and Hoosier) are all watching it as I type. Half of us are rooting for the Colts, and half for the Patriots since Becky is from New Hampshire.
watching football, going to the 
movies, etc. John noticed that Hoosier needed a haircut, and he needed to get ready for tonight's big game (Colts vs. Patriots). We (all of our teacher friends, mom, and Hoosier) are all watching it as I type. Half of us are rooting for the Colts, and half for the Patriots since Becky is from New Hampshire.Last night, we went to EL CONUCO, 
a typical Dominican restaurant, with all the foriegn teachers and Mom P. It was really fun, and we have some pictures of it, but they aren't uploading to the blogger program for some reason. At this place, El Conuco, they have dancers who dance on a bottle. We went there once before just after we arrived in the country. It was decidedly more pleasant this time because it wasn't quite so late at night.
a typical Dominican restaurant, with all the foriegn teachers and Mom P. It was really fun, and we have some pictures of it, but they aren't uploading to the blogger program for some reason. At this place, El Conuco, they have dancers who dance on a bottle. We went there once before just after we arrived in the country. It was decidedly more pleasant this time because it wasn't quite so late at night. 
School news: Fire in the tech lab!! While I (Claire) was teaching class last week in the student computer lab, my students complained of a bad smell: burning plastic. Nothing happened, so we turned the computers off and left. The next morning, when John was teaching in there, his students complained of a smell, and then an outlet behind one of the computers started spitting sparks and smoking. At that point all the students went wild and ran around like crazy people. (There is no fire plan at our school so the studnets freak out with more gusto than the students we're used to.) Eventually, a small flame errupted from the outlet as the students ran around in the hallway spreading unfounded rumors about how the huge table in the lab caught on fire. Needless to say, now there is a fire extinguisher bolted to the wall in the lab.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Back to the Riu
The resort that we decided to take Claire's parents to was the same resort that we had gone to over Thanksgiving weekend. We liked the resort, and with the reasonable price during this peek winter season, we figured to have another go at it. Sorry if some of the scenery in the pictures is a little repetitive from the Thanksgiving post, it's just so beautiful its hard not to show it off.
Claire and I took last period of the day off on Friday to ensure that we catch the earlier bus out of town. By doing so, we accomplished a couple things: 1. we beat most of the weekend traffic out of town and 2. we got to the resort early enough to have dinner. Just as we 
had gotten onto the bus and were sitting there waiting to leave, it started to rain, a preview of what was yet to come. We again took the 3 and a half hour Metro bus ride to the north side of the island to Puerto Plata. It rained on and off the entire way up. When we arrived at the bus station, we took a taxi to the resort, and indeed made it there in pl
enty of time for dinner. After dinner, Claire and I showed Brad and Gail around the rest of the resort. It was rainy off and on the entire night so instead of staying out, we decided to make our way back to the rooms for a game of cards. The shot of us in the room playing cards was a strategic camera placement on the part of Brad and me. Its almost as if someone was in the room with us. The next day we were ready for some fun in the sun; unfortunatly, there wasn't a whole lot of sun to be
had. After watching the drizzle out the window during breakfast we decided to head out to the beach anyway to see what the clouds had in store. We walked around a little while taking another little to
ur of the resort and then out to the lookout point. Sometime around midmorning the clouds broke, and we took our post out on the beach. About 15 minutes later the clouds rolled in as did the rain, and everyone went running back for cover. This phenomenon Claire liked to call the "mass exodus." Twenty or so minutes later, sun and back out to the beach. A half hour, rain, run for cover. You get the idea how much of the day went. Because of this we saw about a dozen different rain
bows at various times throughout our weekend. If you look closely you can see a rainbow in the picture of Claire and I in the water. We didn't let the weather get us down however. We found a nice little table that overlooked the ocean that was covered and played cards in between our runs to the beach
. Claire and I had gotten some card games when we were home over Christmas to play in times like these. There was a longer period of time in the afternoon when we were able to stay out on the beach and do a little swimming, so we were pleased. That night we had dinner at a little sit down place they had at the re
sort where we again got to see our waiter serve us some flaming ice cream for dessert. I took a little video of it and hopefully will have it up on the video page soon. Then after dinner we did what almost any resort tourist does....we headed to the show!!! Claire and 
I, having been to half a dozen different resorts now around the island, have seen just about all they have to offer. The same music is played no matter where you go, the skits all come from the same idea, and the dances are very similar. Really the only thing that changes from place to place are the outfits - and boy did 
this show have some outfits. To spare you some of the details let me just say that the ladies had more on their heads with their headresses then they did below the neckline. After the show we were too exhausted from running back and forth to the beach so we retired to our rooms to get a good night's sleep and dream of a sunny tomorrow.
had. After watching the drizzle out the window during breakfast we decided to head out to the beach anyway to see what the clouds had in store. We walked around a little while taking another little to
ur of the resort and then out to the lookout point. Sometime around midmorning the clouds broke, and we took our post out on the beach. About 15 minutes later the clouds rolled in as did the rain, and everyone went running back for cover. This phenomenon Claire liked to call the "mass exodus." Twenty or so minutes later, sun and back out to the beach. A half hour, rain, run for cover. You get the idea how much of the day went. Because of this we saw about a dozen different rain
bows at various times throughout our weekend. If you look closely you can see a rainbow in the picture of Claire and I in the water. We didn't let the weather get us down however. We found a nice little table that overlooked the ocean that was covered and played cards in between our runs to the beach
. Claire and I had gotten some card games when we were home over Christmas to play in times like these. There was a longer period of time in the afternoon when we were able to stay out on the beach and do a little swimming, so we were pleased. That night we had dinner at a little sit down place they had at the re
sort where we again got to see our waiter serve us some flaming ice cream for dessert. I took a little video of it and hopefully will have it up on the video page soon. Then after dinner we did what almost any resort tourist does....we headed to the show!!! Claire and 
I, having been to half a dozen different resorts now around the island, have seen just about all they have to offer. The same music is played no matter where you go, the skits all come from the same idea, and the dances are very similar. Really the only thing that changes from place to place are the outfits - and boy did 
this show have some outfits. To spare you some of the details let me just say that the ladies had more on their heads with their headresses then they did below the neckline. After the show we were too exhausted from running back and forth to the beach so we retired to our rooms to get a good night's sleep and dream of a sunny tomorrow. The next morning the sun wasn't shinning. Again we
sat at breakfast watching the drizzle out the window and spent the morning heading out to the ocean and back to our Rook nook. This is the term we developed for our little table with the ocean view because Rook was the card game
we played. Finally after lunch the clouds broke for good leaving the rest of the afternoon for some nice sunny weather. It was nice to take a nap, read a little, and swim. If you hadn't guessed we spent the rest of the day on the beach.
sat at breakfast watching the drizzle out the window and spent the morning heading out to the ocean and back to our Rook nook. This is the term we developed for our little table with the ocean view because Rook was the card game
we played. Finally after lunch the clouds broke for good leaving the rest of the afternoon for some nice sunny weather. It was nice to take a nap, read a little, and swim. If you hadn't guessed we spent the rest of the day on the beach. 
Here in the city we don't get to take "hot" showers like we do in the USA, so when we head to the resorts this is one of the things that we look forward to the most. After our long day on the beach we were ready for our hot shower. Wrong. It turns out that a main water line that brought hot 
water to all three of the resorts on the complex had burst and there was no hot water anywhere to be found. So it was yet another cold shower before dinner. After dinner that night we decided to skip the "Magic Show" that was being performed and sit nearby and play some more cards. Because we had waited longer in our rooms for the potential of hot water, we didn't make it to dinner very early so we were all pretty wiped out by this point in the evening. Knowing that we only had a morning more to spend we decided to hit the sack a little early in hopes to rise a little earlier in the morning. When we got back to our room ...Eureka: HOT WATER. We both took extra long showers that night.
water to all three of the resorts on the complex had burst and there was no hot water anywhere to be found. So it was yet another cold shower before dinner. After dinner that night we decided to skip the "Magic Show" that was being performed and sit nearby and play some more cards. Because we had waited longer in our rooms for the potential of hot water, we didn't make it to dinner very early so we were all pretty wiped out by this point in the evening. Knowing that we only had a morning more to spend we decided to hit the sack a little early in hopes to rise a little earlier in the morning. When we got back to our room ...Eureka: HOT WATER. We both took extra long showers that night.
Monday morning (Claire and I took the day off) we awoke to some more dreary weather and did some running back and forth to the beach, but fortunately for us there was more sun than rain. We stayed until around 1 when we then caught the 2 oclock bus home. We then arrived safely home sometime just before 6. All in all it was a great trip, even with the rain. Because we weren't able to stay out on the beach all day we were able to do a few other things besides getting sunburnt such as taking mini walks down the beach or playing cards. For those of you who don't know Claire's dad, Brad loves to take pictures. So we have a ton of pictures from this little trip. We are going to try and put some of these on our picture page so please check it out by clicking on "Picture Page."
A Few New Additions
Hello to all of our blog readers. We are sorry that it has been awhile since we last posted. We have been super busy showing Claire's parents around and starting back to school.
The second addition comes from a Christmas 
present that my mom gave me. His name is Hoosier. A little over a week ago I took Hoosier out of the box and put some water in his jar. This picture on the left is what Hoosier looked like about 5 days later. His hair is supposed to continue to grow and then can be styled or cut. The picture of Hoosier on the right is what he looked like 4 days later when we got back from the resort. We couldn't believe how much his hair grew in such a short time. I am sure you will be seeing Hoosier in blog entries to come.
Addition Number 1:
One of the things that we have been doing is trying to help our new friend Kari (who is Wayne's replacement) settle in. We had Kari over last week to give her the tour of our apartment and to show her how laundry is done. While in the process of showing her, she was 
telling us about the twin size bed that she has to sleep on. She told us that she was going to buy a new bed for herself that was big enough for her. When she asked the school for help showing her where she could get one, the school offered to buy it for her. So we then devised this plan: we would giveKari our double bed, and since the school was buying a new bed anyway, they could buy a queen size for Claire and I. Well, they went for it, and the next day, Claire and I received our new queen size bed. Yeahhhh a bed that I finally fit on. Here is a picture of the gang trying it out for the first time. Claire wants to let everyone know that we will be putting more pictures of our new bed on the blog once we get some sheets on it and it's all set up.
telling us about the twin size bed that she has to sleep on. She told us that she was going to buy a new bed for herself that was big enough for her. When she asked the school for help showing her where she could get one, the school offered to buy it for her. So we then devised this plan: we would giveKari our double bed, and since the school was buying a new bed anyway, they could buy a queen size for Claire and I. Well, they went for it, and the next day, Claire and I received our new queen size bed. Yeahhhh a bed that I finally fit on. Here is a picture of the gang trying it out for the first time. Claire wants to let everyone know that we will be putting more pictures of our new bed on the blog once we get some sheets on it and it's all set up. Addition Number 2:
The second addition comes from a Christmas 
present that my mom gave me. His name is Hoosier. A little over a week ago I took Hoosier out of the box and put some water in his jar. This picture on the left is what Hoosier looked like about 5 days later. His hair is supposed to continue to grow and then can be styled or cut. The picture of Hoosier on the right is what he looked like 4 days later when we got back from the resort. We couldn't believe how much his hair grew in such a short time. I am sure you will be seeing Hoosier in blog entries to come. Addition Number 3:
John's new favorite thing, besides Hoosier, of course, is his new basketball hoop that his brother, Joe, gave him for Christmas. It is intended to be
hung on the back of a door,
but we didn't have an available door, so John rigged it to stick on the wall above the doorway to the bedrooms. This way, there is plenty of room to shoot, and he'll never run out of trick shots with which to WOW his wife. Woo Hoo!Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Fun with the Padres
"Padres," for your information, is the word in Spanish for "parents," and we are having fun with the parents. They are enjoying some much needed relaxation after my brother's wedding and having a great time hanging around in the Latin/Caribbean culture and using their Spanish.
Today, while we were at school, they walked around town and came back with some gifts for us: small plates (we only have four huge ones) and a small step stool so that I (Claire) can 1) see into the cupboards and 2) see more than my eyebrows in the one mirror we have in the bathroom. I really love the stool.
After school today, we attempted laundry and helped the new teacher (who is finally replacing Wayne) get settled in. Then, we went out together to enjoy the Dominican atmosphere and American/Canadian conversation. We're glad the padres can hang out a little with the people we spend all our time with here. We want them to have a good idea of what we do on a regular basis.
John and I are just holding on until Friday when we get to forget about school for a few days (again) and take off for a resort. We're taking part of the day on Friday and the whole day on Monday - here comes another four hour bus ride!
Today, while we were at school, they walked around town and came back with some gifts for us: small plates (we only have four huge ones) and a small step stool so that I (Claire) can 1) see into the cupboards and 2) see more than my eyebrows in the one mirror we have in the bathroom. I really love the stool.
After school today, we attempted laundry and helped the new teacher (who is finally replacing Wayne) get settled in. Then, we went out together to enjoy the Dominican atmosphere and American/Canadian conversation. We're glad the padres can hang out a little with the people we spend all our time with here. We want them to have a good idea of what we do on a regular basis.
John and I are just holding on until Friday when we get to forget about school for a few days (again) and take off for a resort. We're taking part of the day on Friday and the whole day on Monday - here comes another four hour bus ride!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Mom and Dad Pontius have made it safely to the Dominican Republic and we have been tooling around Santo Domingo showing them the town. Here we are at the Columbus fort - again. :)
We're getting ready to take off and walk around the city together, but we just wanted to let all you blog readers know that they made it safe and sound, found their own way to our apartment, and are having a great time.
Dad is sick - we decided that when our parents come visit, it it must be time for dads to get sick. He has a pretty bad head cold, but we got some medicine for him yesterday, and he is on the mend.
Tomorrow is the first day of school - we've kind of been dreading it for a few days. But - lucky for us - we're headed to a resort on the weekend! Woo hoo!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
We're Back...
Even though we only left the country for six days, it's been a little bit of an adjustment coming back. I guess we got used to things going smoothly while we were in Bloomington. Things just never go quite as planned here.Yesterday, we went out for my birthday dinner - yes, my birthday is in November, but John was so sick on my birthday that we couldn't do anything special, so we postponed it until we had time. We were so busy until now that it just didn't happen. We went to a place called "Bob's" that we had wanted to try. I had hummus, a smoothy, and ravioli with pesto. The pesto was certainly not the best I have had, but it was still a treat. John had a burger.
On the way to lunch, we decided to stop and get a new shower curtain because things here get moldy really fast... we needed a new one. So, we went to the Multicentro to get a shower curtain, and the only color they had was pink. Our bathroom is yellow and green. Still, though, a pink one works just as well as any other color, so we went for it. Of course, because this is the Dominican Republic, when we got to the checkout, we found out that the curtain we picked up didn't have a price and therefore we couldn't buy it. So, we had to stand there while some one went to get another curtain. Eventually, we successfully purchased our curtain.
Then, we went to pay some bills because they had arrived while we were gone. We never pay our bills in person because the school takes our money and sends people to pay the bills. Here, you can't send your bills in the mail or pay them online. You have to actually go to the company and pay the bill there. We knew that the companies we needed to pay had a little booth in the Multicentro, so we took our bills and our cash and got in line.
There were employees behind the counter and other people waiting in line, but after a few minutes, we realized that no transactions were taking place. Why? We had no idea... and still have no idea, but there was a sign on the counter that said, in Spanish, of course that between 2:30 and 3:00, you can't pay bills. Why? We have no idea. The employees were all there. WHY??
Lucky for us, it was 10 minutes to 3:00, so we just had to stand around until three o'clock when the girl behind the counter started to help customers... how Dominican!
After all that rigmarole, we went to Bob's for dinner, and then to another store where John got some shoes. We planned to stop at the video store on the way home to rent a few movies, but when we came out of the store where John bought his shoes, we noticed a nasty storm brewing in the sky - we were a mile from home. :(
We ended up spending WAY too long in the video store while it poured outside, but we were really excited about avoiding a severe soaking. We're learning. :)
We have been relaxing a lot in the past few days, which has been really great since we were so incredibly busy on our visit to the USA. Here is John doing one of his absolute favorite things: a puzzle. He's so happy when he's doing a puzzle.
Now, we are going to be preparing for my (Claire) parents to arrive tomorrow night. We can't wait.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
A Whirlwind of a Visit
We just got back from our whirlwind visit home. It's kind of sad to be back here, but on the other hand, it feels like we belong here. We had a wonderful visit to Bloomington... we thought it wasn't long enough, but upon reflection, we decided if it had been any longer, we would have wanted to stay.
It was so good to see family and friends, to feel normal for a few days. We enjoyed hot showers, a comfortable bed, good food, reading the paper in the morning, and watching football in English. It was hard to come back here.
My (Claire) brother, Joel, got married, which was the reason for our quick trip home. He married a lovely girl named Laura who fits in with our family wonderfully. We were so glad we could be a part of their wedding.
Here are Laura and Joel at their rehearsal
It was great to hang out with my brothers. They started a new "family" tradition that involves laying on the floor after every meal. I personally hope it goes out of style soon, but it sure was funny at the time. This is Joel, Jesse, and their friend Eric relaxing on the floor the night before the wedding.
Both John and I got to dance with Joel during the Dollar Dance. They sure needed the extra dollars to get to Wyoming where they'll be living.
We had a great time, and deep down inside, we're counting the days until we get to move home. 
A life full of adventure sure looks good from the outside, exciting and all, but when you're living it, things are a bit too stressful for comfort.
A life full of adventure sure looks good from the outside, exciting and all, but when you're living it, things are a bit too stressful for comfort.We got to buy some things that are really expensive here - like contact solution and a DVD player. We also got to see some friends and remember what it's like to hang out. It was almost too great.
Upon our return, we arrived at about 1:30 am to a stuffy apartment with ants all over our bed. We took lukewarm showers today and walked to the store, but on the upside, our chapped lips are already almost completely healed, and we got to drink fresh squeezed orange juice on the
way to the grocery store. 
