Friend Finding

Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Helpful survival hints
Since I didn't have many friends in Dominican Republic so I had to go out friend finding. Walk around and talk to people. Get to know my surroundings. Make my self at home in my new country. So Sniffy and I went out on many walk abouts. Of course on all our walks we had to stop in the Colmados and have a liquid refreshment. Sniffy got a funda de auga(Bag of water),a plastic glass, and a piece of pan de auga (bread). I got a Presidente pequina (small beer). Then we'd talk. Sniffy talked also. People always loved her. She really didn't think she was a dog so she joined in the conversations with a bark or a body move which made many a person laugh. People knew her name before they knew mine.
We walked everywhere. Started out in the morning when it was cool. Many times returned home after the sun went down. One day we walked from Enchanche Julietta to Gazcue then down to the Malecon. Ended up at (can't remember the name right now) the place that had the big beer mug on their billboard along the Malecon. Since there weren't amny people there yet they permtted Sniffy to be inside. We sat near the doorway. She was so tired from the walk that she didn't talk much. These 2 men came in and sat near us. We started talking. They were really nice humans. We all decided to go and get some mondongo. It was great because I was going to have to get a taxi home. It was way to far to walk to return (we had that problem alot. Walked so far that when it was time to return we had to get a taxi). So we went out with these men. Which ended up that one of them, Tony, has remained one of my closest friends to this day. I have met many of his friends and we have all become very close. So friend finding does have its good points.
I went with Sniffy to the first Colmado I ever went to on my first trip to Santo Domingo. They remembered me and one guy there even remembered my dogs name from ne telling him stories of her when I was on vacation.
Once walking, I was having a bad back day, A man started talking to us. He looked familiar. It ended up he was one of the owners of a famous restaurant in Mirador del Sur. He drove Sniffy and I home. Sniffy got to ride on fine leather seats that day!
We went to visit some people I met on the computer who , it ended up, lived one street over from me. Sniffy got to ride on an elevator that day. She didn't even seem to mind.
We walked everywhere. Every direction. Met good and not so good humans.But it was all good for me. I was where I wanted to live. Where I felt like I belonged. Where I could take Sniffy into a store with me . She was even permitted into some of the cafeterias with me. She seemed to like her new home also. She was the star of the Colmados and someone once gave me the title the Colmado Queen (jejej).
Next came Christmas...

Dominican Republic Pastimes, Baseball, Beisbol

Dominican Republic Pastimes, Baseball, Beisbol
Looks as if the Tigres de Licey won the baseball playoffs again this year. The first year I was in Dominican Republic for this event I was living in a more residential area and didn't really get to experience the full effect of a team winning. The second year when I lived in the Colonial Zone I was amazed. It doesn't even matter which team wins. All that matters is someone won and it's time to have a good time.
I was on the computer in the house talking to a Dominican Friend on line. All of a sudden there arose such a clatter (sounds like Santa was on the roof?)outside on the Malecon..this is the main street running along the sea. I went out to the balcony to see what was happening. I saw sparks in the street! FIRE!? Nope..it was a motorbike dragging a large sheet of metal down the road so as to make sparks and noise in celebration. There were people yelling and hooting. Guns banging! Cars going past decorated with banners. People hanging our of every available opening in those vehicles. Out the windows, sunroofs and even riding on the tops of the cars. I didn't know what was going on not being a big sport fan.
I got back on the puter and told my friend what was happening. He laughed at me for not knowing. He told me it was about the baseball game and that everyone was heading to the Malecon to celebrate.
Here in USA if all this noise happened after midnoght I'm not sure people would be as forgiving. But in DR it seems that people enjoy no matter what.
My pal asked me if I would like him to come and get me and take me for a ride to see what was going on. The baseball really didn't matter to me and I was already settling down for the night. I wasn't really up for going out. But I did feel it was my duty to record this happening and to have another Dominican experience so I said sure.Really I was ready in 5 minutes and excited to get into the celebrating.
We went out and drove around a bit. Got some beer. I took some pictures. Had a great time. Laughed much. It was another Dominican experience I will never forget.
After that first time I wasn't as shocked with the way people celebrate. But that first time, I will never forget. The pictures. The happy humans. Then trying to explain it all to my American friends so they would understand. You just had to be there to really appriciate it. And I'm so glad I was there.

Movin' In

Colonial Zone Dominican Republic

Paper in hand. Dog sleeping on the bed. Friend finally there to pick me up..having always to remember about Dominican time...I was off on my quest for a new place to lay my little head. Hernando didn't know where many of the places were that were listed in the newspaper. I had my map . I really didn't understand a lot of what the paper said about descriptions and he was trying to explain all to me. I wanted a cheap place. I didn't want to pay more than $100 USD and I wanted to be in a decent area where I wasn't too afraid. Wasn't that easy to find but I was very determined.
I couldn't believe some of the places we saw. Remember, housing is much different in DR than in USA. I had no idea there were places to live in some of the buildings I looked at. Going back tiny little alleys. No driveways. No private entrances. One place I looked at had no doors or fixtures..no toilet, no sink..just holes where they were to be.
We spent all day looking. It was starting to get dark. I didn't want to stop looking but Hernando wanted to go to his home so we agreed to one more place. It was about $20USD more than I wanted to spend but we looked anyhow. It was in Ensanche Julietta, nice area, some very nice houses in the area. It was a little studio apartment behind a ladies home. She had about 7 apartments and they were very clean and we all shared a patio.Everything was included, even cable TV. Everything except the telephone. She spoke a little English and said my dog was welcome. I found my home.
Hernando co-signed for me, I gave her the deposit and 1st months rent. Got the key and that was that. When I called Carlos and told him I found a place he was shocked. We went to Alexanders apartment that night(he is the friend I went to when the Embassy wouldn't let me in).
Now I had to figure out how to get furniture that I needed. I wanted a sofa bed because the place was so small. I needed a fridge, stove, and TV. The basics. Uncle Juan and Carlos came to take me shopping. They were so funny. I wanted to buy the stuff. They kept saying everything was too expensive. It really didn't seem that expensive to me and I needed it so I really didn't have a choice.
I finally got them to let me buy a futon (which I really didn't want. My back doesn't like Futons much). I got a college type refrigerator and a stove top thing. Got a plastic shelf to set the stuff on and Carlos went and got me a small used TV.
Got the truck to have it delivered. Went to the hotel packed up myself and Sniffy and we moved into our new place. First night had to sleep on the floor because I had to go and buy a screwdriver to put the futon together. Carlos said he would help but I had it all together by the time he got there. Uncle Juan just couldn't understand why I would even conceder moving to Dominican Republic(he still askes me this question when he sees me)
The next day I tried to go shopping for food. The Sirena store was about 4 blocks away. I was going shopping for the first time. I went into the food area and was in for another shock. I had no idea what half of the food was. Veggies looked different. I didn't recognize most of the fruit, either their names or the way they looked. A papaya didn't look like the papayas we had in Pennsylvania. I finally realized..I wasn't in Mars anymore(Mars Pennsylvania)! Even when I bought a few veggies and went to pay, I didn't know I had to get them weighed first. I couldn't find any milk. It was all in boxes on the shelf, not cold in the fridge. I was so frustrated. I had to hold in the tears until I got to where noone saw me. I put my sunglasses on to cover my eyes and walked home with the little bit of things I bought, saying not nice words under my breath.
When I got home I called Jose, I did get my cell phone changed and got a Dominican number. I told him my problem. He was laughing and came and picked me up. We had Mondongo at his house. Then he took me to the store. He helped me get the basic stuff. Mop. Broom. A big plastic bottle for the water (I didn't understand where I was going to get the bottle filled but I bought it because he said to do it). He showed me some of the veggies. I didn't even know what a platano looked like. I just thought it was a hard, not ripe, ugly banana.
He stopped at a Colmado (or course we had a few beers) close to my home to get the number so I could call them to have water and things delivered. I was really impressed with that. I could call and they would bring me beer, food and cigs. I was content!
So the next day I called to get the water. I found out that when they bring me the water jug I give them the new one. A deposit bottle. Good deal. So I get them on the phone. Tell them I want a grande auga. They didn't know what I was saying. They did understand the cigs and beer but the water they just didn't understand. So I went out knocking on my neighbors door and told the girl, she was from Trinidad-Tobago, what I wanted. She was laughing so hard at me, the guy on the phone was laughing. I found out that I wanted a bote un de auga (I think that's how to spell it. I only have had to say it, never spelt it before)! Wow! That was a dumb name for a big jug of water. But the Colmado guy came. Sniffy greeted him. I paid. He put the jug in the holder I bought. Good thing cause I had no clue how to get the jug turned upside down without spilling the water. Dumb me!
Sniffy and I were happy. Another obstacle tackled. Next was to go out and explore the neighborhood and get a phone so I could get my computer on line.

So difficult sometimes

Some days it's so difficult writing about my time in Dominican Republic. At times writing or thinking about the country makes me more homesick and other times it makes me feel closer. Today is one of those days where I feel like I will never return to where I love and where I want to spend the rest of my life. It feels like I'm going to die here in this damn USA. Waisting away, getting fatter and more depressed as each day passes. It seems as if my life in DR is only a dream.
Did it really happen or was it only a long wonderful dream?
I don't know sometimes. But then it has to be real because if I thing real hard I can still feel some beer running down my throat and it seems I can still fell the warm sun on my back (and the sweat dampening my mustache..jejej..that is a joke mind you). I can smell the chicherones sometimes when a certain type of wood is burning in the stove here. I can imagine being with me friends and walking the streets with my dog, Sniffy.
I want to go home so much that sometimes it feels that my heart is filled up with something, I can't explain the feeling. It just feels like my insides are full. Like its a heavy heart feeling. Its not even the same missing feeling I get when I think of my son, Billy Jay. Missing him is a lonely feeling and a happy one when I remember all about him. I think the difference is I know Billy Jay will never return. But I know Dominican Republic is still there, waiting for me to come back.
I hope I make sense. But then, I usually don't.
Sorry if I am depressing today. Tomorrow is another day.

The first week

When I got into the country and all through customs with my dog and a few extra boxes of belongings (I didn't get searched, I think they just wanted me and my barking dog, who had to pee, out of the airport). I was wheeling down the ramp to my waiting friends. They both arrived in separate cars because of all the stuff I had. Good thing, it would have never fit in one car. Of course Uncle Juan had to reprimand me for being s stupid moving to DR when most Dominicans want out. But then he knew me well enough by then that I had a hard head and would do as I wished anyhow.
We got all loaded up and Carlos had the back seat all covered, don't want to mess up his fine leather seats!. We were on our way to a big adventure.
They made arrangements for me to stay with an Aunt because she had dogs and would be Ok with it. Of course first we had to stop and get a Presidente beer. Sniffys first time in a Colmado. She was right at home.
We arrived at the Aunts home and first thing she wanted to tie my baby out back with her dogs. Sniffy would never go for that. She would howl all the time she was chained up. She has never really been tied outside. She's part of the family. Where I am she is. We discussed it for a while (which I have since learned that this is the Dominican way also, everything that one does or plans to do has to be discussed, "what if this happens", or "maybe this might happen", instead of just doing it and moving on.
I kept telling them that I could not stay there if Sniffy had to stay outside. So after it was dark outside, and we were still sitting there discussing where I was going to sleep, I finally got out the number for the hotel I always stayed in. I finally got them to let me use the phone after more discussion that the hotel probably wouldn't let a dog stay there. I say just call the place and ask.
Carlos decided he'd call because my Spanish wasn't good.
The girl in the hotel remembered me and she asked the boss if I could have my dog, since it never came up before. She came back and said it was OK I just had to stay in a room in the back. Thank God for Apart Hotel Millenium! And also that I do work hard making myself be a memorable person..LOL!
Sniffy was right at home in the place. We went to the cafe and had a late night snack. Then we walked to the Colmado to say hi to some friends. Of Course drank some beer with them. Went back to the hotel, we both got our shower and went to sleep. She on her pillow and I on mine. Not sure if the hotel knew she slept in the bed too! But she is cleaner than a lot of humans I know!
We woke in the morning to Carlos calling to see if all was OK and he couldn't take me around to look for apartments. So I started making phone calls to people I knew with cars, made arrangements to meet, got my paper and was off to look for a place for me and Sniffy to call home.

To See the Real D.R., It Takes a Villa

To See the Real D.R., It Takes a Villa
I just read this news paper article and it's nice to see some positive writings about Dominican Republic. So many things you read all dwell on the negative. Thank you Washington post for writing positive about our country.

New Years Eve-When Sniffy Lost her Eyes

I forgot a few important things,
When I went to visit Sniffy the first time. I was so afraid. She was laying on the patio. Not moving. I came onto the patio she heard me. She tried to get up. I bent down and she started kissing me. Her head didn't move much but her tongue was very active! I was so happy. Juan Antonio took pictures. I'd put them on here but they are in Dominican Republic.

Another thing , the vet, he was so good to me. Even though I was american, and supposedly had lots of money. He knew I didn't have much and he saw how much I loved my dog. He only charged me $600 pesos for a 3 day stay including the medicine!. That was unreal. That was maybe $25 US Dollars. Unreal.

OK..back to the present. Gotta go to the Doctors. My hospital visit the other day didn't seem to work. Something doesn't seem right so off to the doc. Just my luck!

My First New Year in DR continued

Juan Antonio and I went to his cousins home for New Years Eve. They were really nice people. They made me feel very welcome, like I was family. Even though I couldn't understand much that was being said. There was a few things that happened that I had to ask Juan to explain. One I remember well was around midnight the women started crying. I was sort of shocked at this. I have always laughed and had fun when the New Year came. I finally got Juan Antonio off to the side to ask what happened. He explained that they were crying for the dead people in the family. All the people that passed. I understood but yet I didn't, why cry when its supposed to be a happy time. It is some Dominican tradition that I needed to learn to accept, never understand.
One thing I remember well about that night was they took me to see some Cacatas or the Dominican tarantula. I was saying I never saw one . They told me they go out and kill them because they come into the house at night and scare everyone. We went out with a stick and some water. They found a little hole in the ground and dug around. They were so close to the hole! I was really jumpy cause I expected this giant tarantula like the one my son had for a pet, to jump out! I was told the spiders are slow in the day time. I still didn't trust them. I wanted to put my spider armor on and have a large can of bug spray in hand! Finally a spider came out of the hole. It was the most anorexic and spindly tarantula I ever had seen. Not that I had seen many, but if I was to describe an anorexic tarantula that one would have been the prime example. He same out and looked around (it seemed that was what it was doing) and the stick came down on it and that was it. On to the next hole. I'm not really into killing spiders. I usually put something over them if they're in the house and let them free outside. But this was a real experience. I was a little jumpy the rest of the night thinking one was crawling in the dark under my chair.
But we had our New Years Eve celebration. We returned to Juan Antonios home and went to sleep because I had to wake as soon as the vet was taking phone calls to check on my Sniffy.
We had to pick her up to take her back to Santo Domingo with me. I had to get home. She wasn't walking yet. The vet put a newspaper around her foot so she didn't scratch her face open. In USA they would put one of those cones around the head. But this way worked just fine. I could imagine the headache poor Sniffy had. The way she was bashed into the road.
Her missing eye hole was draining. It was a mess. I had to keep putting drops into it. Her other eye was swollen out of her head so I had to keep dropping that to keep it moist. Her face that was sown up wasn't pleasant to look at. My poor girl.
When we got her home I let her have my bed. I slept on the floor. I didn't leave the house for over a week. Then I went out once for a few hours to get some food. Thank goodness for Colmados that deliver. They were such a life saver. My back was killing me having to carry her around. And sleeping on the floor wasn't very good for the back either. But I had to take care of my girl.
Just a little note here. She did survive all this. She was blind. I was her seeing eye human. People couldn't believe she was blind because she got around so well.

Now back to work on the web site.
I'll try and put some Dominican Traditions on the site today. (Hope I can. I'm still feeling yucky after the little operation I had on Tuesday.) I added a few words to the list and some more history stuff.

My first New Year in Dominican Republic

Present:
The web site www.colonialzone-dr.com is coming together more and more everyday. The problem now is that I keep thinking of more stuff to add but can't find all the info I would like to include. I guess I shouldn't complain as the site hasn't even been on the net for 2 months. But as always, when I want something I always want it YESTERDAY!

PAST:
My first New Year in DR was going to be great. My friend Juan Antonio came and took Sniffy and I to his home in Bani. We were going to go to the beach relax. Since I don't have my journal with me here now I'll try and remember the events as they happened but I'm sure I'll mess up on the time line a bit, sorry.
The day before New Year's Eve Juan Antonio came and picked Sniffy and I up in his Gua gua. Sniffy loved it because she had not ridden in a car since we arrived in DR. She loved riding in cars. When I went anywhere she went with.
We went to Juans home in Bani, beautiful place. Sniffy was, of course, afraid of his cat. But she made herself right at home. She never thought of herself as a dog. She was 100% human in her mind.
Juan was going to take us to the playa for the day. So we got all organized and hopped into the Gua gua. We were half way there and we got a flat tire. He was fixing it and I was hanging with Sniffy on the side of the road. There was a house across the street. She spotted a dog and wanted to go and take a sniff. I told her she could go and she was so happy. There was no traffic in the road so she crossed the road all happy. She and the other dog spent a few minutes sniffing and she had enough. She was crossing the road all smiles (yes, she did smile) when this jeepeta(SUV) came over the crest of the hill, moving fast. It never even slowed down or swerved. Sniffy didn't even see it coming. She went from a split second of being all happy to being hit with the truck. And there was nothing I could do. I was screaming for her to go faster. It all seemed to be in slow motion. Even by the time Juan got up to see what I was screaming Sniffy was down and had crawled under the Gua gua. The damn jeepeta didn't even slow or stop!
I drug Sniffy out from under the van. She was covered in blood. One side of the face was hanging off and her eye was gone. The only place that had blood was her head. The jeepeta hit her dead center. It was high of the ground so it didn't smash her. It hit her head then she was bashed into the pavement and she went under and out the back of the truck. Not one tire hit her! Even though she was hit God was with her. It was a miracle that not 1 tire touched her. She did not have 1 broken bone. It was her head.
The man from the house across the street came running with a bucket of water and I got my towel. We wrapped her head and I held her on my lap. She just laid there. I was trying not to cry cause I didn't want to upset her. I was talking to her and telling her I loved her.
Juan finally got the tire changed. We got her and I into the back of the van, on my lap of course. She wasn't moving much.
We got into town and started looking for a vet. There were none open since it was holiday. We drove to 3 different vets and finally he remembered a vet that had an office in his home.
We went there and the vet was home! I got Sniffy into the house and laid her down. I was covered in blood. She wasn't moving much. Her 1 eye was gone and the other was white and swollen about 3 times its size.
After the vet started looking at her I lost it. I was shaking and almost passed out a few times. That dog was my baby. I brought her with me to live in Dominican Republic. She was about 10 years old at this time. I got her from the humane Society when she was between 1 and 2 years old. I gave her a breed because she didn't have one, she was a Miniature Barrel Shepard. She was a bit fat, 13 inches tall and 60 pounds. Funny looking, her back side was a little higher than her front. I worked with her a lot to get her to be friendly, to get her to listen, even to get her to bark took time. After all the work I had me a best friend. She went on vacations with me. The policy was "love me, love my dog". She went jet skiing and boating with my friends. Even when I received an invite Sniffy was included.
Anyhow...the vet kept her. He said he fed her chicken because he saw she was a special dog. We met up with the vet later that night at the park and bought him a few beers. The next day I went to visit her and called the vet about 4 times to check on her.
We went out that night to Juan Antonios families home to celebrate New Years Eve. I tried to join in, it wasn't easy. I just couldn't stop worrying about my baby and feeling guilty for being out and her being in the hospital.

More later....