A Lynching

Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic night life, Dining and Drinking
More and more You see in the Dominican newspapers (example Celebrate killing of mugger by drinking and dancing that people are taking the law into their own hands. It happened before but it seems to me to be reported more these days. Maybe because of the law about the alcohol selling places not being permitted to sell alcohol after midnight (2 on weekends). Maybe its because the crime rate has risen. Or could it just be the media or government wanting focus brought on their issues. Whatever the reason its in the papers I'm happy about it.
I'm glad when people take a stand and take the law into control when the people that are supposed to be taking care of enforcing the law don't do it, or can't do it. I like when the people do it. It makes the criminals maybe think a little more before they commit a crime. Maybe.
Anyhow...back to my story. On Sundays I usually went walking to unknown regions with my best friend, the blind wonder dog Sniffy. I wasn't feeling like walking really because my back had been hurting bad. But I hadn't taken her out for even a little walk in days. Only to the park to take care of her business and to the local Colmado. And I did promise her to take her on a walk. I have o keep my promises especially to my best friend. So we started off. Made a left out the apartment door and headed toward the basketball court and was going to head up to Colon Park area.
As we were just passing a little Colmado a group of men were running towards us. There had to be at least 20, probably more. A motor bike was in the lead of these men and a man was running out ahead of them. I was standing on the sidewalk watching these guys running, coming from the basketball area. A lady I always said hi to came to her door and motioned me to get into the Colmado and she pointed to the lone guy in the lead with a look of danger on her face. I did not hesitate and Sniffy and I went into the Colmado. The patrons of the Colmado were blocking the doorway so we had to push our way into the place as they stood in the doorways watching what was coming up the street.
I had no idea what was going on and tried to ask the man working in the Colmado, who I knew, what was happening as I also asked for a beer to drink since I was there. He ignored me and went to the door with the rest of the crowd. Another lady I knew told me and as best as I could understand. The man on the motor bike and the lead running man stole a cell phine from a guy playing basketball. The man on foot was the grabber and he was to jump on the back of the bike after the grab. Well, I guess the men in the basketball court got to the grabber before he made it to the bike. They were off after him. The driver fled ahead of the grabber on foot and left him. So all the men in the basketball court and the onlookers went after the Grabber.
As the group of chasers passed by the Colmado a man on a bicycle was in the lead and almost had the Grabber.
They had made it past the Colmado by now. All the onlookers were making their way into the middle of the street to get a better look at what was about to happen. All the dogs on the neighborhood were barking along with my Sniffy. She didn't see but she did hear the noise of the yelling angry mob that was in the street. I had to go and peek out the door and have a look. But before I did I went and helped myself to a beer since the workers were too busy seeing what was happening.
I went to the doorway to watch since it was clear because everyone else was in the street watching. The Grabber was overtaken. The bicycle guy pushed him down and he was quickly overtaken. I couldn't see what was happening because the Grabber was surrounded and his head disappeared so I knew he was down in the street being beaten unmercifully.
Then they were all coming back. I noticed a few sticks and a baseball bat in the group. They had the Grabber, holding on to him, his feet were not touching the ground. He didn't look in very good shape at all. They all went back to the basketball court and down the hill. Most of the people in the Colmado followed. The worker guys returned to their post and I got Sniffy her little bag of water and her plastic cup to drink it out of along with her piece of bread (pan de auga). I was all curious about what was happening but it was like the moment passed and it was over. As if it was a normal happening and no big deal. I wanted details of the event but it seemed that it just wasn't important to anyone.
I kept watching out the door to see the observers at street lever watching down into the basketball court. I wanted to go look but I didn't know what would happen and with Sniffy being blind she gets a little nervous in large wild crowds.
So I finished my beer as many of the people filtered back into the Colmado. About a half hour later 5 men passed holding up a bloody faced man heading up to the police station at the Alcazar. They were going to give him to the police I guess. This the third passing of the mob, although much smaller, didn't even get a glance by the Colmado crowd.
So I paid for Sniffy and my drinks and we continued our walk up the hill to Colon Park and continued on with the day as usual.

Dominicans- Herd travelers?

Dominican Republic Transportation
Do Dominicans travel in herds? Or would it better be called a gaggle?
If you have ever gone any place with a Dominican you will agree, in general, Dominicans travel in herds. If its going to the beach, to a bar or to a park or friends home to just hang out. There is always more than 1. Always.
I have had so many experiences with this. It used to REALLY bother me. Now it just bothers me a little, sometimes. I was always used to, when going on a trip, to get things ready before the trip. Have the oil and gas tank filled. Have all necessary items ready to go. Including humans.
Almost every trip I have gone on with Dominicans, most of the time it is the same.
Going to the beach. I say leave early so we can hang out there all day and then get home before dark. For me early is about 8 or 9 in the AM. I have never figured out what the real meaning of early is in Dominican Republic. So anyhow, I wait. I call. The driver is just getting out of bed. He has to stop at his mothers house before he comes. Then he has to get some dumb thing done that he could do anytime, not on the day we had planned to go on a trip.
The wait is not that long. About 2 hours. He arrives with 2 people I don't know. His sister and her friend. That's fine. Its just the beach. Then they have no cooler for ice and they ask me to cook some food to take. ME? COOK? No way. When I go to the beach I want to eat there. Not be bothered with the role of the domestic and feed and clean up crap. I don't do that.
That out of the way. We need a cooler. Shouldn't they have thought of this before. He has one in his house. I just got mine. Then they have to discuss what to drink and when to buy it and where to get ice. When there is a Colmado on every corner selling the drink, snacks and ice.
During this discussing one of the group gets a call and has to leave the circle to talk. Then another phone rings. And here I am waiting to get to the beach..the sun is high in the sky! The phone calls say someone is ready. Who cares if someone is ready. But it seems that whoever they are they are ready to be picked up by us! More people to drive around and get.
So we drive all the way beck into the heart of Santo Domingo. Very near where the guys mother lives. He was just there an hour before! Why couldn't he have picked up this person when he was there instead of heading back into traffic to get someone?
So another hour has passed. Waiting for this person to talk to his mother. Run to the Colmado for bread for her. Then stand and talk a bit. Couldn't we talk in the car on the way to the beach?
While they are discussing "the plan", it's noon now and I need a beer! Something to calm me down and it (and I) was hot. I walk 3 buildings away to get 2 grandes for everyone to share. I can't understand half of what is being said anyhow. When talk is fast I can't get it. I am gone for 5 minutes! I come back and they are all on me because they want to leave! Now my blood is boiling! It takes everything in me to try and act normal. Not to pick up the broom stick laying in the street and beat them just to get some sense into their heads!
I hold back and smile. Not easy but it's Ok. I'm the foreigner here. We all get in the car, moving around a little until everyone is comfy with their positions. Were off! Finally.
We still have not got gas or the refreshments. So we stop at a gas station where everyone has to get out and talk more on their celulars. Then were on our way. Vamanos a la playa!
As we exit the highway for the road that takes us to the beach I suggest getting the liquids. Of course there is the discussion of why didn't we get them in the city because its cheaper there. I suggested this many times and got the hand held up, the Dominican wait hand motion. I said nothing. What was the use.
We got all the stuff. Of course very slowly.
YEA!! We're at the beach. Its 2PM. I can't believe it!
We get all settled in so I can have sun and they shade. Enjoy a dip in the water. Play with the vendors. Eat some beach food.
Then comes 4PM and one of the girls says she has to get home because she has something she has to do. Now my slightly red glow on my skin is not from the sun. Its from boiling blood! All the hours of getting ready to spend almost 2 hours sitting on the beach! That's just wrong. So we all packed back up and left. I didn't talk mush on the way home. Afraid of what I may say. Anyhow I didn't know all the words for what I wanted to say in Spanish.
This is just one example of going out with friends in DR. Things like this happen all the time.
Once taking a bus to the beach with friends. We are half way to Boca Chica and the bus stops at some make shift terminal. There is only 7 people on the bus and he won't go until he has more people. All the people keep getting on other busses and they fill up and pull out. Here we are sitting for about 20 minutes. We tried to get off the bus and there was a heated discussion that we were not permitted to leave. Well, 2 of my friends are very opinionated Dominican women and they get us off the bus. We get on another and continue on our way.
Another time after we get all the people together and before we get to the gas station we run out of gas. The guys have to walk to get gas then when we get the gas they have to drive to the gas station and spend 20 minutes discussing it with the attendant. Then on the way home we get a flat tire. On the side of the highway and of course no spare. And we were drinking beer and had to pee! So we were there for over an hour. Got the tire on and this time it was dark and he had no head lights. We made it home but it was a real experience.
There are many more stories like this but I have to get to work on the web site now....

The little peeper

Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
Before I start the story you have to get an idea of the layout of my apartment. It was in a large
house in Zona Colonial. The house was divided into apartments. The downstairs they kept as one large apartment which was later converted into a bar. The building is long, about a half of a block long and sort of narrow. The second floor which is accessible from the sidewalk by a gate that is pad locked. The large open staircase goes up to the second floor landing which goes the length of the building. There are 4 apartments, which I assume were at one time bedrooms in this large house. The front apartment is a large studio apartment with a large, long kitchen and then there's the living-sleeping area with a balcony opening to the front of the building overlooking the park and the street. This is my apartment.
The other apartments behind me are 1 room places with a small bathroom. The last apartment there lived a family. Husband, wife and their son (about 6 years old) and daughter (about 3 years old). I don't know how they all fit into the one room place but they did. It seemed that they spent much of their time on the landing outside. This is where they washed their clothes and dishes and sat at night.
So now on with the story.
I was in my apartment, taking a shower. The bathroom is very small. You could sit on the toilet and take a shower. It only can fit one human. Even if your at the sink (which never did have water) you could shower. The entire bathroom was a shower.
I had a few buckets , one in the bathroom and another outside the door which I never shut, unless there was someone visiting. I very rarely had running water so the buckets were always filled and ready for a shower or to flush the toilet.
I was drying off in front of the mirror on the open door of the bathroom when behind me, in the mirror, there was the neighbor boy! There I was all wet, drying the bod. He just stood there with his jaw dropped to his knees! I'm sure he saw his mom naked in their small apartment but maybe I was the first Gringa he ever saw. Maybe my bright white body blinded him temporarily.
I wrapped the towel around me. I didn't know what to do. I had no words to tell him to get out. I didn't know how to say this is spanish. I didn't know any spanish word to say. They were all somewhere else except where they should have been. Not in my head, not in my mouth. Gone!
I grabbed him and pushed him to the door. Backwards. He was facing me the whole time with a big smile on his face. He wasn't moving easily either. Either he was resisting or his body was frozen in shock and horror.
I got him out of the door and closed it. I was in shock myself for a few seconds. Then I had to laugh. I laughed uncontrollably picturing his face and imagining what mine must have looked like when I saw him.
I realized that the door didn't latch when I closed it. It was locked but it didn't catch and of course, the boy had to push on the door as he passed. Since it was open he must have felt that meant come on in. He had walked in before when I left the door open this is why I always closed it and locked it. From then on I always remembered to push on the door after closing it to make sure it caught. I was never going to be caught like that again.
After I got dressed and got myself composed I figured I best go tell his mom so she didn't think I was some kind of perv exposing myself in front of her kid.
I opened the door to go out to the landing. She was sitting outside in front of her place with her cousin and the kids were there. As soon as I walked out they started laughing and the boys face turned bright red. This told me that he told her and she wasn't angry.
I had to take her into my apartment to show her what happened because I didn't know the words to explain. She laughed and said she told him not to go into my apartment again. She also said that for the last hour, since he saw me, he has not stopped telling everyone he saw me naked. He told all the neighbors and I'm sure all his friends.
For about a month every time he saw me he would get a shy-sly half smile on his face and put his head down. I just shook my finger at him and smiled.
I just hope I didn't destroy him for the rest of his life by seeing me in my most loveliest!jeje/LOL!

The big almost drug bust

Music of Dominican Republic, Rock-DominicanoWatch this video. It's great. It shows so much of the city of Santo Domingo.

Ok..let me see, what story to tell...
There was this bar I really liked going to. It's called Parado 77. Its sort of a younger people bar but all ages are there. They play all sorts of music and people sign their names to the walls. On the weekend its packed full with people spilling out onto the streets and taking the party there with them.
One night I woke at about 2AM. I decided I'd take a walk and go to that bar. It was about 8 blocks, more of less away. Maybe about a 15 min. brisk walk. I didn't want to spend the money on a taxi so I took the walk.
On the weekends its not lonely walking and not that dangerous since there are so many people out in the Zone. I made the trek and when I got there went in and got my beer. It was so crowded inside so I went outside to have my refreshing beverage after the hot walk there. Trying to get myself ready to talk Spanish (Sometimes it took me a little time to get my brain out of the English mode into the Spanish language mode).
I was outside looking around and saying hi to the people I knew when 2 big flat bed trucks came pulling up to the bar. These trucks were filled with army looking men in camo wardrobe with guns. A few cars followed these trucks and a man jumped out with a large TV camera and a lady from the TV got out with him. The army guys on the truck all jumped down, there were at least 25 to 30 of them.
Everyone started putting their hands on the walls, assuming the position. All the people in the street and in the bar were face to the walls with hands on them.
I had no clue what was going on so I did what everyone else was doing. One of the army guys said n to me that I did not have to do that. I guess he thought I was a tourist. But I didn't want to look like I was a snotty American so I stayed and kept my hands on the walls.
There was a guy standing next to me and I asked him what was happening. He spoke English! Junior was his name and he told me it was the DEA..I think that's it, the drug enforcement agency. They were searching for drugs.
I got nervous cause I heard that if you were in a place where anyone had drugs and someone got arrested that everyone in the place could be arrested also. Jeez..I had just woke up less than an hour before and now I was amongst the frisked!
I was watching and they had some peoples sitting on the curb making them take off their shoes, removing jackets, hats and such. The army guys were checking purses and pockets. I saw some guns. But they were returned to the people. I was not shocked to see the guns but I was shocked seeing them being returned. It seemed that they were not looking for weapons.
The TV camera was there filming it all. The lady, which I found out later was a TV reporter. She was talking to the camera I guess about what was going on.
The army guys finished and found nothing. When they were finished the crowd had thinned out drastically and the whole party mood had fizzled away. Most of the people were gone. I wasn't ready to go yet! I just got there and was still on my first beer! I walked all that way. So I had a few more beers with Junior. We talked for a while and when the bar closed cause there were no more humans in the place I said bye and started walking home.
Junior had a car and offered me a ride. I gladly took it cause by that time the streets were empty and I remembered the last time I walked home late (it was a week day) and some bum in the park asked me for a cig. He grabbed My hand when I gave him one and he squeezed it hard. He wouldn't let me go. He was hurting my hand. I was getting ready to do the old twist release hand thingy when this man came out of nowhere and kicked the cig guy in the butt, yelled at him. Then he walked me home. He was a man I said hi to when we passed in the streets many times and it did me good. He accompanied me to my home and was very polite.
Anyhow..back to Junior taking me home. We got to my place and the bar downstairs was open still and I was not ready to go home yet. So I went there. Junior parked and came in also. It was lively in there. Cafe de Toi. Odalis, the owner lady is a really nice person. She was busy doing the Dance of the Bottle. which is a must see. All the people make a circle around a bottle sitting on the floor. The song is playing. One person enters the center of the circle and dances over the bottle going down as low as they can to the bottle while dancing and gyrating the hips and butt over the bottle. It is fun to watch. Everyone it wahooing and hooting (sounds like those old western movie bars on the movies). I can't do the dance, my body and knees don't work that way but it is fun to watch.
Anyhow..Odalis was busy entertaining so I had to mix drinks falling back on my old waitress bartending skills. I was serving the whole bar and cleaning up dirty glasses. Which was fine. From that time on when Odalis needed help she'd call up to me to come down. When she needed to run to the store or something I took over when there was noone else. It was fine, in return I never paid for a drink there. So it affected me just fine.
Junior and I became friends. He used to come and visit Mamita and I at the galeria and he even came to Mamitas home sometimes. All was good and noone went to jail and I never even got frisked!

My phone and my Ladrone

Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic pictures
This picture is what I saw from my balcony. There was a big tree in the way but I could still see the statue when I was on the balcony.I was content.
There was a problem with the phone after I moved in. I was so excited that I had the phone and internet and electric all connected before I moved in. Mamita kept saying that I was sooo lucky. Well, my luck ran out fast. The phone disconnected 2 days after I moved in.
I called Codetel (now Verizon) and told them the phone went out. They said they didn't understand and wanted to know the name of my business. I told them I didn't have a business (I didn't want to pay higher rates for a business phone anyhow). They kept telling me that I had a business number. I can't help that's the number they gave me! So they came back out and connected the phone. It was good for maybe a week then it went out again.
I went through the same crap again. Not a business phone. They connected the phone again. # mre times this happened. Then People were talking on my line. They said that the number was not mine. Its the number they gave me and it worked at my home for a month, at least when the phone was working.
Then they said they would look into it. They came back that since I didn't have a business that they didn't have a line for me and I would have to wait until they put more lines in and assigned new numbers to the area. I told them why couldn't they just give me the line I had with a regular number. They told me they already gave that to someone else! In one day they gave that connection to another person. I paid for it. It was mine.
I couldn't fight about it. It wouldn't do any good so I had to wait for about a month to get the phone hooked back up but I did get a phone bill for the entire time I didn't have a phone. I marked on the calendar everyday I didn't have a phone and fought to get the bill fixed. They ended up giving me a half month free. I couldn't believe it!
So I was happy in my new place. I only had water half the day. In the morning there was water. I could adjust to that.
I got my wash machine ready but there was no place to run the drain. Later I relieved that I should have just ran it into the hall and down the outside steps like everyone else did. But I was still thinking like an American. I got my trusty hammer and my chisel and started whacking away at the thick cement wall to put a hole in it to put the drain pipe through. So it could go into the drain.
I pounded away for probably 2 hours and made a nice hole where the hose fit into prefect. Calked around the hose when I found that the water was leaking through back into the kitchen floor. I did good!
There was what I called the hole outside the kitchen window. It was the size of 2 refrigerator boxes in width and opened to the sky. I have no idea what it was for. But that's where the drain was for the washer. I got a big garbage can and put it out there with water for the times I didn't have water. That was my stash. Anyhow...I usually forgot to shut that window. I didn't think anyone could get in there anyhow. I was wrong.
One night Sniffy (the blind dog) and I went out to the neighbors Colmado to have a few beers. I had gotten to know some of the people around the area a little now. There was this guy, Victor. He was a guy that did the errands for the Colmado and also did stuff for the people living around the area. He also worked at the ship yard when they needed him. He could speak English fairly well. He was a nice human. A little obnoxious sometimes, especially when he got drunk. (little story...One night Victor was drinking a lot and I told him he should go home. He was so worried about walking me home. I told him I would take him to his home. Can't talk to a drunk. He started walking me through the park. I had to stop and talk to someone. When I turned around he was sprawled out on the ground. I tried to get him up but he wasn't moving. Since many of the neighbors were out I told them to watch out for him. I went home. Next afternoon Victor came to me laughing. Someone stole one of his shoes when he was out! Just one shoe. I was laughing so hard when he told me this. He was laughing too. It was too funny)
So back to the story. I went home and realized I locked my key in the apartment. I brought the front gate key but forgot the door to my apartment key. Just wasn't used to all the keys yet I guess. So I went back to the Colmado. I was just going to hang out until morning and when Mamita and Jimmy went to work get my spare key off them.
Anyhow, Victor said he might be able to help me. He looked at the door and then he realized the kitchen window was open. He climbed up the neighbors gate covering their patio onto the roof. Then he went to the hole. But it was really high for him to jump. So he went and got a ladder. He took the ladder onto the roof but it was too short. So he left again and got a rope. He tied the rope onto the ladder. Lowered the ladder down to the ground in the hole. Lowered himself down so he could drop onto the top rung of the ladder. Then he climbed down and into my apartment and unlocked the door!
I'm happy I left the window open but I never did that again and I never forgot my keys again. Victor got the name My Ladrone (Robber). He was so happy to have helped. He spent about 2 hours getting into my place. Thank goodness everytime he returned he brought me a grande beer! Sniffy and I were content.

Moving night to The Zone

Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic sight seeing and history, the parks of Santo Domingo If I ws home in DR I would probably be sitting in this park at the Cafeteria wih friends having a beer and talking. Being warm and in the sun instead of cold and in the house on the computer. Oh well..this is life for now.
Now where was I?..Getting my belongings from old place to new place..
I talked to everyone I knew to find someone with a truck. Finally a guy I knew said he had a friend with a van and he would move me. He told me it would be on Wed. but he would call fisrt. I got boxes and had all the non-essentials packed. He never showed up. I ended up calling him, a bit pissed off. He acted like it was nothing that I was packed and waiting. So he told me maybe on Friday but he would call first.
Well, the norm here, he didn't call. He came rushing in saying lets go! I was not packed. He was throwing my stuff into boxes, not wrapped. I was very angry but I had to deal with it if I wanted moved. It was dark outside. We couldn't see inside the van. Things were being thrown into the van not in any safe order. One of the legs of my computer desk was broken off as it was thrown into the back of this nasty dirty van.
Then when we got to my apartment. Friday night, a bar below my place. There was a big party with the American Embassy people and they were all in the street. We were trying to take things out of the van and get them upstairs. Going through a group of very happy, drinking humans blocking the way with every trip up the stairs.
It was very dificult. I was not in the mood for talking to people. I wanted to punch the guy that "helped" me and broke alot of my stuff. But I was IN! I had my belongings in the new apartment. Sniffy and I had arrived to Zona Colonial and our new home.
The man that helped me move went and got a few beers for us to drink. I just wanted him to go so I could get stuff organized so at least I could have a place to sleep for the night. I had a pole up for clothes hanging thanks to Jimmy. He came in and we put up a shelf in the bathroom (we used the metal back of an old computer, very ingenious). The clothes pole was also a divider for the bed and the living area. It was a little small but I didn't need much cause I didn't have much.
I finally got rid of the guy that helped me move and went down to see what my surroundings were like in the night. There were many people in the park all enjoying themselves. Sniffy was sniffing around trying to figure out where was going to be her pee and poo place. We walked over to the Colmado and got a beer and sat in the park and observed.
People were nice but noone really talked to me. Tey said hi and just seemed to be observing me, the new Gringa in the neighborhood with a funny looking no eyed dog.

Finding the Zona Colonial Apartment

I wanted to live in "The Zone". Without a car and not liking being stuck in the apartment at night. I didn't like paying a taxi when I could walk someplace. I always thought that a taxi ride was the same price as a few beers. So if I walked I could stop and drink my taxi ride and enjoy it a whole lot more!
So I went to the Galeria to hang with Mamita and Jimmy one day with the intent purpose of going on an apartment quest. Of course, Dominican style, we had to sit around and discuss that I might not be able to find one. That it may be too expensive. That it could take a long time locating a place. In true Dominican form the discussion could have continued forever about all the what if's. So I embarked on my quest.
I knew the general direction I wanted to live in so I just started walking and asking people I saw. I found one place right away but it was too small. I'd never fit me, my dog and my small amount of belongings in that place so I continued.
I learned that day what not to do. I'm so used to people helping out because they want to not because they expect money for it. Maybe buy the person a beer or just a thank you was always good, or so I thought.
I asked some guys sitting on a step drinking if they knew any places around for rent. They saw Gringa and dollars all over me I guess. The guy took me around the corner, where I was heading anyhow, and showed me a sign. Of course he wanted to call the number on the sign cause the guy was his "best friend." We went to the nearest Colmado and I forked over the pay phone money. I was going to call with my celphone but didn't want to hand the guy my phone. We had a beer (I paid) while he made the call. There was no answer. So I needed to keep looking. I tried to get away from the guy cause he was getting a little loud. He wouldn't let me go! He wanted money. The Colmado guy told him to quit bugging me. I was getting pissed. I didn't want to give him money after I gave him a few cigs and got a grande presidente for us to share. But to get rid of the guy I gave him the change I had. I wasn't going to give him and bills! Did he think my head screwed on! jejeje
I had my cash, other than a hundred pesos, in my bra. I call that boob money. I told him all I had was the change and a little more to get home with. I gave him the change and told him "largate de me"(Get away from me. Mamita taught me that)The Colmado guy started talking to him so I could make my get away.
I wrote down another number and returned to the galeria so Mamita could call the number of the apartment. I figured it was better to get a Dominican ask for the price of the apartment so I could get the normal price and not the American price.
We got the guy and he met me at the apartment in an hour. I took Mamita with me, and we picked up a few other friends on the walk. Some tourist guy that was from Argentina and a Dominican friend, Chino, who is my Dominican brother and self-proclaimed body guard. We all walked down to see the place.
Suprisingly the man was only about 10 minutes late. We all went in and looked around. It was a studio apartment so there wasn't a lot to look at. The balcony is what sold me. I could see the Caribbean from it. And there was a park and a perfect place for Sniffy, the dog, to enjoy. So I told the guy right there I wanted the place. He called the owner and the next day we all met at the galeria.
Mamita was my co-signer. I took a lawyer friend of mine to sign the lease just to make it look good. I DID pay that lawyer with beer only. I paid my 3 months. !st month rent, deposit and the other fee that is non-refundable which I have never figured out. But it is the custom in the country.
I had my apartment. Just where I wanted to live. I was very lucky. Now I just had to figure out how to get my stuff from the old place to the new...

Thoughts on Celebrating Death or Life

Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic marriage, death and christmas traditions
My Grandfather whom we called Pappap died about 2 weeks ago. The family had the Memorial service for him yesterday. He was 93 and he lived a good life. He was always healthy. Up until the last few years when he couldn't get out and work in his garden this is when he knew it was time to go.

He wanted to die for the last few years. He told me he didn't like not being in control of his life. Not being able to drive himself and his wife, my Maw, in the car when they wished. The diaper thing really bothered him. One day, when I was driving him home from seeing Maw., in the hospital he told me" No man should ever live this long" And I agree with him 100%.

The ancient question, what is better quantity or quality of life. I have decided quality. I don't want to live to be old. I just hope the Doc. Kivorcian (can't spell that) is in businesses when I'm ready for the jumping off. I don't want to jump off on my own. After all you hear about committing suicide and not going to heaven, I don't want to chance it. But if I'm old, all messed up, and someone takes me out could that still be considered suicide? That's a grey area...I'm always in that grey area.

Anyhow. I'm not a funeral goer. And I can never enter the funeral home here in Mars. This is where they had my sons memorial service. I say they because I really didn't want one but I was told it was for the other people to say good bye. I just can't understand the funeral stuff. I had him cremated and set his ashes free in a lake area he grew up near. He died in 2003. It was hard but it happened. I conceder myself blessed for having Billy Jay, my son, in my life for the short 23 years I had him. I thank God everyday for letting me know and be the mother to such a unique, artistically blessed, memorial human.

I feel the same about my Pappap. He was the rock of the family. Now hes gone well just wait and see what happens. If the family slowly falls apart. Who knows. Things change. Sometimes for the best.

I remember I saw a funeral on TV in Dominican Republic. It was in a persons house and all these people were standing around the mans casket. They were all pouring beer inside the casket! I never saw anything like that before, wasting all that good beer when the guy couldn't even enjoy it! But really I liked that. It was like they were celebrating the person by doing what he liked to do best.

I also love the tradition of pouring the first trago of alcohol on the ground for the dead. I, being the Gringa that I am, started doing this also. I made sure I said it was for Billy Jay, my son, but I didn't give him much. I am still his mother and hes not permitted to drink too much.

I was just thinking about the funeral stuff. Different traditions. I have a friend who keeps her fathers ashes in a box on the TV (sometimes she sits it near her when she watches TV). She has his pictures on the box. Other people wear their loved ones ashes around their neck in a little charm. I couldn't do that. I could just imagine it like dismembering the bod and who knows what part you'd get to put in the little charm thing. I'd rather keep all the ashes together in one place. Even if it is sprinkled over a garden of placed in a lake.

Me personally I don't like burying someone. All the embalming to preserve them. I say if your gonna bury them do it like they do in the counrty in DR. Put them in a family plot. For me that's the best thing. At least its a little warmer feeling that being with a bunch of humans you don't know.

Anyhow...I do think it is good to celebrate life. And when someone dies celebrate their life. Don't remember them as dead (some people take pictures of the dead and save them...eewwhhh..yuck. To each their own I guess) Remember all the good things about their life. Smile when you think of them. Honor their memory by not being depressed over their memory but by being happy in remembering. Don't you think they really would have wanted it that way?

Also Don;t forget to give them a drop of your beverage. Couldn't hurt!