Nine days on the North Coast (long)

MaineGirl

The Way Life Should Be...
Jun 23, 2002
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I'm rubbing my eyes and wishing for my dominican abuela to fix me some cafe con leche. Nice try! Virginia is having a chilly fifty degree morning. But at least the birds are singing, all my tulips popped while I was gone, and I have the day off to recover from my adventures....no blues yet, I am sure that will hit me right about lunchtime when I realize there is no delicious bandera to consume.

I arrived in Puerto Plata on a placid Tuesday afternoon and was picked up as always by my Dominican "family"--the Riveras. They toted me home without much fanfare. I suppose three trips in a year doesn't make another arrival terribly exciting.

It was wonderful to come into the house and be greeted by Do?a Janna, (the aforementioned grandmother). Born in Johannesburg, she came to the island with her Lebanese parents at the age of nine. At 86, she?s still going strong. (Her main jobs consist of making dog food, feeding the help, and passing out mints before church. Oh yeah--she is the principal juice maker of the home.)

I settled in after greeting her and the Rivera children (all very lovely, and very spoiled by love, the best way to be spoiled.) Jannacita had just come back from a stint at Palabra de Vida Argentina, and was ?on fire? for God and her boyfriend, a nice fellow studying at PUCMM. Hayden at 17 is the middle child, strong and handsome, and in his last year of high school. Arielito is the youngest at 14 and he is the one whom everyone loves, because he is sweet to everybody, and is always laughing and happy.

They allowed me to recover and Jannacita and Joel, her novio, told me they would bring me Santiago the next day to get Damalby tested for hearing loss.

The next day we got on the highway and stopped off at Imbert to pick up Damalby and her mother, Danibal. They climbed into the jeepeta with big smiles and hugs. It had been eight months since our last visit and Damalby remembered me and threw her arms around me. I thought only they were getting in but a random se?ora also climbed in. We packed in like sardines and continued. In the jeep I showed Damalbi some of the stuff I brought for her. I gave her the magnetic word board first. It had a couple hundred words that you could divide into the different parts of speech. At the bottom was a place you could make sentences. It was all in Spanish. She had a lot of fun putting the color coded words in their proper spot. As she played with that I chatted with her mom and we both shared in the excitement and gratitude we felt for ability to get the test done and the many generous and gracious people who donated money for the test and the educational materials I brought.

At the clinic in Santiago, we went up to the fifth floor and waited for the test. Other little children were there and the assistant came out and gave those children sedatives. She looked at Damalby and surmised she wouldn?t need one. However, when it was our turn it was impossible for Damalby to be still long enough to do the test. So they gave her a little cup of red syrup too. After about 2 hours she passed out, but not without a lot of thrashing around and fighting off anyone who came near her. I think the test scared her. They stuck little electrodes to her head and put headphones on which delivered a series of clicks at different decibels. When she was finally passed out and drooling they were able to hook everything up and run the test which lasted about 40 minutes. Results were promised the following week and we hoofed it back to Puerto Plata, Danibal carrying the sedated child all the way home. I promised to call them when the results were in, gave them the rest of the educational materials I had brought and we departed.

Thursday passed in relative relaxation. I took a motoconcho to Sliverio Messon to check my email as the computer at the Rivera?s had a bad modem. No one noticed me leave the house and when I returned they all laughed at me and told me they were going to bring me to Rehabilitacion to show me the armless and legless victims of motoconcho accidents.

Friday we all went to Playa Escondida in Sosua and enjoyed a lovely afternoon there.

Saturday morning we had a family funeral. The fellow had been Catholic. We went to the funeral home in town were there were two salons. It was raining heavily so everyone crowded inside. The flowers filled much of the room. They were beautiful tropical arrangements. As we were a small band of Evangelios amidst the Catholics, Pastor Dib Rivera took it upon himself to preach a little. Then the priest had his say and we marched to the cemetery, a full band playing dirges all the way there. The man was buried successfully and we all went home. I called Bushbaby late afternoon and arranged for a pickup at Cafecito and Saturday evening enjoyed the reunion at Rocky?s, finally managing to try some Presidente (which I liked!)

Sunday and Monday were wonderful, rainy days. I stayed mostly at home and read books.

Tuesday I went to the school in Puerto Plata where they want me to teach. I visited all the classrooms from fifth grade and up. It was quite an experience. I don?t know if I could teach in the conditions they had. The classrooms were fine, and they had what they needed to teach, except there was no sense of order or discipline. The kids ran the school. Every room I entered, it took a few minutes for them to settle in. I asked everyone to stand and greet me and than I gave a little speech in Spanish and talked in English with them. I was in my natural teacher mode so I moved freely about the room, waking up the sleepers with a gentle touch, interrupting note-passers with strategic placement, and smiling at everyone as I did so. By the time I left the classrooms were a little more orderly but it faded as soon as I left. The directora is Altagracia Rivera, whom I stayed with. We talked a lot about the school and how it might be strengthened. I don?t see myself teaching there yet but it is always in the back of my mind.

Wednesday I planned to go back to Santiago with the Mainers, but one of the little Mainers was sick so I went alone. It was a great feeling, actually, to be traveling alone and feel like you are doing okay. I took a taxi back to the clinic after getting off at Caribe tours. The results were in and I peeked at them while waiting for a payphone. From what I could understand of the medical terminology, Damalby is completely deaf with nerve damage. This means hearing aids will not help her. I felt very, very sad. I stayed in a sort of sad funk for the rest of the day, trying to think about what else could be done for the sweet, smart little girl from Luperon.

Hillbilly had told me it was ok to swing by his house for lunch. I called repeatedly but the line was busy. The clinic was driving me a little crazy so finally I called AZB?s cell. He answered right away, we exchanged greetings, and then he offered to bring my to HB?s place. I was so grateful! Five minutes later he was out front and we were on our way. AZB is a very nice guy and brought me from the clinic to Hillbilly?s with speed and efficiency.

I arrived at HB?s at a rather awkward hour, as he and his family were in the middle of dining. But he invited me in and found me a place at the table. HB has a lovely, big, happy, laughing family. I met his sons and daughters, and various cousins and nieces. I tried to keep track of who was who, but it was impossible. If you can just think of being introduced to ?my wife?s mother?s second cousin?s daughter??.HB also has two very cute little grandsons. The older one was 8 and spoke English in a high little voice. I think his name was Luis Manuel. The younger one was just five. HB spoke to him in English and he responded in his sweet little Spanish. It was obvious to me that there is a lot of affection in HB?s home. It reminded me of my own house except we are a skinnier bunch. While we were eating, one of his relatives came who originally tested Damalby. He interpreted the results for me there at the table and concluded that Damalby was, in fact?.completely screwed.

After about an hour?s chat, one of HB?s good-looking sons and his wife dropped me at Nacional where I bought some books, then I went back to Puerto Plata. Before entering the pastor?s house, I stopped at Caf? Cito and drowned some of my sorrows about Damalby. I sort of stumbled back home, washed up, and met everyone at church for the Wednesday service.

On Thursday morning I called Damalby?s mom. We both had a good cry and then I promised her I would keep brainstorming ways to help Damalby. She has a fine mind and much potential. After we talked I finished packing and went to the airport.

I was reminded of why I made the trip as soon as I got off the plane. There was Jason, my husband, signing ?I love you?. He crushed me in a big bear hug and we signed back and forth about the trip (usually in really noisy places we use a lot of sign.) It was late so we went to an all-night diner where I filled him in on the rest of the story. He told me to not be discouraged. Loving Damalby was a good start. And as HB and I discussed, having a family that cares for you is the best you can ask for in life.

(Note: on the way home I met two very disgruntled American women who had passed the week in a resort that apparently had no working toilets. They were sunburned, hung over, and full of complaints. They bitched for about an hour and then asked me why I was there. So I told them about all the great people I had met, the reason I came, the beautiful beach I went to, and that it had all been done with the cost of a plane ticket and about a hundred bucks. They both looked at each other and said, ?Next time we want to do it like you did it.? All in all, I had an excellent trip.)
 

lindalyn

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Feb 15, 2003
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I REALLY enjoyed reading your story. ;)
Its good to know that there are people out there who REALLY care.
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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Nice report MaineGirl. We who went to the reunion recognised that you liked the Preidentes when we saw you order your 8th one within 45 minutes of being there!!! How someone so slim & genteel can stash that amount of beer into themselves without getting tipsy, I do not know!!
Glad you enjoyed the get-together, we hope to see more of you next time you are down ... & bring that BIG STRAPPING hubby with you next time!! - Grahame.
PS. Thanks for putting two "A.I." holiday mnakers straight. Living OUTSIDE the complexes is MUCH more fun than being inside "Concentration camp" land!!
 

mainer

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Mar 22, 2002
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Amity,
Sorry to have bailed out on you. Can you imagine all of us traipsing up to Hillbilly's in the middle of lunch! I know that he would have welcomed us all just as graciously. We met the handsome son, must have been Luisito.

Sad news about Damalbi, but just think of the world that you have opened for her by teaching her and her mother sign. I know that is small consolation, but I think you have done a great deal for her and her family by helping her communicate.

Hope to see you on your next trip.

mainer
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Maine Girl

I was wonderful to have you here. I guess that I am immune to the racket that goes on here...
However, as with Christa's Jaquelin "enande" I think that you should encourage the family to use their relatives in POP and have the little girl study at the school there. The resources that you have garnered and that you can continue to funnel would be best used that way.

I introduced Richard and Christa to a most beautiful young woman who is deaf. I think you chould ask them if they were impressed...

Part of the problem with pwople like Damalbi and Jaquelin is that they don't even know (the parents don't know) about the school...or the possibilities...

Again, it was wonderful to see you and get to chat. I am still w/o transport!...

XO

HB
 

MaineGirl

The Way Life Should Be...
Jun 23, 2002
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HB,

I was going to ask you to finish that sentence "What I think you can do with what remains of the money..." but somehow during our chat we strayed away from that. I agree that checking out the deaf school is a good idea. What does "still without transport" mean...?

Mainer,

Next time I hope to hang out with you guys some more. It was great meeting you and I was looking forward to meeting the kiddos. :)

BushBaby,

Eight presidentes....because I went to school in the US where they offer such courses as "How to get drunk without really tryng" and "16 ways to look like you are drinking more than you are" ;) In reality I think I had three which was truly the limit, the next day I wore dark glasses and slept a bunch! But they were yummy! What were YOu smoking in that pipe?

MG
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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From Hillbilly's post
I introduced Richard and Christa to a most beautiful young woman who is deaf. I think you chould ask them if they were impressed...

Impressed? Oh Yes, more than impressed, amazed! I did not even suspect that the young women is deaf. This is the first that I know about it. We met her and it was a perfectly ordinary transaction - given that there were what sounded like another 50 people in HB's house ;)

Did she (and I forget the name hb, too many people overall that day) go to POP school?

Next week I'll be going to the Puerto Plata school to see what we can do. The most important thing is how much it will cost. The family has other relatives in POP and it seems as if a place to stay is sorted out at this stage. I would really like to move ahead with all systems on go and get Jaquelin in a place where she can learn to communicate and catch up on years of living on the outside.

MaineGirl, in reference to your other post about speaking Spanish, I had both Jacelin's name and last name wrong, as the local spanish just simply does not fall well on my ears. HillBilly pointed out that the correct spelling is Jaquelin Hernandez.

Some other excellent news, two great folks who are on vacation met with me on Friday and gave us another $40.00 for the fund. So, now I'm carrying $140.00 for the fund in my purse. I think I'll write a U.S. check and send it to the fund via EPS. Btw, did you get my e-mail?