A Dominican Birthday:
American birthdays are quite cliche, there is no element of surprise (unless of course it is a surprise party), it is always predictable what comes next. Cake, probably with ice cream. Presents. A check from your grandparents, 20 dollars from your friend who doesn't know what to get you and a ton of gift cards. There you go, the typical American Birthday.
Dominican birthdays however are far from typical. Obviously, with a different culture comes different customs, but Dominicans I would say have much more fun. For instance, the birthday boy/girl, is given the honor of water on their birthday. By this I mean, anyone who finds out that you have a birthday and it happens to be that day, is obligated to throw some water at you. Either leading you to being soaked in one huge splash. Or a constant wetness all day long. Sometimes, if you have a summer or fall birthday, this is a great relief from the hot, and humid day. But, if you are unfortunate enough to have a winter birthday. The freezing cold water hits you, and you dread the next splash, just as you would dread the next cold shower. Though it provides everyone else with a severe amount of fun.
So, as I said. Dominicans have far much more fun. This, however, is only one example of the things Dominicans do on Birthdays. And one of the few I know. My Dad got his fair share of water six days ago on the thirteenth, as did many others who have had birthdays here. Obviously the kids at the orphanage are more than happy to help tribute to the good cause.
Recently:
So things are going well here. An occasional cold morning has made me resort to putting on the hoodie and sweat pants but otherwise I remain in OO uniform. My Orphanage Outreach T-shirt, Orphanage Outreach flip-flops, that are slowly disappearing as I run around more. And of course shorts, so that I don't die of heat on those humid boiling days. Though for the most part things have been temperate.
Though as of last night I am in a new state of pain. Thanks to Volleyball and bare feet. Now I know why they tell us, "Make sure you always wear shoes!" Emphasis on the always. So we were playing some night volleyball, mosquitoes out in swarms (The mosquitoes in Monte Cristi are particularly bad right now), so I slipped out of my flip-flops for better mobility and to be better equipped for the game to come. Well, not five minutes in, after retrieving a ball I slipped. I didn't fall, just slipped. Right on the edge of where the court meets the ground I slipped, my big toe to be precise. I didn't think anything of it. Then Dad says, "Micah, that sounded painful, you alright?" So I said, "Yeah, I'm-, wait, it's bleeding a lot." The pause was thanks to me looking down and realizing my big toe was bleeding profusely and a flap of skin was hanging on. I won't go into details except to say, washing it out was not fun.
We, by the way, are back in Monte Cristi for now. Dad is drilling internet spanish. And even admitted that he wants to learn under Bryson again. So we hope that he is learning something from that. But for now, we are just having our home base here at the institute until we receive more word on how things are going on renovating our house in Jaibon. We'll see what happens.
Other Stuff:
I am better coping with missing home. But that obviously means, that the feelings still aren't gone. I have just learned how not to let it get to me so bad. I find myself everyday hoping to hear something more on how things are back home. I do somedays, but others, not so much. But, that is what is going on with that, I am sure it will progress and I won't be "under the weather" about it in the future.
Since living here I have written a ton of sings. No joke. So Caela and I are going to try to start recording soon, we hope on Dad's mac. See how that works out =]. So those are the going-ons of the things here in the Dominican Republic. There is probably more that I forgot to put in or just can't think of right now... but that's how things tend to be. So long for now!
oh, ha i think I will start calling them that now.
Posted by: Micah | 01/27/2010 at 02:48 AM
"Written a lot of sings." That made my day. =]
Posted by: Hannah Angier | 01/23/2010 at 07:55 PM