Mosquitoes

Ok, I get it... the underlying theme of this blog is really about how much I hate mosquitoes.  It just goes to show how much I think about them on a daily basis.  For instance recently I've been thinking of how I could do a comparison of blood loss during all of the times I've donated blood in my life... every 4-6 months from the ages of 19-24... to the amount of blood stolen from me by mosquitoes in this country.  I mean really I kill at least 3-6 a day, but I get bit about 3x an hour during the day double that at night.  Those are conservative estimates... Also I think if I going to go into biology (which I hate) I would try to develop a mosquito virus to kill all mosquitoes... this would inevitably backfire and lead to zombies (I know I should not be a biologist). On that note, life does go on in this mosquito filled world...

Today I was rather lazy. I probably ran about 1.5 miles and walked a lot.  I went to la Romana to get my secret santa gift for the Women's Association christmas party, and picked up a few gifts for some special people back home :)  On my way I tried to read more of the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  Which is an interesting enough book most of the time, however like most self-help type books I think I would get just as much out of it if it were 50 pages, as opposed to 358 pages... I hate the feeling of reading the same thing repeated 10 times, just to fill some space. On the other hand it is interesting to look at development work through the perspective of the core paradigm shifts he discusses.  All too often we try to improve our lives through an outside in perspective (changing our environment, and expecting a real change in our live)  as opposed to focusing on changing from the inside out (focusing on improving ourselves and habits to change our lives).  And then come the development workers... and that whole dependent, independent, and interdependent thing comes into play... and I won't bore you by going into it.
After the trip I went and traded more books with kids and ended up playing card games until it was dark and the mosquitoes made me go home...
Today's diet- papaya & banana smoothie & coffee in the morning, grapefruit for dessert
Today's diet failure- I was hungry on the way to la Romana and I bought a slice of pizza $50Rd (it was the worst looking pizza I've ever eaten but I conquered it of course...) and then I was hungry on the way home so I bought a chicken and corn empanada and my favorite empanada place $50 + $20 RD coke (so delicious, and worth it).  Finally I was relatively cheap and fried a platano to make toastones drenched in tabasco sauce and ketchup, ~$20RD + $10 Rd grapefruit... so all in all I spent about $180RD  which is $4.50 US :(

Day 6 of 12 day count down until Alana arrives!

It has been cooler these days... ~70*, which has it's benefits, I don't start sweating just walking down the road or even just sitting in my chair,  I can sleep at night if the lights go out and I don't have a fan pointed at me, when I wear jeans I don't feel like I'm suffocating my legs.  On the other hand, taking cold showers, which in the summer can be surprisingly pleasant, is dreadful, it's also not cold enough to kill all the extra mosquitoes that have come to life with all the rain.  Well with the change of weather I get to see how little water I need to shower, as I boil a small pot on the stove and mix it with 3/4 of a pitcher, when the warm water runs out I am done...

Today I went on a 2 mile run/walk... mostly walk... During which I had an inspiring idea for a side project I want to do next year during my free time... Mostly walking around and taking photos of the oldest and most interesting houses/buildings in the East, and interviewing some of the oldest and most interesting people.... We'll see if I can keep the motivation up.  I think I'm going to start with my town... and just try to do a small spotlight/tourist booklet on my town.  I love my runs :)

Then I spent the rest of the morning studying for GRE and preping to make Christmas cards with the kindergarten.
We made Christmas cards for their moms... and the organization in this photo speaks to the total organization in the classroom during the project... however it was pretty fun :)

Today's diet:
1 smoothie, 1 coffee
left over rice, and chinola juice
1pan dulce- $5, 1 kola real -$10
1 more pan dulce $5
Then for dinner I at 2 breads-$10 and $25 in cheese and a banana... so all in all I spent about $65 on food plus ~$40 on food I already owned... so pretty close.  Still so much bread!  but it tasted so good.

Also, the world lost a great man today. When I read about Nelson Mandela's passing I started crying.  His life is an inspiration in an often confusing and overwhelming world.

Dogs love to bark

Today I was woken up at 6:30 by Sirens...  No there are no fire men in my town... but these guys had come from the town over at 6.30 AM because a light/ electrical post had caught on fire... just another way to be woken up these days.

So today I did not go for my typical run, instead I did yoga.  Then I spent the majority of the day making christmas presents for people I hope to see soon :)  And answering emails.  Now I have to admit that I have always been a slacker... especially in HS.  However as I listened to an NPR Health podcast about how stressed High Schoolers are these days, I really just did not have any sympathy.  There is no reason a kid needs to be taking 4 Honors classes in HS... and if you want to do that to yourself or your parents are telling you to do that, than you're a darn fool (or you're parents are...).  It's high school, get over yourselves and relax a little.
Archer had  a visit from his bff Toby today... Toby tends to come when Acher is barking super loud at other dogs running by... Toby comes and tries to calm him down, or eat his food.  It's adorable.

Today I didn't have my typical smoothie... as the electricity was out due to a fire on the pole... I had yogurt, grape nutes, and a banana... followed by a tasty salad for lunch.   Sparkles (dominican rip off skittles), and bread and juice as a snack.  For dinner, I tried something new.  I cooked rice for the first time in this country... Usually I figure that I get enough rice from Dominicans that I don't need to actually make it... Dinner was pretty tasty.  Washed down with chinola juice :)

Enjoying day 4 in 12 days of december before Alana Arrives!

I was so close to sleeping in... I was dreaming of this hot guy... and we were flirting in some dominican- american mixed world (maybe at a renaissance fair, I feel like we were in line for a turkey leg... I know I'm weird).. and then Archer broke down the door, and decided it was time to wake me up by running all around the bed... I guess I know why I can't sleep past 7:30 these days.  At first I thought it was cool and funny that he could open doors if he hit the handle just right... it really isn't.

Anyhow... back to the real world.  Today I ran 2 miles (as usual), then studied GRE flash cards... I tried to make someone a christmas gift, but I didn't like it so they will probably never get it... After lunch I made a weird christmas tree with letter ornaments, and brought it to the preschool.  We read books, practiced counting, and numbers for a few hours.  Then I walked around and traded books, until I wound up at a dona's house were people were playing dominoes... I ended up drinking coffee and watching dominoes for an hour.
On a good note for the day... A guy on a motorcycle carried my huge bottle of water back to my house... this is one of the chores I loathe most, and often think during these long walks that I would consider shaking up with a Dominican guy if I could just get him to carry my water bottle home... then I come back to reality.
Then I took a moment and called my first favorite dona... Pancheta... I missed her a lot but I have to admit if I were her real child she would have disowned me by now for never calling.  I'm horrible.  She was so happy to talk and I made plans to stop by the house on the 13 as I go up to see Sabine.

Today I ate a smoothie and coffee for breakfast.  Post run I made what I would describe as an asian dish.  There were noodles, cabbage, tomato, onions, and cucumbers cooked in a pot with teryaki  sauce, honey, and crushed red peppers.  It didn't taste bad... After my preschool class I ate cheese, bread, and a tamarindo juice.  As I was watching Dominoes, I got gifted plantanoes, so for dinner I boiled one plantano, fried one platano and boiled two eggs.  All washed down with a banana smoothie.  This will sound like a weird dinner... but it was greatly enjoyed... I love fried plantonoes and boiled ones too, but I've never allowed myself to fry them before... All and all today I spent about $110 RD.

day 3 of 12 days of December... until Alana arrives

Last night when I woke up ( I guess I have woken up every night for the past month)  I was hungry... I went back to sleep eventually.

I started today off well, with the breakfast and a 2 mile run, followed by yoga, and other exercise until I was exhausted again... Then I listened to Snap Judgment (NPR) and studied GRE vocab.  Note about Snap Judgement... the stories always make me cry (in a good way most of the time), do not listen to this on a bad day.  I crossed the river today and practiced numbers and letters... and played cards with some kids.  Then I traded books and came home.

I did not do well on the whole diet thing... I had a smoothie and coffee for breakfast... crackers for snack after run, More pasta and passion fruit juice (because I literally had nothing else to eat in the house).  On my way to the playita I ate a small bag of cookies, and upon returning I bought a $30 RD slice of Pizza.  Dinner was salad and more passion fruit juice. So I'm pretty sure I stayed under $100 RD in food today... so I guess that's a good day. 

Final note, a life goal of mine is to live in a place where I can sit comfortably and eat any meal I please without being molested by mosquitoes.... jajaja.

Day 1 of 12 days of December Dedication and Devotion in 2013... maybe I will pick a better name.

 So today was a great start!  As far as the Thanksgiving stole all my money and I'm broke diet goes... I had a coffee and Papaya Batida (smoothie) for Breakfast. Crackers for snack....Pasta and homemade passion fruit juice for Lunch.  2 Boiled eggs, 2 Bananas & Banana bread for dinner.  Total Spent $92 RD

Ohh... and I was gifted a fish empanada... as to be honest.

Today's Accomplishments:

• This may not look like it but this is my new Yoga studio (hey there's a mat and some pictures of Yoga...)
• 1 Dead Scorpion in the bedroom...Maybe this is what bit me the other day in bed... We'll never know. 
• 3.5 mile Run :)
• Re-registered for the GRE... going to show up on the right day this time.
• Cleaned House... Dear Archer, I love you... but you SUCK!  If you continue to stand in my dust pile and try to attack the broom you will regret it...
• Organized/ Improved my Wall of Inspiration.  
• Visited neighborhood people and played with kids...

Reading and sleep will follow... Tomorrow starts the real work.

Let's finish 2013 in my site with a BANG! and Start and Awesome Month :)

Thanksgiving was Awesome!  I loved spending some quality time with the girls... even though part of it involved planning for saying goodbye to one of my closest friends in Peace Corps... I'm going to miss your face Sabine... and our talks... and everything about you in general.

Sabine and I had a discussion about our perfect months we did earlier in the year... I think we both agreed they we ambitious, yet the simple setting goals made it easier to accomplish things that are often set aside, and build better habits.  Out of my perfect months I have started the habit of making awesome smoothies for breakfast everyday, running on the reg, I studied more for that GRE, and in general writing and planning personal goals.  However I did not stick to my plan completely (life gets in the way).  So here's to making goals and finishing out 2013 in the DR with a bang.  From the 1-12 of December I've made some personal goals to be accomplished in my site.  From the 12-18 of December I will have the lovely Alana with me, and one should not plan personal goals when they are planning on seeing their best friends for the first time in 2 years!  My goal from that time will be to relax and let loose a little.
So here are the goals for 1-12:
-Finally conquer GRE studying... I planned badly last time and I guess it means I need to study more.
- Plan party for my book club
-Plan/possibly do another mural
-Create collage with photos for Women's Association
-Run! everyday
-Blog! everyday... food journal... Maybe I should include photos?
-Write out more concretely the next two years of my life that I planned out last week... (we'll see)
-Yoga/exercise other than running
-Swim twice a week (why not... ?I live next to the ocean)
-Dance party at my house every night...
-Read another book (Simona if I read this book that you told me to read, and you don't, than our private book club is off!... get on that!)
On a different note, it has come to my attention that I might be broke, even in PC terms (We all know I've been broke for the past two years...)  So I've decided to save some money for my visit with Alana, who will be coming on the 12th by controlling my diet a little.  I know volunteers often go with less than $4 a day on food, hell half the time I do too, but not consistently.   My goal for the next week is to not spend more than $4 a day (completely possible) but focus on spending $2.5 a day ($100 RD...maybe possible).  I've done the math... kind of... and this is the break down as it stands now.  in a week I will spend $200 RD on Breakfast (Papaya Smoothies and Coffee).  That leaves $71 RD or $1.79 US to spend on lunch and dinner.  Staples will include onions, tomato, cucumber, lettuces/cabbage, eggs, bananas, plantains, and milk.  I will be cheating slightly by using pre-owned whole grain pasta and noodles.