Red Carpet Ready...

It’s Friday already! Man, do the weeks fly by☹ QUE TRISTE!!
So the rest of last week and weekend were AMAZING. Volleyball was cancelled on Wednesday night, which sucked, but whatever. Thursday night, we went to a friend’s apartment and played card games and Guitar Hero. It was so much fun, but then the electricity went off, and so we couldn’t play anymore:(. While we were hanging out on Thursday night,Amanda told me that her and Julie (her friend from home) sat around on her last night (before going back to the U.S) and made a list of her favorite things and people in the Dominican Republic during her visit. She also informed me that I was NUMERO UNO on the list of favorite people!! haha. After this, I met up with Sarah for a beer before bed. We went to the colmado by her house (small stores w/groceries, etc.). We started chatting with this man in the store and the man that works there. It was fun just to practice Spanish and get into these discussions with the locals. Those are perhaps my favorite times here.
On Friday, the group left for Samana. I was a little skeptical of how it would be with 40+ people, being someone that I had been before and feeling a little trapped within the group. The guagua left campus at 7am, so we slept most of the way there. When we got there, we checked into our beachfront hotel. I was roomed with Sarah, Amanda, and Annamarie. We had a room in the first building on the third floor. Therefore, the view was incredible and free from obstructions. Our room was a little house, complete with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen, patio (with table and couches), and a Jacuzzi. Pretty sweet. After we put our bags in the room, Sarah and I went to meet Doug & Helen for a drink and hello. Then, we met the group for lunch. We had traditional rice, beans, vegetables, and platanos for lunch. After lunch, half of the group went to the waterfall (Limon) and the other half went to Barrio Wilmore. Us gals all went to the Barrio, because we wanted to rest our ankles (Amanda went to the doctor for her hurt ankle and she has separated ligaments). Barrio Wilmore is a neighborhood in the city of Samana, where direct descendents of African-American slaves live. The reason they ended up here, were because they were freed slaves in the United States (from Pennsylvania), and the Dominican Government was trying to populate the country more (now free from Haitian rule) so they brought the former slaves down here, and gave them land (something like 100 acres each). Much of the land is sold now, because they made a hefty profit on it. It was interesting to have people speak English to us, but because English is still their native (and primary) language, they choose to speak it. Martha Wilmore invited us to her home, where we ate Johnnybread and drank Gingerbeer (like rootbeer but nastier). After that, we went back to Las Terrenas for dinner. As you can imagine, we weren’t very hungry after lunch and our treats. Dinner was on giant picnic tables on the beach by candlelight. We had the choice of white pasta or shish kabobs. Our group got 2 of each, and shared. That night, my roommates and I went to my friend Kelly’s restaurant. We met with some friends. Then Sarah and I went to a bar for a drink before turning in for the night. On Saturday, we went back to the town of Samana for a day to the national park, Haiteses. The easiest/fastest way to get there was by boat (about a 45 minute ride). All 42 people of the group boarded a catamaran. Only 6 people were allowed in the front of the boat, so Annamarie, Sarah, Amanda, Vankat, Adam, and I took the spots. They were the best spots on the boat full of sun! It was a beautiful day and the winds and sea were calm. Once we got to the national park, we circled around these rocks with birds and had to listen to them talk about them. I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy bird watching unless its an acquired taste because I find it so dull. Anyways, after that, we docked the boat. Half of the group went kayaking, and my half went into the caves. It was a living cave, with native Taino drawings. Afterwards, I went swimming although the water was a little dirty. Then, the group had lunch. The workers of the boat had already prepared us pasta salad, chicken, bread, and caprese salad. DELICIOUS. During lunch, we were all like little kids, we couldn’t eat fast enough to hurry up and get back in the water to swim. After lunch, we did jumps off the front of the boat, and I did a swan dive. Then, we went kayaking. I was in the kayak with Sarah, TEAM BOULDER. We set off to the swamps of the park. We saw crabs, listened to nature, and were in 1 feet of water. TEAM BADASS were splashing us with nasty swamp water. When we were on the return to the boat, we raced and caught up with them for a splashing contest. Vankat got out of his kayak and capsized ours. The floor of the ocean was nasty mud. Payback was coming. After they took off, we paddled fast to catch up. When we did we knocked them out of their boat and eventually won the fight. We had an audience there to cheer us on (photographs were taken too, I will try to find them and post them). After that, we had to go back to land ☹ On the way home, the wind had pick up, creating waves. So many people got seasick. Others were dancing to merengue and laughing. I kinda felt bad, but I was on the side getting splashed by huge waves coming in the side of the boat and laughing and smiling with the people around me while people were barfing the bathroom. Oh well, thank goodness I don’t get seasick. After that, we went back to Las Terrenas and dinner shortly followed. We had chicken Caesar salad and fish that night. Great food, but everyone was so tired. I think I got a lot of sun over the course of the weekend. On Sunday, we had a free day. Us girls in room 18 got up really early. We headed to Punto Poppy beach for the day. After swimming for a few hours, we went to Los Chichas (my favorite restaurant in the country) for lunch. We had a RDS 350 allowance from CIEE, which was nice. During lunch, we saw a fight go on across the street between 2 men. I guess one man was a landlord, and the other man owed him money. They were starting to fistfight. Then they picked up rocks to hit each other with before getting broken up by onlookers. About 15 minutes later, the owner returned with his friend. He had a machete in hand, and his friend was holding 2 empty beer bottles. The police came and broke it up, but it was really interesting (fun) to watch. We all felt so Dominican to sit and watch it from the window and gossip with all the women there. After lunch, we headed back to Santiago. Sunday night, I watched Pink Panther.
Monday started the week. Sarah and I decided to make homemade soft pretzels. We had to let the bread rise, so we went and saw “Vicky, Christina Barcelona.” It was a good film, made by Woody Allen. After that, we decided to finish the pretzel’s the next day. So on Tuesday, we did, but the oven was broke, so we made them on the stove. They tasted pretty great. The little girls came over and helped twist them into the pretzel shape. After that, we went to our friend’s house to hang out, and we brought them pretzel’s to try. Wednesday, I played volleyball for the first time since my ankle injury. I was a little rusty, but it felt good to be back! Thursday was a boring day for the most part. Vankat and I gave an English test to the kids, and then Sarah and us went to see “Slumdog Millionaire.” If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. Another one of those movies that I went into blindly, but loved. It makes me never want to watch a preview again! So today is Friday, and I spent the whole day shopping with Sarah, Leticia, and Caroline. They are friends of Sarah and I, but also our good friends younger sisters. We spent the afternoon on Calle Del Sol looking for dresses to wear to the Red Carpet Party tomorrow night (elegant dress code). Sarah and I went to the mall afterwards, and I found a really cute dress there. Tonight, I sat and had a nice dinner with my host mom. We chatted about this boring article that I had to read for class, she agreed that it was boring and hard to write a response to it. Tonight, a group of us friends are going to see the “The Fast and the Furious 4.” It’s been quite the week for movies. We’re taking it easy for tomorrow night.
Tomorrow, I think I am going to go get a pedicure, since they are only $6.00. I can’t wait for the Red Carpet Party. I can’t remember if I’ve told you about it, so I guess I will just tell you again (or the first time). A guy named, Stephane, invited me to this party. It’s on the first floor of some club that I’ve never been too. The paparazzi will be there and all! It’s a formal party though, so fancy dresses, shoes, jewelry, even an admission ticket to get inside. Should be a good time. I wish I would have brought nicer stuff, but it’s no big deal. It should be so much fun to dress up. A few other girls in the program were also invited, so I can’t wait! I’ll tell you later how it went. Other than that, nothing else is new. There is a heat wave, or something going on here because it has been hotter than Hades down here. I used to be able to walk to school in jeans and be a little sweaty, now I can’t leave the house with pants on, its too hot. It sucks because shorts are “socially unacceptable” here. Crazy Dominicans, I don’t know how they manage with pants on everywhere they go! Only 5 classes to get through and its Spring Break for me! Of course, we are headed to Las Terrenas. Sarah and I staying with Doug and Helen, but we have other friends coming as well. I found them a two-bedroom apartment (with kitchen) for only RDS 2000 per night (under $60.00). This is the peak of high tourist season here, so that isn’t bad. I’m excited for that week. I can’t wait to go to the beach for days upon end. Also, one of my favorite Latin singers, Omega (el fuerte) is giving a concert there during that weekend. Well, that’s it for now. Oh, one last thing…I will have to later put a copy of the email that I sent to Grandma, I LOVE APRIL FOOLS☺ Have a good weekend everyone.