Day 12

I spent a lot of time with children today. First at a public school, observing a kindergarden and a fourth grade class, and then at an orphanage where I got to play with the residents. Children are fantastic and the characteristics that they share are cross cultural. The school was very poor, but the Principle told us that it they were better off than some schools. I have no clue how children focus in the school! It seems so difficult since the windows are constantly open and there is constant noise from all over the school. Both the kindergarden class and the 4th grade class were focused on learning as a collective group - the children got little individual attention and the school style in general in terms of maintaining any sense of order - the kids stood up in class or walked around the room and at recess when they got excited because we wanted to take their picture, they created essentially a mosh pit  and the teachers just stood by and watched. Everything about the school seemed ancient - the toys were falling apart, there was no soap in the bathrooms, the computers were so old, and the books were taped together. The students all wore uniforms complemented by pieces of their own styling - it was a pretty conservative style of dress- actually dress in the DR is a lot more conservative than I thought it would be. I learned more from the kindergarden class than I did in my class at PUCMM. They were so cute!

The orphanage was a former drug dealer's house that had been reposessed. It was gorgeous!! They had a pool and an outdoor pool house where some of the boys lived and about 5 bathrooms and gorgeous, open living rooms/dinging rooms. All old drug dealer's homes should be used for such noble purposes! When we pulled up the orphans came out to greet us and we were overwhelmed by love. They held our hands and and gave us hugs and brought us out to  a big patio where we got more love and hugs. They ranged from about 6 to some older kids who were around 13. Whenever I meet a new person, especially a child,  I say "Yu eres mi maestra" (which hopefully means you are my teacher haha). They put on a little show for us and sang us spanish songs. I felt like I was home watching my cousins Morgy and Shelly perform for the family. We brought them lollypops and milk and other small food items. We left when they went in to have dinner (white rice and meat) and it was the first time I saw a anyone say grace in this country. They said it collectively and a small girl, about 8 or 9 did a fantastic job of leading everyone in prayer. It was an incredibly humbling experience.

On the way back I had the taxi driver drop me off at Calle Del Sol (he had noooooooooo clue what he was doing and took us in circles) where I thought I was going to take a yoga class. But when I got to the Culture Center I discovered that there was no yoga class - only a 2 hour tango class. It was something that I had not anticipated doing, but, alas, those are always the best kinds of experiences. So I took a 2 hour tango class from an Argentinian teacher who was amazing - very strict and precise and passionate. What a sexy, passionate, performative, intimate, staccato-ish dance!! We learned a 3ish minute dance and the teacher asked me if I was a professional dancer. It is so awesome to communicate through body language and not words. Wow - that was an incredible. Why is it that all of the best things happen to be unplanned!

 I LOVE WORLD DANCES! So far I've experienced African, Argentinian, Spanish, Classical, Arabic, Greek, Chinese.... ahh they are all so symbolic and incredible.

Later on we went out dancing - I danced to reggaeton and merengue and salsa with Rolando who I would describe as a very gentle dancer. If I had to identify the word that I used most frequently on this trip it would definitely be "bailar" - to dance.


The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie.