Aventura La Curita

deveras que estoy sintiendo esta cancion ahorita!
que maldita vaina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgzMu4hN-HY

y tambien esta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgzMu4hN-HY

un chin mas alegre

Compilation of pictures of a semester in the Dominican Republic!!

Here is a video made by the beautiful ladies of the CIEE Artes Liberales Study Abroad Program Spring 2011!!

It's impossible to capture five months of complete happiness in ten minutes but this compilation of music and pictures does a very good attempt!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=683IFhlCUDk&feature=player_embedded


This video is the Remix to the music video "Danza Kudoro" by Don Omar ft Lucenzo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zp1TbLFPp8&ob=av3e


CIEE does it better!!!

DR I miss and I love you! See you  very!! soon!!

Getting, having and taking off my braids

<this is a little late pero here it is>


Since I was a little girl I have always been curious to see how braids looked on my head. I had the opportunity to get them done while studying abroad in the Dominican Republic so you know this mamacita had to take advantage! The appointment was arranged by the Rock who knew Sandra for a couple months now. Sandra is of Haitian origin and lives and studies in the DR. I met her a couple months after I got here and became good friends. I even interviewed her and her roommates for a study that I was doing for my Dominican-Haitian relations course. She was happy to braid my hair.

I got there early in the morning like 9 am. She was already awake but still in bed. She got up quickly and invited me in. She offered me coffee and I said no because I felt ashamed to make her do it for me. She felt offended and looked at me and said “why? You don’t drink coffee?” I was like no yeah but, okk Ill have some. I accepted. I sat outside while she prepared what she was going to eat.

She came outside with a platter with coffee, cookies, cheese and a banana. She sat outside with me with the same things on her plate. Everything tasted delicious. She asked me if I liked the cheese, I said of course, she told me it was Haitian that her mom brought it to her. We talked and looked over the barrio while we ate. She lives in a second floor overlooking the main street and a store. It was a Saturday morning and there was children screaming, yelling, playing and music playing.

She brought gel, combs and a mirror. I sat calm and excited to see the final result. She asked how I wanted my braids. I responded I wanted them tied to my scalp and loose on the back. She asked if I wanted a design, I told her do what you think looks best. She asked me if I wanted them really tight I said no, not that tight I have a gentle head.

When she started I started making faces because that shit hurted on my scalp. The whole time my scalp felt pulled and tight and hurtful and AAAAHHHH!

The front crown of the head the braids were made in 3’s and tight to my head the other she just twisted the hair. She put some bolitas (the circle colorful thingys) at the end and then rubber band (I brought these to her). After she was done with the front part which I felt took forever…she started on the back part of my head. Here the braids were loose and she just twisted them. By the time she started the back part I just wanted the process to end, I didn’t even care if I was going to look ridiculous. My head hurted a lot and I was tired of sitting down. Because that day I was going to go off on a trip I was on a hurry to leave. The Rock kept stopping by to see if I was ready. Aresca started helping Sandra out put the bolitas in my hair and tie the rubber band while she started another braid. The whole process took like three to four hours.

my face!! that ish hurted!!

I was very excited about my braids and really liked the way they looked. I thanked Sandra and congratulated her for the great job she did.

During the time I had the braids I would use the net that I use for my tubin, bundled the braids and put the net on to sleep so that they won’t be all over the place. I wet my hair once or twice in the 4 days I had the braids. I found it very convenient to have braids because since I have long hair I didn’t have to worry about washing it, untangling it, combing it…nothing! It was amazing!!

I just showered and out the door. By the second day I had not washed my head I felt very dirty and uncomfortable. I am used to washing my hair every day or every other day if I convince myself. So not washing it even though I washed my body felt weird and ewwww jucky.

Also by the end of the weekend little hairs were coming out and the braids didn’t look as neat. Another annoying thing was that the bolitas (the colorful circles) at the end of the braid kept falling. You could find mad bolitas in the bed where I slept, or anywhere I went. It caught the attention of babies because they wanted to play with them.

Taking them off was a bitch! Oh my God! It was hard to take off the rubber band because it would tear at my hair. To unbraid the hair was another time consuming and complicated process because the hair had been tight for so long that it didn’t want to be away from the other strand. My hair had become a family. so cute.

Because Sandra had used gel on my hair it felt hard and greasy at the same time. It was disgusting feeling on my fingers. I was so excited to wash my head!!

When I finally took off all the braids my hair took another form I liked the way it looked, looked like I had gotten a perm done.

love this look!

After I washed my head, even though I shampooed it up multiple times it still felt hard. I washed it like two or three times until it took its normal texture.

I am glad I got the braids done because at least I got over my curiosity. I experienced what it was like and saw how I looked. I am not sure if id be down to do it again, at least not with the length that my hair is now because is so time consuming. I did like not having to worry about my hair for a couple days. I got ready faster and it was much more convenient.

I learned to appreciate being able to wash my head whenever I feel like it!!


Here some pics that I got of Sandra, Emmanuel, and Aresca while I got my braids done 

Santo Domingo Weekend y el tigueraje dominicano

I visited Santo Domingo this weekend…the capital of the Dominican Republic….I left Santiago on Saturday afternoon and got there around 6 ish. Because my ties to the Dominican Republic have taken a turn, I am deeply engrained in the culture, the people and the everyday life of the DR. An advantage to this is that I get an insider view of the life in this part of the island (yes foo I live in a mothafucking ISLAND!!)  I also get to experience this that as an outsider would be complicated. I am amazed sometimes of the fucken great things that I have learned and experienced during my study abroad semester. I believe that I have done a good job taking advantage of the opportunities presented to me.

Anywho. I am not paying for a hotel. I am staying in a barrio in an apartment in a second floor. There is AC in the apartment, no water, electricity, comfy bed. In order to get to the apartment I have to go up a spiral stairway (like DNA). Its so cute!! I have always wanted to climb these kind of stairways. Hehe

I am in very good company….like the insurance…I am in good hands….jaja

We went to the Mega Centro….aka mega mall….we ate pizza visited the stores and got a concho to the club….

Here I danced bachata, merengue salsa all night till my feet were numb. We caught an interesting video of a couple who killed it in the dance floor with the salsa dancing…I was pretty amazed

On Sunday we decided to plan a trip around the city…

I rode a moto concho (motor taxi) to get to mega centro and then board the guagua (bus) on a tour of 3 very important cites in the capital.

I visited the national aquarium, the 3 ojos (caves and lakes inside the caves), and the rio Cachon de la Rubia (a river). I walked a lot this day. Oh my gosh I feel my feet hurt sooo much. Did I mentioned I also went to the beach this day? Which is like an hour away from where I was at? Fuckkk

I have traveled!

Each of the places we visited was very interesting. I got asked like twice where I was from because “my accent is different”. Lol never fails

On our way back from Boca Chica beach we shared the guagua with a couple of youngins….i kept observing them talk their tigueraje, laugh and joke while they pass a huge ass Brugal (rum) bottle around like nothing. We started talking to them and taking pics….foos were faded!! It was hilarious

I got a very interesting video of them. The one that appears in most of the video is a guy who apparently owned the bottle, was FADED, and was talking to one of his hundredth girlfirend…..(ill put in on FB)

What I refer to tigueraje of dominicanos is that when dominicans talk they 

dont say directly what they want to communicate. Instead they use double 

meaning to words, make references, use their body and or facial expressions. 

It has been a great test to me. I am a native Spanish speaker and even then

I can’t understand what is going on sometimes. Dominicans also talk super

duper fast and extra loud! There were numerous times that I woke up from a

deep sleep by my host mom and housekeeper who talk as if they were yelling.

A tiguere is also a person (usually refers to a man) who is smart, takes advantage of the situation and always looks out for himself and himself only. In Shakira’s Loca song she says “yo soy loca con mi tiguere, loca, loca loca” she refers to her man….

Today Jonmely started playing Vicente Fernandez (ranchera Mexican singer) because I am Mexican…hes like…”I like Mexican music I have it look”…n he started playing….Im like “we mexicans when we drink (cuz u already know we were drinking) we like to listen to Vicente Fernandez and then eventually because the music is so emotional we cry”. Jeje 

he is like “oh no we are going to stop playing it then” jajaja

It was a good night.

On Monday it started raining in the middle of the day. The water started going inside the house so the Rock started sweeping the water and eventually found a solution so the water didn’t go inside the house….when he was outside (already wet from the rain) he told me “ven” (come) I looked at him like uhhmm me? He insisted “ven andale” (c’mon come) I told him I didn’t want to wet the black pumas I was wearing…he said it doesn’t matter come…..by this time mad kids starting running past the house towards the end of the street to play in the rain.

I turned around..... took off my jewelry, pumas, got some sandals and stepped outside. I laughed at myself for hesitating in the beginning. I looked around the street and more and more kids started running from inside their houses to the street in their underwear smiling and excited to play with their homies in the rain. They liked to congregate at the end of the street where the water ran at a high speed on a slope so they used it to slide down like in a water park. I even saw one boy pull another by his pants in the water. They both laughed and enjoyed the rain. Some small girls ran and glided on the marble floor on their stomach.

The Rock invited me on a walk around the barrio. Everywhere we looked on every street there were kids on the street. I thought about all the kids who just looked to enjoy their life. Never thought about problems and just laughed and jumped in the rain.

I was proud that I was able to let go and let myself enjoy nature.. jeje

I wasn’t able to take pics of the kids in the street but I hope you use your imagination and see all the beautiful dark and brown faces smiling and enjoying the rain.

Here are some pics....

Also the video will be posted on FB 

my favorite animals! DOLPHINS!

3 Ojos

doing a back flip into the water

enjoying the river

Riding a boat in Cachon de la Rubia river

drinking the huge Brugal bottle in the bus

this kid was hilarious!!

I still have yet to upload all my photos onto FB.....but here is a preview.

I also have many more Dominican stories to share....

As I said I am planing to do one on my braids asap...

shout outs to all the homies who are finishing up with classes forever! I wish I could celebrate with you all.

As for myself I have been done! oh yup! My last final was on the 21st of April. So technically I am already done with undergraduate. It is hard to believe I am graduating because I am not at school so it hasnt sunk in yet.....I dont look forward to it because I am not a morning person never have been so....But I am looking forward to getting that diploma and be recognized for all of my hard work.....

Anywho...thank you for reading I leave you with the latest bachata hit 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af_T3YJU7F0

everywhere you go in the DR  you will hear it...personally i already know it and have danced to it at the club and at a house party....

Bachateame!

Factory Visit and Timberland Shoes

As part of the curriculum for my Processos Politicos de la Cultura Dominicana (Political Processes of Dominican Culture) the professor wanted to take us to a Zona Franca. A Zona Franca is a private sector formed by several factories owned by Dominican business people to export to the U.S. A Factory in a Zona Franca doesn’t pay taxes to the Dominican government. Whatever product is made in the country cannot be sold in the DR. This product is for export only. So if Dominicans want to purchase this product, even if they made it themselves, they have to wait until this product is shipped back to the DR and purchase it at a ridiculous higher price! The salaries at these factories are minimum wage. Work is intensive because employees are encouraged to work at a fast space. The expected number of shoes produced a day is written in a big chart for everyone to see.

We visited a factory that is currently working with Timberland Shoes. The factory is fairly big and divided into different sectors that each makes a different part of the shoe. 

Our guides introduced themselves and made sure to answer all our questions.The shoes are made from real cow skin. Before they are shipped to the factory, the skin is pigmented with different colors. Then they are expected to check that the quality of the skin is in perfect conditions for shoe making. Then they are cut into different parts by a machine using specific molds.

After this they are expected by two women who check that the skin is smooth and ready. 

These pieces are then sowed together by the workers. Slowly the shoe starts taking its final form.

It was interesting to see both men and women working in the factory. The workers were of different ages-from young to old. The environment felt friendly, but pressured. I was surprised to hear music playing in the background.

it says "guaranteed waterproof"

I was very impressed to see these shoes be sowed by hand!

Workers had to wrap their fingers in tape and band aids so that their fingers are not poked by the needle. They worked at an incredible speed. It was obvious they had years experience.

the workers that sowed the shoe did it while they were standing up

Visiting this factory brought many emotions to my heart. My hard working mother is a machine operator as well. Since she immigrated to the United States she has worked sowing clothes and recently parts of a sofa (where u put ur butt in). I am not ashamed to share this part of me because I have been raised in a home where money is earned with dignity and a lot of work!

When I was a little girl I always heard my mom talking about the names of the machines, so when I was in the factory I asked the workers what were the machines they were using. I felt attached to the environment. I also learned to appreciate everything I have that much more, because I imagined my mom working hard at these same machines back in Los Angeles.

I thought about my mom and my family back home as we continued walking through the factory…..

After the shoe is sowed and finally put together, they are inserted into an oven where they are heated so that the color and the texture improve in quality. Then they are taken out and put into a machine to dry. Next they are inspected one final time before they are placed in their respective shoe box before being shipped to the U.S.

This visit was very interesting because I was able to see one way that many Dominicans earn their money. Zonas francas play important roles in this country. For countless families it’s the only medium to earn income. As I said it also brought many thoughts to my head as I thought about my mommy working hard every day for 8 hours.  This visit made me want to work harder and be determined to achieve all of my goals-because I know my mom has made so much sacrifice to raise me.

Visiting the factory also made me ponder on all the products sold in the U.S. at ridiculous high prices because they are "brand names" but little do the consumers know where and in what conditions those products were created. I have an Aeropostale shirt that says made in Haiti. Im pretty sure the working conditions and the pay of the workers who make the shirt is not nearly as much as the price of that shirt in the U.S.

*Just things to think about*

*I want to thank Ms. Biondo for taking amazing pics

which I used in this posting