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
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| my favorite animals! DOLPHINS! |
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| 3 Ojos |
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| doing a back flip into the water |
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| enjoying the river |
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| Riding a boat in Cachon de la Rubia river |
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| drinking the huge Brugal bottle in the bus |
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| 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
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!
