chichigua

Today we took the new interns to Chichigua. Man, I really love that place. I went around visiting the families that I have come to know. We all sit or stand around laughing about life, just passing time together. It is so good. I think back on when I first arrived in this country and had my first visit to Chichigua on my own. I was so terrified in not knowing how to act or what to say. Wow how things have changed.

The first family that I visited is the Alexi family. Most of their children are grown and no longer in school (three of whom I taught last year). The youngest is Felipe, a bubbly 10 ten year old that has way too much energy for three people combined.

I just found out that their dad, who was considered the leader of the village, no longer lives in Chichigua. He has moved in with another woman in another village, which disappoints me so much. I kissed Marlena’s hands and hugged her and she just smiled and laughed at my affection.

The youngest daughter in that family is Jaina, an adolescent girl confined to a wheelchair, which no longer works and so now to the ground. She squeals whenever I lift her upper body off the floor to hug her. She likes to be tickled too or for me to rub her muscles, which always seem to be fixated in the same place.

The older two girls were upset that they were not able to go to the beach with the current students a few weekends back, so I might try and see if I can plan something special for them. The eldest son I do not know as well because he is the one that I never taught. He is a motorcycle taxi driver and I hope is now helping to support his mother and younger siblings.

I also love visiting with the woman that cares for Estiven, her name is Maria. We always joke around because Estiven always gets really embarrassed whenever I come to see him. I think that he knows how much I like him! But I also know that he likes the attention!

Last year whenever I taught my classes in Chichigua before we had the school building, I was reading a chapter book to my older class- James and the Giant Peach, otherwise known as James y el melocotón gigante.

I only got through about 18 chapters last year and hadn’t picked it up since. Recently the kids have been asking about it. I decided to spend some of my time going into Chichigua and Pancho Mateo when the kids aren’t in class to continue reading to them. So, today I whipped out the book, gave a little summary, and started reading right where we had left off. Guivenson, Ernesto, and Felipe were the three that I wanted to read it to, which I did along with some of the younger kids and even a couple of adults. I ended up reading four chapters to them, after the second I asked if we should stop there and one of the adults sitting on a nearby rock yelled out no to me! It was really precious!

After Chichigua, I went with Laurin and Emily (one of the interns) to the grocery store in Puerto Plata. It had been so long since I had been in there and I was really excited. They had just finished putting a little café on the back side of the store. The cleanliness and fanciness of it made it seem like something you would find in the states. It even had a restroom! BIG deal!! I definitely need to try it out sometime.

I bought a mango and three bananas, two red peppers (not necessarily Dominican, but still tasty), a roll of toilet paper, and a diet coke as a special treat. Soon after parted ways with Laurin and Emily and headed back towards the apartment in Monte Llano. It has been a very good day so far.