it's time to give back....

on this dayof giving thanks for all of our bounty, no matter how great or small...
health? home? children? family? obama!?
when our hearts and heads are filled to overflowing for all that is around us, it is inevitable to have our thoughts turn to those who are not as fortunate....

today our hearts and minds turn to our friends and family in mumbai.
or, maybe more locally to those in our own communities that are not experiencing bounty of any kind.

as this year has been a year of personal growth and good health for myself, my stunning daughter and my parents i am turning to giving back.

*on december 21, vermont zumba instructors, dancers and friends are giving back to our neighbors in need, by hosting a basket party where we will fill baskets with food and gifts for our friends on our community that are struggling. we are asking for 10.- donations and a can of vegies. http://zumbavermont.blogspot.com/ will have updated info.

* april 2, i am assisting to organize a pre.event for the clothes exchange, of burlington, vt. we will be hosting a dress up.cycle party with local designers, bling and good times.

* may 7, the burlington clothes exchange...the up.cycling event of the season where good bargains meets good designs and good friends, all under one roof! this year the beneficiary is: vermont works for women.......http://www.theclothesexchange.org/ or http://www.vtworksforwomen.org/.

wishing you and yours a healthy, happy, joyful and bountiful holiday season!

kisses.

a.-

put it out there....

it's sort of like: build it and they will come. put it out there and the universe will provide. 

i will not back down. i am determined to perform more. dancing, zumba-ing....makes no matter. i want to get better and i want to dance. i am determined to start working whether it be on a consulting basis, or preferably as a full time employee with groups/organizations that excite me politically,  as well as emotionally and allow me to strut my organizational and creative stuff. 

so, please...if you have any ideas on that...i am all ears. i am putting it all out there baby...what are you putting out there? well, whatever it is...i wish you all the success you wish for yourself!

kisses.

a.-

ps...you registered to vote?

dreams...

so, i have been communicating with a man who appears to be living my life. he purchased, not only sight unseen but country unseen, a plot of land in the dominican republic. and, he plans on digging his toes in the sand for the first time at the same time as the dominican jazz festival is going on! how exciting is that? 

this leads me to the point of living our dreams. while times are tough, if we panic and or give up on our dreams we are the ones losing. no one else. i am, and i hope you are too, putting out to the heavens what my goals are and i am working daily towards them. 

keep the focus. don't lose faith. don't pull your money out of the stock market. don't stop making purchases. be careful. but do not stop. panic leads to more chaos. 

even in tough times, live your dreams! 

kisses.

a.-

dulce fuego events

hello all:

dulce fuego designs is still on a roll. 

working with muffin ray on both her fine art side as well as her commercial side. muffin will have a show at the tarrant gallery in burlington, vt in january with an opening reception in february. dates to come soon. we are working on a website for her that should be up and running in the next few weeks. and working on boxed gift cards with great images for selling.

also still working on getting juan c. avilles promoted. would LOVE to get him to the d.r., so i can go with! as well as, the puerto rican salsa stylings of angel herrera.

i would like to pick the brains of you, my nearest and dearest...

i am thinking to organize events where: we gather for a salsa dance lesson and cooking lesson. a night of rock-n-bowl, and campy bowling food. dinner and a movie in a funky space, a talk and a behind the scenes tour of an interesting place....etc. etc. etc.

the key is to have everyone bring a member of the opposite sex, just to keep the numbers even. these events would not really be open to the public, but sort of....invitation only and rsvp's "required" (depending on the event). the invitations would go out to a varied group. as we would want all backgrounds and interests represented. they would range in price but like dance lesson with cooking would be about 25. pp.

honest thoughts? feedback

kisses. 

a.-

falling into place

so, i met with mufin ray, the spectacular artist that i am going to represent today and can i tell you how excited and turned on i am? i am hopefully going to be able to help her get organized and sell more, and she in turn is reminding me of my inner creative soul that has been crumpled up dormant for so very long!

after speaking with her and seeing her work i am back into searching for textures and colors. for quite some time i had lost interest in these very core fundamentals that have always moved my heart.

so, we begin our business at hand. i am going off to the cape next week for a day or 2 to see her show, and am already beginning figuring out a website and the creative art side of her existence as well as hopefully her commercial possibilities.

i have alse received a promo kit for a way cool musician friend that writes and performs afro-puerto rican poetry, to his own music and am hoping to get him some work in the dominican, not to mention another great dominican/montreal orchestra.

carnival plans have not been forgotten and are under way. slowly, but they are under way. and, after the next few weeks are accomplished and behind me i am looking ot begin creating some local events for people to gather around and have an opportunity to meet new and exciting people.

as i said...life is falling into place.

kisses.

a.

back on track

so, i am finally getting back on track. what does that mean exactly? i am motivated, focused and re-dedicated. i feel as if i am carrying the sun in me, and that is a good feeling.

i have made a decision to look straight ahead and only surround myself with mentally and physically healthy people. i look forward to having new experiences, meeting interesting and new people and maybe even finding love!

i am being hired to represent a terrific artist, i am trying to promote 2 musical groups in the D.R.,i am working on a few small events and, i am as we speak, painting my bedroom and listening to some great music!

so, despite the fact that it is grey and rainy outside...my future looks and feels bright, shiny and new!

kisses.

a.

i'm ok... you ok?

i hope this finds everyone well and enjoying summer. i realize it has been quite awhile since i last wrote. life has been crazy. 

finished up the champlain college "Celebrate Champlain: 50 Years on The Hill" celebration. it was quite a learning experience and quite successful. 

just returned from visiting the LA area, with a friend whom is moving there in a few weeks. i really loved the area more than i thought i would and i envy her opportunity, but wish her well, as she embarks on life's new challenges. i send her off with love in my heart, the awareness that she always has a home wherever i am, and with great plans for her future.

time to begin the next phase...hope to have the location decided on today for a carnival for august 30th...stay tuned, as i will send out the alert soon!

kisses.

a

how are you?

it is sort of funny to sit here and write to no one about myself. i am telling no one and yet, anyone and everyone all about what goes on in my little corner of the world. do we really care about what happens in the lives of others? even those we know?

and, if you answer "yes. of course i care", i have to remind you, with so many other more important things going on in the world, the little minutae of my life are so irrelevant. but here i sit...ready to share more, as if asia were not being beseiged by natural disasters and right here people losing their homes and loved ones getting sick.

so, i confess. stressful day today. work related. i should have come home after piano and mowed the lawn, but here i sit. i should know my new zumba songs better than i do, but here i sit. i should have more tickets to my trip in july sold, but here i sit, should have fabric and card stock for my daughter's bat mitzvah, but you guessed it, here i sit. should have let my heart move on, but here i sit.

i am sure that tomorrow will be a fresh and new day. i am sure that i will wake up and attack the day with new fervor and that i will once again begin crossing things off of my list, but for right now i feel a little like i am not doing my part. no matter how i conduct myself, and no matter what i handle, it is simply not right or enough.

so, if you are out there, and you do care, like you say you do....do you have days where you sort of feel like a failure at everything? like nothing you do is really interesting/great/significant/enough? if you do, and you would like to share, please feel free to do so....

because, i do care. because i do want to know how you are. and i really mean it.

kisses.

a

just one week after

turning 13 and the middle school drama begins. whew. what chaos the past few days. this has been quite a learning experience for me. i thought i was really passing the mama test, when after handling, listening, supporting...i asked her to do something around the house and all i heard was "great. as usual, you never make anything better!" AAARRRGHHHHHH.....

however, in our defense, i do believe she is aware of all that i have been helping her with. i am not just blankly taking her side. i listen. i ask questions. and then i try and give her the tools to handle it.

i do believe i aged exponentially this week, and if i were a true drinking woman, this would be the time to indulge.....

working from home today, which is really wonderful. have already practiced my piano, done laundry, stripped the sheets and have made my to do list, and it's only 8:22am!!!! need to try squeezing in mowing the lawn as well!

have to get organized with my time for the next few days, and get my life ready.

hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

kisses.

a

air flights!

ok ladies.....this is it....i have been tracking the air rates and we are at an all time low....as of this moment from burlington i am able to get:

1 ticket for about 558.- rt with taxes included.
3 tickets for just under 600.- rt with taxes included.

if you have been sitting on the fence, this is the time to act. we will be flying into santo domingo and out of puerto plata.

also, if you, or someone you know that would like to join us, would be meeting us from somewhere else, please let us know, and we will work on trying to get them the same great prices.

it is all coming together, the band line up, the air rates and the entire trip....now, all that is missing is you!

kisses.

a

this just in.....

Merengue FestivalThe Santo Domingo Merengue Festival organized by the Ministry of Tourism is set for July 24 to July 27. The program so far is:
Thursday, 24 July -- Tono Rosario, India Canela, Kinito Mendez.
Friday, 25 July -- Fernando Villalona, Kico el Presidente, Banda Gorda.
Saturday, 26 July -- Pochy Familia y la Coco Band, Querubanda, Eddy Herrera.
Sunday, 27 July -- Sergio Vargas, Giovanny Planco and El Torito.

For the closing night, there will be a simultaneous presentation of merengue bands in the DR and Puerto Rico. In the San Juan Merengue Festival -- Milly Quezada, Hermanos Rosario Grupo Mania, El Prodigio, Joseph Fonseca, Juan Castillo

yeah us!!!! this is not to be missed!

kisses.

a

good morning and happy monday!

i hope the weekend was rejuvenating as well as productive to all. for me, it was a time of organization. physically organizing my surroundings as well as my head. i spent some of my time clearing my personal "mental lagoon", as a friend calls it. i hope it was time well spent and that i can stay strong and true to myself. it is time i begin carrying my head and shoulders taller again. and spring is a perfect time to enjoy that strength and renewal.

i am purchasing my tickets for the dominican today. i thought yesterday, but i continue to check prices and check airlines...but i will do it today. i have contacted 2 friends in the d.r. and i let them know that i am coming to town!!!! and i hope to be coming with hurricane speed! santo domingo watch out! i can not wait to get my hands on some of that food!

yesterday i sent out 2 more press releases re: the trip. so far, no one is picking up on my story.....hhmmmm.....i need to get the word out more globally. any thoughts? last week i sent out my "new" newsletter...i talk about the trip every chance i get...but i need the press, i need publicity....send me your thoughts, as i am open to them.

well, off to run some errands before i am off to champlain college. wish me well as i walk the walk....remember this, if you are going to be freaky around me, run hot and cold, only stand beside me when it suits your needs, then you're off the short list.....i do not have time for schoolyard antics. i am not so needy as to put up with all of that junk. i would rather take care of my business and keep the focus. i wish you well with your walk as well.

kisses.

a

today i became...

the mother of a teenager....aye, aye, aye...how is that possible?

what a day. i had a fabulous zumba class this morning. packed house even with spring break and beautiful weather. and despite the fact that i lost a contact trying to get out of the house and dribbled burrito on my workout top in the car, and was running late...i loved it!

and then i was off to be a mama to a teenager. i did all the right things, and played it cool, so as not to embarrass, not even really be there except to pay for the day!

so, back to the grind tomorrow. well, not really grind. i am enjoying the challenges of this project. but we definitely have our work cut out for us.

but this weekend is all about organizing and grocery shopping. i must get ahead and be ready for the week ahead.

kisses.

a

sorry for you if you had to talk to me last night!

whooooo doggie, was i ever ornery. tired and hungry. didn't eat dinner until 9:30 pm....waaaayyyy to late for me!

busy physically and busy in my head trying to keep all the balls in the air. feeling productive. feeling strong. but, as i have been telling people....i need a boyfriend. someone to talk to. someone to help with the house stuff. someone to cook me dinner! hhhmmmm, sounds like i just need to hire an assistant!?!?

so, it looks like i am leaving for the d.r. on july 16!!!! for 2 and a little over weeks! i am going to let my dance teacher and my friend know right away...make time for me! this is what is going to get me through all of it!

so, gotta run. just sent out my all dominican newsletter. let me know if you didn't get it and are interested. now, i have to run to the grocery and then off to champlain college. we are making great headway on our event, but now the hardwork begins!

kisses.

a

10 weeks and counting...

so, what a week. i hope everyone out there is feeling as high, confident, overwhelmed and positive as i am...let's see how long it lasts, shall we?!

the weather is here! we are magnificent...this is what i wait for the rest of the year, the next few months are the bomb here....and make it all worthwhile. you can't help but feel optimistic. last night a friend and i hit church st and there we ran into all of our other buddies, and it was perfect...a nice night, a drink, laughs, sassiness, release.

i have been teaching my 4 zumba classes for 2 weeks now. i love it. i am loving the morning class the best for now, as it seems ,at that time of day i am focused on zumba, not transitioning from work stuff....the smiles on everyones faces make it exciting.

10 weeks to what, you might be asking? 10 weeks to "celebrate champlain: 50 years on the hill". what a difference a week makes! liquid studio really pulled through with a logo! wow...the tightest turn around time and quality product. curtis 1000, is handling the purls and the printing of the invites. everyone is on point and while stressed, we are still laughing about it.

our events are mapped out. we have a woman from the office, an artist, handling the transformation of the gym into an interactive memory lane that will blow your socks off. we have grippo funk band playing the alum cruise and so much more it is freaky...i also ran into some students on church st last night from the event planning dept and they are down for helping out!

anyway, off to the barn for my kid, trying to learn a new song or two for class tomorrow and yard clean up today!

wishing you much optimism and beautiful weather wherever you might be!

kisses.

a

whew...what a weekend.

can you believe it? i'm out of words!

friday began with a new design client, a meeting for my new event project, then off to a new zumba class for teachers at a local elementary school, and then to set up for the women's expo where we had a booth for zumba.

saturday i spent either talking about or dancing to zumba music at the expo. it will be a long time before i think about participating in another expo. 10 am to 5pm....nothing but zumba....talk, talk, talk....crimeny. and then after a shower and a pretend nap i went to a dj raul dance. i was useless. i could not move, nor talk....i just stood there, useless. so, i left. i'll try again in a few weeks. a lot of my zumba ladies were there though, so that was nice to see.

then today, worked at my desk, taught my class (using as few words as possible!), then off to lunch with my sista, to celebrate her birthday a month late!? then back to the desk, laundry, picking up the house a little and more desk work.

tomorrow i have to hit the ground running. but i am beat already....i did manage to sneak a little nap in today.

be well.

a

dulce fuego designs is flying!!!!

welcome to the beginning of what i hope to be an incredible experience and year.

dulce fuego event planning has been hired by champlain college to coordinate all events for their 50th anniversary on the hill, to be celebrated june 26-28! as well, dulce fuego is coordinating the grand summer fiesta "carnival" for august 30th!

dulce fuego designs has 2 new clients this week alone.

all dominican travel is making great headway on our chick trip to the merengue festival this july.

and lisa cadieux (of liquid studios) and i were in the "b scene" section of the free press for attending the cots benefit dinner, for whom lisa had designed their beautiful program guide!

also, zumba classes are flying and i reconnected with a friend from a class last semester at champlain and she is going to be an intern on our champlain project.

wow.

kisses.

a

when it rains it pours....

or, be careful of what you wish for, as it just might come true....

so, life is pretty full right now, with design clients, new zumba classes and potentially some very decent sized events on the calendar. i have been very focused over the past few months of not backing down re: self promotion. i could be doing a little more, but i have none the less been very steady with my direction and attention to detail....

and here i sit, with an immediate future of overflowing demands.....it could be the most exciting time of my life. or, the most overwhelming.

i will let you know what happens....for now, i just need to remember to carry an umbrella for when it pours!

kisses.

a

keepin' the faith...

so many of us are journey-ing along down the road and lifting our heads about now and thinking..."now what?" please, do not forget....here in vermont we haven't even hit spring yet. the crocuses are coming up, but it is slippery and snowy out there today.

today, in my zumba class everyone was a little quiet and asked what was up...a lady in the front responded "it's grey out there"...my response was, "but it's never grey in here!" and this week that is my focus on all of life....i don't want it turn grey inside my heart or my brain.

i realize how easy it is to lose focus, to feel down, to not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but i am determined to keep the light shining inside. i must remember to feel the warmth even when it is not reflected around me.

i was just saying that my gift is not a gift of beauty or a gift of great intelligence but rather one of energy, and smiles and positivity, even when i am saying or feeling evil things.....

so, here i am sitting at my desk on a friday afternoon keepin' the faith. counting my riches. great health. great kid with great health. great friends. great family. going to see wycle jean tonight with great kid and great friend!!! i am lovin what i am doing...i love teaching zumba. i love all dominican travel and promoting my trips and i love working on these small events and creating a name for myself.

so, on this sort of dismal day remember to keep the light on, it wil remind others to turn their lights on too!

kisses.

carnival vermont

as mentioned previously...dulce fuego designs, in conjunction with amigo entertainment and liquid studio, all dominican travel and with help from lk peal consulting and raquel moran are planning carnival vermont!

we are looking at the date saturday, august 30th, for our first official fiesta. we hope to continue to grow the event adding new elements as we organize our new years event 2008-2009, and then by next year a full blown community, cultural carnival!

so, mark your calendars as we are beginning to dance and party our way into your hearts! more updates to follow and it's own homepage for up to the minute details!

kisses.

a

what i'm worried about...

the cost of fuel is through the roof and making air tickets ridiculous. it is not pretty. so, anyone who is interested in joining us for the cool chicks trip in july should contact me asap to purchase air tickets. we can hold off on other deposits, but in the meant time, you will have locked in your rate.

this is sort of funny....how many women have told me lately (without even prior knowledge to the trip or what i am organizing), about one of their biggest complaints is that their husbands don't go out with them anymore or have no desire to dance and be silly. i sort of just took it all in, but as of right now i must say "i have the remedy"...what better way to get you silly-ies out than by joining a great group of women who also want to get their silly-ies out and dance and talk and laugh and sun for a week?

also yesterday, i ran into an old acquaintance and she was telling me how firmly she felt about traveling on all girls trips. how over the years she has gone on a few excursions with a friend and other women and how rejuvenating it has been! and, did i mention that she herself is a cool chick?

it is really something else, now that i have taken the position of talking about what i do, so vociferously, that i am meeting interesting people. i want to break into the networking scene with continued confidence....i really feel as if i am going to make it all happen. it is a need and a want.

so, all that being said, i am still worried. we must buy our tickets. let's talk money later, but let;s get our tickets now!

kisses.
a

i have an idea....

that i'm sort of excited about. i am thinking to tie in the cool chicks trip with a "book club". i think i am going to suggest a book that we all read together, before departing. it will have an obvious tie in to the d.r. and will give a sense of history and understanding of the country before arriving. we won't need to be together, because we might have chicks from all over, and as cool chicks, our time can be quite limited...so, if we read and dialogued via e.mail!?

i have been networking via e.mail and flyers and cards my little zumba tushy off. i hope it is going to pay off. if i didn't believe in the trip(s) and did not think they were going to be of value i would not be so into it...but i happen to think we are in for a ride, with this trip....right now air is not cheap with oil prices as they are. right now i have it at 619.- pp for air in continental. working on a group rate, because that should be winter rates, not summer.

hoping to get to montreal tomorrow night for the night with a friend (wishing it was 2 friends?!). would like to walk around in heels and window shop and then dance bachata with someone, somewhere in that big bad city! need to dance with a partner. in the d.r. they do not have dances?! everywhere you go there is music and someone asks you to dance. it is incredible and i miss it. need to get a fix before i lose my soul.

bought some really sassy zumba pants....i think they truly help my gringa like samba. it's not nearly as much fun to samba in loose cargo pants. besides, i am determined to samba like a brazillian......

kisses to all. and remember, think book club!

a

i am beginning to get very excited!

the women that are approaching me about this particular trip are truly cool chicks! some know each other from some part of life or another. latin dancing and zumba seem to be a common denominator.

2 women approached me right after my zumba class last night! first of all, i have to say my new classes are a high! even with the messing up that i did last night, the ladies are silly and shakin' it and crazy! i love it! my tuesday night class is ready for some new dances, as well as my sunday mornings..so, i am up for the challenge! i'm asking them to shake it up and so must i! i need to be silly and crazy for them to feel free and let loose. no "mental lagoon" here......thanks for that phrase friend from montreal.

anyway, in the infamous hard drive crash of late 2007 i lost the press release i wrote for the cool chicks trip, so yesterday and today i am working on a new version...not nearly as fabulous as my last version...now, how to get it out there. i want to get it out in boston too! we need to escape these tiny walls of chittenden county (literally and figuratively).

also, mark your calendars...hoping for a crazy, family friendly, booty shakin' end of summer event for saturday, august 30th! keep coming back for more details!

kisses.

a

ps...hello to all my friends on the island!

moving on...

so, today, besides taking the car to the garage for all of it's aches and pains (black beauty is soon to be a graceful and stunning 10 years of age), and installing my very new and shiny external hard drive, that will hopefully keep me from pulling my hair out as i have done since last fall, and should allow me to back up both my pc and mac...

today, i am re writing the press release that i had written months ago for the cool chicks travel in july. i just realized this is one of the pieces of information that i lost in my first (yes, i did say first) mac book crash...oh, you know the one....where i lost EVERYTHING! and, might i say it was a stunning piece of literary work. boo hoo. if anyone has any contacts or ideas on how to get the word out about my trips and companies, i am all ears.

but then, i'm moving on....time to look down the road and see what else is ahead...also today, i am calling the d.r. to begin compiling information on my afro-dominican drumming village tour. it will comprise of: afro rhythms, community service, art, dancing, and river walks with cooking lessons. totally cool.

also, trying to get a meeting together about a summer blast party that will be open to the community and has great potential for growth, that will fall under the dulce fuego canopy.have my meeting people, have my agenda, have my co-conspirator...ready to party!

have to work hard in the next day or 2, as i would like to go to montreal on friday with some friends and see the city.

today might actually be the first day that feels like spring here (41 degrees!!!!). ah, but don't fret all you winter lovers, they are still talking flurries by the end of the week.

kisses.

a

cool chicks wanted....

well, the time has come to walk the walk....

the trip is planned and ready to go....please pass this along to all the cool chicks in your life.

for more information...

please call or write: 802.951.9259 info@alldominicantravel.com

ladies....start your engines!

i have the dates! mark your calendars and start saving....

the dates of our trip are july 24-august 1!

here is the itinerary as it stands right now:

july 24...
arrive in santo domingo
transfer to hotel in the colonial zone
enjoy a welcome cocktail party
move ocean side for a complimentary dinner of comida typico (local food) overlooking the ocean
up for dancing? or need to crash? we can accommodate either mood

july 25...
breakfast in hotel, included first morning
morning walking tour of zona colonial, included
after our tour, we head to a colorful and vibrant place for lunch, included
rest up
have a dance lesson, included
head to the merengue festival

july 26...
take a trip to a modern art gallery
have coffee nearby
check out a modern local mall
return to the hotel area and have a free afternoon
merengue festival!

july 27...
a morning tour of les tres ojos (caves in the city with beautiful lagoons), included
columbus's supposed burial place, included
lunch back in town
possibly another gallery tour, or a free afternoon?
merengue festival!

july 28...
after breakfast we head north!
arrive in time to check into our hotel
throw on our bathing suits and have lunch on the beach!

july 29...
after a complimentary breakfast at the hotel
we take the local car shuttles to the next town to discover the internationally known waters of cabarete
plan on staying the day. shopping, eating, windsurfing, kiteboarding....
after returning to our hotel for a rest and a clean up
we head back to cabarete for dinner and night life

july 30...
how about a little horseback riding on the beach?
a 2 hour ride on the beach in the woods, where we stop for a cold drink at a fabulous little restaurant sitting on a perch overlooking the ocean
enjoy the rest of the day on the beach!

july 31...
day at sosua beach
last full day in the country...
lunch on the beach included

august 1...
have a morning of last minute shopping, or sitting quietly by the ocean, as we prepare to
say good bye to the sunny caribbean

as of now, i am posting the price as it has been...as 1395.- + air.... but i think we are able to do better than that. please check back or call and i will tell you the final price. also, please let me know if you would like me to negotiate air for you.

a 500.00 deposit is required to hold your spot. there is a full refund of your deposit until may1, and after that 1/2 refund. the total will be due prior to departure, it looks like june 15, 2008. as of june 15, all deposit money is non-refundable.

sunny dominican kisses to you all and if you have questions, please do not hesitate to call or write.

802.951.9259
allison@alldominicantravel.com

allison

not a graceful re-entry

well, here we are...back in vermont. i will begin with the most recent and take you backwards to sunny, warm and active dominican republic....

upon returning, my daughter and i entered our house to find no working furnace, a strong odor in the house and that i had changed the password to the computer and could not remember it! this was at 11:30pm! so, we packed ourselves up again, and grabbed the dog, and ran to our friends house. a very cold house and 3 technicians later, we were finally up and running.

since then, i have just been trying to get on top of all the details of life that had not been touched for a month, as well as emptying the suitcases, washing the endless loads of laundry and helping with homework. big cell test tomorrow!

but, let's go back to our warm place, shall we? i must admit, whether it is the fact that our transition was not extremely easy, or i am just having issues, but i am not feeling very good about being home. the difference in the way people look is incredible. i know that in the d.r. you can see some crazy tight outfits, and some women falling out of their tops, but they walk with sass, talk with sass, and make an effort to not wear baggy, holey jeans and layers of ripped clothing. people talk to each other in the grocery store about everything. they walk with their heads up and will discuss politics and music everywhere. it is a little easier today, as daylight savings time has improved the look of everything and the ice is melting.

our last days were spent on the north coast, our home away from home. cabarete and sosua are such fun places. very different beaches. very different people, and very different food. the good news, as i mentioned before, was the german bakery in sosua with bread and nutella. our last day, for breakfast we had lambi a la criolla en la playa en sosua!

as i promised my daughter we rode horses on the beach, and she got to drive the funny buggies. that was a typical dominican experience, where we negotiated one price, were later told it was not enough, almost didn't get picked up, then when we did, drove around the block in sosua, to go back to where we were just picked up, to switch buses, to later be told that my daughter could not drive?! after a brief discussion, in spanish! i had that all settled, as i did not just go through all of that and pay 70.- for me to drive the dusty, rocky roads for several hours. after the ride they tried to convince us we needed to buy the dvd of the experience, by telling us there was dominican music included. i explained that i had dominican music. the guy asked me what i had, and when i began listing the artists they got hysterical and left me alone...i knew that i had everything they were going to include and more!

my daughter and i went to puerto plata to visit the family of a friend. it was a highlight of the trip for us. we hung out with the boys in the backyard, where they gave us presents this time. usually i bring them treats, this time we brought a small pizza, but they gave me a beautiful bracelet, and we helped with homework, and my daughter got a new nickname from a local lady...blancita! and i had enough spanish to understand more and to talk more and be silly. we wanted to come back but we were leaving. we love them all. tears are filling my eyes right now, as i write this. i promised the boys if i come back in july, that i will have art supplies for the older one and a basketball for the younger one.

my daughter is a perfect traveling companion. i enjoyed her company to the fullest. i hope to continue to show her so many places in the world, or even if it is the same country, that we are able to see how lucky we are and help others, and be touched and motivated to be kinder people, and to reach out to our "neighbors" more. life is short, and what makes it special are the connections.

each day was more perfect than the day before. and, although, i was ready to have my vacation portion be finished, i was not ready to return. i was ready to head back to santo domingo and work on more spanish and dance., and make more business connections. i wish there was a way to live there for about 6 months to practice my spanish. i would be so much better.

thank you to all those that i came into contact with and all the experiences that made me stronger. i am so sure now that i need warm, rich thinking people in my life all of the time.

kisses to all.

a

another day in paradise....

or so i say...torrential downpours in the night, but my daughter slept right through it all. we worried that that the day would bring grey skies however, much to our surprise, a beautiful day was ahead.

we are back in sosua. i say back because this is is our home away from home....new owners of casa valeria, and while we miss mayela and family the new owners have made some very nice changes to the place. many changes to the north coast, but one thing that remains the same is the german bakery in sosua! yeah us.

after a breakfast of nutella and bread we headed off to the beach. it was a perfect day on the beach....even a little breeze here in sosua. lunch on the beach was ok....i didn't have my lambi, so it couldn't be that good! we just caught a little softball game at the schoolyard in sosua, and are planning our day of horseback riding and beaching in cabarete for tomorrow.

we took the gua gua from las terrenas to sosua yesterday....it was packed and we rode for 3 and 1 half hours with 5 across on the bus and a suitcase on our lap, but it was inexpensive and a fun little experience.

after a brief bout of fever for one of us, we are all in vacation mode now, with some nice tans...even my kid has a tan! no sitting under the parasol for her this year!

going to call my friend tomorrow and see if he knows the exact dates of the merengue festival and how he could help my group in july.

think warm thoughts.

a

choppy waters ahead....

literally and figuratively. literally, i mean today on the whale boat the waters were very rough. both my daughter and i suffered. and i mean suffered! we did however see whales...mamas and babies. we boated right along side them. it was amazing! the need to protect these animals and their habitat is intense as the numbers, while once again climbing, almost had them to extinction. and every year these beautiful mammals travel from norway to samana, dominican republic. they make this journey once a year to birth their babies or to bring them here shortly after their birth, as they would not survive the chilly waters off of norway. a big thank you goes out to the crew of the victoria II, as they were so very decent to us as we rode the waves in a very in elegant manner.

as far as figuratively...choppy upon my return. so many things to get caught back up on. so many things to begin. so many things to end....new beginnings in cold times...choppy, i say...

well, i can say 1 thing or sure....no worries that my daughter is going to run off to join the circus or the coast guard!

kisses to all...
a

how beautiful the day. how lucky my life. wow...to wake up and have the ocean directly ahead of you as you look out the window. to have the ocean directly ahead of you as eat breakfast. and to have the ocean to your side as you walk into town.....

today we see the whales! i am quite excited. we took bets lwast night at how many whales we shall see...5-13 were the bets amongst the 4 of us.....hhhmmmm. i tried to act as the bookie and not make a bet, but just to collect the money and take my 10%......

last night i took a dance class. at first i thought i was going to toss my money aside, as we were unable to communicate in the same language...the language of dances, but after about 20 minutes we were more in stride....nothing will match what i learned with my last teacher in santo domingo.....the high i feel when dancing is too much. i wish there was someone i could dance with at home....just one person that i coulod make my dance partner....have fun with, sweat with and practice with....that is going to be a mission of mine. upon my return, i will put out the word...¨needed. one male dancer. must love salsa, merenegue and bachata. to practice with and go out dancing with. in town and or montreal.¨if you only speak spanish, even better, as i would like to practice that as well!¨

if i could just stay here in the country, i would. not here in las terrenas. as beautiful as it is, it is just too small, and european.....no, for me....i need santo domingo or puerto plata. i need real life, but close to beach. i would sell my home with all of my things, and set up some business right next to coco boutique hotel. yes, it might be considered running away however, that is what i fell like doing right now. the thought of returning to the cold, the snow, the people, the silence....it is just too much to bear.

tomorrow we head north! sosua, cabarete, puerto plata! mary laura might even join us!

still no going out. no crazy dancing. going to sell the women´s trip to the merngue festival, as i will get my dance teacher and we will all dance the nights away!!!!

my daughter!

yeah me! my daughter is here! she is a ton of fun to be with. she is used to the country and has no problems adjusting, as well as she is an easy traveler. if that isn't enough, she talks to me non stop and holds my hand and wraps her arms around me the whole time. that makes all worth it. you know the commercial....air tickets to the d.r., 700., meals out 600., hanging with daughter, priceless!!!!!

when friends and family arrived, we began our stay in santo domingo. our hotel, coco boutique, was beyond our expectations!!!! i can not say enough good things about the space or the couple that owns it.i think for my friends however, that santo domingo was too much for them. as it is filled with exhaust, trash and noise pollution...however, the people are friendly and the history is tremendous. i love santo domingo!

this trip has been most wonderful in the people i have met. we went to the synagogue for services, and i was overwhelmed with no matter where you go, the similarities are tremendous. the jews at the synagogue were completely different from the typical dominican. and the fact that services were in rapid fire spanish and hebrew, didn't deny the commonality of the people and our faith.

also, i met a fabulous walking tour guide for zona colonial that will be able to work with me in the future. i also met a woman who owns a farm in the southwest territory, that brings groups for birding! bricknell's thrush anyone? that is the bird that journies from vermont to the dominican annually! what a very smart bird! i have a fabulous dance teacher that i can not wait to return to...i had more fun in a few hours than i have had in 3 years of dancing in vermont! i can't wait to bring people to him!

and now, we are in samana. it is a peninsula in the northeast tip of the island. the beaches are straight out of a magazine. absolutely breathtaking. however, for me it is as if you could be anywhere...mostly french, italian and german are spoken here....the music is mostly not dominican and the town seems to roll up early....when i am here in this country i like to know i am here. i must say that the experience of getting here is a blast, as after a bus ride from santo domingo for 4 hours we had to take a taxi over the mtn. we had a truck and our suitcases were rolling around in the back of the truck, as we wound our way up and down through the mtn.....it was a blast!

so, more later and my apologies for being out of touch for a few days....it actually looks a little overcast today....we are arranging for a whale ride tomorrow! i can't wait!!!!

kisses to you all and stay warm.
a

wow....what a difference a day makes....

well, here i am in my final 3 days of school, and guess what? i am finally feeling settled and comfortable. doesn´t that just go to figure? what you ask, has made the difference? well, let me tell you.

actually, let me tell you about my weekend before i get to that. first, i went back to the beach. you might never know that by looking at me, as only my nose appears to have been in the sun however, i was better able to enjoy my experience and had a blast by myself. i had fabulous lambi a la criolla en la playa, but the rice left a little to be desired. while on the beach i called the synagogue and the lady who leads the afro dominican drumming village we visit with groups.

saturday night she returned my call and told me about an artisan fair they were at the next day. so, my teacher (who has become much more than my teacher, but a dear friend as well) joined me in the adventure. we saw josefina, from the village and she was so happy to see me and fill me in on all that is going on there. then she invited me to the community tomorrow for a tour with her. my teacher wants to join and together we will go and explore the community. i am so excited! josefina would like to work with me directly and to bring specific groups there to study drumming, art and dance! i would suggest to many that we make a group of this but then plan to stay at a hotel not in the community, to get some rest and to take in some other sites as well. any takers?! it would be an experience of a lifetime! i will be talking with her tomorrow about an itinerary and costs.

i also found out that there will be services at the synagogue this friday at 7:30pm. so, i look forward to going to that to see what i shall see.

after that, we went to another department store and i purchased 7 cd´s for 15.-!!!! i have an omega cd! if you know omega you will be happy for me. also, if you know the older song la langosta you will giggle with me, as i now own it! along, with many other great songs!

now, for how so much can change in one day....upon my return home to my house, waiting for me was a lady from germany who is staying there this week with me! she is lovely. she has more spanish than i do and we have a fair amount in common. after talking together and sharing dinner at the house we went down to the calmado together and shared a beer or 2. what a relief!

to top it off today at the school there was a new group that was all very open to meeting me, and to going together for excursions. how cool is that? 2 weeks and finally people to go with! also, it was quite validating to hear that my new friend had the same overwhelming feelings about the house in which we live, as i do. so, i wasn´t just being overly sensitive. as a matter of fact, when i leave she will move into the school´s apartment, as it is closer and easier in every way.

in a few minutes i begin my new classes with a new dance teacher that is going to help me with some street styling for merengue and bachata!! finally!!!

i have 1 new walking guide and am working on another. i also heard that omega will be performing at the carnival in la vega this weekend!!!!! i need VIP passes. must see omega. he is shaking up the country here with his new styling. i did miss him and sergio vargas yesterday somewhere in the capital for another carnival event. but, i was with josefina, which in the end is going to be good for business. these weeks are about business....

ok to all. 3 days from right now....my daughter will be in my arms!!!!!!

kisses to all.

a

viernes

well, it is has been a decent week here in the dominican republic. i know that i could live here despite all of the irregularities that occur. irregularities you ask? site an example....

well, power could go out anytime, and no one knows for long. you could lose water for who knows how long? don´t wear white during the day, unless you are going straight from your lovely air conditioned car to your lovely clean home to your lovely clean and airconditioned work....expect waits for crazy things. expect to be checked out by men and women (not because the women are interested in you, but because they are curious), expect to be hot.....

but also expect to talk to people while waiting for your food or a gua-gua. expect to have people help you or answer questions for you.

expect the unexpected!

tonight i am going to go with some of the girls from my school (ones that work there) out for drinks and then out dancing. we are going to go to the bar at the new coco boutique hotel, that i am staying at next week! this excites me!

when i return to my home this afternoon there will be a new woman from germany staying there. i will see if she needs any help, would like to join me on any excursions....tomorrow i would like to go the beach. i think i will return to boca chica for the day. i thought about going north and visiting family of friends but i would need to leave soon, and that means not going out tonight...and i would rather go out!!!!

sunday, i think i will go to zona colonial or back to the mall. there was a piece of art there that i liked as well as some very cool clothes....but i really should not spend much money....but as far as the art, it depicts a cultural moment. it is of a chicken done in bright colors and the artist came in while we were there. a very cool older man with a long white beard. i was able to take a picture of him and when i return home i will upload it to todays entry in the blog....

as for yesterdays excursion to the lyle reitzel gallery. i will definitely bring the women to that area, as it has some cute little cafes and exclsuive shopping as well as the gallery and it is close to a very nice mall, the acropolis mall.

ok....that´s all for now and maybe for the weekend. i am going to head home so that i can rest, meet my new neighbor and clean up to go out!

tienen un buen fin de semana.

un beso.

a

to those i love.....

happy valentine´s day. i hope this finds you all well and filled with love for yourself, as well as love for others and by others. it doesn´t need to be the love of one special person today, but simply love. here they sometimes call it the day of love.....so, express your love for life today. and be happy with what you have.

don´t worry about me, as i have the love from an admirerer. the man, hipolito, who sits outside of my school watching the cars that come into his ¨jurisdiction¨and protects their windshields with cardboard from the sun, has expressed his emotions for me. i can tell you that he has a very sweet face, and a very gentle spirit....and he works! what more can a girl ask for?

here is a brief look into a moment in dominican life....yesterday i tried to go to the university area for a cultural dance show. my dance teacher is the director of one of the groups. he told me it began around 6pm. it was to be a free show outside of the new university library. my teacher and i headed over there. at 7pm...still nothing happening. at 7:15 a band showed up and began to set up. it took them a while to set up and a while for a sound check. the sound man was having some serious feedback and electrical problems. by 8:00 pm...still nothing! we left. tired and hungry.

dominicans will in line at the local cafeteria for 45 minutes to get lunch. they will wait 2 hours for a dance show, but the minute the light turns green at a stoplight they lay on their horns and or try and race threw the light. go figure.

today my dance teacher canceled my class. so, here i sit writing this earlier than usual. but i am going to get cleaned up and go to the art gallery i mentioned yesterday to meet with them. i am also going to make some calls regarding the services at the synagogue, as well as josefina from the congos. there was a great article written about them in today´s paper, about their selling art t-shirts to help support their cause for passing on their musical heritage to the next generations.

i hope you are staying physically warm and that your heart is also filled with warmth and overflowing with love.

a

dancing...

whatever it is that you do for yourself...whatever it is you do to release tension, to fill your heart with happiness, to take your mind elsewhere, is a joy. take care to protect that for yourself. make sure you take care to find time for that one release, as it will help to keep you young, healthy and happy.

for me, it is dancing. last night we went to a merengue typico bar, right in the center of town, with a live merengue/bachata band. and maybe for 265._ (what we think the band got paid) for the night, right there was a tight little band of 7 musicians. add into the mix mas cerveza frio (see my spanish is ok...) and a few single dominican men to ask us to dance and we had a night filled with silliness! i danced, danced and danced some more....and the real thing. not the lesson thing. there were 2 other gringas there with dominican men and they could not even count to 4 for the bachata....i wanted to run over and give them some pointers, so as to not give americans such a bad name here in the d.r., when it comes to dancing!

my teacher told me today that i need to write a book and make a video for other gringos on how to dance merengue and bachata, as i know how to do it perfectly!!!! what a very nice compliment! i was also complimented by her on a short story i had to write in spanish, about my last birthday...she was so pleased with it, that i asked for her to make a star on my paper and i told her i was going to keep it, to remind me of a good spanish day!

although, i think she is in such a good mood because she met a fun young man last night while we were out dancing!! she had a very good time and he has already called her today and they have spoken. as tomorrow is valentine´s day, i am trying to get her to go to dinner with him tomorrow night. one of us should have a valentine on this lonely heart´s day!!!

i think that slowly, slowly i am making progress with my spanish! did i happen to say slowly????? i wish i had the whole month just to study spanish. i think it would finally sink in.

this afternoon my teacher and i are going to go see a performance of a folkloric dancing that my dance teacher is involved with. i was so tired today, that i could barely dance in class...but that´s ok, as i danced so much last night.

tomorrow afternoon i am supposed to check out a contemporary art gallery that i want to bring the ladies from the merengue trip to see. it is supposed to be a leading gallery here in the country, and this director has another studio in miami.

also, my teacher and i are talking about saving our money and going on a vacation together next year!

kisses to all....

a

trying to understand....

what it is that i love so much here....i have been looking around trying to understand it, as i prepare to show my friends around. i am trying to see it through their eyes....

i asked my mama, what she thought i saw. she asked if there was still trash on the streets? i am able to say with authority, that the answer is a BIG yes. so, it´s not because it is so clean...she asked if places are still chaotic? and again, without thinking i can say yes....so, it´s not for it´s tranquil atmosphere.....is it because my spanish is better and i can understand what it is going on around me? nope.....that´s definitely not it.

but i think in some crazy way that is what i love so much. i love that people have a discussion about which way to go in the car. which taxi to call and why. how the restaurant cooks the food. i love it that the people of the country are so proud in so many ways of their food, their traditions, and that people love to come to their country. i love how obvious the men can be with their wicked ways....whether they are straight out asking me if i will marry them for american status, to how they can stop and stare right at you as you pass them. no wondering if they think you are attractive. no wondering how they feel about much. when they are happy they are loud and rambunctious, when they are angry they are loud and rambunctious.

i think they epitomize the fuego side of me. and yet, they are also the dulce side of me when it comes to certain manners and customs.

i thank everyone who is at home in vermont, helping to keep my kid, my dog, my house and my car all together while i am gone. i have always known how lucky i am, but i am being reminded every day now, how truly lucky i am.

tonight, going with some people from school for some dancing. i am pretty tired, but i won´t miss out on a little night life....i am going home to do my homework and to take a little nap....

i´m back......

quiero todos bien por ustedes....i had difficulties logging in on friday.....i am sorry. i hope everyone is staying warm and driving carefully! i hear it has not been very pretty in the north.

things here are going well....i am settling in, and now beginning to wish i had more time for classes before my family gets here....i can´t wait to see them however, i feel classes are moving rather slowly for me. not due to the teacher but i fear it is the student that struggles. i probably need to have more classes each day, rather than dancing in the afternoon.

so, you ask...what have i done, since last i wrote...well, on friday after my classes i went to the photography studio of a friend of alejandro´s. she is a succesful photographer of children here in the capital. her studio is darling and is a bustle of activity every afternoon...while i visited she had triplet 3 year old boys there, and boy was it cute!!!!she took me back to her apartment and it is more than lovely! she has limited english so, i needed to use my spanish all night...although, her husband is from puerto rico, and has traveled everywhere and speaks fluent english. her sons are darling and are learning english in there private schools. they have quite the life!

on saturday i got up and took a taxi to playa boca chica. it was 39.- one way. i stayed at a hotel recommended by my teacher. it was perfectly clean and right on the beach, for 60.- night. no frills, but a tremendous shower!!! this is my first time in boca chica. and while i am sure all of the rumors regarding the reputation of boca chica are accurate, i did not see anything that was anymore disturbing than anywhere else.

on sunday, my teacher joined me on the beach where we sat in the sun for a short while, but then moved to a cafe on the beach where we ate, drank, talked and were approached by sankies all afternoon! it was a blast. together we took the gua-gua back to the city for under $2.-, then i needed a taxi..in total costing me about 6.- to return home!

i would not recommend boca chica as your resort destination. if coming to the caribbean, there are places so much more beautiful! let me help you get to those places!!! however, for a day or 2 it is a party!

so, i now have a new company for walking tours here in zona colonial for the women´s merengue festival. and i am going to check out an art gallery to visit for the merengue festival also. restaurants and food are never a problem....as i actually have too many choices!

tonight i would like to go to jet set, a club in santo domingo that has live music on mondays, but once again, i find myself solo...so, i am not sure i am going to go.....there is a man from switzerland staying at my house that is up for many things, but he is visiting san pedro de marcoris today. i don´t think he will be back in time to go out....i will see however.

missing you all, but glad i´m here.

a

let´s talk....

so, there was a transportation strike this morning, for the autobus and gua-guas....they had it until 10am this morning (they wanted to disrupt rush hour) because they are wanting money from the gov´t per passenger? this is what i have been told...i am so glad i take the taxi, as it i had no worries as we passed the streets lined with people waiting to get to work.

the other positive in this was that my cafeteria was empty for lunch....even though i did not get there until after 12:15, i was still able to get my food, eat it and be back for dance class by 1!

my teacher wants to show me a vegetarian restaurant near the university. she said it has comida typico, but with soy substitutes! i have to see this! today, she also showed me some of the jewelry she is making. i want to maybe buy some and sell when i get home, or to have for myself! she is now taking a metal making class! she is a cool chick.

today in class i talked politics with her, and have begun asking around about the political scene here...i am aware of the history a little bit, but am curious to hear where people fall now, as elections are in may...when i am less tired i will say more about this.....also, on their thoughts for the united states elections....

we also passed the office for visas to spain....the line was so long i thought they must be giving something away for free? i hear they line up at around 5 am waiting and hoping.

ok....so, let´s talk money....

40 pesos, 1.18 for afresh pineapple cut, sliced and put on a plastic tray with a kabob stick and a plastic bag

150 pesos, 4.41...each way by taxi from home to school...this is the same cost as 1 gallon of gas.

120 pesos, 3.53...piece of salmon, mashed potatoes and salty fried yumminess and 3 bottle of water, small

my school, dance classes, homestay that includes breakfast and lunch....about 67.- per day averaged out, including weekends...

i beer and 3 cold waters, 3.-!!!!

kisses to you all. i miss you, but i am happy...and right now...exhausted.
a

it´s getting better all the time....

a new day...in many ways yesterday was sooooo much better than monday....of course, i now know where my house is....i gave the taxi driver directions home yesterday, in spanish!!! i know where my school is and my head is getting a little more into spanish...my teacher is darling.

i listened to the words of my mama, and yesterday i walked into school and began introducing myself to the rest of the group. i tried to rally the troops and get them to go with me tonight to casa de teatro, a small art and music house in zona colonial, but to no avail....

my teacher introduced me to her afternoon student, a spanish speaking new yorker, here paid by the military. again, i mercilessly threw myself on him too, looking for someone to do things with. i think they all think i´m nuts....i do not however, want to go to clubs and bars by myself. we shall see how it all pans out...i don´t think they understand that i am looking to do things with people, not get intimate, not get drunk, just to go out and see the world while i am here....

i am now trying to get my teacher to ask her afternoon student out to join us....i analyzed the situation with her this morning, and i think she might enjoy his company, a little more than teacher/student...the good news is that my teacher, maria laura, is going to go to casa de teatro with me tonight!!!!yeah, i have a friend. and she is the smartest one in the bunch and the most interesting! and she is local! who wants to hang out with europeans, when i can have the real thing?

the part of my day yesterday that was so difficult was that emma was having some very grown up things to deal with, and i wasn´t there to help her. my mama was, so she was lucky for that, but i needed to be there. however, if i had been there, the issues would not have even come up....my heart hurt so much for her yesterday.

we are both so very lucky to have family and good friends that have our back....thank you to you all.

today i had my first dance class. i am so happy to be moving a little bit....the teacher´s style is very different than mine, which is good to learn however, it is still not the street style. so, i need some street sass in me.

lunch today at the local cafeteria. i got there earlier so, i did not have to wait so long....yesterday i had eggplant parmesan...today more salmon and enough mashed potatoes to sink a boat, but YUMMY!!



i am making plans to go on a VIP trip on by bus to carnival on sunday, for only 500 pesos. $15.- more or less...i will probably be the only gringa and non spanish speaker on the bus!!! aye, aye, aye...it is either going to be tremendously fun or tremendously stressful. i don´t think there will be any in between!

now i am going to begin looking up these art galleries for the women´s trip in july...i would like to see some of them soon, and figure out where we should visit.

kisses to you all.....and so sorry about the yucky weather!

a

where do i fit in?

so, yesterday i found myself in tears...i am caught. are my eyes bigger than my stomach? do i want more than i can actually handle? is that the lesson of my life? do i want to crave adventure, but in reality shy away from it all? when sad, this is what i think....however, i think in reality i either chew off a lot close to home or get myself to another place and then need help...but, do it all?

yesterday, at 3:15 i was back at my house...i made a few calls, did my homework, checked into art studios and galleries and then was alone for the rest of the day....if i slept more last night than usual, was it because i was exhausted, bored or depressed?

no dancing...i need to move.

no friends...i need friends.

no daughter...i need my daughter.

focus...i am here to work on my spanish. i am here to remember who i want to become....not sure what that is right now, but becoming it, none the less.

my daughter called me after school yesterday...and i have never been so happy! she handled so many things yesterday alone, and it was just day 1! i am so proud of her, and she had a sense of humor about it all. maybe she will grow more during this time than i will!

so, where do i fit in? my mama told me yesterday on the phone, that she was sure i would have the group of students organized to do things.....but i am not so sure....i told my teacher today that i was going to make new friends today, but not so sure it is going to work....i want to get out and see the country...not only go to the calmado for beers...some of that, but more...and until i have more spanish i can not fit in with the dominicans.

annoying things:

1. mosquito net over my bed

2. distance between house and school

3. no friends

4. no organized school activities (the organizer is on vacation this week!!!)

5. no dancing yet

6. my showers are so freezing that i can not put my whole body in at once....or my heart would stop beating!

good things:

1. lunch...salmon, morro y papas con agua por 95 pesos...about 3.00!

2. my teacher is delightful

3. it is 80+ degrees

4. my daughter called

5. i used my exercise tube

here i am....

well, much to my relief and panic all in the same breathe, i am here! my flights were perfect except for: 1. i wore my brown boots instead of black! 2. the airport in burlington confiscated my present for my family, because i forgot it was liquid and exceeded the alloted amount!!!!aarrgghh..

upon arriving at the airport here, i could not find my driver, but a nice police man assisted me, getting my phone working, and letting me use his at first. my home is a fine middle class home, just not easily located to the school. auto bus is not a direct route, and i am told i will need either 3 buses or to walk a distance...tomorrow, my teacher is going to walk me there, on our break. even still...it feels a little daunting. i took a taxi this morning and will take a taxi this afternoon.

my teacher is darling...maria laura. as i expected there are no other students in my level so, i am solo. there are those above me and below me....always, i walk alone! because of this, my classes are shorter and i am not going to begin dancing until wednesday, so that leaves me with a long stretch of time before anything else happens to me. i like to be busy. i want-need more things or people to know.

after this, i will take a taxi back to my house and do my !homework!, make some calls...i am going to see if tomorrow afternoon i can either meet a friend or meet with the walking tour people.

the owner of the school would like to do business with me in the future. i think (and thought) there were more activities for the students after hours. i am going to see if i can arrange some of this....the others seem to know each already. but, he would like to maybe work together with some groups.

i am always shocked by me....i can travel here on my own. i can make things happen, but yet i am so afraid to be alone. how can this be? how can i be such a combination of strong and weak at the same time. i can walk into places and talk with people and yet, have a very strong shy side to me in that very same moment. must figure this out and change it.

also, i like to get around and see things but i also like comfort and nice things. now i see where my daughter gets her interest in regular activities, to know her favorite places. to visit the same places, to eat at the same places. come to find out, she is much like me....hhhhhhmmmmm.

my spanish classes are next to the university here, which is the first university in the americas! and it is still working. quite impressive. my thoughts about the city....it really seems quieter but here, by the school the sidewalks are a mess...if you can even call them that. i can´t understand how more people don´t fall. and what about the old getting around?

i apologize now for any typing boo-boos, as all of the computers i will use will have different ways in which they function.

my little house seems so far away. it feels as if i left it years ago.....and yet, i have so many days ahead, before my family gets here. here is to growth. here is to stepping out of my comfort zone. here´s to me!!!!

kisses to you all!

a

and here we are....

the night before i depart. i am exhausted.

i was up and in middlebury by 8:30 am this morning to help teach a zumba class, as they are preparing to kick off their zumba classes there. the girls will do a great job. it will take a little bit to get their choreography to the point that it is easy enough to cue and do, but the ladies there are going to be a great support. they are all ready to booty shake and have the zumba girls lead the way! best of luck to you both! you rock!

cleaned my house, did every article of laundry, including sheets, and finished packing....i always act like i can't find shampoo and body wash in the d.r....once i'm there, i actually prefer purchasing my things there, but i will come prepared.

have said good bye to my kid and my dog....teary farewells. i know i will speak and e.mail with my daughter practically daily, and that i will see her in a little over 2 weeks, but i couldn't help think..."whose stupid idea was this for me to go away without her?" and our poochie...aye, aye, aye...it breaks my heart...but she is in doggie heaven, staying with her friends... her human friends too!

but that's all the practical stuff....what will this bring me? will i be more fluent in spanish? will i love dancing in the capital? will i meet interesting, creative and bright people? will i get lost? will i be able to immerse myself into the land? will i be ready to come home or will i want to stay there?

i guess i can only say..."stay tuned...same bat channel, same bat time...for the latest in the life of me"

un beso grande!

a

if you had asked me...

...yesterday afternoon around 2:45 pm, if i was in good shape to leave, my answer would have been a very big "scarily so!" and, then 3pm hit...

i was walking in the door from picking up snacks, for my daughter's hebrew class that was meeting here, and although i was a little disgusted by the weather (we have had black ice and grey skies, with yesterday rain, snow and nothing but cold all in a short amount of time...), when the phone was ringing....

with no time to take off my gross shoes, i went running through the house looking for the phone, and yeah! it was a new client call! it made me happy that i ran through the house without taking my shoes off and i was even happier i didn't slip in them running for the phone. anyway, it sounds like a cute couple. they actually own pomg bike tours, which looks like a great bike tour co...check them out at www.pomgbike.com, here in vermont....but how to pull together their info and proposal before i leave, as they would like to depart the day before i return, so all will need to be done by tomorrow?!

anyway, after getting the kids snacked up and ready for hebrew, i went online to begin working on this for them, when i saw my new work e.mail account sending me 14,000 old deleted e.mails!!! by the time it was done it was sending me over 31,000 of the same old deleted e.mails.........aarrrgghhh. if i could tell you how much time i have spent on the phone with my web hosting company this week alone, over this very issue, you would either giggle or turn to alcohol. so, there i was again, and now i'm mad! i feel bad taking my frustration out on the new person on the phone, when i call however, after 6 times in the past day and a half explaining the same issue and having them doubt me, and then start all over "recreating the situation" so they can see for themselves?! and the heavens would open up, if you could ever get a supervisor on the phone, much less the same person you spoke with an hour before, so as to not have to go through all of this again!!!!

you might ask, "allison, did you get it worked out?" well, as my computer is flipping out right now deleting 31,437 e.mails, the answer would have to be a big "NO!"

so, it might be better off if you just don't ask me anything today....

hope your day is a good one.

a

traveling, dialoguing, arting,

i am currently "dialoguing" with a women who is preparing for her second trip to the d.r., and she made my day, by saying that although, they stay in an all inclusive, they take the gua-gua, and check out the local towns and are thinking to take a trip into santo domingo for carnival! yeah!

another exciter this morning, is a friend who went to india a few weeks back sent pics of her incredible trip! what a way to start the morning...the colors got me charged up to get away. anyone who knows me, knows that i think this place is too quiet, missing to many colors, sounds, and smells...maybe now you understand why the exterior of our house is purple, and the music is almost always making the windows vibrate. can you say, flavor baby?

looking for something to do this friday? first friday art walk....i will try and pass along more info in the next day or so however, definitely check out: pine street artworks, at 404 pine st.and see liza's show about the history of america's photobooth. so cool.

and this for my zumba friends....i seem to be having troubles uploading pics to my blog. i can add video, which i will try later....so, instead i will e.mail the photos of my little travel buddy to lwe and they can be posted there for you! installment #1...."where we going?"

have a great day.

a

life is what we make it....

as i sit here feeling like i am forgetting to take care of some things before i go, or having trouble getting on touch with some people in the dominican, or feeling overwhelmed by my need to have this adventure....i am reminded how lucky i am.

in the past few weeks here in vermont, we have lost a couple of our young people, way before their time. high school kids out doing what we have all done; be a little reckless and enjoy their passions and hobbies..essentially, living life. as a mama, my heart bleeds for those families. as a human, i feel the loss to the world for not having an opportunity to be exposed to what these young people were going to bring to our world.

so, i am reminded that this need to see and learn new things is crucial. my life is what i make it. and, although my first thought is to grab my child and not let go. not to let her out of my sight. i refrain. i want her to make her life as rich as she can. to touch people's hearts, to make others laugh, or to teach them something new. i want for her to reach for the stars. to be all that she can be.and one way i hope to teach her this, is by doing it myself. after all, my life is what i make it.

happy monday.

a